Donald Trump: Mexico will pay for wall because I say so ("Let there be a wall, and there was a wall"

CNN ^ | 8/5/2015 | Rebekah Metzler

[TNMOUTH]

Yes, and rich...you forgot rich ;-)

[TNMOUTH]

I do think he made mention of something like this...but who knows...he never answers anything. He will get creamed tomorrow.

[ek_hornbeck]

Trump knows perfectly well that Mexico won't pay for a wall because he says so. He also knows perfectly well that this kind of empty rhetoric appeals to a certain mindset of voter.

Putting that aside for a moment and pretending that he was serious, let's think about how could this scenario actually be implemented. The only way it would happen is if the US either seized all Mexican-owned assets in the US (something even China or Russia wouldn't do), or sending in US troops to occupy Mexico City until the wall is paid for (i.e. starting a major war). When you actually think things through instead of falling for cheap rhetoric, you start to see his candidacy for the clownshow that it is.

All of this is sad, of course, because as far as I'm concerned the Mexican illegal invasion is probably the biggest threat facing America today. It's a shame that such an important message has such a lousy messenger.

[Stingray51]

It is not simple. But Mexico depends upon the ability of people and goods to cross the border. If they want this to continue, it is not unreasonable that they should pay for it. Ways to do this? A tax on goods imported from Mexico? A special border-crossing fee on non-US citizens entering from Mexico?

[Laissez-faire capitalist]

People though seem to be caught up in the bells and whistles, the Dr. Seuss machines making noises, the carnival-like atmosphere, the bluster, the “chest-thumping” and big talk.

A lot of sound and fury but signifying nothing.

[RIghtwardHo]

“Because I say so” is utterly idiotic.

[RatRipper]

Ted Baxter was too dense to catch what Trump was saying: Trump understands that Mexico makes too much money off one-sided trade deals to refuse to build the fence; they will have no choice if he is President.

The flip side of that is, will The Donald trade a lousy fence for continuing to allow Perot’s “Giant Sucking Sound” to exist without adjustments?

[Laissez-faire capitalist]

Question: perhaps “cheap rhetoric” “clownshow” and “lousy messenger” is putting it mildly?

[SeekAndFind]

RE: Great. Start a potential trade war. That’s the ticket.

Well, he’s always yapping about China taking jobs away from Americans. What solution is he proposing for this problem other than to raise tariffs?

Isn’t that a recipe for a trade war?

[Laissez-faire capitalist]

Question: so Mexico and/or China are just going to magically readjust the one-sided trade deals because The Donald is president?

Sure they will.

[IllumiNaughtyByNature]

Why not tax money sent back to Mexico via wire transfers? that'd pay for the wall.

There Trump can use my idea.

[Vigilanteman]

Here’s an idea — how much foreign aid does Mexico receive from the USA?

We can use that money to pay for the Wall and tell Mexico, “There — you paid for it.”

Other practical ideas could include:

1. Tax on wire remittances to countries which supply well more than their share of illegal immigrants. Make it small enough to keep dollars from leaving some other way, but large enough to raise decent revenue.
   
2. A minimum assignment of six months to a construction camp for every first time offender with additional time assigned to the repeaters and litigators.
   
3. Consider a military occupation of the northern 25% of Mexico where the border is shorter. It is also fair considering that they have 25% of their population already living here.

[ek_hornbeck]

A reasonable way to have Mexico partly bankroll our border security would be to impose a very high tax on remittances sent by Mexican nationals to Mexico. However, since a lot of this is done on behalf of illegals by proxy, this would require a blanket tax on all money transfers between the US and Mexico, including legitimate business mixed with a lot of remittances and black market activity.

The point being, if Trump were to say "I would impose a tax on all money transfers from the US to Mexico," he would at least be proposing a concrete policy to discuss. Saying "I'll make Mexico pay for the wall, because I say so" is just attention-grabbing rhetoric.

[Suz in AZ]

Import tariffs
Taxes on monies sent to Mexico
Subtract it from foreign aid

Easy peasy

[conservative98]

Trump doesn't just say because I say so. Mexico is taking in billions and it will be negotiated. A GOOD negotiator isn't going to reveal his "tactics" before the negotiations begin. It's much too early to be discussing specifics.

Good luck with any other candidates negotiating deals. Bush is a loser. Walker cannot even negotiate a lower interest on his credit cards.

[Laissez-faire capitalist]

How about no foreign aid to any country?

[ek_hornbeck]

Sometimes I think he’s in the race to intentionally de-legitimize the issue of border security and immigration restriction. I’m not one for conspiracy theories, but the fact that he was attacking anti-amnesty conservatives just a few years ago gives this notion some credence.

[JackOfVA]

“Great. Start a potential trade war. That’s the ticket.”

We’re already in a bunch of trade wars, but can’t admit it.

For the first 6 months of 2015, according to the official statistics, the US imported $27B more goods than we exported to Mexico. For 2014, yearly total was $54 billion more in imports from Mexico than exports.

So, if we put a very modest 1% duty on all imports from Mexico ($145 billion in the first 6 months of 2015 alone), we could raise $2.9B in one year. That should be more than enough to build a wall.

Since we have a large trade deficit with Mexico, they are in no position to do a tit-for-tat increase in duty, as it would hurt their economy proportionally more than it would the US.

So, The Donald is perfectly correct when he implicitly says we have great economic leverage over Mexico.

Of course, we would have to abrogate some trade agreements with Mexico, but being a sovereign country (so far at least) we can do that.

https://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/balance/c2010.html

[RatRipper]

Don’t get me wrong, not a Trump fan. Trump is really just pointing out that our politicians have been just giving away our economic strength with deals that hurt us. I think Trump is saying that, for once in a long, long time, he will bite back to work out fairer deals for the US and our workers.

No, they won’t roll over . . . but maybe, for a change, we will STOP rolling over for them.

[Colonel_Flagg]

Donald Trump: wish in one hand, s**t in the other.

We laugh at liberals when they say they’re just going to wish something into reality. When Trump does it, FR stands and cheers.