The Republicans have had full control of government for two years, and have made zero progress in giving Trump his wall. Why is funding the wall an issue now, and why is it being used as a bargaining chip on the backs of govt. workers?
To understand, I think you have to appreciate that, while Trump is completely incompetent at most things, he’s a mastermind at playing to and inciting his base. And, you have to appreciate that, despite everything Trump says about the wall being necessary to stop immigrants, its value for him is almost completely symbolic, used to pacify something very primal in his base. Trump’s campaign promise to build “a big, beautiful wall” on the southern border has served him as an extremely powerful protective image for his base, whose concerns largely revolve around fear of change, whose preoccupations are us against “them.”
If Trump was really concerned about building an effective barrIer, shouldn’t he have thought it out? I mean … he doesn’t know if he wants a fence or a wall, and he doesn’t really have any specification for or understanding of what this wall would really do, how it would be constructed, whether the money he’s asking for is really commensurate with what’s required, etc., etc. Shouldn’t he know some of these things if the wall is really important to him as a wall, and not as an image for manipulating his base?
What he really wants now is to hold out for a wall, to have a fight about whether the wall gets built, to play ridiculous games about funding … do you need $2.5B, do you need $5B, or is $20? Is steel acceptable rather than concrete, is the wall transparent? Etc. Trump doesn’t know the answer to these questions. He doesn’t care. The other obvious truth about Trump is that drama is everything for this former reality TV star. He doesn’t want this standoff/showdown/shutdown to stop, especially if it ends with him getting what he wants. Then he would have to build a wall. What fun is that?
If, on the other hand, he can continue the disagreement with Democrats, he’s a winner with his base, because he’s demonstrating what passes for principled behavior with the Trump crowd, without actually having to do anything but be stubborn. So, the government is shut down, and more and more are suffering as a result.
Somehow that downside to the shutdown doesn’t touch Trump among his supporters Why? Just listen to LIndsay Graham on Face the Nation today, who actually said “the goal is not to open up the government.” I used to think this guy was reasonable. Apparently he got too close to Trump, and the crazy rubbed off on him.
This is the inflexible logic of the Right: because they have decided that funding a border wall should be the primary concern of the U.S. at this moment in time, trumping (no pun intended) all other concerns, including the health and solvency of current U.S. citizens, they are perfectly happy to hold the country hostage to this demand. They are taking their ball and going home in true McConnell style.
Some say there should be a compromise; the Democrats should “give a little,” which is ridiculous since the Democrats have floated numerous solutions to the immigration problem. What is really meant is that the Democrats should agree to more money for a wall. Why? If someone has a stupid idea, should those who disagree with it show good faith by agreeing to a solution that’s only “a little bit stupid?” If you really believe that allocating taxpayer dollars for a wall (that Mexico was supposed to pay for) is a stupid idea, there’s no middle ground, no “partial wall” that makes sense.
Just listen to some of the newly-elected House Democrats if you want a breath of fresh air on this and other topics (see clip below). Max Rose, a Representative from NY who served with distinction in Afghanistan, nailed it re: the wall: “A shutdown should never be used as a negotiating tactic…. I”m not willing to spend billions of dollar on what amounts to a vanity project…. it’s a 5th century solution to a 21st century problem. What’s next? Rowboats in the navy? We could put Trump’s name on them.” How about Max Rose in 2020?