AHC: Mexican Border Fence Built By Mexico

Challenge: With any POD from 1900 to present, create conditions wherein the border fence between Mexico and the United States is built primarily by Mexican authorities. This can be for reasons of keeping Mexicans in, Americans out, or any combination/proportion of the above.

Extra challenge: The border fence is universally disliked in the United States, with all major parties calling for its demilitarization or deconstruction.
 
The reason smart, logical thinking people don't build border fences is because they don't work.

They never work.

Not once in the entire progress of mankind has a border fence ever kept people who want to go somewhere from going there.

SMart people that passed 7th grade social studies know this.

That is why the U.S> will never build a border fence, and that is why the Mexicans will never build a border fence.

Because it would cost a shitload of money that they don't have and it wouldn't work anyway.
 
Really? The Israeli fence (whatever you may think of the merits or otherwise of it) seems to have stopped suicide bombers from getting to where they want to be. Hence the reversion to rockets and mortars for the past 8 years or so.
 
Really? The Israeli fence (whatever you may think of the merits or otherwise of it) seems to have stopped suicide bombers from getting to where they want to be. Hence the reversion to rockets and mortars for the past 8 years or so.
Hmmmph, I suppose every rule has an exception, of course this begs the question of active security versus passive secury. I would wager that the Israeli wall is just a part of a comprehenive active system that would be far more than the MExican government could aford.

There is also the question of how much area the ISraelis are monitoring versus how much area the North AMerican border fence would have to cover.
 
Mexico under goes a socialist/communist regime change. The old government doesnt take this very well and begins fighting against the Mexicanistas in a large scale guerrilla war. The US while upset isnt quite willing to risk WW3 by outright invading Mexico. Instead they decide to heavily fund and supply the Mexicantras over the border. Not to mention all the foreign mercenaries/volunteers/activists coming from America to fight in Mexico. Many Mexican citizens also flee over the border as refugees to America. Some of which return to Mexico armed and trained by the CIA.

The Mexicanistas are in turn rather annoyed by the rather blatant actions of the North and respond with the Rio Grande Border Fence designed to keep the Americans out and Mexicans in. Or they try to at least.

*shrug* Best i could come up with.
 
I agree that the scale difference is significant.

Another example. The fence between North and South Korea. All the North Koreans that want to leave go out via China.

The Berlin wall once up and running reduced to a trickle the number of East Germans getting into West Berlin and indeed the border between West and East Germany was notoriously difficult to get accross - hence the celebrations of the few that succeeded.

If there is the political willpower, it can be done. But I agre that neither the US nor Mexican governments have the willpower or the need for something similar.
 
Mexico under goes a socialist/communist regime change. The old government doesnt take this very well and begins fighting against the Mexicanistas in a large scale guerrilla war. The US while upset isnt quite willing to risk WW3 by outright invading Mexico. Instead they decide to heavily fund and supply the Mexicantras over the border. Not to mention all the foreign mercenaries/volunteers/activists coming from America to fight in Mexico. Many Mexican citizens also flee over the border as refugees to America. Some of which return to Mexico armed and trained by the CIA.

The Mexicanistas are in turn rather annoyed by the rather blatant actions of the North and respond with the Rio Grande Border Fence designed to keep the Americans out and Mexicans in.

*shrug* Best i could come up with.
In which case it owuld work about as well as the Berlin wall did in it's entire history, that is to say, not very well.
 
In which case it owuld work about as well as the Berlin wall did in it's entire history, that is to say, not very well.
Well lets see you suggest a better scenario for the challenge eh?

Also the Berlin Wall worked rather well for your information, as did the Inner German border.
 
I disgaree. The Berlin wall worked very well. The numbers who managed to cross it once it was fully up and running (say 1970 onwards) were very low.
 
I agree that the scale difference is significant.

Another example. The fence between North and South Korea. All the North Koreans that want to leave go out via China.

The Berlin wall once up and running reduced to a trickle the number of East Germans getting into West Berlin and indeed the border between West and East Germany was notoriously difficult to get accross - hence the celebrations of the few that succeeded.

If there is the political willpower, it can be done. But I agre that neither the US nor Mexican governments have the willpower or the need for something similar.
In most cases, the key to resolve international difficulties of that nature is engagement, not excuslion.
 
I disgaree. The Berlin wall worked very well. The numbers who managed to cross it once it was fully up and running (say 1970 onwards) were very low.
That was not due to passive prsence of the wall in and of itself, it was due to the active proactive presence of East German/Red Army forces.

Would the Mexican government be willing to have that high an expenditure of both money and manpower on a per anum basis?
 
That was not due to passive prsence of the wall in and of itself, it was due to the active proactive presence of East German/Red Army forces.

That and all the land mines...


Would the Mexican government be willing to have that high an expenditure of both money and manpower on a per anum basis?



Not unless vast hordes of American's were fleeing climate change to the south... :)

Then I can imagine it being done with a certain amount of irony...
 
That was not due to passive prsence of the wall in and of itself, it was due to the active proactive presence of East German/Red Army forces.

Would the Mexican government be willing to have that high an expenditure of both money and manpower on a per anum basis?
Thats irrelevant. All we are saying is that you are wrong about the effectiveness of the Berlin Wall.
 
If the Little Ice Age continued (or grew worse) that would be a reason for people to flood south, but only if the climate in Mexico allowed more land to be suitable for agriculture (i.e. less desert). That's why invading Canada always puzzles me; it's cold there, better to invade Jamaica or Guyana.
 
1994 Nafta agreement contains a large scale formal guest worker program. Little noticed license fees to be collected by the Mexican government, contained in the bill quickly grow until by the end of the first year they approach nearly 5,000$ per worker on average.

Widespread lack of compliance from Mexican illegals and US employers end up costing Mexican government billions a year.

1998 the Mexican government begins building and manning fences at busiest crossing points.

Fence construction continues until most of urban crossing areas controlled. Significant rural fences lead major US users of illegals to support environmental complaints against fence.

Because they are sooooo green.;):rolleyes:
 

The Vulture

Banned
Easy. With a growing Mexican economy and personal spending power that doesn't quite match the rate of domestic production of luxury goods, a black market springs up in border towns like Juarez, Nogales, and Tijuana. American criminals steal televisions, DVD players, expensive liquors, and so on. They then bring these goods to border towns knowing they'll get top dollar for them. Many professional criminals make a living buying and selling these goods. Thus, a great incidence of border fences.
 
Mexico controls its southern borders quite well. Check out Mexico's immigration law and practice sometime. What you need to remember is that most of the world is considerably poorer than Mexico.
 
The reason smart, logical thinking people don't build border fences is because they don't work.

They never work.

Not once in the entire progress of mankind has a border fence ever kept people who want to go somewhere from going there.

SMart people that passed 7th grade social studies know this.

That is why the U.S> will never build a border fence, and that is why the Mexicans will never build a border fence.

Because it would cost a shitload of money that they don't have and it wouldn't work anyway.
A border fence is efficient if you have some border guards shoot at those who approach it. Sure there will be some lucky individuals that will manage to do so, but it is more an exception than a rule. Look at the border between Koreas for example.

Have a very unpopular communist governement rise in Mexico. The new authorities close the borders to prevent people from fleeing the country.
 
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