Monday, December 31, 2018

The Border Wall is in the Geographical Details


The makeup of the “wall” is irrelevant.  Whether it’s made of concrete or steel slats doesn’t matter.  So, I’ll just call it a wall like Mr. Trump prefers.

 I’m not going to get into the environmental issues here, they’re well covered elsewhere.

Let’s look at the geographical issues surrounding the wall:



California, Arizona, and New Mexico

Most of the border, including and west of El Paso Texas, already has a wall / fence / barriers.  (existing border wall).  The border around McAllen and Brownville Texas, on the Gulf of Mexico, also already has a wall / fence / barriers.

Areas that do not have a wall / fence / barrier in California, Arizona, and New Mexico are generally impassable due to the terrain.  In other places the construction of a wall is cost prohibitive so the border is guarded electronically or by human assets.

 

Texas

The Texas border between the United States and Mexico is the Rio Grande River; a wide, fast flowing river that originates in the Rocky Mountains in Colorado and is fed by other rivers along the way.

What's the point of a wall when there's already a river?
 
 

Where can the Wall be Constructed?

We cannot ignore the role of construction necessities and international politics in the construction of the wall.

We seem to assume that the wall will be built directly on the border line.  This is nonsense.  The Texas border is the centerline of the Rio Grande river.  We certainly cannot build a wall in the middle of a river.

The sovereign nation of The Republic of Mexico will not allow the United States to construct a wall in Mexico; not even one inch.  We can't go to war with Mexico for the wall.  Therefore, the wall must be entirely built within United States territory.

Nor will Mexico allow American contractors to enter their country for the purpose of building the wall.  So, the wall must be built within the United States and at some distance from the border; I would guess, where the site is ideal, at least twenty to fifty feet.

Along the Rio Grande, the restrictions get even more severe.  If the wall is constructed to last it must be outside of river’s flood plain, perhaps miles.  If not designed to last, the wall will be shown to be just a political stunt.

 

The Wall Will Cede American Territory

Every President swears to protect American territory.  The wall will, however, cede millions of acres of American land to Mexico.

Wherever we build a wall, the real border becomes the wall rather than the political border.  The Berlin Wall moved the border between West and East Germany up to the edge of the wall.  All of the land south of the wall becomes in reality Mexican territory.
 
In Texas, its much worse.  We would cede the Rio Grande river along with miles of land extending into Texas to Mexico.

The reality of the wall would be giving American territory to Mexico.

 

 

Border Guards Could Control the Land Between the Wall and the Political Border
 

It’s true that the land between the wall and the political border could be protected by border guards (whether human or electronic).  But, isn’t this an admission that we don’t need the wall and it will just be a waste of money?
 
Whenever we take a closer look at Trump’s border wall, it becomes clear that it is / was nothing more than a stunt to grab attention when he announced his candidacy for president of the United States.  His base liked it, so he continues to demand it . . . though he doesn’t even understand what it is.
 

The wall cannot be constructed and will accomplish nothing.  Call your Congress members and Senators.