The Donald said he was going to do it and now he is.
The Great Wall of the Rio Grande, the Trump Wall will stretch almost 2,000 miles (3,100kms) from the Pacific to the Gulf of Mexico, putting a gleam in the eye of graffiti artists everywhere. Banksy is said to be drooling in anticipation.
The estimated cost of this stunning feat of architecture is anywhere between $10 and $20 billion depending on who you listen to. Construction time is also a bit of a back-of-the-envelope exercise but by the time an exhausted bricklayer slaps the last bit of mortar on it, it is probable Donald Trump will be around 90 years of age.
In centuries to come anthropologists will marvel at it and wonder what far-sighted genius brought it into existence. Maybe even an old shyster like Erich Von Daniken will propose some unlikely theory that the Trump Wall was built by God who arrived by spaceship with the blueprint and a couple of trillion tons of prefabricated concrete.
Full column here.
JTI,
I know that we would both subscribe to the importance of a ‘Good Neighbour’ policy:
https://www.state.gov/j/inl/rls/nrcrpt/2016/vol2/253420.htm
Obviously, a wall might be of minimal utility in solving some of these ‘Bad Neighbour’ issues!!
JtI
I read your full piece over the “wall” Jack, as it were, and the only characters you appeared not to have included were Humpty Dumpty and Spider man.
Notwithstanding those omissions, it was interesting nevertheless.
On the matter of scaling a wall, such as the one Trump proposes to build, according to scientific advances word has it that it’s possible to quite easily replicate the suction pads flies and other insects have on their feet (albeit larger) to fit humans. It’s then Hey Presto! Walls are not a problem.
I know it seems a bit over-the-fence but one would think there’s a quid in it for any enterprising entrepreneur.
Only in America, the land of the free, eh.
There are ladders, too.
Lmao, yes, ladders!
Steve mcqueen / Evel Knievel clones on motorbikes
or jackass recruits…
Ramps
Tunnels
Drones. Balloons. Ropes. Hang gliders. Explosives. Stuff.
The Ming Dynasty itself fell to one of its generals opening up one of the last border posts to the Manchu forces because he preferred being ruled by upper-class foreigners than the native Chinese peasant forces. I don’t think that’s an allegory by any means, just pointing out that walls aren’t the be-all and end-all, and I suspect the cartels, etc., have done plenty of contingency planning just in case.
I’m pretty much expecting, though, that it’s going to be a means of Trump rewarding favoured contractors or his personal connections by giving them contracts to supposedly build the wall.
In which case Rhys, Turnbull better express mail a couple of bottles of Grange real quick. Even better take them over in person. This is a guy you need to stay in favour with!!
It may indeed be built, but it won’t be paid for by the Mexicans. Donald is talking about putting a 20% tax on Mexican imports to pay for the wall. Importers and businesses will simply pass that on to consumers. The American taxpayer will end up paying for the wall.
Another slant may be that Americans will land up buying American-made goods as they will be price competitive, NFY? Which seems to be one of his objectives – well, this week anyway.
He talks of stimulating American industry and this is one way of doing it – taxing foreign imports. Removing the TPP.
His wall will employ labourers for a while. Another stimulus. 5,000 extra guards for the said wall. More employment.
Somewhere at the bottom of the foodchain someone will be paying for the wall. In terms of the American budget the cost is chickenfeed. really. It’s difficult to work out what he’s thinking. That’s the way he operates.
In the meantime, just as with the Brexit outcome, there are millions who hang on to this brand new world they voted for in the belief their lives will be improved.
Time will tell. Early days.
I appreciate that you are trying to look for a bright side, but the reality is a tariff on Mexican goods will hurt the US economy. There is a network of cross-border supply chains that take advantage of relative efficiencies in each country — one of which is cheap Mexican labour. Obstructing that will make US-made goods more expensive, and even less competitive internationally than they are already.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/261292553_Supply_chain_dynamics_and_the_cross-border_effect_The_US-Mexican_border's_case
This is why _real_ free trade is generally a good thing, with the major caveat that it is a bad thing if it doesn’t include the free movement of labour and consumers — otherwise known as people — which it rarely does, with the notable exception of the EU.
