The whole question of illegal immigration exposes another of capitalism's many faults.

The people who are coming to your country, whom you talk about in such inpersonal terms are attracted there (and here in the UK as woth the rest of Western Europe) by the lifestyle advertised by our societies - they want to buy into the 'American Dream' or simply a better life. The one advertising says they can get in America or Europe. - they see big cars, iPods and all the other consumerist junk we spend our lives accumulating and they think I'll make them happy.

And whose to say they're wrong? Many of these people live in utter poverty. Their governments either can't look after them or don't care. These people cannot get drugs for their sick children as large drug companies won't release the licences. People struggling for food see a nation of lard-arses and realise there is more than anough to go around if you're on the right side of the fence.

"If they concentrated on people, they'd be more apt to catch a terrorist if one should pop up there."

Do you actually believe this? That terrorists are infiltrating the US in the guise of poor south americans? Is the the rationalé for having armed civilain militas patrolling your southern borders? Have the Neo-cons so managed to scare the shit out of the US population they buy into this sort of rubbish and they will believe anything they are told?

I find some of the talk here disturbing - a fortress mentality that from the outside looks isolationist at best but has far more sinister undertones. Here in the UK the demonisation of 'Asylum Seekers' as they are called is a product of far-right propaganda (which does appear in some sections of the mainstream press), and carries racist connotations.

But this illustrates the ultimate failure of capitalism, the fact we cease to consider our fellow human beings with compassion - people trying to get a better life become 'them' - the unnamed enemy - the hordes amassing around our borders ready to destroy our cosy little worlds.

Economic migration is going to be one of the greatest problems facing the Western world in this century, and unless we are willing to embrace ideologies other than materialism and consumerism, and unless we begin to consider those who want the same quality of life the priviliged west enjoys with understanding and compassion.