Friday, January 25, 2019

The Stupid Wall


Here's a must-read about Trump's stupid wall.

A key point therein:


Estimates to construct a border wall of the kind Trump wants range from (DHS) $21.6 billion to (GAO) $70 billion. Now, I’d say based on my own experience in military and government work over the last 30 years, you can double the high end and you’ll still come out short, but let’s be charitable and split the different. $55 billion.
For reference, the annual budget for the entire Department of Homeland Security for 2017 was $40.6 billion.
Wait, what?
Yep, that’s right, $40.6 billion.
Oh, and you need, conservatively, $120 million per year to maintain this wall once it’s built.
I know, math. But bear with me here, you’ll enjoy the punchline.
Now, the average border patrol agent makes about $56K per year, or about $21.50 an hour.
You know how many border patrol agents you could hire for $120 million?
Do you?
Two thousand, one hundred, and forty-two.
See? I told you you’d enjoy the punchline.
If you're still wondering why the wall is a stupid idea, there you go.

Also, the majority of Americans oppose the wall.

So why are Trump and McConnell trying to force an ineffective and harmful solution to a non-existent problem on the American people?

Well, something like 90% of his base -- rabidly far-right Republicans -- do want the wall*, and that is probably the only group in America Trump is hearing from, or at least listening too.

Also, of course, Trump doesn't live in a fact-based world. The fact that he wants this stupid wall at all tells us that. He makes up nonsense and lies, and then he believes them -- and his supporters, like the dupes they are, believe them too.

Or at least pretend to. I don't think either Trump or his supporters actually believe the ridiculous things they say. It's an excuse to be hateful toward their greatest boogeymans, liberals and brown people. Nothing more.

Nicole and Maggie tell us one way we can fight back.

Also, vote the rest of the GOP out in 2020.



*Or at least want to use the wall as a weapon to attack the rest of the country, and help destroy the federal government, which is their real aim.



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