And people wonder why building a wall would be pointless

[rubato]

I think they would just cut through the footing at a shallower depth so the 100ft foundation would not do anything except add to the construction costs and employ a lot of dave's union friends.

yrs,
rubato

[Andrew D]

So the foundation would have to be made difficult to cut through. That should not come as a surprise. The point, after all, is to construct a barrier.

Would such a barrier work perfectly? Of course not. There will always be those who find their way under it (around it, etc.).

But perfection is not a rational standard for public policy.

[Scooter]

But cost-benefit ratio is.

[Andrew D]

And the costs of the presence of millions of illegal aliens in the US are tremendous. And borne by those who can least afford them.

And those are just the monetary costs. Non-monetary costs are notoriously, even inherently, difficult to quantify. Which makes a cost-benefit analysis notoriously, even inherently, inadequate to address the policy concerns.

[quaddriver]

And the costs of the presence of millions of illegal aliens in the US are tremendous. And borne by those who can least afford them.

And those are just the monetary costs. Non-monetary costs are notoriously, even inherently, difficult to quantify. Which makes a cost-benefit analysis notoriously, even inherently, inadequate to address the policy concerns.

Cost/benefit analysis is the std mantra of the answerless foes towards a us immigration process. Ever notice that NO alternative is ever proposed ('education' is not an alternative - educate mexicans to stay in mexico? wtf?)

At least in many parts of the world they shoot illegal immigrants. Or get in some good torture and rape first. Should we adopt THOSE policys?

It is estimated that half of the worlds illegal immigrants are in the US. canada for example has about 1/100th the illegal immigrants we do and are largely ignored. (or if pursued they just go slightly south) So they can afford to have no solution.

the US on the other hand is going to need a mixed solution of shooting, torture, rape, mean robots and yes, even education

[rubato]

I have seen no evidence showing that illegal immigrants are a net cost rather than a benefit, let alone enough to justify a huge expense at a grossly imperfect method of keeping them out.

The easiest way to keep them out is to keep electing Republicans to the congress and WH. In a short while our economy and std of living will be no better than theirs and there will be to reason to come here.

If republicans get their wish and overturn Roe v Wade and make contraception as difficult to get as possible we will have the same uncontrolled fertility which will ensure that no one will ever want to come here.

yrs,
rubato

[loCAtek]

If legal medical marihuana was supposed to eliminate the drug trade; then why were three tons being smuggled into California?

Your question is based on a false premise.

(e) Speaking pragmatically, this could be a giant windfall for Gub'mints. They could sell "Pot Licenses," in the same way that cab medallions are now sold in NYC. They could also tax and regulate the schidt out of it.

To say nothing of the billions upon billions that would be saved in the justice and correctional systems. Oh yeah, with the added bonus of breaking the back of organized crime.

posting.php?mode=quote&f=3&p=25593

[Scooter]

That comment, and the thread in which it appeared, was about the complete legalization of pot, not medical marijuana.

[loCAtek]

It was one example of the attitude shared by the majority of Californians who voted for the legalization of medical marijuana ...that it would cripple the cartels.

So far; not really.

[Scooter]

So you quote one person (me) who was not even talking about medical marijuana, as proof of what the majority of Californians supporting medical marijuana believe.

How about, gee I don't know, actually providing info about what that majority thinks about the effect of legalized medical marijuana, rather than misapplying the quote of one person who was not even talking about medical marijuana?

[Grim Reaper]

There's a difference between medicinal and recreational use. Alcohol was still available for medicinal purposes during the Prohibition.

And while legalizing marijuana for medicinal purposes won't break the cartels, it does provide the framework for complete legalization, which would be a large blow to illegal drug trade.

[loCAtek]

There were many more voices, BTW who voted for legalization in California, who used that argument. Which is why it passed, and yet, three tons of marijuana are being smuggled in?


...really?

[Scooter]

So you've still got nothing, then.

[loCAtek]

Eta: above

[Scooter]

So still nothing.

[loCAtek]

From you, no; but you're not the US/Mexican public, 'eh?,


Why should we care?

[Scooter]

And you've still got nothing.

[Scooter]

An argument that would have made sense, and may well have been made, would be to say that a medical marijuana program would enable medical marijuana users to avoid dealing with the illegal drug trade, but to warp that into an alleged claim that legal medical marijuana would destroy the illegal drug trade, completely nonsensical and was never asserted.

[loCAtek]

Really, then why were you responding to a direct reference to "Pot Licenses"?

(e) Speaking pragmatically, this could be a giant windfall for Gub'mints. They could sell "Pot Licenses," in the same way that cab medallions are now sold in NYC. They could also tax and regulate the schidt out of it.

To say nothing of the billions upon billions that would be saved in the justice and correctional systems. Oh yeah, with the added bonus of breaking the back of organized crime.

posting.php?mode=quote&f=3&p=25593

That seems substance specific; I don't know of a pragmatic colloquialism of 'pot' to mean anything other than marijuana.

[Scooter]

Yes, to "pot licenses", not "medical marijuana licenses". Dave was suggesting the government could make money by collecting fees for licenses to grow and/or sell pot, as he said, "like cab medallions". Nothing to do with medical marijuana.

So you've still got nothing then?