Is a US-Mexican border wall even possible?

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > C-SPAM > Is a US-Mexican border wall even possible?

dr_rat: Jun 4, 2001

Come on the question is not if a walls possible, but rather how awesome do you want the wall to be?

I mean you could go for the classic metal to the sky approach:

Or the classic poo poo loads of concrete in a straight'ish line:

how about something a bit more ornate:

Or maybe something in bones

hell, why even go with a wall when you could build a moat filled with lava spewing from giant stone skulls:

None of these would cost more then a couple of trillion, and by the end of it there would be a wall that you could really be proud of.

Edot: Oh or just dig a moat and fill it with all the the most hazardous industrial waste from all around the world, fixing both an immigration issues and an industrial waste storage issue!

dr_rat has issued a correction as of 19:27 on Sep 6, 2015

# ? Sep 6, 2015 19:24

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# ? May 2, 2024 05:33

Freemason Rush Week: Apr 22, 2006

I would like our wall to be built from the bones of Republican voters.

It'll be a bit further north than anticipated though - we're giving back Texas and the Mexican Cession.

# ? Sep 6, 2015 19:52

tsa: Feb 3, 2014

Tautologicus posted:

Been thinking about this wall thing for weeks and i just don't see how it's possible in any way shape or form. Unless it's built down to the bedrock it will just be tunnelled under. Is it even possible to do that. And if it's not adequately staffed they will climb over it no matter how high it is, like some kind of world war z scene over and over and over.

Lotka Volterra posted:

For reference, this took 7 years. A giant wall would probably take decades and would be immediately obsolete.

Where do you people get this stuff? Like a border wall would be a really dumb thing to do for a bunch of reasons but of course it's possible and no it wouldn't take decades (lol). You aren't stopping 100% of immigration but even the increased patrols (Obama is actually much more on top of border control than Bush ever was) have significantly changed the numbers and routes people have to take. Namely a lot more dead bodies in the rio grande for one (bad thing). The idea that it would have little effect on the number of crossings is not reflected in reality at all.

But even if it's a dumb thing to do you don't have to shut off your brains, desperate immigrants tend to not be able to scale massive fences, let alone walls with basic security. All you would have to do is have a bunch of automated detection cameras and remote sensors (both cheap as gently caress) with some response teams, this poo poo is trivial in 2015. Like maybe I don't get this thread but there's nothing even remotely difficult about this technically and just a couple minutes on google would show you it would of course cut down on the number of crossings. The idea you would have to cover the entire border is also silly, I guess people just don't even take a second to look at a map. At the end of the day if you make the trip a lot more difficult you make it a lot more expensive, prohibitively so. It's basic math that if you double or triple the cost of a crossing you will cut down on the number that can afford it- after all the primary reasons for crossings are still economic even given all the cartel violence.

I mean it's a wall people, some of you are pretending like this would be an engineering marvel on par with a loving sim city arcology. If politicians/ the country wanted it done it would be done- but why build a wall when you could just close the loopholes that make it easy for corporations to exploit cheap labor, the economic incentive disappears and the problem vanishes. The issue has always been that democrats don't want a wall (good) and the republicans not-so-secretly support illegal immigration to satiate their business donors that hugely profit on it.

# ? Sep 6, 2015 20:04

Vienna Circlejerk: Jan 28, 2003; The great science sausage party!

tsa posted:

Where do you people get this stuff? Like a border wall would be a really dumb thing to do for a bunch of reasons but of course it's possible and no it wouldn't take decades (lol). You aren't stopping 100% of immigration but even the increased patrols (Obama is actually much more on top of border control than Bush ever was) have significantly changed the numbers and routes people have to take. Namely a lot more dead bodies in the rio grande for one (bad thing). The idea that it would have little effect on the number of crossings is not reflected in reality at all.