Well they might find somewhere else to get their avos from. Don’t we grow a fair few up North?
So well said Jack. Can I add this?
US companies will get smashed should Mexico retaliate to Trump’s trade threats. Mexico’s next clever step would be to threaten to freeze US assets. Now that would REALLY hurt. Exports to Mexico support over a million jobs in the USA that would be gone if Trump gets offside ina Mexican standoff. Trump is so dumb he does not understand Mexico is the SECOND largest export market for USA goods.
Half arsed ideas with no thinking to back them just keep rolling out off The Trumpers lower lip.
Mexico exported 750,000 metric tons of avocados in 2015; 79% of those were shipped to the United States, according to the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service
Bang a 20% tariff on them and who will pay the tariff in the long run – the poor buggers shopping at the USA supermarkets as wholesalers raise prices to cover the tariff. Fresh vegetables from Mexico? 5 million tons Fruit from Mexico? 4 million tons…..Soooo, one of Trump’s first acts will be to kick up prices 20% or even more on a lot of fresh vegies and fruits. Masterly Donald, Masterly! This bloke is barking mad. Trump’s lies are delusional but the dangers they pose are very real.
The Fed has been trying to increase inflation for a decade. Their voodoo economic theories have not worked.
Trump will manage to do it overnight with the odd tariff or three..
Agricultural products could be made exempt.
Yellen has already stated the Fed will rise aggressively to subdue inflation if trump starts to run his voodoo “economic” plans.
Bassy sometimes your ideology gets the better of you. Do you really think that Mexico could win any war against the US, whether it be trade, currency or the real thing. Now lets extrapolate on your suggestion……Mexico freezes US assets……now what would the US do………Freeze Mexican assets in the US……..do you think the hombres that have been controlling the government business and drugs in Mexico have more assets in Mexico or the US……..Will they want them frozen…….Will they kill people to keep them liquid……….Will the people making the decisions be aware of that?
Really mate have a think about it.
Yes, but (there’s always a but) don’t the sneaky little buggers tunnel under the border to bring in various recreational substances not to mention weaponary and people.
He’s only been in a week, feels like forever.
El chaopos tunnelers will make a fortune. And the tunnel guys in Gaga will be able to start an advisory business. All they have to do is tunnel from gaze to mexico…
I’d get the old blokes, those living anyway, from the great escape employed pronto!
Actually this wall could work out in Mexico’s interest. It could stop the flow of guns from the US to the Mexican drug Cartels, it could also cut them off from their market in the US….
That was Holder and he’s been out as AG in 2015.
My advice UQ – invest in boats.
Maybe they could buy our old subs?
Or our new ones…
Ever read Robert Frost? In his “Mending Wall” he talks about the two aspects.
“Something there is that doesn’t love a wall”
and
“Good fences make good neighbors.”
20 billion chump change. Australia is building 12 submersible canoes for 2.5 times that price and it will achieve exactly the same result
Can I have the franchise on cheap boats on the Mexico Gulf Coast?
The Europeans know how hard it is to stop boatloads of people who only have to cross a short distance. — but there again the Europeans are as weak as at border protection.
Yet to be announced, but The Donald’s got that covered with a team of scubabrickies. No need for the wall to stop where the land does.
Already done. http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-16164451
The wall extends about 300 feet into surf between Tijuana and Imperial Beaches.
That’s probably going to cause all sorts of issues with sand build up depending on tidal flow. Checkout the main beach at Noosa – or Tweed Heads. They lost their beaches. There is also a continuous circle of dumps trucks moving sand from the Southport bar to Main beach on the Gold Coast. Was once anchored nearby and spent a few idle hours – as you do on a yacht – counting the number of circuits each truck would do in a day. Decided that owning one of those trucks would be a very profitable business venture.
You can’t muck around with nature’s forces!
I always found no matter how good the beach looked late at night, sand buildup was always a problem. The movies are bullshit!
Razor, I find a tighter-fitting cossie prevents unpleasant sand buildup.
Behave yourselves boys!
Sorry Yvonne but ones mind does wander late at night after dinner and a few drinkies 😜
Naturellement, Razor 🙂