WEEKEND LIGHTER: SPECIAL MIDWEEK ISSUE: Blog Post No:2555: Trump's options

Trump’s options on borders: Geographical and psychological!

The context of this article comprise media reports about two initiatives coming from US President Donald Trump, in quick succession after the inauguration on January 20, 2017. These are:

(a)  A 20% Border Tax on imports from Mexico. The tax is purportedly to pay for a wall Trump proposes to build across US-Mexican border to prevent illegal migration of Mexicans to US.

(b) Trump’s ban on entry of people from 7 Muslim nations into  United States for ninety days and suspension of admission of refugees for 120 days through an executive order.

The first major decisions coming from a President with rich building background and who got elected with reference to sentiments rather than political or economic issues, will be welcomed by his supporters across the world. Especially so, because the border wall project will be financed by Mexicans themselves by paying extra duties to US on their future exports and expediency will force sane Americans to keep quiet on any action that will be seen as anti-terrorism which has become synonymous with anti-Islamic, these days.

Wall Vs Buildings

But why an unproductive, expensive wall should be constructed across US-Mexican border?  Perhaps, the weapon lobby in the country has prevailed on Trump making him not apply ‘his own builder’s mind’ while deciding this issue. A diversion of thought on the following lines is still possible:

Why not clusters of buildings across the border, factoring in the need for residences of security forces, jails to accommodate Mexicans or other immigrants who will still try to trespass(jails in US are also ‘catchment areas’ for cheap labor!), or still better, industrial estates to produce Mexican products needed in US?  Cheap labor from Mexico will ensure cost-effectiveness of any manufacturing venture. Perhaps, a long term plan could make it feasible to shift all jails and barracks now occupying prime locations in various states to buildings across the US-Mexican border.

This idea, if developed from a commercial angle will be cost-effective and make securing borders a self-financing proposition across geographies. The flip side is the weapon industry in the United States which contribute substantially to the nation’s GDP will have to diversify into other productive areas. Because, the impact on the world’s attitude to weapons will change, if the above experiment of converting border areas into industrial belts succeed.

Anti-migration stance

If nations have to secure their identity and protect domestic population from exploitation by other countries, international law on movement of people with an intention to settle in other countries has to be transparent and enforceable. Here, US under Trump need to take the initiative in guiding the United Nations to come strongly on preventing unauthorized migration. Such laws should be universal in application and cannot be colour or religion or country specific.

First step in this direction would be democratization of the functioning of the United Nations, preferably by quickly restoring the suffix “Organization” which the UNO dropped somewhere on the way.

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"Jyotirgamayah

The traditional wisdom tells you that if you remove lack of awareness(agyan) knowledge(gyan0 will emerge. Same thing about light. Once darkness is removed, light dawns.

All good things such as wisdom, harmoney, light, good food, appropriate arrangement for all creatures to live in this universe and timely changeover of one form to another are all built in in the making of the universe.

It is man's greed and curiosity that has altered the balance. So it is the responsibility of man to set it right, now.

To site one example, the ongoing efforts to find out the secrets of the biginning of the universe in which scores of countries with billions worth of resources and thousands of scientists are engaged are leading to waste of all types of resources, which properly diverted could have helped millions of people on the surface of earth now living a miserable life.

Same is the case with resources wasted in war and a multiple of that much in preparing for wars which will never be fought.

We find out justifications for all wrongs we do. The other day someone ranked nations according to their corruptibility. On a perusal of the word corruption, one finds that the dictionary meaning of the word 'corruption' itself is corrupt. It reads, dishonest or illegal behaviour! The yardsticks for honesty and legality that is commonly used, we all know. The first will depend on the social and financial status of the person concerned and latter, legal validity will depend on the money one can spend in arguing one's case.

Rights and wrongs depend heavily on the muscle power and money power, whether it is about individuals, groups or nations. A reading of newspaper any day will testify for this."

Copied above is the introductory post at Warrier's Blog launched on September 29, 2008 with the help of my daughter Reshmy.

By now this Blog has seen average annual postings numbering over 300 and page views in the range of 50 to 100 with a record 800 views for one post on RBI Pension issue.

M G Warrier