But even if it's a dumb thing to do you don't have to shut off your brains, desperate immigrants tend to not be able to scale massive fences, let alone walls with basic security. All you would have to do is have a bunch of automated detection cameras and remote sensors (both cheap as gently caress) with some response teams, this poo poo is trivial in 2015. Like maybe I don't get this thread but there's nothing even remotely difficult about this technically and just a couple minutes on google would show you it would of course cut down on the number of crossings. The idea you would have to cover the entire border is also silly, I guess people just don't even take a second to look at a map. At the end of the day if you make the trip a lot more difficult you make it a lot more expensive, prohibitively so. It's basic math that if you double or triple the cost of a crossing you will cut down on the number that can afford it- after all the primary reasons for crossings are still economic even given all the cartel violence.

I mean it's a wall people, some of you are pretending like this would be an engineering marvel on par with a loving sim city arcology. If politicians/ the country wanted it done it would be done- but why build a wall when you could just close the loopholes that make it easy for corporations to exploit cheap labor, the economic incentive disappears and the problem vanishes. The issue has always been that democrats don't want a wall (good) and the republicans not-so-secretly support illegal immigration to satiate their business donors that hugely profit on it.

We were promised a wall. It will be tall, powerful, and good looking. People's imaginations have been engaged and they are going to be very disappointed with some kind of lame-rear end fence or pansy drone sweep system or anything that doesn't look like the loving Black Gate except red white and blue or maybe gold. I would not want to be the politician who unveils anything less than Freedom Fortress USA.

# ? Sep 6, 2015 20:25

Aves Maria!: Jul 26, 2008; Maybe I'll drown

tsa posted:

Where do you people get this stuff? Like a border wall would be a really dumb thing to do for a bunch of reasons but of course it's possible and no it wouldn't take decades (lol). You aren't stopping 100% of immigration but even the increased patrols (Obama is actually much more on top of border control than Bush ever was) have significantly changed the numbers and routes people have to take. Namely a lot more dead bodies in the rio grande for one (bad thing). The idea that it would have little effect on the number of crossings is not reflected in reality at all.

But even if it's a dumb thing to do you don't have to shut off your brains, desperate immigrants tend to not be able to scale massive fences, let alone walls with basic security. All you would have to do is have a bunch of automated detection cameras and remote sensors (both cheap as gently caress) with some response teams, this poo poo is trivial in 2015. Like maybe I don't get this thread but there's nothing even remotely difficult about this technically and just a couple minutes on google would show you it would of course cut down on the number of crossings. The idea you would have to cover the entire border is also silly, I guess people just don't even take a second to look at a map. At the end of the day if you make the trip a lot more difficult you make it a lot more expensive, prohibitively so. It's basic math that if you double or triple the cost of a crossing you will cut down on the number that can afford it- after all the primary reasons for crossings are still economic even given all the cartel violence.

I mean it's a wall people, some of you are pretending like this would be an engineering marvel on par with a loving sim city arcology. If politicians/ the country wanted it done it would be done- but why build a wall when you could just close the loopholes that make it easy for corporations to exploit cheap labor, the economic incentive disappears and the problem vanishes. The issue has always been that democrats don't want a wall (good) and the republicans not-so-secretly support illegal immigration to satiate their business donors that hugely profit on it.

On the other hand, please produce evidence that building a giant, actually functional wall over even 1000 miles of mostly desolate space (assuming we wouldn't be building one continuous wall) is something that would not take years upon years to accomplish given the current state of bureaucracy and the real challenges such a project would face.

Keeping in mind, of course, that the 37mi long barrier around Gaza took 2 years to complete and was less than a 1/20th the length. Oh, and large stretches of it were not built dozens of miles from the nearest suitable road or infrastructure. Unless we literally just built sections of wall near and some radius from populous areas, you're underestimating how much would be needed to actually undertake this kind of project.

Edit: I mean, yes, we could build a barbed wire link fence that does nothing in a relative jiffy but that's not what is being promised here.

