Borders as Big Scary Business: USA and Mexico, Israel and Palestine

Naomi Klein presents frightening and well-researched information about Israel's economic success as a leader and innovator of "disaster capitalism" in this article published on common dreams: Gaza: Not Just a Prison, a Laboratory.

Klein writes about Thomas Friedman's ridiculous theories and the way Israel has prospered in recent years selling Homeland Security technology to the West. She then talks about how many of the Israeli innovators will be showing off their gadgets at the Paris Air Show this month, and in doing so she demonstrates a connection between the militarized border of an illegally expanding Israel with Palestine (image right) and the border of the USA with Mexico (image left):

"Another star of the Paris Air Show will be Israeli defense giant Elbit, which plans to showcase its Hermes 450 and 900 unmanned air vehicles. As recently as May, according to press reports, Israel used the drones on bombing missions in Gaza. Once tested in the territories, they are exported abroad: the Hermes has already been used at the Arizona-Mexico border; Cogito1002 terminals are being auditioned at an unnamed US airport; and Elbit, one of the companies behind Israel’s 'security barrier,' has partnered with Boeing to construct the Department of Homeland Security’s $2.5 billion 'virtual' border fence around the United States."

Fear and racism is big, scary business.