President Donald J. Trump

[Robert Ghostwolf's Ghost]

It's actually not that hard to build a wall. Hungary fortified its border with hundreds of miles of razor wire on a lark when the Syrian refugees started flooding Europe. Israel built a physical wall to great effect. Deportation is equally easy if you give local police the power to actually enforce the law and turn over illegals to ICE. Again, this is nothing that Europe doesn't already do, yet here we're conditioned to see it as shocking.

It's also easy to get Mexico to pay for it. It's called a tariff.

Where did you get the idea that a President can unilaterally impose tariffs?  Trump can bray all he wants to about what he intends to do, but in reality there's nothing "easy" about it.  He can propose all the tariffs he wants, but Congress has to approve any changes, and that's not going to happen if his proposals violate existing treaties and trade agreements.

[Value Of Pi]

Excellently and eloquently put. I don't think that most Trump supporters think of Trump as a Boy Scout, they just realize that he is the best alternative in a sea of indifference from the powers that be who have washed their hands of the average man on the street for decades now.

How does Trump do a deal with Congress that gets both Democrats and Republicans to ignore the interest groups that drive them and sign off on his immigration policies? Can't do it all by executive order. They'll scale back his whole package. Then what does he do? Call that a win?

[SciFiAuthor]

Where did you get the idea that a President can unilaterally impose tariffs?  Trump can bray all he wants to about what he intends to do, but in reality there's nothing "easy" about it.  He can propose all the tariffs he wants, but Congress has to approve any changes, and that's not going to happen if his proposals violate existing treaties and trade agreements.

All I care about is him trying. If he can't get congress to approve, well, that's how it works. We elect presidents to try to get things done. Sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn't. If anything, it will bring tariffing back into the political discourse in the US, where it desperately needs to be. Free trade with third world nations was another bipartisan hoodwink of the public that's done nothing but ass rape the middle class for the last 20 years. We need to rethink it.

[GravitySucks]

All I want to know is who keeps putting the toilet seat down. DId you guys have girls over while I was out?

[GravitySucks]

Where did you get the idea that a President can unilaterally impose tariffs?  Trump can bray all he wants to about what he intends to do, but in reality there's nothing "easy" about it.  He can propose all the tariffs he wants, but Congress has to approve any changes, and that's not going to happen if his proposals violate existing treaties and trade agreements.

We still send Foreign Aid to Mexico. He could cut that to zero on his own authority.

When Cruz says he is going to abolish the IRS, do you really think he means he is going to do it by himself?

When Sanders says he is going to give free tuition to everyone do you he think he has the authority to say that?

When Hillary says she did nothing wrong, do you think she is the one with the last word on that?

[Inglorious Bitch]

How does Trump do a deal with Congress that gets both Democrats and Republicans to ignore the interest groups that drive them and sign off on his immigration policies? Can't do it all by executive order. They'll scale back his whole package. Then what does he do? Call that a win?

If not Trump, then who? Which bought and paid for whore do we "elect" for President so that business as usual can continue? American citizens are not even supposed to decide who runs as the Republican candidate, it seems. It is decided for them by the establishment Republican party- the same career politicians who have been lining their pockets at the expense of the electorate and the country. Not that the Democrats are any better. Answer me this, why is the Hildawg not in prison? The Clintons have been at the center of one scandal after another since Whitewater, and maybe even before that.  I'm sick of seeing my country in the toilet so that a career politician can have a cushy life. The quality of life has decreased considerably in the past 3 decades for the middle class.

[Inglorious Bitch]

All I want to know is who keeps putting the toilet seat down. DId you guys have girls over while I was out?

That was me. If you flush with the lid up, germs spread everywhere.

[21st Century Man]

I keep hearing that Rubio's political career would be over if he doesn't win Florida. I don't really get that, Romney badly lost a GE to Obama and he's still around. Hell, he could be our candidate again if we end up in a brokered convention. Plus, Florida already hates Rubio, they elected him to the senate as a tea party candidate and he used it as a stepping stone for an establishment presidential run. I don't think he has any realistic chances of winning anything in Florida again, so I'm guessing he'll make one last push there for the primary and then end up out of politics working in the lobbying industry.

If he gets out now and runs for the Senate, I think he can win not that he deserves to. People will look at his exit from the Presidential Race as positive and may well put him back in the Senate regardless of his rather miniscule voting record.

[21st Century Man]

Looks like Jeb is going to be advising Kasich and Rubio to get out this week.  Brother Neil is working for Cruz now.

