By Todd Gillman
Washington — President Donald Trump (click here) dug in Wednesday on his demand for a border wall at a meeting with congressional leaders, and one key senator emerged with an impression the 12-day government shutdown could last for weeks.
Trump has demanded $5 billion for wall construction, a nonstarter for Democrats who take control of the House on Thursday. After initially agreeing to a budget deal last month that omitted wall funding, he reneged under pressure from conservative commentators....
So, this is what Donald has been working on over his Christmas holiday, his next election. "The Poster" is really dapper, huh, Don?
See those drones in the picture below? Those are Trump's drones shot down in the Middle East.
His claims are based in fiction and myth and not fact. Donald should be careful of his claims are based in fact and not fiction.
I have a suggestion for the Democrats in approaching the cost of "The Wall."
Where is the proof and I am not talking about the pictures and television coverage of the southern border war with unarmed migrants? Where is the PROOF that the USA NEEDS a southern border WALL and where is the PROOF that the southern border POLICY is effective in making the USA safer?
Being stubborn is what is Trump's signature policy. STUBBORNESS. The Democrats are better than that. The Democrats have decades of policy and facts to back up their current focus in using $5 billion to end southern border insecurity through thoughtful and effective policies with the Northern Triad, especially Guatemala. The policy before Trump was to help those country propagate actual economies that build on their own sovereign authority over cartels that dominate domestic chaos, victimization, injury and death of citizens.
THAT entire policy is being abandoned by Trump based in little more than populous politics. There are little facts, except for FOX News film reels, that state building a border wall will END THE CHAOS the US Border Patrol face every day. Patrol is hardly the entire job description anymore, the Border Patrol is more guards and soldiers in the year 2018.
"The Wall" is a distraction from the facts facing the USA regarding the drug cartels success, not just with the Northern Triad, but also the BORDERS (plural) of the USA. The idea a wall will end the problem is completely baseless. "The Wall" is being assaulted by enormous amounts of people from Guatemala because they are unemployed and fearful. They are scared for the lives of their children because all of a sudden the USA is turning it's back on them. They feel alone and abandoned by the USA and their own country because of their loss of economic income.
So, with that, the Democratic leadership needs to end the brawling over "The Wall" and instead place policies before the country. There is every reason to believe the INVESTMENT the USA has made in places like Guatemala is working. The American people are reeling from one lie by FOX News to the next. At every chance the Democrats get, they need to bring THE FACTS to the American people for the people's review and appreciation.
The American people can understand a policy that works that actually improves our national security AND the compassion of improving the lives of those in countries with small GDPs that cannot fight back against wealthy and terrifying drug cartels. I point to the country of Columbia whereby American policy ended the cartel culture and secured villages and lives. The entire dialogue with the White House by Congress is completely absent of the pride the USA can hold up as proof of policy that secures the USA and improves the lives and self-sufficiency of the people we can now call allies.
The Democrats are better than a barroom brawl over a fictitious wall that is going to end all problems with migrants and drug cartels. The MYOPIC focus by Trump is pure politics based on lies and visual aids rather than real policy that works.
The people from Guatemala in Mexico currently are worrisome for several reasons beyond their need for economic security. Their neediness is a threat to the security of an entire city and quite possibly the security of the northern Mexican border. The longer they reside at the Mexican - US border the longer there will deterioration of the circumstances of Mexico. That would be tragic. The USA in the past decade and a half has moved the ability of Mexico to address their problems at that border. If Mexico AGAIN falls back from its ability to address the violence of drug cartels we will be finding streets of dead people and headless corps again in northern Mexican cities.
In a recent statement to the press, it was obvious Trump is simply removing American authority from established policy and placing any problem at the feet of others. Mexico is a dramatic example of that. Mexico is not a country "like Canada" because it is linked to South America through the Northern Triad. Canada has secure borders, but, Mexico is unable to overcome the power and violence of the drug cartels which corrupts it's politics and kills it's people.
Abandoning USA authority in foreign policy to allow unknown outcomes at the will of others, is not a policy that secures the USA. It is foolishness that will cause enormous problems, a return to old policies by future administrations with far greater expense than we have now.
Everything Trump sets as THE WILL of his administration is based on profitability and where policies carry a DEFICIT rather than a PROFIT it will be abandoned as ineffective and ridiculous. Well. USA National Security is far more complicated than the bottom line of an accounting sheet.
In a brief Freudian Slip by Trump he once is referred to the USA as HIS COMPANY. The USA is not as simple as a company. I remind Mr. Trump that the USA BAILED OUT companies in the past, the most dramatic example was TARP of 2008. The USA is a large force in the world and to simply remove policy because it isn't cost effective is stupid. There is no other word, except maybe completely uninformed or studied. Both equating to stupid.
The Democrats need to lead and PROVIDE THE AMERICAN PEOPLE with facts that can reflect pride in their country and it's very effective policies. Let Trump be the "counter puncher" all he wants. It will be nothing but foolishness when batting at the air in the face of facts, national security and a long history by the USA of moving the entire world to a more secure profile.
Better said, "END THE REPUBLICAN RHETORIC" that supports FOX News propaganda.
POLICY.
POLICY.
POLICY.
Policy that is legislated and defendable before the Supreme Court. And. Yes. Yes, it means the US House might have to sue the President to achieve POLICY instead of political rhetoric to rule the day.
$5 BILLION USA DOLLARS IS A LOT OF MONEY!
$5.6 BILLION IS EVEN MORE!
