Patterico's Pontifications

3/13/2018

President Trump: If You Don’t Have A Wall System, We’re Not Going To Have A Country

Filed under: General — Dana @ 8:00 pm



[guest post by Dana]

Moving toward fulfilling a key campaign promise of a border wall, President Trump inspected border wall prototypes near San Diego today. Trump claimed that “the wall will save hundreds of billions of dollars — many, many times what it will cost.” Whether he can secure the estimated cost of $25 billion from Congress to pay for the wall, remains to be seen. Certainly Mexico won’t be paying. Saying that a massive border wall would be a “first line of defense,” the President looked at eight different possibilities:

Untitled

According to reports, after viewing the walls, Trump said he preferred the “see-through” walls and claimed that the new versions would “stop smugglers who have the skills of professional mountain climbers”.

Further:

Trump also insisted that California political leaders actually want walls, despite what they say in opposition. “The state of California is begging us to build walls in certain areas, they don’t tell you that,” he said.

That was hardly the only shot he took at state leaders and their policies, especially the so-called sanctuary laws that are the subject of a new administration lawsuit.

He said the laws limiting local government cooperation with federal immigration enforcement officers are “the best friend of the criminal…the smugglers, the traffickers, the gang members. They’re all taking refuge.”

Trump also had harsh, yet fitting criticism for “nice guy,” California Gov. Jerry Brown:

“Governor Brown does a very poor job running California,” Trump said. “They have the highest taxes in the United States. The place is totally out of control. You have sanctuary cities where you have criminals living in the sanctuary cities, and then the mayor of Oakland goes out and notifies when [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] is going in to pick them up. … The governor’s doing a terrible job running the state of California.”

Noting that he owns property in the state, Trump said, “The taxes are way, way out of whack, and people are going to start to move pretty soon.”

The Governor tweeted in response:

“Thanks for the shout-out, @realDonaldTrump. But bridges are still better than walls. And California remains the 6th largest economy in the world and the most prosperous state in America. #Facts”

This is particularly rich given that Gov. Brown has come under fire for his idiotic pet legacy project (aka California bullet train), where costs for the project have risen $13 billion from estimates a mere two years ago.

On a side note, last year, California’s Senate passed a bill that would blacklist any California company that helped build the border wall:

Senate Bill 30 will prevent the state of California from entering or renewing a contract with a company that accepts a federal contract related to President Trump’s border wall.

“Senate Bill 30 sends a clear message that we want our businesses to stand with us and support our core values. There is plenty of work to do in the state of California that is going to move us forward,” said Senator Ricardo Lara. “It is not enough to simply oppose the wall in theory. Rhetoric can only go so far. It is time for us to act and be courageous.”

The bill’s dimwitted lead author also said – without an ounce of self-awareness (*Hello, $77 billion bullet train boondoggle*):

President Trump’s wall will be a multi-billion-dollar boondoggle dragging down California’s economy, hurting our environment and separating our communities – without making us any safer.

None of the border wall finalists are companies from California.

(Cross-posted at The Jury Talks Back.)

–Dana

26 Responses to “President Trump: If You Don’t Have A Wall System, We’re Not Going To Have A Country”

  1. God, California is such a stupid state.

    Dana (023079)

  2. I think the wall’s a good idea because it will help people see immigration differently.

    So please support the wall thank you.

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  3. Trump’s not right about about the see-through walls. They will help the smugglers keep track of the patrols. The guards don’t need them. They will have electronics for “seeing” what’s on the other side.

    It was one of the drawbacks of the roundhouse prisons. Theoretically, the guards could see into all the prisoners’ cells. In practice, the prisoners knew when the guards were watching them and when they were not.

    nk (dbc370)

  4. Has to be a solid wall! This almost looks like a display at Home Depot.

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  5. …after viewing the walls, Trump said he preferred the “see-through” walls and claimed that the new versions would “stop smugglers who have the skills of professional mountain climbers”.

    Stormy sees; one way windows and mirrors, too, eh, Captain?!

    K-Mart is your savings place.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  6. Brown asked Trump for money to save his failing European train. Good luck.

    AZ Bob (f60c80)

  7. Also, with the bars, all the smugglers would need would be the right size C-clamps (from Home Depot if you wish, Haiku) to turn them into ladders in the space of a minute or so.

    nk (dbc370)

  8. This is particularly rich given that Gov. Brown has come under fire for his idiotic pet legacy project (aka California bullet train), where costs for the project have risen $13 billion from estimates a mere two years ago.

    Costs for Trump’s idiotic pet legacy project (aka wall) have risen $25 billion from estimates a mere 16 months ago.

    Dave (445e97)

  9. Keeping millions more out of the country with a wall, enforcement of existing laws – against employers of illegals, too – there is nothing but upside… nothing but upside keeping citizens of other countries away from America’s resources, social services and treasury.

    Nothing. But. Upside.

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  10. R.I.P. Professor Stephen Hawking

    A mind is a terrible thing to waste…

    Ad Astra

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  11. “President Trump: If You Don’t Have A Wall System, We’re Not Going To Have A Country”

    I like the quote you use for your headline. A country isn’t a country without borders and the only way for us to have a Southern border is with a big, beautiful wall.

