Isolationism

Bush offered the nation a modest menu of energy, health and education proposals and warned against the "false comfort of isolationism" in a State of the Union address on Tuesday.

Isolationism

Wednesday 04 January 2005

The American Congress has voted in the most restrictive anti-immigration law of recent decades. The text provides for the erection of walls along certain parts of the border. Five sections of wall from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific Ocean along the Border States: California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. Totaling 1,000 kilometers [621 miles] - a third of the border - this wall, 4.5 meters [almost fifteen feet] high, is supposed to be lit by watchtowers and swept by cameras.Commentators compare these concrete blocks to the Berlin Wall or the Wall recently built in the Palestinian territories.

Mexico

What do you think about the proposed wall separating Mexico and the States?

What do you think about the Berlin wall?

What do you think about wall separating the Palestinians from Israel?

What do you think about Bush’s bullshit about "false comfort of isolationism"?

What do you think of the fact that Canadians can tip-toe across the States border at will, and easily impersonate Americans by wearing jeans which show the top of our ass crack when we bend over?

I missed the address. I would have enjoyed bush giving us his unique interpretation when he attempted to say the word isolationism.

[Radar]

Mexican Wall = Bad
Berlin Wall = Bad
Israel Wall = Good

[glatt]

I didn't watch the speech. Life is too short to spend watching stuff like that. I updated the contents of my iPod instead, and bought a set of earphones off e-bay.

Walls are not neighborly or friendly. I would prefer a world where walls were not needed. A wall to keep people in against their will (like the Berlin wall) is far worse than a wall to keep people out (like the Israeli wall and the US southern border wall.) I think I understand the rational for both the US and Israeli walls, but don't care for either.

Thoughtful posts, ty.

Love to hear from anybody who heard how he handled the word, “isolationism”.

[tw]

Originally Posted by glatt

I think I understand the rational for both the US and Israeli walls, but don't care for either.

A classic example of those who think using a head between their legs verses those who use a head between their shoulders. Ask yourself why those walls exist? Would it not be smarter to eliminate reasons for those walls? History demonstrates walls - ie demilitarized zone between North and South Vietnam - do not work. With divisions of troops, electronic surveillence, air attacks, etc - still that wall did not work.

Those who think with a head between their legs never bother to look beyond what they see AND never ask why. It is the difference between a strategic thinker verses one who follows propaganda. Remember, there was no bombings, terrorism, and a need for that wall in Israel before 2000. What changed?

How many walls were failures. The 30 foot wall between Egypt and Israel never stopped anything. The Great Wall of China was a proven failure - but they kept building it anyway. The wall between Syria and Iraq does nothing even though militaries on both sides reinforce that wall. US Mexican border wall is based upon same knee jerk thinking. Notice how those who advocate the wall never bother to first learn why problems exists. The difference between a leader with intelligence verses a blind follower of Rush Limbaugh. Rush Limbaugh followers only know what they see - nothing more. They routinely and repeatedly don't ask why - such as the question I ask here. Those who bother to learn that which makes intelligence, then, would ask why that wall is suddenly necessary.

I have posted reasons why, often and previously. So you tell me. Why is each wall necessary?

[glatt]

I never said that I supported building any of the walls in the example. I was simply saying that I understand the desire to build the the Mexico and Palestine walls.

To answer your question, the reasons for walls are pretty simple. It's to keep undesirable people out.

Of course, you already knew that. You want me to defend these walls as the best way to prevent terrorism in Israel and prevent illegal immigrants from flooding into the US. I'm not convinced they are the best way, so I won't be arguing that point with you.

[tw]

Originally Posted by glatt

To answer your question, the reasons for walls are pretty simple. It's to keep undesirable people out.

Good. Why are those people undesireable and why must they be kept out? You still have not answered the question.

Of course, you already knew that.

Of course I did not know that ... since I posted example after example where walls failed to address a problem when leaders used 'sound byte' reasoning. But show me. Show me the problem solved by a US Mexico wall (or did you forget lessons in the movie 'Traffic'?). Show me why an Israeli West Bank wall solves what creates that problem? To advocate walls, one must first explain why the problem exists. What is this 'simple' reason that suddenly makes walls necessary. To keep undersireable people out does not even begin to say why the problem exists or what the problem really is. Why are these people undesireable?

[Happy Monkey]

Originally Posted by tw

Good. Why are those people undesireable and why must they be kept out? You still have not answered the question.

Why do people want to ban gay marriage? Because they are uncomfortable with gays. But banning gay marriage won't solve their problem. Just because A is a reason for B doesn't mean that B will help A. In this case, the wall is a symptom of the problem, not a solution.

[footfootfoot]

Sorry for skipping ahead before reading all the other posts, it is doubtful that I'd remember this initial thought by the time I got to the end.

Originally Posted by tw

Good. Why are those people undesireable and why must they be kept out?snip

Well, for starters we have to pay them a shit load more money in the states than we do if they are kept at home. Doesn't letting them into the US defeat the point of nafta? How are US corporations going to enjoy the benefits of remote slavery if the slaves insist on moving closer to our home? jeez louise.

And dov, speaking of ass cracks, my first reaction to the wall was how about a wall between my asshole and the current administration? I'm sure I'm not the only american who could get behind that, so to speak.

BTW, we'd suss out you canucks the moment you said eh? at the end of a sentence ass crack or not.

now I'll go ahead and read the rest of the replies

[xoxoxoBruce]

Originally Posted by glatt

snip~ You want me to defend these walls as the best way to prevent terrorism in Israel and prevent illegal immigrants from flooding into the US. I'm not convinced they are the best way, so I won't be arguing that point with you.

Nope, the wall in Israel is to keep the Jews in one place so we can kill off 13 million to force the second coming. Don't you know anything?

[tw]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

Nope, the wall in Israel is to keep the Jews in one place so we can kill off 13 million to force the second coming. Don't you know anything?

Well according to administration policies over the past five years, we have all but encouraged Iran to finish each other off with nuclear weapons. The funniest part is that this conclusion is half humorous and half true.

[Aliantha]

Would you consider for a moment that it's possible your paranoia is getting the better of you dov?

Originally Posted by Aliantha

Would you consider for a moment that it's possible your paranoia is getting the better of you dov?

My paranoia is my best friend. Its kept me alive this long and loves partying with me.

[Aliantha]

I had a friend like that once. Not all friends are good friends. Not all friends are good for the soul or the body.

Incidently, Australia has to be one of the most isolated countries in the world but that hasn't stopped us from having issues with illegal imigrants or terrorism or any of the other things discussed on this thread due to shared borders.

[Aliantha]

'due to' probably should have been; being attributed to.