Phew... I bet mrs Claus is sighing with relief

The view from outside the Box is:

For a very long time the Chinese and the Pakistanis had used Americans as their cash cow

In 2016, the Chinese had a $366 billion trade surplus and had taken away 5 million manufacturing jobs.

During the election campaign Trump had promised penal tariffs on Chinese goods

Promises Kept:
1) In 2017, 2 million jobs were added and some famous Chinese electronics begged to be let off as that would cost China a million jobs. Of course, in the absence of cheap raw goods, there will be some withdrawal pains.



2) In 2018 tariff applied on 200 billion Chinese goods.

--xx--

Promises to keep: Border Wall - that I'm informed is for 2019

i do not see any benefit of Wall? ( it can be symbol of racist agenda or hatred of many kind on negative emotion side on positive side one should start using wall to get organis, grow food)

may be wall can be use for vertical veggie gardening, to provide some healthy meal options to Americans.

In my opinion the wall does not matter. People will always find a way. The only true deterrent would be more boots on the ground. But then who would we get to do the jobs the immigrants do?

Immigrants are fine. Do it legally. Sneaking in, only tells me you're hiding something. People gripe about the wall. Trump HAS been saying there will be gates in it. Why hasn't anyone asked what would happen after the wall is built? Has it occured to anyone that he just might streamline the process after it's up?

Jeez. Most of you take him for a complete idiot. He isn't, by a long shot. The man plans. He's looking down the road to our future. He knows that we need menial labor. Much to your dismay, one must start at the bottom and work their way up.

Just suppose, for a minute, that you came to this country and legally got in. You get a job, low on the ladder to get started. You stick with it, and advance. You don't worry about being found, arrested and deported. You get to concentrate on getting ahead. Gee, WHAT a novel idea!

Sneek in. Not only are you trying to get work, but you're also looking over your shoulder for anyone that may turn you in. If your boss knows this, (And doesn't fire you) he has power over you. You work for cheap. He knows you can't just quit and go get another job. He's got you between a rock and a hard place. I doubt any of you want to live a life on the run.

Try thinking past the end of your nose. There just might be some benefits to the wall. Give into the wall, you give him a chance to work on things that could greatly improve our country. More in, more working legally, more tax dollars to spend. How hard is it to figure out that one?

Not for nothing, but as someone who as BEEN through immigration, 'do it legally' is about as useful as telling someone who is starving to 'just get a job', they must apply, be chosen over dozens or maybe hundreds of other occupants, and get hired, even during that period, they work two or three weeks in the hole without a way to eat. People dont let their kids starve gracefully or go homeless or be in danger.

The immigration process does NOT take the most in need or the poor. The immigration process REQUIRES a sponsor, either of employers who are looking for specially skilled labor or family and friends who can show they are financially able to support the immigrant. So, 'doing it legally' is not such an option for those who are truly desperate to try to improve their lot in life.


If Trump thought so far in advance, why would there be so many bankruptcies under his belt? Trump has lived in a world where wealth begets wealth by means of reputation and anticipation alone. That is not how the Presidency or the country runs though, off of his personal wealth or reputation. We do not have a bankrupt button to push over and over again, and some of the neediest and most hard working suffer from bad choices of ones who dont have to worry about it due to their wealth.

Such a good point. No POTUS or politician is a Santa Claus. I wince at how we claim to value democracy so much but then expect dictators when we elect people. NO politician in ANY position runs the country or makes choices SINGLE HANDEDLY. They are all limited based on what COOPERATION they get from the different branches. I NEVER take campaign talk as promises, because I understand politicians, even the POTUS, do not have dictatorship authority.


It is sad, because I also realize, that we don't tend to respect or honor those who say they will 'try' to do things. there is only do, not try, which is not REALISTIC at all.

The thing that bothers me is not when politicians dont keep supposed 'promises' but only if they seem to be INTENTIONALLY misleading simply for support or votes or power, like if they say they are going to support something and their ACTIONS show clear opposition, or if they say they oppose it and their actions show clear SUPPORT,

or if they say things they will be doing if its just because they themself are perhaps too unknowledgable or incompetent to know or care what their roles and responsibilities and authority actually is.

I must say this is a very coherent, non partisan view of the issue.

In fact you are being super good by not repeating on the basic benefit from the wall: stopping illegal everything: drugs, in-ways and getaways for contract crime, money laundering and so on.

The big question now, how would Mexico pay for the Wall; or a small portion of it - even for symbolic reasons.

The basic point is if not legally, then the flood.

Let's say the gate is open for Hondurans in 2019. Estimated inflow of refugees (from South America): 1 million in 2019

Also sets precedent for the 2 billion below poverty line people: Africans (mainly); Asians, (Syrians, Chinese, Indians and so on); to find passage through S. America. (Immigrants have been already doing this through Canada's borders. Ask Elton Musk)

So the point is if the Gate is open to S. Americans it must be left open for rest-of-world; including those in Angela Merkel's Europe.



