Gunrunner

Fubar, it won't eliminate it; it will severely limit it, that is a certainty, but it also means that the few crossing will be either the utterly desperate or the criminal elements, meaning the only result will be filtering out the less threatening elements of illegal immigration while helping fund the criminal elements by making the recourse to border-crossing networks unavoidable. And you still won't be able to arrest any mexican-looking people on sight without resistance, as quite a few of them will still be legal immigrants anyway. Also keep in mind that if landborne traffic becomes impossible, waterborne traffic will rise. Illegal immigration in the States doesn't weigh as much on public finances as it does in Europe, it doesn't really take away many jobs (most immigrants take jobs and salaries no one else would take, helping some parts of the economy find manpower and lower their costs; the salary and work condition dumping it creates on low wages job is more a problem for legal immigrants than US citizens; however most studies conclude on a beneficial economic impact (none factor the cost of criminality and few factor loss of taxes though)). The most real "risks" are criminality, but by definition, since the money and the consumers are in the US, it will always be a problem as the rewards justify the increased risk and costs, and cultural assimilation, as there is a far lower chance of "americanization" of illegal immigrants than legal ones (even though the melting-pot assimilation model of the US tolerates this more easily than most European models based on "true" cultural assimilation). The fence seems like a very expensive solution to get rid of the few benefits of illegal immigration while keeping the worse parts, but hey, it's your tax money... WhiteKnight, so, you have a business, you have the choice between an illegal immigrant, who will cost you less in taxes and wages, will show up reliably, will work his ass off with little complaints, or a teen who will take any excuse to slack off, won't show on time or at all half the time and cost twice as much; does it really take that long to chose ?

Continuing my French RF-84F series with ER 3/33 "Moselle"

Date & Time : May 16, 1963, 1130 Theater : Central Europe Unit : French Armée de l'Air, ER 2/33 "Savoie" Formation : 1 RF-84F Mission : Low altitude photographic reconnaissance over Peenemünde The ingress was going fine, I was gently cruising at treetop when suddenly a flash in my rear-view mirror told me I wasn't alone anymore. A quick glance over my shoulder told me I had indeed acquired an "escort". I was too close to the objective now to try and shake it, so I decide to ignore them and complete the mission anyway, the target was in view, I awaited the last moment to gain altitude and take my pictures. Say "cheese" ! Now we have confirmation (beside the two tailing me) the Soviets have Fishpots in Peenemünde (however, if they are as efficient as those on my back, we have nothing to fear). Dodging bullets and doing my best to avoid making an easy target for Alkalis, I got back down as quick as I can. My escort however was not gone... As it happens they trailed me nearly all the way to front, often flying in front of me, but they had no gun and couldn't get a lock.