[Robert Ghostwolf's Ghost]

All I care about is him trying. If he can't get congress to approve, well, that's how it works. We elect presidents to try to get things done. Sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn't. If anything, it will bring tariffing back into the political discourse in the US, where it desperately needs to be. Free trade with third world nations was another bipartisan hoodwink of the public that's done nothing but ass rape the middle class for the last 20 years. We need to rethink it.

Your point about free trade is valid, but has nothing to do with a President's ability to impose tariffs. It's one thing to say Trump should try to do it and quite another to assert that he can.

[Robert Ghostwolf's Ghost]

We still send Foreign Aid to Mexico. He could cut that to zero on his own authority.

How? Congress controls the purse strings.

When Cruz says he is going to abolish the IRS, do you really think he means he is going to do it by himself?

When Sanders says he is going to give free tuition to everyone do you he think he has the authority to say that?

When Hillary says she did nothing wrong, do you think she is the one with the last word on that?

All worth discussing, but none of that has anything to do with Trump.

[analog kid]

We still send Foreign Aid to Mexico. He could cut that to zero on his own authority.

US foreign aid to Mexico is $420 million a year. Trumps wall is estimated to cost $15 to $25 billion. $420 million would be a total of 26 miles of wall, out of 2000 miles. US taxpayers would pay for the wall one way or another.

[Value Of Pi]

If not Trump, then who? Which bought and paid for whore do we "elect" for President so that business as usual can continue? American citizens are not even supposed to decide who runs as the Republican candidate, it seems. It is decided for them by the establishment Republican party- the same career politicians who have been lining their pockets at the expense of the electorate and the country. Not that the Democrats are any better. Answer me this, why is the Hildawg not in prison? The Clintons have been at the center of one scandal after another since Whitewater, and maybe even before that.  I'm sick of seeing my country in the toilet so that a career politician can have a cushy life. The quality of life has decreased considerably in the past 3 decades for the middle class.

None of these candidates alone is the answer, although I think Kasich is the best choice. Then American voters need to come together on two things by the time midterm elections get here (so that candidates are facing public pressure to cooperate):

1) Term limits for all senators and congressmen/women and 2) getting the big money contributors out of politics. That starts with reversing the SCOTUS decision that opened the floodgates even wider by declaring that corporations are people and campaign contributions are free speech. The dilemma being how to do that without electing Hillary or Bernie since a Republican will probably not pick a moderate to replace Scalia. Kasich might, another reason to hope he survives and somehow gets in.

[Inglorious Bitch]

1) Term limits for all senators and congressmen/women and 2) getting the big money contributors out of politics.

Yes and yes.

[Juan]

Tax remittances being sent to Mexico - that's how to pay for the wall,eventually.

[GravitySucks]

How? Congress controls the purse strings.

All worth discussing, but none of that has anything to do with Trump.

President is responsible for foreign policy. They can fund it, but he doesn't have to spend it.

[Inglorious Bitch]

Tax remittances being sent to Mexico - that's how to pay for the wall,eventually.

Yes.

Read it and weep.
http://toprightnews.com/mexico-receives-21-6-billion-in-cash-sent-back-by-u-s-illegals-in-2013/

Advocates for immigration amnesty keep telling us that illegal aliens contribute massively to the economy.

That’s true â€" for the MEXICAN economy.

The fact is that the overwhelming amount of the wages earned by illegal aliens is not spent in this country, but simply sent back home.

Mexico received $21.59 billion in remittances from emigrants in 2013, the Bank of Mexico said. Nearly 74 million transactions were registered in 2013, with the average remittance totaling $292, the central bank said. Remittances rose 3.5 percent to $5.34 billion in the fourth quarter of last year, compared to the same period in 2012, with 18.4 million transactions and an average amount of $285.30, the Bank of Mexico said.

Figures for the total amount illegal aliens sent back to their home countries is not easily available, but according to the Inter-American Development Bank, all of Latin America received a staggering $69.2 billion in remittances from the U.S. in 2009 alone.

All this as employment numbers in the U.S. once again came in far below expectations in this morning’s jobs report, showing that the U.S. job market is remaining stagnant.

The recent figures are further evidence, that as U.S. workers are being left out of the job market in increasing numbers, illegal aliens are taking the place of their American counterparts.

The Pew Hispanic Center study released in late 2010, which found that while every demographic of native-born workers had lost millions of jobs during this deep recession, foreign-born workers have actually increased their employment numbers.

