Walls in the world

Résumé du document

While the on-going process of Globalization refers to an increased mobility of goods, capital, technology, as well as the spread of ideas and values, walls divide neighbors all around the world. Some of them were built a long time ago, but still exist (like the Peace lines in Ireland or the DMZ in Korea), and others are currently being built ("The so-criticized wall of ignominy" of G. W. Bush between USA and Mexico in order to keep illegal migrants out). These walls are symbols of political withdrawal and exclusion. Building physical barriers is not only a way of sealing off nations, and communities, but also a way of protection. This reaction seems clearly paradoxical insofar as goods and capital can move freely, without any barriers, but migrants cannot. Have the States been building walls for a long time, or is it a new phenomenon? Obviously, this is not a new phenomenon. Many walls were built centuries ago, such as the Great Wall of China, which is the largest man-made monument ever to have been built. Its construction started in the sixth century before Christ, in order to protect the Chinese Empire from external attacks. It is alleged that it is the only wall visible from space; an assertion that confirms its monumental dimension.

Extraits

[...] But are walls effective to prevent immigration? Doesn't it reveal a frightening naivety about how things work? With a first world economy to the North and a Third world economy to the south, migrations are obviously stimulated. Let's talk about the American-Mexican Border. The US Secure Fence Act that was enacted in 2006 plans to build a 2000-mile fence along the two states' border in order to curtail illegal immigration. American government argues that 11 millions of illegal Mexicans live in the USA. [...]

[...] What kinds of messages can be expressed? Propagandist messages political messages. Anyway, those messages are painted on a surface that belongs to nobody and is visible to anyone. From April 1984, Thierry Noir and Christophe Bouchet started to paint the Berlin Wall. As the years went by, the paintings took on phenomenal proportions, which were rapidly recognized by the international arts community. The object was not to embellish the wall but to demystify it. Since it's construction, no one has had permission to write on the Berlin Wall. [...]

[...] What about the Moroccan-Spanish border? It remains one of the most unequal borders in the world, where the differences of income levels are huge in such proximity. Just a data to appreciate the scale of disparities. In Spain, the GPD per capita is 15 times higher than the one of Moroccan one, whereas the American GPD per capita is 6 times higher than the Mexican one. Barbed fences have been set up to materialise the deadly border between Morocco and the Spanish enclaves: Ceuta y Mellilla. [...]

[...] Firstly, walls are power symbols. Then, I'd like to show that walls can be something else those impassable barriers: they can also be a means of expression. I. The walls : symbols of power Whatever the aims of the walls, the action of constructing a wall is a strong sign of power. Immigration control and security are the main cited reasons why border walls should be built. Firstly, walls can be erected to solve immigration problems. They are meant to keep terrorists, smugglers, and illegal immigrants out. [...]

[...] The wave that suddenly releases all the people / the car that goes through the wall. To conclude, we could mention more paintings of the Berlin Wall that were done by artists of the East Side Gallery. We can see their slogan at the bottom of the Wall. A slogan that should become a global rule that the whole humanity should think of respecting some day: more wars, no more walls, a united world. Bibliography James Tiptree Jr. Up walls of the world, Ace p. [...]