Who's going to pay for the wall? US or Mexico?

[Terrywoodenpic]

It will be Americas wall why would any one else pay for it?

 

[Terrywoodenpic]

$20 Billion is a lot in in absolute terms but relatively its only about 3% of the annual defense budget. Even then, I agree that its a complete waste of money.

Why is it called a defence budget, ?most of it goes on overseas adventures, and supporting other peoples wars.

 

[Scuba Pete]

 

[Stevicus]

This was the biggest stake in Komrade Trumpsky's platform, but it's not going the way he thought it would.

So what are your thoughts? IF the wall is built (that's a big 'if'), then the only way for him to finance the 20 billion price tag will be to impose tariffs on Mexican imports that the American consumer will be paying for. What am I missing? What are the alternate facts I am missing? Vote early, and if you're a Republican: vote often!

Mexico probably will pay indirectly in the form of reduced remittances sent from the USA by illegal immigrants. The money that illegal immigrants send to their families in Mexico is a major source of foreign income for that country.

 

[Stevicus]

It's a derivative of the Russian Language, not Communism. I didn't realize that all Republicans had skin as thin as Komrade Trumpsky.

Except that the Russian word for "comrade" is actually Товарищ ("tovarishch"). The word "komrade" doesn't exist in either language. However, only communists used "Comrade" as a title, so your usage of that word indicates your belief that Trump is a member of the Communist Party. I don't believe that's true, although perhaps we can contact the ghost of McCarthy so he can open an investigation and hold hearings on this matter.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

Except that the Russian word for "comrade" is actually Товарищ ("tovarishch"). The word "komrade" doesn't exist in either language. However, only communists used "Comrade" as a title, so your usage of that word indicates your belief that Trump is a member of the Communist Party. I don't believe that's true, although perhaps we can contact the ghost of McCarthy so he can open an investigation and hold hearings on this matter.

It actually more closely comes from French, being derived from Latin. The Communists come in because comrade was used, for whatever reason, as a poor translation of Товарищ that partly became comrade, I believe, due to German usage at the time.

 

[Jeremiahcp]

People are not thinking this wall thing trough. I mean if we stop illegal Mexican immigrates from coming in to our country then nobody's lawn is going to get mowed. We are going to have lawns with really long grass, and no one's hedges will get trimmed and they will be all irregular in shape. Also who is going to raise our upper middle class children without the illegal immigrates?

 

[Scuba Pete]

so your usage of that word indicates your belief that Trump is a member of the Communist Party.

Or possibly, just possibly, he's as totalitarian as they were? You don't like it? Put me on ignore. That the Trumpskyites don't like it is fine by me.

 

[Stevicus]

Or possibly, just possibly, he's as totalitarian as they were? You don't like it? Put me on ignore. That the Trumpskyites don't like it is fine by me.

I neither like it nor dislike it. I was just saying that your usage was incorrect.

 

[Tiapan]

Whats the point of a wall, I thought the Mexicans simply used a mobile crane to lift their mates straight over.
Besides how is the South going to survive without its constant supply of cheap labor.
It seems to me if you want to build a wall, then put it around something useful eg a war zone like Chicago.
Cheers

 

[Stevicus]

Whats the point of a wall, I thought the Mexicans simply used a mobile crane to lift their mates straight over.
Besides how is the South going to survive without its constant supply of cheap labor.
It seems to me if you want to build a wall, then put it around something useful eg a war zone like Chicago.
Cheers

They occasionally find makeshift car ramps built over fences along the border, at least in areas where the fence isn't that high. But they've also found a lot of tunnels, a few of which were quite well-constructed by professional standards. It makes sense, considering that the drug cartels have billions of dollars at their disposal and can well afford to hire their own engineers and technicians to counter whatever is put up on the border.

I suppose they could also buy out the firms and private contractors who will be employed in the building of the wall, so that they could get all the information they need to find weak points, blind spots, etc., and then they'd be back in business despite the wall.

I've also heard of Mexicans who fly up to Canada legally, and then walk over into the US illegally from Canada. They can also use boats and unload anywhere along the coast where there is no wall.

I think the deeper problem here is that we've had a somewhat incoherent relationship with our neighbor to the south. On the one hand, presidents from both parties have hailed Mexico as a good friend and ally, a major trading partner, but then, there's also quite a bit of history and resentment underlying all that. Few people would question tightened border security if we shared a boundary with North Korea, but this is Mexico we're talking about. This is our friend and ally...or maybe not. That's what we're still trying to figure out.