Yes, it is a complex issue which makes the point in having a wall go beyond illegal everything: drugs, contract crime in-ways and getaways and so on.

It goes to, if America has to be a benefactor to the world, can it do it by infecting itself or by staying economically healthy?

Thank you.

I call it common sense, with a bit of speculation about what might happen, if it were given a chance. We've heard the reasons, why repeat them? How can Mexico pay for the wall? Well, come legally, get a job, pay taxes. Ta da, Mexico paying for the wall. Yeah, sorta left handed, but it does work that way.

AMerica already has been a land of immigration with no major negative result except for maybe the Native Americans when they were invaded.

There are several continents and the inhabitants of those continents are much more likely to seek refuge in those neighboring areas, meaning Africa is not really going to be the major recipient of these immigration opportunities in North America.


We of course need safeguards against outside threats, but more of a wall wont do much more than is already in place. Truth is, in the USA, immigration numbers are not a threat and haven't been except in political seasons when they become a favorite tool for the politics of fear to gain votes.

my FAVORITE Dictator just went ahead and BUILT a nice tall wall 45-50 mile long, high, with "stick outs" and prison razor wire between Crimea and the Ukraine. WE need to just DO it. YES i am in favor of a wall AND border patrol AND ICE and NRA.

Border Village Grinds to a Halt Amid Ukraine-Russia Tensions[

"CHERTKOVO, Russia/ MILOVE, Ukraine (AP) — Valentina Boldyreva stepped out of her two-story house on an overcast and snowy Sunday afternoon to say hello to her 76-year-old sister who lives on the other side of Friendship of People's Street, a tall barbed-wire fence separating them".

http://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2018-12-02/border-village-grinds-to-a-halt-amid-ukraine-russia-tensions

Russia tightens grip on Crimea with 60km barbed-wire fence


http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/russia-tightens-grip-on-crimea-with-60km-barbed-wire-fence-w9g576v69

Not for nothing, but as someone who as BEEN through immigration, 'do it legally' is about as useful as telling someone who is starving to 'just get a job', they must apply, be chosen over dozens or maybe hundreds of other occupants

___________________________________________________________________________

And your point is?

That is our policy.. always has been. Can't follow the legal rules of entry.. then don't come. Go somewhere else

And YES.. they must be chosen. Sorry, that is how it works.. and always has

Is ANY other country different? Or shall we just let everyone in

your statement is ridicules... and pure bleeding heart left wing.

interesting, you didnt get the point but somehow can judge it as ridiculous ...

or perhaps its 'ridiculous' to be a human being who HAS a heart?

Angela Merkel's Europe? Wtf. Why do some people refer to us as a continent? I'm British, therefore I'm from Europe, but Angela Merkel has sweet f.a. to do with us. Well the whole brexit thing aside.

As for how'd they pay for the 'Berlin' , cough, sorry, 'Mexican' wall. Well how about using U.S. dollars that were given to some people in exchange for various products that are grown? Whether they're considered legal or not. Oh no wait, that doesn't fit the agenda.

Brexit aside, it may fire up your spirits to know that Indians don't view England as part of Europe or part of anything. England stands as England since the time when William Tyndale translated the Bible in English and England declared their religious independence from the Vatican. (Henry VIII leveraged on it). Others may be part of England, and in some sense the Commonwealth nations still are.

Correct me if I'm wrong but England became Britain after Newton re-aligned the planets to circle the Sun. Since then Britannica ruled the seas. (The Scots didn't want to be left out.)

Brexit is because Britain does not want to pay their share for NATO as Trump insists.



As from the chart, major part of the 700 billion (if US pulls out) will have to be borne by the British people. (Somebody forgot to tell Europe that the Soviet Union no longer exits.)

Trump saw that Crimea's annexation was just a bogey for taxpayers money. The problem is with the old deep state.

Im missing the connection between NATO and how much each NATO country spends on its (own) military or how US spending less on our military would have to be matched by anyone else?


NATO merely sets a guideline for how much a country SHOULD be spending on THEIR military. The chart shows how much those who are members actually do spend.

from http://www.euronews.com/2018/07/10/nato-contributions-country-by-country

In 2014 NATO countries agreed to spend two percent of gross domestic product on defence every year up to 2024. The target is described as a guideline and there is no penalty for not meeting it.

In March, NATO released the figures for 2017 and only a handful of countries hit or bettered the two percent target.


statista has an interesting chart of military spending as percent of GDP, the only ones outspending us are Russia and Saudi Arabia, but nobody tell Trump. He would probably hate to be 'losing' to Saudi Arabia, but most sane folks dont want Saudi Arabia's political climate and concerns.


http://www.statista.com/statistics/266892/military-expenditure-as-percentage-of-gdp-in-highest-spending-countries/