    But, your headline quote isn’t anywhere in your written piece. I don’t doubt Trump said it, but still, where did the quote come from?

    Anon Y. Mous (6cc438)

  12. It’s a rejoinder, to a ‘No wall’ chant, Mexico mostly uses the army, and you know how dodgy that can be, said the 47 missing students.

    narciso (d1f714)

  13. Trump’s not right about about the see-through walls.

    You might ask some agents about that. Two preferred things with a see through wall/fence is that you can see the southerners assembling for their rock throwing assaults and it is easier to spot their spotters who are tracking the movements of the agents.

    How do I know? I asked many agents.

    BuDuh (07ec80)

  14. Anon Y. Mous,

    Trump tweeted it today:

    If we don’t have a wall system, we’re not going to have a country. Congress must fund the BORDER WALL & prohibit grants to sanctuary jurisdictions that threaten the security of our country & the people of our country. We must enforce our laws & protect our people! #BuildTheWall

    Dana (023079)

  15. Also, this wall is set back from the border a considerable amount according to early reports. Patrols will be on both sides of the wall.

    No need to blind yourself to your fellow agent should he be in the no mans zone.

    BuDuh (07ec80)

  16. Sorry, BuDuh. I forgot that Trump is always right.

    nk (dbc370)

  17. @8: If the wall were free, it’s opponents would still be against it. Cost is a red herring. That’s the difference compared to opponents of the bullet train.

    random viking (6a54c2)

  18. I forgot that you don’t know how to have a discussion, nk. My comment suggests that the agents are right.

    You don’t like that Trump listened to them for some reason.

    BuDuh (07ec80)

  19. Thanks Dana.

    Anon Y. Mous (6cc438)

  20. Did I say C-clamps? We doan need no steenkin C-clamps. We just need two ropes. The first rope, you throw one end over the wall pull it through and tie it to the bars. You’ll use that to climb up. The second rope, you just tie it to the bars and carry it with you when you climb up. You’ll use that to climb down.

    nk (dbc370)

  21. R.I.P. Stephen Hawking

    Icy (25798b)

  22. Don’t blame me. I voted for Slim Whitman.

    Blame the Republican Party of California for pushing that dizzy bird instead of a legitimate candidate.

    papertiger (c8116c)

  23. It was one of the drawbacks of the roundhouse prisons. Theoretically, the guards could see into all the prisoners’ cells. In practice, the prisoners knew when the guards were watching them and when they were not.

    nk (dbc370) — 3/13/2018 @ 8:18 pm

    They can use transparent aluminum if the tariff price is right.

    Aluminium oxynitride or AlON is a ceramic composed of aluminium, oxygen and nitrogen. It is marketed under the name ALON by Surmet Corporation. AlON is optically transparent (≥80%) in the near-ultraviolet, visible and midwave-infrared regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. It is 4 times harder than fused silica glass, 85% as hard as sapphire, and nearly 15% harder than magnesium aluminate spinel. Since it has a cubic spinel structure, it can be fabricated to transparent windows, plates, domes, rods, tubes and other forms using conventional ceramic powder processing techniques. ALON is the hardest polycrystalline transparent ceramic available commercially.Combination of optical and mechanical properties makes this material a leading candidate for lightweight high-performance transparent armor applications such as bulletproof and blast-resistant windows and for many military infrared optics. AlON-based armor has been shown to stop multiple armor-piercing projectiles of up to 50 cal. It is commercially available in sizes as big as 18×35-inch monolithic windows.

    Aluminum Oxynitride

    Pinandpuller (450372)

  24. Has to be a solid wall! This almost looks like a display at Home Depot.

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0) — 3/13/2018 @ 8:28 pm

    If there was a wall between California and Kansas Neal Shon wouldn’t have had a riff copped

    I’m Gonna Leave You Journey

    Pinandpuller (450372)

  25. Also, with the bars, all the smugglers would need would be the right size C-clamps (from Home Depot if you wish, Haiku) to turn them into ladders in the space of a minute or so.

    nk (dbc370) — 3/13/2018 @ 8:40 pm

    An ascender is a mechanical device used for ascending on a rope. One such device is a Jumar, named after the two inventors, Jürgen (Ju) and Walter Marti (mar) and their Swiss factory which developed the first tool for sale in 1958. The device’s name also leads to the term Jumaring for the process of using such a device. Other terms for this process include ascending, prusiking and jugging.

    Ascenders offer similar functionality to friction knots, but are faster and easier to use, albeit with consequences in security (as ascenders can, even with a locking carabiner, come off the rope, and fail by shredding the rope at high loads, rather than slipping and fusing as with friction knots). An ascender employs a cam which allows the device to slide freely in one direction (usually the intended direction of movement), and provide a firm grip on the rope when pulled on in the opposite direction. To prevent an ascender from accidentally coming off the rope, a locking mechanism or trigger is deployed. The ascender is first attached to the climber’s harness by a piece of webbing or sling, and then is clipped onto the rope and locked. For climbing on a fixed rope attached, for example, to snow anchors on a steep slope, only one ascender is used, keeping the other hand free for holding an ice axe.

    Harold and Jumar Go to Home Depot

    Pinandpuller (450372)

  26. This was likely the first ‘Wall Mart’ he’s ever been to.

    DCSCA (797bc0)


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