Mexico’s official “Guide for the Mexican Migrant”
A US state is to enlist web users in its fight against illegal immigration by offering live surveillance footage of the Mexican border on the internet.
The plan will allow web users worldwide to watch Texas’ border with Mexico and phone the authorities if they spot any apparently illegal crossings.
Texas Governor Rick Perry said the cameras would focus on “hot-spots and common routes” used to enter the US.
The cameras will cost $5m (£2.7m) to install and will be trained on sections of the 1,000-mile (1,600km) border known to be favoured by illegal immigrants.
Web users who spot an apparently illegal crossing will be able to alert the authorities by telephoning a number free of charge.
Mr Perry, a Republican, is running for re-election in November.
Do you think the NSA will record all the phone calls?
Sure, I have nothing better to do than stare at a computer screen, doing the government’s job for them.
Hmmm great idea, what could possibly go wrong?
Since they have no way of proving phony calls there are enough idiots in this country to whom it sounds like a fun filled Saturday night having the border patrol runnning around the desert in circles and then watching it on the web.. Come to think of it, that sure beats anything on TV
one step closer to the stasi
Since they have no way of proving phony calls there are enough idiots in this country to whom it sounds like a fun filled Saturday night…
Now we know one of the reasons they want to record all phone-call patterns in the U.S.
One would hope [#2] the Border Patrol would meet the standards of the average pizza delivery chain and require a verifiable callback number.
Although being part of Homeland Insecurity, now — maybe not.
So, what will be the “Top 10” counter-measures used by the smugglers who are making tons of money off of our porous border??
10. Use 50-cal sniper rifles to blast the cameras off their mounts.
9. Pay hackers to mount denial-of-service attacks on the servers which stream the video.
8. Pay hackers to redirect people’s web-browsers to gambling and/or porn sites.
7. Shine those annoying, red laser-pointers into the lenses of the cameras.
6. Two words: “Krylon”, “ladder”…
5. Send large groups of people across – in clear view of the cameras -[and they can check the cameras as well as we can] , and when the Border Patrol starts to respond, have all the people cross back into Mexico. Lather, rinse, repeat… [or should I say: “Otra vez!”]
4. Sell “Hi, Mom!” signs to all migrants [how does that translate? “!Hola, a mi madre!” ???]
3. …
2. …
1. Place pictures of the border in front of the cameras [ala the old “Mission Impossible” TV show]
Oops, gotta go… FBI is here… something about “giving aid & comfort to the enemy…”
#6, good list Mike.
I was thinking that watching the monitors would be something like watching paint dry, or in some cases, watching shirts dry.
This suggests a bunch of topics to do with CCTV, who gets to supervise the watching? — neighborhood watch or NSA? I don’t know if I want to get my head that stuck into a forum topic, though.
HF — after a spell designing security systems, I can affirm that no one actually Watches individual monitors or clusters. You stick them in small windows and count on your eyes catching motion while you do something else. Who knows? You might see a bird or a snake you never saw before!
Or someone who’s going to showup on a street corner near you offering to help you pave your driveway.
#7 good list Mike.
Thanks,
Although is does show I had a little too much time on my hands – earlier today.
At this point, I am willing to try anything. Just one question, why can’t Bush secure this darn border tighter than a drum???? He has totally lost his priorities as president. Everyone I know disaproves of him, too. This nation is going down the tubes and fast just because of this one man. The damage that he has done as president will stay with us for many, many years.
KNOWING the US gov, fairly well…
And I think many of us do…
1,000 miles of border…..
5 million dollars???
= 5 decent Government cameras, on 20-30 foot Poles, with full focus and zoom(0-20x), and 1 LONG network cable??? Might cover 50 miles of area.
or
100 cheaper camera, On 20 foot poles, WITHOUT the Zoom function, focus south, into the sun, wiht a dialup connection, that MAYBE 2 people can monitor accross the net for each camera. And STILL cover, about 50 miles.
or
1000 cameras, all linked, sitting on tripods, being over grown and can only see the HIGH points in a rough turrain, no apt settings, facing into the sun, on MAYBE 10 remote servers, run on a fiber pipe into 1 MAIN server(SUCK)….Maybe cover 50 miles of ACTUAL terrain..
what happened to my POPup turret idea, or even a Live action practice range for sniper practice.
Well, there´s 2 issues arising here
#1 who will patrol the webcams? You, ok. So is it in your best interest? No. You hire immigrants to perform cheap labor, so if you keep’em out the price of labor will get higher. If you want immigrants out, don´t hire ilegals.
#2 All the biggots and racists will be watching webcams for that great new step in reality TV: “see’em run for their lives, Live!”
People, immigration and the new “poor south invades rich north” phenomena (that happens in Europe too,BTW) is not going to be solved with webcams or more Police.
There’s a new Iron Curtain rising, and this time we´re inside.
#6 on your 4th point the translation would be…
Thanks, Pedro.
I knew it sounded to “textbook” and “literal” to be something people would actually use…
Still think:
We should drop Flyers over Mexico, asking “WHO wants Mexico to become PART of the USA.. Raise you hands”.
US companies doing business THERE, wouldnt like it..
They would have to pay benefits, and better wages, and MEET OSHA and EPA requirements.
RESORTS wouldnt like it, as developers could make MORE and better sites.
Bandits wouldnt like it, as we would shoot back.
This is such a big waste of money and resources. If you really want to keep them out, then make Mexico patrol it’s own border or else no free trade with them…
This is for Comment # 16, posted by ECA…Way to go! Think about this a few seconds and you’ll easily see that ECA has a valid and useful viewpoint. If this situation is to be controlled in such a fashion at to benefit the U.S., American politicians must grow some backbone and get off their collective butts! In my house, there are only two options…’ A’ or ‘B’. They go like this: (A) Mexico controls its own people or (B) we start to control Mexico. Goodness knows that the amount of money we devote to securing the border added to the amount of money that leaves our country in the hands of illegals plus the money our government sends to Mexico for one reason or another equals enough cash to give us a majority stockholder’s stake in the whole operation. Why not simply put the Mexican government on notice that they will take preventive measures or we will institute a hostile takeover? We would take maximum control of all land and resources and business ventures and would use the profits derived therefrom to fix the problems to our satisfaction. Dissenters, please move to Honduras or Guatemala!
Now, being somewhat serious for a few seconds…why don’t you Mexican citizens grow up and become useful citizens in your own country! Make your country worth living in! Make your country something you can be proud of, a place you’d be willing to defend, not desert! America has its problems, but we are a lot better off than most places because we’ve made it this way!
One good shot will knock the whole system out! cmon stupid ! Everythings is run by computers now .When is the government going to get their head out their ass!
WAIT A MINUTE….. I SPOT ILLEGALS COMING OVER, I CALL THE NUMBER PROVIDED, GIVE THE INFORMAATION, LOCATION, CAMERA ID… OR,WHATEVER…. THEY HAVE THEIR CAMERAS ON, SEE WHAT I REPORTED, SEND AGENTS OUT OT INTERCEPT…. THEY USE THE INFO I GAVE THEM, FIND NOTHING, SO THEY DO NOT SEND ANYONE… MY SATURDAY NIGHT FUN IS OVER… NO FAALSE ALARMS.
IF YOUR MAIN CONCERN WAS CRANK CALLS…. DON’T SEE ANY WITH THIS SYSTEM.
WATCHMAKER IN PA
I am on my computer all the time and I think that would be a good idea to let all web users monitor the borders.
My God,what worries me evan more than a walk across border is that we have IDIOTS like STEPHANIE walking around on the loose!!!!!!