Militarization of border is big business

The U.S. Border Patrol has just unveiled a total makeover of its traditional uniform. Shiny badges and other emblems of law enforcement are out. Our frontier troops will now have a look more in keeping with their role as frontier troops, with lightweight fatigues and better weapons. Agent Ramon Ramirez told The Associated Press that the new garb looks more military, "like you mean business."

When it comes to frontier security, business is booming all over.

In Stafford County, Va., a 50-man company called McQ has started work on a $100,000 contract to develop a "smart rock" for the Department of Homeland Security. McQ says its rocks, embedded with acoustic and motion sensors, will be able to detect illegal immigrants sneaking across our borders.

The firm expects its contract for developing the rocks to grow to $1 million by fall — a sure sign that while immigration "reform" bills may come and go, the threat of illegal immigration will continue to expand. This is a certainty not because of the state of the Mexican economy or because of government laxity here, but because border control is now an integral part of the military-industrial national security system, which has a long history of profiteering from purported dangers to our safety.

That system's immutable laws: (1) The "threat" always increases in direct proportion to the amount of money lavished on confronting it, and (2) every extra dollar appropriated for this purpose brings a progressively less effective counter to the threat, thus requiring even more money be spent. Meanwhile, reality — the scope and shape of whatever threat is being pressed into service — is usually at sharp variance with the official picture, leading to: (3) The "other side" can usually be maneuvered to react in a way that justifies further efforts on our part.

This system reached its most perfect form during the Cold War. Decade after decade, the American taxpayer was presented with a Soviet military machine that allegedly far outclassed our own and would shortly be in a position to have its way with us — unless we invested in various systems to counter the threat. Yet despite the billions lavished on our defenses, we never seemed to be able to match the foe's advertised military might.

Most famously, the "missile gap" invoked by John F. Kennedy to win the 1960 election duly spawned an immediate and costly buildup of missiles on our side, even though the gap was soon revealed to be wholly without foundation. Our buildup generated a strenuous counter-effort by the Soviet Union. So at the end of the cycle, taxpayers learned they still faced a "window of vulnerability" vis-a-vis the Soviets and must pay up.