10 years ago, Russia built a border wall, too. Here's the story.
Since the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, the number of new border walls across the globe has risen from 15 to around 70. Intractable conflicts, the global war on terrorism, and populist cries to “take control of our borders” have fueled the construction of concrete walls, barriers and barbed-wire fences.
Border walls are compelling visual symbols, whether or not they actually keep people out. But what do these walls actually symbolize? Here are some key takeaways from a contested border project within the country of Georgia.
Sovereignty or tyranny?
A border wall is a material proclamation of power and control. Border walls, one scholar argues, “entice us to misrecognize their height and strength as an index of sovereignty, safety, certainty — a line that distinguishes us from them.” The act of drawing a line appeals to populist politicians such as President Trump.
But border walls are violent impositions to those whose lives are disrupted or restricted, or whose property is dissected. Concrete and barbed wire can signify state tyranny. The Cold War in Europe, after all, was symbolized by the Iron Curtain and the Berlin Wall. Border walls defined the geographic limits of the “free world.” Recall President Ronald Reagan’s famous challenge to Soviet leadership in Berlin in June 1987: “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall.”
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/10-years-ago-russia-built-a-border-wall-too-heres-the-story/ar-BBTx78Y?li=BBnb7Kz