Interesting that you mention Chicago and it being a war zone, since that's what a lot of Mexico has been in recent years, mainly due to the drug cartels and their internecine conflicts. Aside from that, they have made some improvements and economic reforms, and some might argue that continued steps in that direction will eventually improve the standard of living in Mexico that there would be very little incentive to jump the fence and cross rugged terrain and deserts to find work in the United States.

So, I guess we have to decide whether Mexico is a friend or an enemy, and then set policies which are coherent and consistent with whatever position we choose to take.

 

[idav]

They occasionally find makeshift car ramps built over fences along the border, at least in areas where the fence isn't that high. But they've also found a lot of tunnels, a few of which were quite well-constructed by professional standards. It makes sense, considering that the drug cartels have billions of dollars at their disposal and can well afford to hire their own engineers and technicians to counter whatever is put up on the border.

I suppose they could also buy out the firms and private contractors who will be employed in the building of the wall, so that they could get all the information they need to find weak points, blind spots, etc., and then they'd be back in business despite the wall.

I've also heard of Mexicans who fly up to Canada legally, and then walk over into the US illegally from Canada. They can also use boats and unload anywhere along the coast where there is no wall.

I think the deeper problem here is that we've had a somewhat incoherent relationship with our neighbor to the south. On the one hand, presidents from both parties have hailed Mexico as a good friend and ally, a major trading partner, but then, there's also quite a bit of history and resentment underlying all that. Few people would question tightened border security if we shared a boundary with North Korea, but this is Mexico we're talking about. This is our friend and ally...or maybe not. That's what we're still trying to figure out.

Interesting that you mention Chicago and it being a war zone, since that's what a lot of Mexico has been in recent years, mainly due to the drug cartels and their internecine conflicts. Aside from that, they have made some improvements and economic reforms, and some might argue that continued steps in that direction will eventually improve the standard of living in Mexico that there would be very little incentive to jump the fence and cross rugged terrain and deserts to find work in the United States.

So, I guess we have to decide whether Mexico is a friend or an enemy, and then set policies which are coherent and consistent with whatever position we choose to take.

Mexico is a democracy not some communist or terror state trying to build nukes. They are an ally, maybe just not the richest ally.

 

[metis]

Mexico is a democracy not some communist or terror state trying to build nukes. They are an ally, maybe just not the richest ally.

And Trump is making our allies very nervous, including some allied leaders already publicly disagreeing with him. This is actually unprecedented in modern American history to the degree we're seeing it.

 

[Underhill]

It will not work for the same reason missile defense systems don't work. (It's vastly cheaper to build a faster rocket then it is to build a system capable of stopping it.)

We will spend tens of millions of dollars per mile for the wall, the Mexicans will spend $79 on a taller ladder.

And the cartels can make more than it cost them to build a tunnel under the wall in the first day of operation. It won't change anything for them.

 

[columbus]

I neither like it nor dislike it. I was just saying that your usage was incorrect.

I suspect that you are going to learn a great deal about viciously sarcastic satire during the Trump administration.

I could be wrong. Maybe you won't learn anything at all.
Tom

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Besides how is the South going to survive without its constant supply of cheap labor.

... especially with a massive construction project along the border sucking workers away from their usual jobs.

 

[Stevicus]

I suspect that you are going to learn a great deal about viciously sarcastic satire during the Trump administration.

I could be wrong. Maybe you won't learn anything at all.
Tom

Oh, I can appreciate good satire. I'm not really sure what prompted this comment or what your point is here.

 

[columbus]

... especially with a massive construction project along the border sucking workers away from their usual jobs.

Imagine what Tramp's construction business will be like without cheap Mexican labor to help keep profits up.
Tom

 

[columbus]

Oh, I can appreciate good satire. I'm not really sure what prompted this comment or what your point is here.

You don't grasp what the term "Komrade Trumpski" means.
You think it is a literary reference or something. It is satirizing Trumps authoritarianism and affinity for Russian tyrants.
Tom

 

[Scuba Pete]

I neither like it nor dislike it. I was just saying that your usage was incorrect.

Toughie Kaboombas! Favorite saying of my first Russian Professor. Did you know that Russian was my major at UF?

Oh, I can appreciate good satire.

Apparently not, Mr literally speaking.