Between June 2009 and June 2010, immigrants (including illegal aliens) have gained 656,000 jobs, while U.S. born workers lost 1.2 million jobs during that same period.

The Pew study found that 57 percent of those that they refer to as “immigrant” workers, were actually non-citizens.

Remittances, such as Western Union Moneygrams from the United States represent the second largest source of income for Mexico. In 2009, Mexican workers, mostly illegal aliens, sent home $21.2 billion in such transfers.

The transfers are second only to Mexico’s oil industry in the amount of revenue produced, which is one of the chief reasons the Mexican government has no interest in working with U.S. authorities to police our common border.

[GravitySucks]

If he gets out now and runs for the Senate, I think he can win not that he deserves to. People will look at his exit from the Presidential Race as positive and may well put him back in the Senate regardless of his rather miniscule voting record.

He tried to pull the same shit as Obama. By not voting on a bill where your vote was not required, no one could hold that over you when running for president.

[GravitySucks]

US foreign aid to Mexico is $420 million a year. Trumps wall is estimated to cost $15 to $25 billion. $420 million would be a total of 26 miles of wall, out of 2000 miles. US taxpayers would pay for the wall one way or another.

His estimate is 10-12 billion, don't know where you got yours. So you cut off foreign aid to Mexico.  That's a down payment while you negotiate tariffs.

AND I WAS WILLING TO PAY FOR IT TO START WITH. ITS THE DAMN LAW OF THE LAND. CONGRESS REFUSES TO FUND THE WALL THEY ALREADY MADE INTO LAW.

[SciFiAuthor]

Your point about free trade is valid, but has nothing to do with a President's ability to impose tariffs. It's one thing to say Trump should try to do it and quite another to assert that he can.

I don't think Trump could accomplish even a quarter of what he says. Only Bernie has less of a chance of getting something through Congress. What I want is for Trump to try it so that the national dialogue will start questioning things like free trade which are currently off limits.

[VtaGeezer]

I keep hearing that Rubio's political career would be over if he doesn't win Florida. I don't really get that, Romney badly lost a GE to Obama and he's still around. Hell, he could be our candidate again if we end up in a brokered convention. Plus, Florida already hates Rubio, they elected him to the senate as a tea party candidate and he used it as a stepping stone for an establishment presidential run. I don't think he has any realistic chances of winning anything in Florida again, so I'm guessing he'll make one last push there for the primary and then end up out of politics working in the lobbying industry.

Do you realize his Senate seat is on the ballot in Nov. and he's not running for re-election?  Rand Paul faced the same closing gate and got out in time to preserve his position in KY.  Rubio's already been superceded by a new GOP candidate in FL and it would be almost impossible for him to qualify for the primary now.  As of 12/31, he's unemployed.  I don't know that he'd succeed as a lobbyist; he was driven by ambition, not working the party line.  Though not loathed like Cruz, he didn't make many friends in DC.

[SciFiAuthor]

If he gets out now and runs for the Senate, I think he can win not that he deserves to. People will look at his exit from the Presidential Race as positive and may well put him back in the Senate regardless of his rather miniscule voting record.

Possibly, but not for the foreseeable future I suspect. I think the angry tone of the electorate would sink him still, at least for a while. I think the GOP has a real problem that goes far beyond outsider presidential candidates, I think from here on out anger is going to be a problem for any establishment candidates running for Congress at least for a while.

[analog kid]

His estimate is 10-12 billion, don't know where you got yours. So you cut off foreign aid to Mexico.  That's a down payment while you negotiate tariffs.

AND I WAS WILLING TO PAY FOR IT TO START WITH. ITS THE DAMN LAW OF THE LAND. CONGRESS REFUSES TO FUND THE WALL THEY ALREADY MADE INTO LAW.

He also "estimated" $8 billion. I'm going by this article, which at least attempts a real estimation instead of Trump throwing random numbers around. Messing with tarrifs would result in US companies and consumers paying for the wall. It would likely cause more economic damage than the cost of the wall itself.

[albrecht]

Why stop at mines? If you ever passed through the East German border, you saw a very effective barrier which was less expensive than what Trump is proposing. True, it's main purpose was to keep East Germans from leaving, but it worked just as well in the other direction. Basically, minefields plus barbed wire, no man's lands, and machine gun towers. Not attractive to look at, but then why should Trump harp on how attractive his wall would be? Who cares about that?

