If the wall was built with just materials and labor furnished from the U.S., with no foreign entities profiting in any way, would Trump still be pushing for its construction? Would this not increase the cost of this boondoggle?
The infrastructure necessary for the supply of materials and distribution of the finished products is a priority, as is the digital process of connecting all phases of the manufacturing process. (As the leader of this nation you do not walk out of meetings that will address the infrastructure problem).
There must be facilities for the manufacturing of goods before jobs can be brought back to the U.S. Many facilities have fallen into ruin and disuse and the expense of bringing them back online would have to be faced. A prime example is the textile industry — how many textile mills are there in the U.S.? How can you compete with the global garment industry without these? Deregulation of industry is self-defeating. It may increase the profit margin, but it only leads to future expensive problems concerning the health of the populace and the environment. These may be beyond correcting.
Even if jobs are brought back to the U.S., how can we compete with foreign goods without prohibitive high tariffs on foreign products? Is the American populace willing to pay the additional cost for domestically produced goods? Can they afford them with their current income? If wages are raised to compensate what happens to those on the bottom of the food chain such as those on a low or fixed income?
If the cost of living increases, what happens to those who are getting government assistance? Do you increase their monthly assistance, which would require higher taxes, or do you let them join the many homeless people we now have?
These problems must be addressed by clear thinking individuals in government who put America ahead of their own political and financial ambitions. Politics must be placed on the sidelines.
These and many more problems must be addressed before America once again reclaims itself as the leader of the free world. Bankruptcy may work in business but it spells doom for a nation.
Robert Bisbee
Toledo
