Yet again I will point out that just because I lean left on various topics does not by any means make me some Democratic Party shill. I disagree with the Democratic Party on a million things. I disagree with the mainstream Democratic Party on damn near everything except the few rare issues where they have been pushed to concede to the further left (student loan relief, universal health care, better wages).
The problem is his solution isn’t a solution if every expert says it will accomplish nothing. I’m still not entirely opposed to it if there’s some sort of compromise met. I am entirely opposed to a massive waste of funds while we are being beat in the head with the “there’s no money to give our citizens nice things” bullshit. I am entirely opposed to undertaking a project that requires a lot of capital with out an equivalent ROI while we are at the same time cutting taxes on corporations and the very wealthy. Because where is the money coming from to do it? It’s coming off the backs off the poor and vulnerable populations of this country and that’s not okay.
The democrats suck on this too. And their stubborn insistence on ignoring what soo many people of this country are screaming about is burying them. Whether or not they agree immigration is a problem they need to recognize that a large percent of the population believes it to be and that isn’t a belief you can reason away. So they should be proposing something and meeting people at least some of the way but they won’t. That’s a problem.
Consider me Varys here... my only and overarching concern in EVERYTHING is the good of the realm. How it will effect people. That’s it.
How can you say there would be no ROI on building the wall? According to the CBP and ICE agents on the ground, the sections of all that have been built or renewed are already making a positive impact. Once people are redirected to legal points of entry, it is easier to list them, track them, do background checks, direct those deserving asylum to the appropriate depts., and deport those who do not deserve entry, be it for previous criminal behavior in or outside of the US.
The Supreme Court just announced a decision that it is legal for the administration to use military funds for construction, something I would imagine we can all agree upon. Constitutionally speaking, protecting our sovereignty and borders is one of the most basic jobs with which the federal govt is charged, so it has been quite surprising, disheartening and frustrating that the Blue team has spent so much time and political energy to Not to do so, and then acting like they're doing us some big favor. It's disgusting.
As for tariffs, I think one has to look at a longer-term picture. Sure, they are uncomfortable in the immediate "Omigod I have to pay 50 cents more at Walmart!" sense. But realistically, govts. go back and forth on this stuff all the time, and have done so since history began. God forbid we have to import that flimsy fast fashion or those plastic do-dads from Indonesia or Guatemala instead of China, and those economically deprived countries benefit from our insatiable materialism. (Insert eye-roll here.)
But the negotiations have already begun. Not just with the Chinese, but countries from all over are lining up to make or renegotiate trade deals with us, from Mexico to Africa to India. There is so much going on behind the scenes, and certainly not showing up in the MSM, it's hard to even keep track! I think economists of the future will look back on this time period, from 2017 onward into the next 10 years and think "Gee, why didn't they do that sooner?"