Mind you, I don't favor this approach, but from your point of view it makes sense. Once you get past the idea of lots of undeterred and blown up Mexicans lying in pieces, the rest is easy to accept.

The cost of maintaining a Wall (and, yes, have been there and seen it and now the remaining part) is prohibitive. We can use modern technology much more cheaply. Even traditional mines could be used but, for humanitarian reasons and because illegals and the cartels would map them I imagine we could develop "smart" mines that could be moved remotely or, in some cases be turned off- to protect animals. The only people, and not just Mexicans, who would be 'blown up' would be the criminals who still risk to cross. With proper signage and advertising most would avoid and so no "blowing up." Of course we could not stop all illegal immigration but put a good dent into it. The strong civil, and criminal, penalties of any one or entity or business or charity harboring, employing, or helping illegals is the more important part of the easy solution.

[albrecht]

He also "estimated" $8 billion. I'm going by this article, which at least attempts a real estimation instead of Trump throwing random numbers around. Messing with tarrifs would result in US companies and consumers paying for the wall. It would likely cause more economic damage than the cost of the wall itself.

Any calculation with regard to illegals also needs to consider the costs, not just the benefits to corporations and farmers: the public schooling of their brood, the feeding (many schools give "free" meals to students- including illegals, some even DINNER,) the cost of imprisoning them when they commit crimes, the tax-breaks, the EBT cards, and the free healthcare. The car accidents (illegals often are uninsured and enjoy drunk driving and crossing streets anywhere and not at intersections) and the other crimes they commit. And even the lawsuits (yes, illegals can hire 'abagadoes' and sue doctors, drivers, businesses, etc when they are 'harmed.' Sadly there are attorneys would advertise in Spanish, and other languages, specifically to win them the lottery of a jury verdict after some 'harm' or 'accident' or 'malpractice.')

[GravitySucks]

He also "estimated" $8 billion. I'm going by this article, which at least attempts a real estimation instead of Trump throwing random numbers around. Messing with tarrifs would result in US companies and consumers paying for the wall. It would likely cause more economic damage than the cost of the wall itself.

The economic damage of having 11-20 million immigrants here soaking up social services is much gretaer than the cost of any wall.  And it just keeps getting worse every day.

We are either a country of laws and borders, or we are not.  For the last 12-15 years (maybe longer) we have not been.  That needs to change.

[albrecht]

The economic damage of having 11-20 million immigrants here soaking up social services is much gretaer than the cost of any wall.  And it just keeps getting worse every day.

We are either a country of laws and borders, or we are not.  For the last 12-15 years (maybe longer) we have not been.  That needs to change.

The first question I ask the "no borders" people is why we spend billions defending OTHER countries borders, and have done so for decades yet it is morally wrong to defend ours? My second is: if you have no border or laws, do you even have a country?

[SciFiAuthor]

It would likely cause more economic damage than the cost of the wall itself.

I think it would actually do the economy good. We've been hemorrhaging companies for a while now that move to Mexico yet still enjoy unfettered access to US markets. That's creating the appalling true unemployment numbers that we have. With a tariff in place, those companies will be less likely to move.

[albrecht]

I think it would actually do the economy good. We've been hemorrhaging companies for a while now that move to Mexico yet still enjoy unfettered access to US markets. That's creating the appalling true unemployment numbers that we have. With a tariff in place, those companies will be less likely to move.

What I never hear mentioned in the "debate" over immigration- even, and especially in this case, legal is the harm to those countries that are so precious. If talent, rich, honest, hard-working flee pick-your-country and move to the US or Europe etc who will this help settle down countries with poor economies, corruption, violence, etc? I understand that our policy views the open-border and VISA policy as a way to get cheaper labor and also as a "pressure-release valve" for the fallen countries but is this really the ideal scenario? Maybe we should be trying to make the people in those ruined, corrupt countries improve their lot instead of taking their talent, and their dregs, and then bailing them out or sending aide?

[GravitySucks]

I think it would actually do the economy good. We've been hemorrhaging companies for a while now that move to Mexico yet still enjoy unfettered access to US markets. That's creating the appalling true unemployment numbers that we have. With a tariff in place, those companies will be less likely to move.

In the numbers that Inglorious Bitch posted above, there is at least $60-70 BILLION taken out of our economy every year.  If that money was spent here instead of being sent to Latin America, there would be money collected on sales taxes, excise taxes, and increased sales in local economies...

Putting a stop to that would pay for the wall by itself.