Trump reveals how he would force Mexico to pay for border wall

[Calista241]

Source: Washington Post

Donald Trump says he will force Mexico to pay for a border wall as president by threatening to cut off the flow of billions of dollars in payments that immigrants send home to the country, an idea that could decimate the Mexican economy and set up an unprecedented showdown between the United States and a key diplomatic ally.

The proposal would jeopardize a stream of cash that many economists say is vital for Mexico’s struggling economy. But the feasibility of Trump’s plan is unclear both legally and politically, and also would test the bounds of a president’s executive powers in seeking to pressure another country.

...

In the memo, Trump said he would threaten to change a rule under the USA Patriot Act antiterrorism law to cut off a portion of the funds sent to Mexico through money transfers, commonly known as remittances. The threat would be withdrawn if Mexico made “a one-time payment of $5-10 billion” to pay for the border wall, he wrote.

“It’s an easy decision for Mexico,” Trump said in the memo, which was written on campaign stationery emblazoned with “TRUMP Make America Great Again.”

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-would-seek-to-block-money-transfers-to-force-mexico-to-fund-border-wall/2016/04/05/c0196314-fa7c-11e5-80e4-c381214de1a3_story.html

[Xipe Totec]

1. It’s an easy decision for Mexico

The decision is Fuck off, Trump.

[1StrongBlackMan]

4. Mexico would have the chance to tell trump that ...

congress would.

[47of74]

5. "Good luck with that."

That was the President's response to der Drumpenfuehrer's plans.

[JustAnotherGen]

2. So is he or is he not

Going to eject all Mexicans living in the US. See he doesn't make sense.

First he says he will eject them but then . . .

He proves (ADMITS) the wall is to keep Americans in - and manage and control their money.

He's evil.

And he makes no sense.

Because if you eject all of the people living in the US that are Mexicans - you won't have anything to 'hold back' (threatening to cut off the flow of billions of dollars in payments that immigrants send home to the country) - right?

[christx30]

12. The idea being to make life here

and in Mexico untenable for anyone that is here illegally, so they want to self deport. His position is "We don't want them here. But if they are here, we want to make money off of them."

It's like the individual mandate in the ACA. We'd rather people get health insurance. But we'll take the fines for non compliance too.

[JustAnotherGen]

19. Ahh because

Rounding people up would look bad. In the dystopia chance he ascends - I'm glad I'm married to a man from Italy. I have an out.

Life will be really bad for us when his supporters get their way and make us into slaves again. I'm taking my black ass out of here!

[Angel Martin]

3. this is not new

Trump has been saying this for months

http://www.slate.com/blogs/moneybox/2015/08/16/donald_trump_on_immigration_build_border_fence_make_mexico_pay_for_it.html

[Javaman]

6. logic was never dumps forte'.

first he wants to deport any and all Mexicans on U.S soil.

if he does that, then they will be no money to be garnished for the cost of the wall that is meant to keep them out in the first place.

he's a blight.

[LynneSin]

8. Vice did a great article about a southern state that passed strict anti-immigration laws

Not sure if it was Alabama or Mississippi but one of them when really harsh with their anti-immigration laws in the past couple of years.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vice_%28TV_series%29#Season_3_.282015.29 - it was Season #3 episode 29 and it was Alabama who passed the law.

It was a great piece of journalism and they found that the law not only screwed over Alabama farmers, who couldn't find workers who worked as hard as the undocumented workers from Mexico, but also local businesses that relied on the patronage of those undocumented workers.

[Javaman]

13. thanks. I'll see if I can find the article. Sounds interesting.

I've read similar things in the past.

dump enjoys playing to the lowest common denominator of our society. all manipulators do that. I think he only believes about 20% of what he spews to these rubes, then laughs at them when the doors are closed.

[Hekate]

31. Demagogues think Americans who've never even seen a farm will leave the cities where they were born

...to go do the grinding labor involved in farming and chicken slaughter. Americans aren't "lazy" as some have claimed -- but the US population moved away from farms and into cities several generations ago. Farmers absolutely rely on migrants who come in from traditiomal rural economies.

