Posted on 08/20/2015 6:54:23 AM PDT by LS
Watching the New Hampshire Town Hall last night, something just dawned on me. I admit, I'm slow sometimes.
Trump returned to his "wall" and added "It will be a beautiful wall," suggesting that someday they might call it the "Trump Wall." Everyone laughed. I'm not sure that even Trump thought seriously about that.
And yet, the wall has taken on a political life of its own and there are good reasons Trump continues to return to it as a focal point of his talks.
That's because the wall is about so much more than immigration and controlling our borders. It's about "we the people" deciding our country's future.
For four years, a majority (as measured by any poll you want to cite) of people have been waiting for Republicans in Congress to stop and turn back Obamacare. By wide majorities Americans oppose the Iran nuke deal. By a slimmer majority, they opposed the "Stimulus" package. Most think ISIS is a threat.
You might have noticed that in that four-year span, Republicans have controlled the House, and for two of those years, the Senate too . . . and nothing. GOPe defenders point to a handful of no-name lower-tier judges being "stopped." But Loretta Lynch was confirmed, and Lois Lerner walked free from that same Republican Congessional/Senate majority. GOPe leaders in both Houses can't run to microphones fast enough to assure everyone that they won't "shut down the government." Of course, without a 2/3 majority (and we all know it would really take many more Republicans than a 2/3 majority because of defectors such as McCain and Collins), the only possible tactic that has any hope of stopping Obama is a shutdown, and one done with commitment and confidence.
You'll see Kim Kardashian's butt get smaller before that happens.
So what does that have to do with the wall?
Everything. Even the wizards of smart bloggers and columnists at NRO know that the GOP isn't trusted. Except to them, "well, just give us Marco or Jeb and we'll prove differently."
Trump's Wall has become the symbol of action. It's been largely funded already, yet not built. There has been no will, no energy, no desire whatsoever on the part of the Congressional GOP to stop the flood of illegals into the country, even in the smallest measure by building the wall. They know, and WE know, it can be done, and it can be done relatively inexpensively and it would be relatively effective. Much more, of course, would need to be done but it's a symbol of somebody actually doing something.
Trump has in large part based his campaign on the bet that people believe he'll do what he says, and the first step, the most visible step, would be to build the wall.
Trump's Wall has therefore become a physical manifestation of a promise (really, what money is). It's a promise to stop the invasion of immigrants, and it's the most visible, easiest-to-test promise any candidate can offer. Because if we can't trust you to build a simple wall, how can we trust you to deal with the invisible but crushing $17 trillion debt? And if we can't trust you to build a simple wall, why should we think you'd be serious about stopping an Iran nuclear threat? And if we can't trust you to build a wall we can see and touch, why should we trust you to go behind closed doors in meetings with the Chinese or Japanese on trade, or to dispatch, in secret, American military forces to deal with ISIS?
Trump's Wall is a reminder that We the People still get to elect our leaders, but that we elect them "dedicated to a proposition" as Lincoln put it. And this particular proposition is that YOU DO WHAT YOU PROMISED TO THE VOTERS.
Here is how to make Mexico pay for the wall:
You could build a really good wall for about 16 billion.
Tax the money transferred to Mexico from the U.S.
10% is all you would need, for 7 years.
Mexicans send 23 billion to Mexico per year.
23 billion x .10=2.3 billion x 7= 16.1 billion
The wall would be paid for in 7 years. Why wait, tax all transferred money at 75%, wall built in less than three years.
LS, that’s real good writing. You nailed it.
His candidacy represents backlash from The People. I fear for this man’s life for this reason. So many big money forces wish to maintain the status quo.
And that’s in Trump’s immigration proposal.
Thank you.
Bravo. I’d love to see the candidates all get behind him. Announce CRuz as your running mate, NOW! and let’s get on with it.
Indeed, I fear a Huey Long attack on him.
Brilliant!!!
I think Ted Cruz can bring this trust you’re looking for, and he’s actually a legitimate conservative.
I was told that if I believe in Trump’s wall, I have drunk the Trump Kool-Aid.
Then the candidate supported by the person who told me this came out in support of...Trump’s Wall.
Yep. He’s pissing off the same interests.
I’ve met Ted. He is right on all the issues. Don’t think he can come near to amassing the popular enthusiasm and attention that Trump has. That’s why I think their meetings have been about where Ted will fit in the Trump administration.
You-nailed-it-it-to-the-TRUMP-WALL bump!
Great work, LS!
Not to hang crepe all over your very good idea, but one problem. (Or maybe, hopefully, one problem)
If they have gone, they won’t be sending money back home. If they won’t be sending money back home (because they’ve gone), we can’t very well tax it.
But yeah, tax every penny that leaves the US for Mexico in the interim.
On Maria Bartiromo this morning, he joking said it should be called the “Great Wall of Trump”.
I for one would not object to that!
There’s a conflict of interest here that perplexes me greatly- not only in both candidates’ positions on H1B visas & TPA/ TPP- but on the Iran thing, too (at least in actual substance; action vs words)
It’s great & proper that they are respectful of one another, but how would this resolve itself in a president/ VP situation? They are diametrically opposed. We would like to see these ‘’compromised’’? (I wouldn’t!)
Trump is a nationalist. Cruz does too many things that betray him as a globalist, imho.
(I’m not singling you out, nikos. We agree on Donald Trump. You were just the first one to bring this up.)
Yeah. I looked up great wall of China. Awesome. A road on top and Border agency stations sounds like a plan to me. And let the webesisters pick a color scheme......
Build a wall with a sprinkler system that sprays down tear gas when touch sensors go off.
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