Trump Wall

It appears Trump's wall has already kept at least one Mexican out of the US. Mexico's president just cancelled a visit to Washington because Trump told him not to come if Mexico isn't going to pay for the Wall. That is Trump’s way of building good relations with our neighbors: just tell their leaders they’re not welcome here if they don’t agree to pay for our projects.

Given that in recent years more Mexicans have left the US than have entered the US, maybe Trump's secret agenda is to keep Mexicans in the US.

Building a border wall is part of Trump’s plan to “make America great again.” It’s probably just a coincidence, but in the 1930s Adolf Hitler promised to "make Germany great again." (Article)

Border walls have been built for thousands of years, with mixed results at best. Prior to World War Two, France feared a German invasion so they built a wall, of sorts. It was a line of impregnable fortifications called the Maginot Line. But we all know how well it worked to keep the Germans out of Paris. The German army didn’t attack the Maginot Line. They conquered France by going around the Maginot Line. 

How about the Great Wall of China? It failed miserably. It is written that the Great Wall "has been about as useful to China as a Bible on a battlefield. It can give you comfort, but it just won’t stop the enemy."

In fact, can you think of any famous wall that has good connotations? What do you think of when you hear the words, “Berlin Wall”?

General George Patton, a man noted for his perspicacity regarding strategy, has been quoted as saying, "Fixed fortifications are a monument to the stupidity of man." Of course, maybe he was wrong and Trump's wall will work just fine. (Is there an emoticon for sarcasm?)

The term "Trump Wall" may eventually enter the lexicon as a term meaning outrageously expensive yet worthless. As in, "That new jet fighter is just another Trump Wall."

The US-Mexico border is almost 2000 miles long and runs through trackless desert and desolate mountains. For a little perspective, imagine building a tall, impregnable wall studded with electronic sensors all the way from Richmond, Virginia, to Miami, Florida. Then, when you reach Miami, you turn around and build another wall all the way from Miami to Richmond. That’s about 2000 miles, and it doesn’t run through deserts or mountains.

To fulfill Trump’s vision, not only must we build a wall, we must also build a 2000 mile road to haul building materials, fuel, food, water, and all the other things the workers will need. And remember, it's not just a wall. It's also video cameras, infrared cameras, microphones, anti-tunneling vibration sensors, and more. And of course, what's the point of having a wall if the nearest border patrol agents are hours away? There will have to be barracks built along the border to house border patrol personnel. For most barracks, water will have to be hauled to them regularly, or a pipeline must be built. Electricity (and probably internet connectivity for surveillance equipment) must also be supplied. The projected cost is said to be ten billion dollars. I would wager it will cost far more, as is the usual case for big government projects.

But wait; there’s more. The cost of building the wall won’t end when the wall is built. The cost will go on and on into the future. There will be maintenance; people will cut holes in the wall, tunnel under it, and vandalize sensors.

Here’s what it comes down to: the wall will be very expensive, it won’t prevent illegal immigration, and guess who’s going to foot the bill for it. Trump has already changed his tune from “Mexico will pay for the wall” to “US taxpayers will pay for the wall and Mexico will reimburse us.” If you think that’s going to happen, then you should see the bridge I have for sale in Brooklyn. Trump’s next assurance will probably be something like, “American taxpayers will pay the entire cost but it will be worth it.”

We taxpayers will pay for the wall. The cost may be hidden; it may take the form of crumbling bridges, potholes in our highways, and decrepit airports. Frankly, I’d prefer a line item on my tax form – an item called Wall Fee. When Trump bills us for the wall, the least he can do is tell us – every one of us – how much we’re really paying for it.