I do remember that story about Alabama. The outcome was so goddam predictable that part of me just wanted to laugh when it happened -- but mostly I was just smdh because it was so stupidly sad.

[LynneSin]

7. So let me get this straight - he would be happy to starve millions of Mexicans

for a stupid wall that probably won't solve any problems anyways other than make our country look like a Douchebag.

This man is vile, beyond vile.

[olddad56]

21. Trump would be happy to starve millions of Americans, what does he care?

[Elmer S. E. Dump]

9. It would also be easy for Mexico to turn to China or Russia for that money.

Trump is a moron.

[Taitertots]

20. How is Mexico going to initiate a mass migration to Russia or China?

[Elmer S. E. Dump]

22. money = migration? OK.

[Taitertots]

23. Remitance requires immigration.

Did you read the article?

[Hekate]

32. The money in question is sent home by migrant workers. I presume you know how they get to the US....

....but how would they get to either China or Russia to do farmwork? And that's assuming either of those vast countries has any need of their labor.

Every immigrant group from poor countries, btw, sends money back to the home village to help support families, and it becomes an important part of that other country's economy. My Irish ancestors and their cohort certainly did; no matter how small the US paycheck was, a good chunk of it went back home where things were a lot worse than they were in America.

[Yupster]

30. Why would Trump care where Mexico got the money from?

He would just say, today I got a check from Mexico for $ 10 billion. I will use that money to pay for the wall.

[Warpy]

10. Uh, Trump, that's not your money to play with

not even if you were elected world dictator, which you think is the office you're running for.

Somebody needs to try to explain to this doofus just how governments work and what he's allowed to do and what Congress and the courts will stop him from doing.

Asshole.

[jmowreader]

11. What is he going to do, open people's personal mail and remove the checks from it?

Is he going to force Western Union and the other money-wiring services to install shunts to divert any electronic payments bound for Mexico into the United States treasury? Does he realize he is running for President of the United States, not General Secretary of the Socialist Unity Party of East Germany?

[Wounded Bear]

14. Great, he does this...

Then, Mexico starts seizing US assets in Mexico (remember all those maquiladoros?).

With some minimal escalation, we could have a real shooting war with Mexico.

When I was a young Marine stationed in California, we used to joke about it. Wouldn't it be convenient to have our wars in Mexico? Then we could come home on weekends.

[SylviaD]

15. Sorry, I can't take this man seriously.

He will never be elected president in a million years.

[Zira]

16. I hear it's going to be a brokered election and Paul Ryan will be the RNC choice.

Democracy Now said if Cruz wins Wisconsin that reality will be one step closer.

[Calista241]

17. Yeah. That's what I think also. n/t

[yurbud]

18. that's a pretty heavy club to beat them with for a policy that won't make any difference

The wall will have doors, and rich people will want those doors to be open from time to time to let in cheap labor--like every time there are berries, apples, cucumbers or whatever to pick, children to raise, or buildings to clean.

[foo_bar]

24. I don't get the whole wall thing.

It makes as much sense as castles after WW1, and you'd need to build a Great Wall visible from space to keep anyone out of anything for a little while. This tells me Trump isn't serious, a serious sociopath would propose an army of drones that patrols the border and kills evey human-like thing on either side, kind of like our foreign policy.

[Skittles]

28. it is red meat for his stupid, racist fans

nothing more

[Kablooie]

25. Clearly he's the best candidate for the Republicans.

He simply represents views that Republicans truly hold in their heart.
Views they've tried to hide for decades.
It's refreshing to have the veil thrown off so everyone can see the red, bubbling, meat that forms the foundation of their beliefs.

[Turborama]

26. My 1st guess was holding children hostage.

Looks like I was kind of right.

[Skittles]

27. he is a fucking idiot

[goldent]

29. Trump is a joke but I've got to say

that the whole idea of building the wall, and then making Mexico pay for the wall is hilarious. What chutzpah!