Both the wall and more high-tech solutions are “95 percent spectacle,” security theater that lets politicians seem tough on immigration, helps some Americans feel safer, but doesn’t ultimately deter immigrants or make the border less dangerous.
Absolutely. 100% true. So if this empty spectacle is the price of security for 800,000 DACA kids, why not pay it? Why? WHY?
” if this empty spectacle is the price of security for 800,000 DACA kids, why not pay it? Why? WHY?”
The Neoliberal ethos is not about practical, pragmatic solutions but about absolute victory. It’s not enough to win, the losers have to be vanquished (which is why the anti-statue fad has spread to Thomas Jefferson, Francis Scott Key and a recently canonized saint….
Also, Schumer is hoping to do to Trum what he did to the first Bush – get him to publicly give up a signature campaing promise in the name of “bipartisanship” as a way of sabotaging his reelection.
The Democrats don’t care about the dreamers, they’re using them as pawns against Trump. they (rightly) perceive that if they don’t give him the wall his voters will stay home in 2020 so Hillary can finally be president and they can get some peace and quiet.
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Exactly. That’s exactly what it is. Democrats find the insecurity of Dreamers to be pleasing and useful. They aren’t going to let go of such easy and pleasant pawns.
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Absolutely. 100% true. So if this empty spectacle is the price of security for 800,000 DACA kids, why not pay it? Why? WHY?
1)People who advocate for security theater almost never have to deal with the side effects or blowback from it.
2) The deal making process in DC has been broken for several years. Hint: approving a budget to keep the government open for another three months shouldn’t be news but it is because the Republicans made a habit of holding the debt ceiling hostage several times. So even if you make concessions on some symbolic thing that makes people who’ll NEVER vote for you happy and enrages some active energetic portion of your base, who is to say you’ll even get the thing you bargained for?
3)DACA kids can’t vote. Their parents can’t vote. Immigrants who aren’t US citizens can’t vote.
I’m fine with us giving in on the wall if we have to. But right now it seems like we might not have to, and it would be good if we can use it as a bargaining chip for something else later.
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What will be this wall’s price in $$ ?
If it’s extremely costy, will you be fine with its being subsidized via cuts in higher ed and/or safety net programs? Why not use the wall as an excuse for destroying whatever Trump wants?
You discussed how the new state form will derive its legitimacy from (the illusion of) providing security while social programs will be worse than what we imagine as minimal. If Americans want to fight this trend, destroying the illusionary picture of security seems a better tactic in the long run rather than going along with it.
It’s not more costly than the rest of silly crap that’s being built. The difference with the rest of silly crap is that the wall is passionately desired by 35% of the population. They want it intensely. They’ll never move on until they see it in existence and realize it’s not helping. Money is nothing, it’s an excuse. There’s always money for whatever is wanted.
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Also, why imagine that everybody else is too stupid to respond to Democrats telling the truth and honestly trying to explain the situation?
Why not say “this wall won’t work because … ; however, our proposals XYZ will indeed strengthen the borders while costing much less” ?
Why not, for instance, invite Republicans to protect civil liberties of uni students, while admitting that the latest policies about campus rape were not 100% unproblematic?
If some Democrats honestly think Trump’s voters can’t be talked with, doesn’t it signify a dangerous lack of trust in the democratic process?
A conservative literary critic and college professor
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