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A 65-day border shutdown makes Mexico pay for the Wall whether they admit it or not

Posted by John Reed on

We have a $58 billion trade deficit with Mexico. Trump as president would have the emergency power to stop imports from Mexico. Let’s say the Wall costs $10.4 billion. $10.4 B ÷ $58 B = 17.9%

So Trump shuts down U.S.-Mexican trade for 17.9% of the year (17.9% x 365 days = 65 days.) At the end of it, the President of Mexico would deny he paid for the Wall, but he and his countrymen would have lost $10.4 billion of net trade with the U.S. Trump would claim he thus made Mexico pay for the Wall.

So Trump truly would have the power to make Mexico $10.4 billion poorer. And Mexico is not in a position to prevent it from happening.

But fundamentally, Trump’s trade policies would cause a second Great Depression. He needs to bring the troops home from Europe and tell them to stop the invasion from Mexico. Give the military all the non-lethal weapons they want to do the job, but insist that the job be done. Not deportation of people who come across the border, just stopping them from crossing to begin with.

Walls are not the actual answer. Human guards are. That’s basic infantry doctrine.

Restrictions on trade are not the answer. Free trade is best for everyone and if Mexico or other countries do not let their citizens freely buy American goods, that’s their problem, not ours. We are better off being able to buy from Mexico. We would be even better off if the Mexicans could freely but American goods, but we should not worry about what we can’t control.

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