Video Shows Prototypes of the Border Wall

[Revmitchell]

by BOB PRICE28 Jun 2017San Diego, CA50
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials announced plans to begin construction of border wall prototypes later this summer. The test projects will begin near San Diego, California.
CBP Acting Deputy Commissioner Ronald Vitiello said his agency will issue contracts to being building prototypes to between four and eight companies. The companies will each have 30 days to build their section, Fox News reported Tuesday.

Watch: Video Shows Prototypes of the Border Wall

 

[Covenanter]

 

[Squire Robertsson]

Cov, you've got the Channel.

 

[Covenanter]

Cov, you've got the Channel.

Yes, And you've got the Atlantic & the Pacific ....

 

[Squire Robertsson]

The body of water under concern is the Rio Grande.

Yes, And you've got the Atlantic & the Pacific ....

 

[Covenanter]

I understand that the border states rely on Mexican workers for fruit picking & other seasonal jobs, as Britain does with European migrants.

I also understand that it is common practice to denounce these illegal Mexicans to the authorities before (without) paying them off, making very cheap labour.

 

[Baptist Believer]

The body of water under concern is the Rio Grande.

As well as Lake Falcon, Amistad Reservoir, and other terrain issues such as Santa Elena Canyon and the relentless twists and turns of the aforementioned Rio Grande/Bravo.

 

[Lewis]

Golly it would be impossible to build the interstate highway system. All those rivers and canyons to cross, property rights, wetlands...Just impossible!

 

[Lewis]

I understand that the border states rely on Mexican workers for fruit picking & other seasonal jobs, as Britain does with European migrants.

I also understand that it is common practice to denounce these illegal Mexicans to the authorities before (without) paying them off, making very cheap labour.

Who in the world picked Americas crops before the Mexicans arrived? Ever heard of Okies? The illegal Mexicans just worked cheaper.

 

[Baptist Believer]

Golly it would be impossible to build the interstate highway system. All those rivers and canyons to cross, property rights, wetlands...Just impossible!

Who said it was impossible?

But a wall is completely different from an interstate. I feel foolish having to explain this:

(1) When one builds and interstate, one chooses the route, usually connecting population centers. You are not enforcing boundaries.

(2) Nations are often divided by natural barriers. Between Texas and Mexico, that boundary is generally the Rio Grande (a river), along with other bodies of water and some natural features. Building ON the natural boundary is problematic, so the wall will have to be build father back than immediately on the boundary. But then, you cut off the US population from private land, the Rio Grande, cede off whole sections of territory (much of Big Bend National Park), whole cities (or at least significant parts of the cities), and create a massive no man's land zone.

Please take a look at the Southern border through Texas and get a sense of what it would require to build a wall.

 

[Baptist Believer]

Who in the world picked Americas crops before the Mexicans arrived?

Slaves.

Ever heard of Okies? The illegal Mexicans just worked cheaper.

"Okies" were the product of a natural and man-made disaster called the Dust Bowl. They were Americans driven by desperation to find work in order not to starve to death.

 

[Lewis]

Who said it was impossible?

But a wall is completely different from an interstate. I feel foolish having to explain this:

(1) When one builds and interstate, one chooses the route, usually connecting population centers. You are not enforcing boundaries.

(2) Nations are often divided by natural barriers. Between Texas and Mexico, that boundary is generally the Rio Grande (a river), along with other bodies of water and some natural features. Building ON the natural boundary is problematic, so the wall will have to be build father back than immediately on the boundary. But then, you cut off the US population from private land, the Rio Grande, cede off whole sections of territory (much of Big Bend National Park), whole cities (or at least significant parts of the cities), and create a massive no man's land zone.

Please take a look at the Southern border through Texas and get a sense of what it would require to build a wall.

You know there is such a thing as gates. Ranchers could allow their cattle to pass through the gates. Gates would allow border patrol to concentrate in vulnerable areas. A double fence was authorized by Congress back in the 90's. Oddly it was never fully funded or built.

 

[Lewis]

"Okies" were the product of a natural and man-made disaster called the Dust Bowl. They were Americans driven by desperation to find work in order not to starve to death.

So? Illegals came here for the same reasons. Now they have moved on from farm work to construction, manufacturing and many other areas. And of course they will work cheaper.

 

[Lewis]

Slaves.

FYI slavery ended in 1865.

 

[Baptist Believer]

You know there is such a thing as gates. Ranchers could allow their cattle to pass through the gates. Gates would allow border patrol to concentrate in vulnerable areas. A double fence was authorized by Congress back in the 90's. Oddly it was never fully funded or built.

Yes, I do understand gates. I also understand that the border wall that has been built has a number of gaps and openings designed for cattle and people to pass freely as a necessity - hardly a secure wall. But that's not what our current President has promised - although he's promised a lot of things.

Every gate would require monitoring and, likely, personnel. Given the length and remoteness of much of the border, that's an enormous expense. Also, that does not resolve the issue of where to actually build the wall.

 

[Baptist Believer]

So? Illegals came here for the same reasons. Now they have moved on from farm work to construction, manufacturing and many other areas. And of course they will work cheaper.

If we had a realistic guest worker program, they could not work "cheaper." That would resolve many of the inequities on both sides of the issue.

 

[Baptist Believer]

FYI slavery ended in 1865.

Right. But that's who picked crops before then. After the War, former slaves still did much of the work because they were so impoverished and had little political or social clout. We also had a lot of poor whites whose fortunes were devastated from the Civil War who also did the work. And did you know that Mexicans were around and came to the United States in large numbers to pick crops even back then?

I find it humorous to hear some people talking about the influx of Mexicans and people from Central and South America as if it is a relatively recent phenomenon.

 

[Lewis]

After the War, former slaves still did much of the work...We also had a lot of poor whites whose fortunes were devastated from the Civil War who also did the work.

Well that being the case, it should be a priority of our government to help those US descendants of slaves and poor whites first. We are not helping them by bringing endless streams of foreign workers.

 

[Lewis]

Yes, I do understand gates. I also understand that the border wall that has been built has a number of gaps and openings designed for cattle and people to pass freely as a necessity - hardly a secure wall. But that's not what our current President has promised - although he's promised a lot of things.

Every gate would require monitoring and, likely, personnel. Given the length and remoteness of much of the border, that's an enormous expense. Also, that does not resolve the issue of where to actually build the wall.

Engineers can do wonderful things. That's what they do, concentrate on existing problems and make them much less of a problem. It's just a matter of will. For many years there has been no will to enforce the border.

 

[Baptist Believer]

Engineers can do wonderful things. That's what they do, concentrate on existing problems and make them much less of a problem.

I work for an engineering firm. I spend all day with engineers. I have family members who are engineers. I am quite aware of innovation that can occur in engineering.

I can't help but notice that you (like everyone else) refuse to discuss where the wall should be placed when actually confronted with the reality of a map. Those of us in Texas have to deal with realities.