This is a simple blog about the proposed Border Wall on our Southern border. I mentioned in prior blogs that I used to teach Decision Theory at a major university and would like to apply a few principles of decision theory to the Border Wall debate.
First off, we need an objective. Seems to me that we have a problem with criminals coming into the USA by way of our Southern border. By not following our laws and crossing our border illegally makes them criminals. We have enough locally grown criminals in the USA that we do not need any more. The problem is illegal crossing of our Southern border and the objective is to stop those illegally crossing our Southern border. To enforce out laws, we punish those who violate our laws when we can catch them. This acts as a deterrent to others, if they have any respect for our laws. Since those who cross our border illegally have no respect for our laws, they are not deterred by the possibility of punishment. This means that the only way to deal with these kinds of people is to never let them get into the USA in the first place. Now, we have our objective. "Don't let illegals get into the USA in the first place".
Now that we have an objective, what are the action alternatives. Remember that all decisions are choices between alternative. There is an unlimited number of alternatives, but here, I will discuss just a few. (1) Shoot people who try to cross our Southern border on the spot. (2) Capture those who cross our border and tattoo them and send them back with a few broken bones. (3) Capture them when they cross and turn them over to our legal system with a free lawyer. (4) Build a wall along the border so that illegals can not get into the USA in the first place.
Of all these alternatives, it looks like (4) is the best one. What do you think? Do you have a better alternative? If so, what is it? Is my alternative "perfect"? I am not sure. A perfect solution would be for us to nail a "No Trespassing" sign to a tree along the border and criminals from the south would read the sign and turn back. The problem with this last alternative is that it is "not" a possibility.
Are you starting to get the message? Until a "perfect" solution is identified, I vote for (4)!
First off, we need an objective. Seems to me that we have a problem with criminals coming into the USA by way of our Southern border. By not following our laws and crossing our border illegally makes them criminals. We have enough locally grown criminals in the USA that we do not need any more. The problem is illegal crossing of our Southern border and the objective is to stop those illegally crossing our Southern border. To enforce out laws, we punish those who violate our laws when we can catch them. This acts as a deterrent to others, if they have any respect for our laws. Since those who cross our border illegally have no respect for our laws, they are not deterred by the possibility of punishment. This means that the only way to deal with these kinds of people is to never let them get into the USA in the first place. Now, we have our objective. "Don't let illegals get into the USA in the first place".
Now that we have an objective, what are the action alternatives. Remember that all decisions are choices between alternative. There is an unlimited number of alternatives, but here, I will discuss just a few. (1) Shoot people who try to cross our Southern border on the spot. (2) Capture those who cross our border and tattoo them and send them back with a few broken bones. (3) Capture them when they cross and turn them over to our legal system with a free lawyer. (4) Build a wall along the border so that illegals can not get into the USA in the first place.
Of all these alternatives, it looks like (4) is the best one. What do you think? Do you have a better alternative? If so, what is it? Is my alternative "perfect"? I am not sure. A perfect solution would be for us to nail a "No Trespassing" sign to a tree along the border and criminals from the south would read the sign and turn back. The problem with this last alternative is that it is "not" a possibility.
Are you starting to get the message? Until a "perfect" solution is identified, I vote for (4)!