Aves Maria! has issued a correction as of 20:35 on Sep 6, 2015

# ? Sep 6, 2015 20:32

A Festivus Miracle: Dec 19, 2012; I have come to discourse on the profound inequities of the American political system.

We could build a 2,000 mile wall. Absolutely. People like to forget that we've had far, far greater infrastructure projects that we've completed, ala, the entire US highway system, or the entire US system of canals and waterworks projects. It's absolutely possible. The engineering challenges of such a ludicrous project are absolutely surmountable, provided enough money is thrown at the problem.

The problem is that you have to man a 2,000 mile long wall, and you have to maintain a 2,000 mile long wall, and the cost to build,maintain, and man such a wall would be ludicrously prohibitive. I'm not going to put dollar figures to such a project, but it would easily cost a significant chunk of what we already throw at our military every year.

# ? Sep 6, 2015 21:06

Cephalocidal: Dec 23, 2005

A White Guy posted:

We could build a 2,000 mile wall. Absolutely. People like to forget that we've had far, far greater infrastructure projects that we've completed, ala, the entire US highway system, or the entire US system of canals and waterworks projects. It's absolutely possible. The engineering challenges of such a ludicrous project are absolutely surmountable, provided enough money is thrown at the problem.

The problem is that you have to man a 2,000 mile long wall, and you have to maintain a 2,000 mile long wall, and the cost to build,maintain, and man such a wall would be ludicrously prohibitive. I'm not going to put dollar figures to such a project, but it would easily cost a significant chunk of what we already throw at our military every year.

That and if it's manned at least some of the people guarding it will be bribable.

# ? Sep 6, 2015 21:21

Fish Cant Hold Gun: Jul 2, 2015; by Ralp

Guys, the wall isn't meant to be functional, it's meant to be symbolic. When the would-be-border-crossers see it they'll get the message and turn back.

# ? Sep 6, 2015 22:27

a.lo: Sep 12, 2009

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUJzj4DXHYE

# ? Sep 6, 2015 22:30

TheWevel: Apr 14, 2002; Send Help; Trapped in Stupid Factory

are syrians any good at building walls? :confused:

# ? Sep 6, 2015 22:39

Top Bunk Wanker: Jan 31, 2005; Top Trump Anger

A White Guy posted:

We could build a 2,000 mile wall. Absolutely. People like to forget that we've had far, far greater infrastructure projects that we've completed, ala, the entire US highway system, or the entire US system of canals and waterworks projects. It's absolutely possible. The engineering challenges of such a ludicrous project are absolutely surmountable, provided enough money is thrown at the problem.

The problem is that you have to man a 2,000 mile long wall, and you have to maintain a 2,000 mile long wall, and the cost to build,maintain, and man such a wall would be ludicrously prohibitive. I'm not going to put dollar figures to such a project, but it would easily cost a significant chunk of what we already throw at our military every year.

Under no circumstances will this country be capable of an undertaking like the interstate highway system ever again.

# ? Sep 6, 2015 23:13

YOU A FUCKING HAT: Jun 7, 1979; I CAN'T BE STOPPED OR REASONED WITH

Meanwhile in Ridley Park PA, we spent two goddamn years watching a road crew block part of the main street to do absolutely gently caress all, then unblock it two years later with some new pavement.

I'll believe a loving 1000 mile wall in this country when I see it. :colbert:

# ? Sep 6, 2015 23:41

steinrokkan: Apr 2, 2011; Soiled Meat

The Romans built a shitton of walls all over Europe. The implication for America is clear, there are two basic options:

1) Use the army to gruel in the desert erecting the wall. Force the soldiers to serve for thirty years with no leave so the building of the wall may be expedient.
2) Secure a steady supply of slave labour from a neighbouring nation. Transport the slaves into America to work for peanuts and erect the wall with no significant expenses to the treasury.

