Thread: Feds approve first 'virtual' fence along AZ-MEX border

Government approves first 'virtual' fence along Arizona-Mexico border
By Eileen Sullivan
ASSOCIATED PRESS
4:33 p.m. February 21, 2008

WASHINGTON – The government has approved the first “virtualâ€

A virtual fence to protect the border from invasion is a virtual lie. This is what we get from the feigned ‘border enforcement first’ before amnesty promise expoused by McClintObama and anarchists in the Democrap and Repubeican parties. Here’s what actually works: the 14-mile double-layer fence between San Diego and Tijuana, Mexico. Its benefits in stopping illegal entry into the U.S. were immediate and long lasting. According to a 2005 Congressional Research Service report illegal alien apprehensions along the fence region dropped from 202,000 in 1992 to 9,000 in 2004, a reduction greater than 95%:
http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewNation.asp?P ... 1219b.html

The reason the federal government wants a virtual fence is so they can flip a switch to off after the election this fall and be back to open borders as usual.

Using technology to secure the border is just another way to satisfy the military industrial complex in this country and justify bloated government spending while getting nothing done. Something they fail to mention in the article is that before this last test it was estimated that only 3% of the cameras were operational. Many of the cameras were NEVER EVEN INSTALLED!

If virtual fences are so great why doesn't the White House use one? How about the Iraq Green Zone? You'd think they'd be the first to sign on to something so "high tech", right? Wrong, they don't because the technology is largely untested and unproven. In the meanwhile the U.S. Government keeps signing the checks so companies like Boeing can finish projects hundreds of percent over budget and years behind schedule.

But Squire, the government got some of the money back! No, read the article again more carefully. Boeing offered them a service credit towards continued maintenance, not a refund.

Now, I understand that the geography of certain areas makes a physical barrier impossible. In that case, I haven't an issue trying something different. But in areas where a physical fence can be built, there's NO reason to rely on technology.

But Squire, virtual fencing is cheaper! Is it now? I think you'll find once the costs of overruns, service contracts, and updates are factored in it will, in fact, cost much more. Why on EARTH would you buy a fence that needs continued tech support to run when a fence only needs physical maintenance?

It's just one more example of the Government correctly relying on the stupidity of the American people. They throw the word "high-tech" at us and everyone starts ooohing and ahhing instead of questioning the actual effectiveness of this approach.

Squire - all good comments, thanks. Agreed.

Just another side point I throw out:

The Al-Can highway was built 'in haste' between the interior of Canada up to near Fairbanks AK - under conditions as:

> Scattered but frequent Permafrost
> Built throughout the winter months in truly horrible (arctic) conditions
> Spanned over 1200 (?) miles
> Under conditions that regularly rendered equipment inoperable
> Required the collective efforts of roughly 8000 soldiers
...
And, the initial effort was completed in about 9-10 MONTHS
(Oh yeah, that was done 65 years ago!!!)

Anyone that says 'it's too hard', 'it can't be done', 'it's too complicated' is blowing hot air. The border fence could be done in 6 months if the jerks in DC would get off their behinds and get it done.

Squire & PhredE...really good points and analysis.