Well this is ironic
It's disappointing. But people forget that the border wall was never a specifically Trump, or even Republican, concept. Clinton's administration was the first to start construction on a border between Mexico and the US and Obama added to it.
Honestly I think it's a mistake politically on Biden's part, even though those funds were appropriated for the wall in 2019 and the money would have just languished in limbo if he hadn't approved it. We probably shouldn't be doing it if we need to waive 20 federal laws and regulations to build it. In the end I think the constant cost of repairs and upgrades aren't worth it.
Imagine if Trump had actually delivered on his promises and built a solid wall from end to end. Keeping the wall stable long term would be a nightmare fiscally. It already pretty much is, given that if it weren't for the need to repair sections of the wall that had already been built by the time Trump was president he might have actually been able to deliver on his promise. Of course Trump said he would force Mexico to pay for it, giving the illusion to people susceptible to his bullshit that the financial issue was solved. But any rational person could see that that was always just a pipe dream, as indeed it ended up being. And despite Trump's promises that his financial acumen would allow the wall to be built more cheaply and efficiently than previous administrations, he ended up spending five times per mile more than previous administrations had, a cost that we as taxpayers had to pay. Oops.
So we've been trying to build this wall for nearly 30 years now, and have made little progress, and clearly what's already been done has done little to nothing to stop the border crossings. If the wall worked like Trump insisted it would we wouldn't be facing this crisis now. It was a failed experiment, and it's time to abandon it and try to find a solution that actually works.
The wall is a financial and logistical nightmare, and it demonstrably failed in its intended purpose. That's why Democrats were against it, and that's why Biden promised not to add to it. There's no way this decision isn't going to cost Biden politically. If he's doing it only for the financial reasons (which I think are offset by the negatives) he should have waited until after he won the election. Caving now makes him look weak.
Show Posts
