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I’ll never understand the neglect of our borders except for political reasons. What’s the point of homeland security when they don’t even protect our borders?

Upfront caveat: what I'm about to type about what I believe is happening should not be taken as an endorsement or approval of it - just explication of what I think is a highly cynical, yet well-masked, rationale.

I think that the US Government's position on border security grows out of the concept that "idle hands are the devil's workshop".

Mexico is a poor country with a sh*tty economy, high birthrate and substantial underclass. The very type of environment leading to a very disillusioned citizenry (especially unemployed young males) that would normally be ripe for revolution.

A revolution in Mexico, on the US's doorstep, is not desirable at all. Especially since it can be expected to bring to power a Leftist/Marxist ideologue in the Hugo Chavez mold.

I think the political powers that be on both sides of the border see illegal immigration from Mexico into the US as a safety valve. Allow the otherwise unemployed (idle hands, remember) underclass into the US where they can largely (yes, there are exceptions) be expected to toil away quietly and anonymously (due to fear of arrest and deportation) at long-hours (idle hands, remember) manual labor jobs that provide basic sustenance and under-the-table economic aid ($ sent to family back home). Thereby avoid revolution because the social demographic most likely to provide the rank/file for that revolution simply aren't there. Because they're over here.

Now, on a related topic ... with such a porous border there's the threat of a Middle Eastern terrorist passing as an Hispanic in order to conduct terrorist operations. It's interesting that in 10 years post-911, there haven't been a lot of instances of such. I'd read an article somewhere a while back suggesting that the deserts of Mexico's Northern border provinces are littered with the bones of hundreds of erstwhile former jihadiis slowly bleaching in the desert Sun. Reason: the Federales and Coyotes know that a real terrorist attack launched from across the border would be bad - VERY bad - for business ... since the US would seriously step up border protection measures. So they collect their crossing payment (they ARE businessmen after all) and then "take care of the problem" where no one will ever find the body. Some interesting food for thought, anyways.