There's been controversy this week, over whether or not to deploy the National Guard to the U.S.-Mexico border. George W. Bush's grand border-security plan appears, now, to be to offer Amnesty to Illegals already here, or "Guest Worker Programs", and to shut down the border by deploying National Guard units.

Granted 6,000 National Guard deployed in a "support" role, and rotating out every couple of weeks will not shut down the border, nevertheless, that's his plan. It has been pointed out that only about 13% of our National Guard are being deployed over-seas, leaving us with, of course, well over 300,000, and that figure leaves a remainder you can write off for Katrina uses, and emergency response in their own states.

This means we've got at least 200-250,000 men on the government pay-roll who could very easily be used to utterly shut off the border. But we're sending 6,ooo. In a "Support" role, meaning they won't patrol, or detain or guard Illegals. Why? Could it be that Mr. Bush is more interested in securing cheap labour within the country, as well as through out-sourcing, for his corporate sponsors, and that this token deployment of National Guard is just a pre-election stunt to dupe the American People? Hmm, why don't you decide, and then show Mr Bush your decision on Election Day.

I am whole-heartedly behind sending at least 50,000 National Guardsmen to the U.S.-Mexico border, Militarizing this border, using the Guard to patrol and fence off the border, and detain and guard illegals, and stopping this problem once and for all. We can pay for it with the $75 billion tax-cut Mr. Bush is about to give out.

Furthermore, steps need to be taken to remove the illegals already in this country, steps to get them on the other side of the unbreakable border we will have constructed. We also need to penalize large Corperations, like Walmart, who hire Illegals, and this means Executives doing prison time. We also need to hold Vicente Fox's government responsible. His administration released pamphlets on how to sneak accross the border, for God's sake! At the least, huge economic sanctions are called for.

Now, let me say this; As a Conservative, I must walk the line between what I call "Right-Mindedness", and embracing measures that lead to Totalitarianism. Thus, I support sealing the Border, and throwing out the Illegals in this country, but I most certainly do not support using U.S. Regulars (Federal Troops) on the border, violating Posse Comitatus, and I most certainly do not support tamper-proof social-security I.D. cards, or computer-chips surgically inserted into the workforce or any of those nonsensical means of combatting this issue.

Both Republicans AND Democrats have been guilty of suggesting I.D. cards or surgical chips as methods of combatting Illegal Immigration. This is as unacceptable as it is unnecessary. It's pretty obvious who's legal or not, and we could make a lot of headway into removing illegals by simply driving up to a Home Depot and deporting anyone who gets into your car, or by deporting the 500,000 marchers in the Pro-Illegal rally in L.A., for instance, and letting the legals back in after the fact.

As for the National Guard, as long as they don't violate Posse Comitatus, I am perfectly happy with a military presence down there. And indeed, when under State Governors' control, they do not violate it. So long as we don't use Federal troops along the border I see nothing wrong with the idea of Militarizing said border.

This movement of 6,000 National Guardsmen, however, is a pathetic PR stunt, and the President should be called on it.