...by keeping the borders open and pending our defense capital on foreign nations. Should’ve been called “Project for a New Iraqi Century.”
Reality check time...
Tell me, if the borders are "open," how are coyotes (people smugglers working the southern border) managing to charge up to three or four thousand dollars per person per crossing?
Why on earth would poor Mexicans (and even poorer El Salvadorans, Guatemalans, etc) pay such steep prices when -- since the borders are supposedly "open" -- they could easily walk across for free?
The fact is that, even if most sufficiently determined illegals can get across eventually, to do so is more difficult/dangerous/time consuming/expensive than ever. The fact is that since the 1980's (the last time the borders could be reasonably described as "open") border security has become tighter and tighter almost every year. Even during the Clinton years border control resources were substantially increased, and since 9-11 even more so. The fact is our borders have never been more secure, at any time in our history, than they are right now.
Can we increase border security even more? Sure we can. But I suspect we've already passed the point of diminishing returns.
There are also unintended consequences of tight borders which we are already dealing with. During the 80's nearly all Hispanic illegals were working age males, and nearly all left their dependents behind. Since it was easy and cheap to cross the border, this made sense: Do seasonal work in construction or agriculture, leave the family at home to tend the farm, and where the cost of living was less, then spend the winter with them back in Mexico.
Now that crossing the border is difficult, expensive and less certain, this pattern of "circularity" (crossing the border in both directions) has greatly decreased. Those who come are far more likely to stay permanently, year round, far more likely to bring their dependents, and far more likely to compete with legal Americans for nonseasonal jobs, and more likely to turn to crime if jobs are not available.
We could make much better progress by working the demand side (the illegal labor market -- either by getting tougher on those employing illegals and/or developing a more accessible temporary work program) and by devoting more resources to tightening up visa programs -- than by further incremental increases in border security.
Just one FReeper's opinion. But it is certain that we cannot effectively address the issues of borders and illegals if we adopt false facts, and that is exactly what the "open borders" mantra is. It simply isn't true. If you want to deal with the problems, deal with the actual problems, not made up ones.