# ? Sep 7, 2015 00:06

wid: Sep 7, 2005; Living in paradise (only bombed once)

The only wall needed to hold off illegal immigrants is a huge penalty for business entities that employs illegals. This is why Singapore has no illegal worker problems despite being spitting distance from Indonesia, the world's largest exporter of low skill workers.

But that won't happen in the US because the businesses rely on cheap labor.

# ? Sep 7, 2015 00:41

Cephalocidal: Dec 23, 2005

wid posted:

The only wall needed to hold off illegal immigrants is a huge penalty for business entities that employs illegals. This is why Singapore has no illegal worker problems despite being spitting distance from Indonesia, the world's largest exporter of low skill workers.

But that won't happen in the US because the businesses rely on cheap labor.

Ooh, brainwave. Instead of deporting illegal Mexican immigrants give them all subsidized housing and sub min wage government jobs for the two decades it takes them to be processed so they can live and work for America but not make enough money to send any back to family in Mexico. Saves the government money and disincentivises anyone that isn't basically an asylum seeker from trying to cross.

# ? Sep 7, 2015 08:52

etalian: Mar 20, 2006

steinrokkan posted:

The Romans built a shitton of walls all over Europe. The implication for America is clear, there are two basic options:

1) Use the army to gruel in the desert erecting the wall. Force the soldiers to serve for thirty years with no leave so the building of the wall may be expedient.
2) Secure a steady supply of slave labour from a neighbouring nation. Transport the slaves into America to work for peanuts and erect the wall with no significant expenses to the treasury.

just get mexicans to build the whole thing, they already have construction skills.

# ? Sep 7, 2015 18:08

afeelgoodpoop: Oct 14, 2014; by FactsAreUseless

Why don't they just pay people something like 50 bucks illegal they report? you can start a whole industry on it.

probably be cheaper than a wall too.

# ? Sep 7, 2015 19:50

midnightclimax: Dec 3, 2011; by XyloJW

afeelgoodpoop posted:

Why don't they just pay people something like 50 bucks illegal they report? you can start a whole industry on it.

probably be cheaper than a wall too.

And then what? You still have to register them somewhere, check them in, drive them back, etc. That's a shitload of bureaucracy a wall doesn't need.

# ? Sep 7, 2015 20:12

afeelgoodpoop: Oct 14, 2014; by FactsAreUseless

midnightclimax posted:

And then what? You still have to register them somewhere, check them in, drive them back, etc. That's a shitload of bureaucracy a wall doesn't need.

legalize epic drugs to get loving high on, and then use the excessive bureaucracy already in place in our police forces to send them back. BAM!!!

im gonna tweet this epic gently caress poo poo at the trumpmeister, see i can get a cabinet position as the american bleacher or something.

# ? Sep 7, 2015 20:21

etalian: Mar 20, 2006

midnightclimax posted:

And then what? You still have to register them somewhere, check them in, drive them back, etc. That's a shitload of bureaucracy a wall doesn't need.

use the ones you capture to build the wall.

# ? Sep 7, 2015 22:43

Cephalocidal: Dec 23, 2005

etalian posted:

use the ones you capture to build the wall.

As labor, building materials, or both?

# ? Sep 8, 2015 07:20

Maxwells Demon: Jan 15, 2007

Cephalocidal posted:

As labor, building materials, or both?

Don't give them much in the way of food or water, when they fall upon their work, leave them there.

# ? Sep 8, 2015 08:11

Red Bones: Aug 9, 2012; "I think he's a bad enough person to stay ghost through his sheer love of child-killing."

I'm looking forward to the point when construction firms are delaying portions of the wall because they make it harder to bring across Mexican construction workers to work on other parts of the wall.

# ? Sep 8, 2015 09:41

etalian: Mar 20, 2006

Cephalocidal posted:

As labor, building materials, or both?

no use starship troopers Service Guarantees Citizenship.

