Originally published in the Batesville Daily Guard
Well, it looks like there’s a plan to
build “the wall.”
By “the wall” I mean the one
proposed by President Trump to run the length of the border with
Mexico.
Trump promised to make Mexico pay for
it. Mexico, of course, responded by saying “as if!”
That threw a ratchet into the gears of
the plan, though I’m not sure who expected the Mexican government
to say “OK, we’ll do it!”
Up until a week ago, a lot of people
believed the whole deal with the wall was going to be dropped. After
all, it would be very expensive, $15-$25 billion and up to $16
million for each mile, and Mexico wasn’t going to pay for it. Most
American also don’t favor it, with both Pew and Gallup finding that
support from Americans as a whole was below 40 percent.
So, realistically, the wall could’ve
been dropped with little repercussion to Trump. It might have
actually been a chance for him to gain some ground in public opinion,
which has so far shown him to be rather unpopular.
But he persisted and now he’s come
forward with a plan. A plan to tax all imports from Mexico by 20
percent. Despite his claims though, Mexico still won’t be paying
for the wall.
Instead, American importers will. That, in turn, means American consumers, also known as you and me.
Now, I hear some people saying “Well,
we can just stop buying stuff from Mexico.”
And I’ll say, “No, you can’t.”
Mexico is our third-largest trading
partner. While you many not see as many “Made in Mexico” labels
as you do “Made in China” we do import billions and billions of
dollars worth of goods from Mexico that we can’t avoid.
In 2015, the U.S. imported $74 billion
in vehicles, $63 billion in electrical machinery, $49 billion in
machinery, $21 billion in agricultural products, $14 billion in
mineral fuels (especially oil) and $12 billion in optical and medical
instruments. That’s only the biggest, there is lots, lots more. You
know, what you’d expect from a neighbor who happens to be your
third-biggest trading partner.
So, enjoy your avocados while you can
before they double in price.
Realistically, those jobs won’t “come
back” (many of them weren’t here in the first place) to the U.S.
Instead, they’ll just move to other countries where even a 20-35
percent tariff won’t make the imports more expensive than American
goods. Americans will just keep paying more.
Plus, it would actually cost many
Americans their jobs. If stores like Walmart and Costco have to pay
more on imports, then they will make up the cost by cutting jobs or
lowering salaries. The consumers will just wind up paying more,
meaning that other parts of the economy will be hurt.
Also, trying to make Mexico fund the
wall will likely result in more people trying to cross the border
illegally. From 2007 to 2014, the number of undocumented people, not
all of them Mexican of course, has fallen by more than a million
people. Mexicans are leaving the U.S. for Mexico.
Why? Because wrecking a country’s
economy can do that.
What our president and many of his
supporters don’t seem to realize is that immigration of Mexican
people has actually reversed over the last few years.
Why would they go back to Mexico, a
place the president has painted as slightly more Mad Max than he has
the U.S.?
Well, two reasons: The Great Recession
of 2008 and the growth of the economy in Mexico. Thanks to Mexico’s
growth, many Mexicans are living at a similar standing as their
American counterparts across the border.
This isn’t to say we don’t have an
issue with illegal border crossings. Thousands of people make their
way through Mexico from Central America (particularly Honduras, El
Salvador and Guatemala) every year. Some are seeking opportunity but
many are fleeing crime and violence. It’s been an issue we’ve
been working with Mexico on in regards to the issue because it means
that they have an undocumented immigrant problem there too. This adds
up to “Mexico stops working with us, both American and Mexican law
enforcement lose cross-border assets and crime goes up.”
If we continue down this road, what
will be the result? We’re not only going to have to pay for a wall,
but we’re going to also have to expand our border patrol too
because if Mexico stops working with us, we will have to pick up the
slack.
At the end of the day, though, and like
the now much-circulated meme says “Problem: A $25 billion wall.
Solution: $36 ladder.”
So, is it really worth it?
Note: On Thursday Press Secretary Sean
Spicer said the 20 percent tariff was just an “option.” — JP
Follow Joseph on Facebook
No comments:
Post a Comment