Troops to possibly secure Mex. Border? Why this is a very bad idea.

When I read in an article from MSNBC titled Bush may deploy Guard along U.S. border with Mexico I was immediately given pause to think about what this means not only for its stated purpose of border security but for it could mean in the greater scheme of things.

For me this is about remembering that Troops can be used to keep people IN just as well as they can be used to keep people OUT. A saying I heard on a another blog a year or two ago was always watch what happens on your borders and you will know the true state of your country. To me the militarization of the border with Mexico is just another step on the road to fascism and dictatorship.  

•  I don't think it will go over well....

  with the troops.  

  "Where did you spend time in the war, Mommy?"  

  "I was down in Gila pointing a gun at illegal immigrants trying to cross the border."

  "Were they terrorists, Mommy?"

  "Not when we started."

  by murrayewv on Sat May 13, 2006 at 11:38:31 AM PDT

•  Border Patrol

  What's wrong with having the border patrol patrol the borders? Why not increase the number of border control agents?

  Truth Gear

  by tonydimarzio on Sat May 13, 2006 at 11:39:12 AM PDT

  •  Because

    GOPers don't like spending money that isn't tax breaks or DOD.  Remember, they axed about 10,000 border agents last year.  I bet nobody thought they just wanted to kick some more money to DOD to handle the problem.  If the NG shoots somebody in the desert, its a "National Security" issue, not a criminal one.

    by OCD on Sat May 13, 2006 at 11:48:32 AM PDT

•  I agree with what you say!

    I do think that if done right, it would be the right way to go. It is having anything done under bush that scares me.
    He will abuse and misuse everything he touches. With that in mind you are right about one more step towards dictatorship.
    One thing I remember from my military cop days is  'consider the source".
    If they go this route I agree with Arnold. Border states should not have to pay for or use National Guard troops.
    The Federal government should pay for it and use regular troops.
    I have a better idea that is why they will not even think about it   All Guards and reservists have to do 2 weeks per year.
     I think it would be a great idea to have there 2 week stints on the southern Border. You would kill 2 birds with one stone.

  by jmsjoin on Sat May 13, 2006 at 11:45:07 AM PDT

•  that's ridiculous

  It's because > 86% of the American people want the border secured and they are very pissed off about the refusal to do anything.

  This move is purely a poll thing but believe me, Bush won't do anything about enforcing US labor laws or go against anything the big cheap corporate labor lobby wants, which is either the status quo or guest worker Visas (not earned citizenship) that employers control...which gives an employer even more power over an individual than is th e norm when working..
  ...so this is just for show.

  by BobOak on Sat May 13, 2006 at 11:45:51 AM PDT

•  A very bad thing

  Slippery slope inuring us to the use of the military in the country.  A violation of Posse Comitatus.  No no no.

  by hubcap on Sat May 13, 2006 at 12:11:10 PM PDT

•  Can you say 'election year stunt?'

  Bush can.  In English AND Spanish.

  by richter on Sat May 13, 2006 at 12:16:51 PM PDT

  •  Passable English, anyhow.

    by ROGNM on Sat May 13, 2006 at 12:30:20 PM PDT

•  where does...

  posse comitatus come into play?

  by kredwyn on Sat May 13, 2006 at 12:28:22 PM PDT

•  Simple

  MISION CUMPLIDA

  Bush landing a C-130 full of National Guards east of Las Cruces. The troops, a third of them with the last names Rodriguez-Torres-Gutierrez-Posada and the short, are happy: "Shoot is hot here. Whatever, I'm not going to Fallujah!!" A hundred of retirees armed with binoculars and lawn chairs, eating chicken nuggets and dressed with diverse attires with flag patterns are ready to back the troops if Juan and Felipe sneak towards shoveling shit in some infrahuman poultry farm in South Carolina. The camps to lodge the troops are built by illegal immigrants under the promise from a supplicant major that the migra will not come the days they are on the construction. The troops stay there until November 06, and then the bill is footed to the States deploying and boarding the troops.

  by Iberian on Sat May 13, 2006 at 12:28:41 PM PDT

•  Border Patrol Check points

  For those not familiar with our southern border, All traffic going north is, and has been, subject to stoppping at Border Patrol Checkpoints.

  About 50 miles north of El Paso on Highway 54 and about 40 miles north East of Las Cruces on Highway 70, All Traffic stops 24/7.

  by ROGNM on Sat May 13, 2006 at 12:36:21 PM PDT

•  Terrible for the Guard Terrible for us all

  Many of the Guard are Hispanic.  It will be perceived as putting brother against brother.  The members of the Guard will feel dirty afterward.  Discipline in the Guard will go in the S@#t can.  The Guard is one of the ways that poorer families improve their lot.  The younger brothers won't go in.  Getting people to sign up will be more difficult.  Units brought in from other parts of the country will be looked on as "Greengos".  The immigrants when looked at on a personal basis will be realized for what they are, just poor people trying to make their lot better.  After MacArther ran the WWI veterans out of the mall it took years to get the Army self-esteem back.  You do this and the Guard is ended as a fighting force.

  by bluetiger on Sat May 13, 2006 at 12:49:32 PM PDT

•  A couple of links, a couple of thoughts

  http://www.augustreview.com/...

  http://www.augustreview.com/...

  Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 which states, in part,

  "Whoever, except in cases and under circumstances expressly authorized by the Constitution or Act of Congress, willfully uses any part of the Army or the Air Force as a posse comitatus or otherwise to execute the laws shall be fined not more than $10,000 or imprisoned not more than two years, or both."

  by 0hio on Sat May 13, 2006 at 01:58:10 PM PDT

•  Think Kent State

  then multipy the amount of people involved, it then equals Disaster. enuff said.

  by OneCrankyDom on Sat May 13, 2006 at 02:10:15 PM PDT