In his column on Jan. 1, Brian Baker attempted to blame the government shutdown over border wall funding on Dem/socialists. He blames Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS) for the stalemate.
I think TDS could be better described as Trump Delusional Syndrome. There is nothing irrational, hysterical or deranged about opposition to a border wall between the U.S. and Mexico. When Trump first proposed his wall during his campaign, it immediately brought to my mind the words of Ronald Reagan saying, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!”
I don’t think average Americans are ready to concede that conditions between the allied U.S. and Mexico are equivalent to East/West Germany during the Cold War. Or Israel and Palestine in their deadlocked hateful relationship. Or China and the hordes coming over their ancient wall.
A wall denotes the end of hope. There is no war with Mexico and the traffic across the U.S./Mexico border is a mutual responsibility of both nations. Republicans like to claim that border security must start with a wall and that’s a shame, because a wall is, again, a last resort.
Note the design of the Great Wall of China. It’s really a raised roadway where armed soldiers had to constantly patrol. The Berlin wall had machine gun stations at regular intervals and was under constant watch. The Israel wall requires constant monitoring and was accompanied by huge increases in the penalties brought against violators. Failures all.
I was reading about the thousands who pass illegally between the U.S. and Canada and the pressure on their right-wing elements to crack down. I don’t see Canada building a 4,000-mile-long wall to keep us out and I don’t see us wanting it. There has been great success during this and previous administrations at controlling the border, and technology, manpower, diplomacy and policy continue to be the best options.
Duane Mooring, Castaic
