SoylentNews is people
SoylentNews
from the if-you-build-it-they-will-come...and-cut-through-it dept.
Smugglers have found an easy way to get through the vertical steel tube Mexican border wall. From https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/smugglers-are-sawing-through-new-sections-of-trumps-border-wall/2019/11/01/25bf8ce0-fa72-11e9-ac8c-8eced29ca6ef_story.html
The breaches have been made using a popular cordless household tool known as a reciprocating saw that retails at hardware stores for as little as $100. When fitted with specialized blades, the saws can slice through one of the barrier's steel-and-concrete bollards in minutes, according to the agents, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the barrier-defeating techniques.
After cutting through the base of a single bollard, smugglers can push the steel out of the way, creating an adult-size gap. Because the bollards are so tall — and are attached only to a panel at the top — their length makes them easier to push aside once they have been cut and are left dangling, according to engineers consulted by The Washington Post.
The taxpayer-funded barrier — so far coming with a $10 billion price tag — was a central theme of Trump's 2016 campaign, and he has made the project a physical symbol of his presidency, touting its construction progress in speeches, ads and tweets. Trump has increasingly boasted to crowds in recent weeks about the superlative properties of the barrier, calling it "virtually impenetrable" and likening the structure to a "Rolls-Royce" that border crossers cannot get over, under or through.
In other words, no one did any serious pen testing on the wall design, or it would have been obvious that with all that leverage, the top tie-in was easy to flex.
(Score: 0, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Monday November 04 2019, @06:18PM (21 children)
Guess Trump was right when he wanted a big beautiful brick wall. Thanks Democrats for wasting our money.
On the bright side, better than the Normandy barriers.
You wont ever stop some dedicated people on foot, but we can stop vehicles and trucks.
(Score: 5, Informative) by DannyB on Monday November 04 2019, @06:27PM
According to the article, you know, the article . . .
It was Homeland Security, not Democrats that nixed the solid concrete wall.
If you eat an entire cake without cutting it, you technically only had one piece.
(Score: 2) by sjames on Monday November 04 2019, @06:39PM (5 children)
Yeah, because when's the last time you ever saw a Mexican using a sledge hammer?
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Monday November 04 2019, @08:46PM (2 children)
Far too long ago. I had to do it myself because there aren't any in TN Home Depot parking lots like there are in OK or TX. Apparently so few people in TN want to work that all the illegals here have damned good jobs and don't need to sit in the weather hoping for a day or two of work.
I shit you not. I had never in my life heard anyone sincerely ask a grown man the question "Do you work?" until I came back to the south from OK. Apparently it's a legitimate and necessary question here.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 2) by sjames on Monday November 04 2019, @09:07PM (1 child)
In Ga, you won't necessarily find Mexicans with sledge hammers at the Home Depot, but you will at a construction project.
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Monday November 04 2019, @10:00PM
Sucks pretty hard. I'd have paid damned good to not aggravate my RSI and manage to have both pain and numbness at the same time for weeks afterwards.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday November 04 2019, @09:35PM (1 child)
Or tunnels. Its not like the cartels are notorious for digging tunnels [wikipedia.org]. Oh wait...
(Score: 3, Funny) by The Mighty Buzzard on Monday November 04 2019, @10:01PM
They're big Hogan's Heroes fans, yup.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 3, Informative) by Pslytely Psycho on Monday November 04 2019, @06:41PM (13 children)
Yeah, and Mexico was going to pay for it.
Really, don't bother saying tariffs are paying for it, because Americans pay for the tariffs through higher prices.
Alex Jones lawyer inspires new TV series: CSI Moron Division.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 05 2019, @12:44AM (2 children)
Define wall. I'm quite satisfied with how the Mexican military has done at walling off immigrants coming through Mexico's southern border and getting to ours. They sure stopped those caravans in their tracks. So they are effectively paying for our border protection.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 05 2019, @12:56AM
Are they? [usatoday.com]
(Score: 2) by Pslytely Psycho on Tuesday November 05 2019, @12:24PM
Now that is some convoluted thinking.
Of course if you're right then the wall that WE are paying for is an even bigger and more indefensible waste of money.
Alex Jones lawyer inspires new TV series: CSI Moron Division.
(Score: 3, Informative) by DeathMonkey on Tuesday November 05 2019, @04:01AM (9 children)
Americans pay the tariffs PERIOD. Tariffs are charged to the importer. Tariffs are paid the by the Americans who import stuff, no equivocation required.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 05 2019, @04:24AM (8 children)
That is wrong. The importer can raise prices or not, and Americans are free to buy other substitute goods.
It is the same effect as raising taxes on corporations. Americans will end up paying for it if they choose to buy from the corporation and the corporation chooses to raise taxes.
It really is not a difficult concept.
(Score: 3, Informative) by DeathMonkey on Tuesday November 05 2019, @04:47AM (7 children)
The importer is an American and pays the tariff tax. It is also true that he can then pass that cost on to the consumer.
(Score: 2) by Pslytely Psycho on Tuesday November 05 2019, @02:20PM (6 children)
" It is also true that he can then pass that cost on to the consumer."
And most certainly will.
Eating costs is just not profitable.
Costs go up 3 cents raise prices 5 cents. SOP!
Just like oil. Oil goes up in price....gas prices increase immediately.
Oil goes down in price...gas prices decrease very slowly...
Alex Jones lawyer inspires new TV series: CSI Moron Division.
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Tuesday November 05 2019, @02:51PM (5 children)
Eh, not necessarily. Sometimes it's more profitable to eat part or all of a pricing loss in order to keep from having a larger loss from decreased volume.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 05 2019, @03:48PM (1 child)
Yea, but my point was more to see if they could handle the cognitive dissonance of being against tariffs but for taxing the rich and corporations. Both have the same trickle down effect of raised prices. Both responses just ignored it.
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Tuesday November 05 2019, @05:14PM
People are like that. Intellectual consistency is irrelevant to too many folks; only agreeing with whatever their team says matters.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 2) by Pslytely Psycho on Tuesday November 05 2019, @04:06PM (2 children)
There are always exceptions. One benefit of the trade war. BACON will be getting cheaper. :)
https://www.insidehook.com/daily_brief/food-and-drink/bacon-surplus-america [insidehook.com]
Alex Jones lawyer inspires new TV series: CSI Moron Division.
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Tuesday November 05 2019, @05:12PM (1 child)
Yeah, already done my happy dance over that. Bless them rice-eating folks for liking every part of the pig except the best one.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Pslytely Psycho on Tuesday November 05 2019, @07:20PM
I don't believe it's limited to bacon either. We had an 8lb pork roast yesterday, total price was only a little over $12....God, now I gotta go make a sandwich....
Alex Jones lawyer inspires new TV series: CSI Moron Division.