# Boebert and the border **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [January 16, 2023, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boebert-and-the-border/978322 "2023-01-16T18:17:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2023, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boebert-and-the-border/978322/1 "2023-01-16T18:17:37Z")
This has been bugging me for a while: Boebert spoke to Congress and in what she thought was a gotcha, cited the Border guys as having seized X tons of fentanyl. That _should_ be a good thing. Her focus is entirely on the river of people coming north, and I don’t think she realizes the staggering volume of truck traffic coming north also. That’s where the shit is being found. All those hapless walkers aren’t carrying backpacks of drugs. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2023, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boebert-and-the-border/978322/2 "2023-01-16T18:26:49Z")
Smuggling _of_ migrants is a much bigger business than smuggling _by_ migrants. [It does happen though](https://gov.texas.gov/news/post/operation-lone-star-stops-illegal-drugs-smuggled-across-border). ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2023, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boebert-and-the-border/978322/3 "2023-01-16T18:27:05Z")
You are committing the common error of assuming coherence of thought and an evidence-based approach in Lauren Boebert’s arguments. Neither assumption is warranted. And she’s not the only one making the “They’re catching more people/drugs, therefore this proves the border is open” claim that falls over the moment one thinks about it. These are not well-reasoned arguments. ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2023, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boebert-and-the-border/978322/4 "2023-01-16T18:41:00Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > And she’s not the only one making the “They’re catching more people/drugs, therefore this proves the border is open” claim that falls over the moment one thinks about it. These are not well-reasoned arguments. I think they might be using this to amplify the impression that the borders are “under attack”. The notion is the drug smugglers are doing this with the intent of Destroying America™, as opposed to just being out to profit off the American consumer’s massive demand for drugs. So the borders must be “secured” to prevent them from Destroying America™. And it’s a self-reinforcing claim. The more you secure the borders, the more drugs you will find, which means you’re _even more_ under attack, and so must secure the borders _even harder_. I suppose this could theoretically reach a limit when the US is stopping literally all the drugs being sent, and the drug smugglers decide to give up, but I don’t expect that limit will ever actually be reached. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2023, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boebert-and-the-border/978322/5 "2023-01-16T18:49:13Z")
> [@Horatius](#): > > The more you secure the borders, the more drugs you will find, which means you’re _even more_ under attack, and so must secure the borders _even harder_. - Standing 5 feet apart would require appx 2,112,000 Republicans to secure the border. Shouldn’t be that hard to find enough volunteers. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2023, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boebert-and-the-border/978322/6 "2023-01-16T19:00:11Z")
I volunteer to be the front person for the sham company that will promise to feed and water them all, then abscond with the funds instead. It’s the R way! ---
**Author:** ![InternetLegend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/internetlegend/32/13154_2.png) [@InternetLegend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InternetLegend)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2023, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boebert-and-the-border/978322/7 "2023-01-16T19:05:06Z")
This is the blueprint for installing more and more policing and security overall. When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2023, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boebert-and-the-border/978322/8 "2023-01-16T19:37:51Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > Standing 5 feet apart would require appx 2,112,000 Republicans to secure the border. > Shouldn’t be that hard to find enough volunteers. That requires actual action as opposed to thoughts and prayers and trolling the libs. I don’t think you could get 100 to do it. As long as Republicans find it politically expedient to exploit the fears of whites about the border they won’t lift a finger to actually work to find a bipartisan solution to immigration reform. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2023, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boebert-and-the-border/978322/9 "2023-01-16T22:02:01Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > That requires actual action as opposed to thoughts and prayers and trolling the libs. I don’t think you could get 100 to do it. That would also require actual work. The republicans would no doubt hire Mexicans to do it for them. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2023, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boebert-and-the-border/978322/10 "2023-01-16T23:03:46Z")
According to a recent [paper](http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jssr.12330/epdf?author_access_token=6TIAJ0plWmfoT8CKXywoOYta6bR2k8jH0KrdpFOxC64MqjczIASPsUhKK26SvkbhsyE2e7kPD7R5ARZtNTKTgqA0DSGuI7VEqdYWfpHAD5r-ulyLlGbeH3eaMrTFqqcF) published by sociologist Simon Brauer in the _Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion_ , the number of religious congregations in the United States has increased by almost 50,000 since 1998. At the same time, drug overdose deaths in the United states rose from under 20,000 per year to over 100,000 per year. I think it’s pretty obvious, using Boebert Logic, that the overdose crisis is caused by too many churches. We must bravely stand up against this epidemic of churches that are causing so much death in this country. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2023, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boebert-and-the-border/978322/11 "2023-01-17T00:05:46Z")
> [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](#): > > Boebert spoke to Congress and in what she thought was a gotcha, cited the Border guys as having seized X tons of fentanyl. She’s mad that her dealer might raise the price. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2023, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boebert-and-the-border/978322/12 "2023-01-17T02:10:03Z")
> [@InternetLegend](#): > > This is the blueprint for installing more and more policing and security overall. When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail. When all you have is hate, everything looks like something needing hating. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2023, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boebert-and-the-border/978322/13 "2023-01-17T03:20:42Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > I volunteer to be the front person for the sham company that will promise to feed and water them all, then abscond with the funds instead. It’s the R way! Maybe some smugglers will offer their supplies. ---
**Author:** ![DWMarch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwmarch/32/1010_2.png) [@DWMarch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DWMarch)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2023, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boebert-and-the-border/978322/14 "2023-01-17T04:46:25Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > She’s mad that her dealer might raise the price. This reminds me that the plan for securing the border against the scourge of drugs just replaces one problem with another. That is unless Republicans believe American junkies will simply quit doing drugs when they can’t access them any longer. That’s how it works, right? Just take the drugs away and the addicts will automatically make better choices? ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2023, 10:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boebert-and-the-border/978322/15 "2023-01-17T10:07:12Z")
What’s important is that they’ll start buying more American-made drugs. USA! USA! USA! ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2023, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boebert-and-the-border/978322/16 "2023-01-17T18:29:15Z")
“The Republican Party is doing all it can to bring more jobs to hard-working Americans.” Cue montage cobbled from episodes of _Breaking Bad_.