# ? Sep 8, 2015 23:10

Fish Cant Hold Gun: Jul 2, 2015; by Ralp

Maxwells Demon posted:

Don't give them much in the way of food or water, when they fall upon their work, leave them there.

Just tell them that "Work will set you free"

# ? Sep 9, 2015 03:05

NotWearingPants: Jan 3, 2006; by Nyc_Tattoo; Nap Ghost

# ? Sep 9, 2015 07:46

etalian: Mar 20, 2006

NotWearingPants posted:

lol

# ? Sep 10, 2015 05:55

VideoTapir: Oct 18, 2005; He'll tire eventually.

The last phase of Great Wall construction weakened the Ming state to the point that the walls actually helped it get conquered by one of the groups it was intended to defend against. So if Trump wins, you'd best start studying Spanish.

# ? Sep 10, 2015 17:01

lambeth: Aug 31, 2009

NotWearingPants posted:

I know that can't be real, but I want to believe.

# ? Sep 10, 2015 17:20

AlwaysBeSithing: Aug 27, 2015; by Ralp

The walls literally the easiest thing to do even if we go super lazy and just put in 40 feet thick razorwire.

# ? Sep 11, 2015 00:35

Jewel Repetition: Dec 24, 2012; Ask me about Briar Rose and Chicken Chaser.

AlwaysBeSithing posted:

The walls literally the easiest thing to do even if we go super lazy and just put in 40 feet thick razorwire.

Can't wait to see illegal immigrants in full plate mail.

# ? Sep 11, 2015 00:38

Immortan: Jun 6, 2015; by Shine

wid posted:

The only wall needed to hold off illegal immigrants is a huge penalty for business entities that employs illegals. This is why Singapore has no illegal worker problems despite being spitting distance from Indonesia, the world's largest exporter of low skill workers.

But that won't happen in the US because the businesses rely on cheap labor.

Additionally, Singapore doesn't have a drug trafficking problem because they simply kill drug traffickers they catch. Simple, but effective.

# ? Sep 11, 2015 00:39

steinrokkan: Apr 2, 2011; Soiled Meat

AlwaysBeSithing posted:

The walls literally the easiest thing to do even if we go super lazy and just put in 40 feet thick razorwire.

Building the wall is the easiest thing; making it work is the hardest thing.

# ? Sep 11, 2015 00:41

YOU A FUCKING HAT: Jun 7, 1979; I CAN'T BE STOPPED OR REASONED WITH

Jewel Repetition posted:

Can't wait to see illegal immigrants in full plate mail.

Catapults, my friend. They're the travel of the future.

# ? Sep 11, 2015 00:43

Lord of Pie: Mar 2, 2007

Singapore: tough on drugs, tough on gum

# ? Sep 11, 2015 01:29

a real chump: Jul 30, 2003; noice; Nap Ghost

I wanna see a mexican siege ladder on day 1.

# ? Sep 11, 2015 02:30

Cephalocidal: Dec 23, 2005

Jewel Repetition posted:

Can't wait to see illegal immigrants in full plate mail.

The southern border would wind up like a hot Everest, littered with the desiccated corpses of dudes who died in the middle of the razorfields wrapped in scalding plates. Too difficult to remove, serving as landmarks for the intrepid mexican hopefuls who followed.

# ? Sep 11, 2015 03:47

Baloogan: Dec 5, 2004; Fun Shoe

how about a big minefield? Something like the DMZ between South and North korea.

# ? Sep 11, 2015 06:40

Tenzarin: Jul 24, 2007; .; Taco Defender

Don't build a wall, make a pool. fill it with sharks.

# ? Sep 11, 2015 21:56

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# ? May 2, 2024 05:33

Oceanlife: Oct 6, 2008; Haha, nice one Punchy

The national highway system has 160,000 miles in it but liberals like to pretend we can't build an effective wall. They really just want the hispanic vote, but then they'll complain about wages after they import 50 million new workers and wages drop even more.

# ? Sep 11, 2015 23:00

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