# How we build the wall and get Mexico to pay for it **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [August 24, 2017, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-we-build-the-wall-and-get-mexico-to-pay-for-it/794582 "2017-08-24T19:10:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![Alzarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@Alzarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alzarian)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2017, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-we-build-the-wall-and-get-mexico-to-pay-for-it/794582/181 "2017-08-28T17:50:21Z")
Ask and you shall receive… > **[Mexico offers to help Hurricane Harvey victims in Texas](https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/348231-mexico-offers-to-help-hurricane-harvey-victims-in-texas/)** > > Mexico’s government is reaching out to the U.S. to offer help for the victims of Hurricane Harvey in Texas.Mexican Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray spoke with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) b… I suppose a way of thinking of this would be if Americans were to donate money to aid another country hit by some sort of natural disaster - and those funds end up being funneled into whatever pet project the government wants. If the Haitian government, for example, chose to take US dollars given to aid in the aftermath of an earthquake, to help those affected by the earthquake, and instead decided to invest it in some sort of wall along their border with the DR… which they could claim was somehow offering relief to the earthquake survivors… there would be outrage, sure… The question becomes… did Americans pay for the Haiti/DR wall? Well, yes, technically, even as that was not the intent or purpose of the money donated… I’m not sure how much control a country has over funds once given to another country. If Mexico decided to send financial aid to the US to assist in the relief effort - they could put stipulations on it… but once that money is in US hands, I’m not really sure if they have any say over it… although I guess they could lodge a complaint at the UN. I guess the way around it is to avoid sending money and instead donate actual items… although i guess the US could withhold distributing yogurt, for example, and use the donated containers to build the wall as well… so it is tricky, no? ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2017, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-we-build-the-wall-and-get-mexico-to-pay-for-it/794582/182 "2017-08-28T17:53:47Z")
> [@Alzarian](#): > > Ask and you shall receive… > > [http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/348231-mexico-offers-to-help-hurricane-harvey-victims-in-texas](http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/348231-mexico-offers-to-help-hurricane-harvey-victims-in-texas) > > I suppose a way of thinking of this would be if Americans were to donate money to aid another country hit by some sort of natural disaster - and those funds end up being funneled into whatever pet project the government wants. Are you suggesting corruption and stupidity and denying hurricane victims badly needed aid is wise policy? Also, you do realize that still wouldn’t be Mexico paying for the wall, right? It would be hurricane victims paying for the wall. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2017, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-we-build-the-wall-and-get-mexico-to-pay-for-it/794582/183 "2017-08-28T17:54:16Z")
> [@Muffin](#): > > Why does the USA not have a Canadian illegal immigration problem? The standard of living in both countries is similar. > > If the Mexican economy continues to grow, Mexican illegal immigration will no longer be be a problem. > > NAFTA has led to growth in all three nations. Trump wants to kill off NAFTA and build a wall paid for by the Mexicans, which will only increase the illegal immigration problem. The best thing the USA could do to deal with the Mexican illegal immigration problem would be to dump Trump. That’s not what many Trump supporters want. They want 1) America to be prosperous, 2) Mexico to be not-prosperous, 3) many Mexicans to badly want to come to America, and 4) Still \*not \*be able to come to America. Making Mexico prosperous doesn’t fit that bill. ---
**Author:** ![Alzarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@Alzarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alzarian)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2017, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-we-build-the-wall-and-get-mexico-to-pay-for-it/794582/184 "2017-08-28T18:10:01Z")
I’d like to propose a far more likely scenario. Obviously, the best way to achieve the goal of Mexico purchasing the wall, would be for the Mexican government to commit to doing so. As many have pointed out, doing so would be political suicide for any Mexican politician, so the question becomes… how to you get a politician to work against the people they are elected to represent. After all, it is not unheard of for politicians to make unpopular decisions. The only question is whether the personal benefit to the politician of going along with a ‘Mexico funds the Wall’ would be enough to outweigh the public beating they would take for going with an unpopular policy in Mexico. What I am not sure of is whether it would be enough to get just the Mexican President on board. Can a person in such a position control the pursestrings, or would an effort need to be made to ‘win over’ members of the Mexican congress? ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2017, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-we-build-the-wall-and-get-mexico-to-pay-for-it/794582/185 "2017-08-28T18:11:59Z")
> [@Alzarian](#): > > I’d like to propose a far more likely scenario. Obviously, the best way to achieve the goal of Mexico purchasing the wall, would be for the Mexican government to commit to doing so. As many have pointed out, doing so would be political suicide for any Mexican politician, so the question becomes… how to you get a politician to work against the people they are elected to represent. After all, it is not unheard of for politicians to make unpopular decisions. The only question is whether the personal benefit to the politician of going along with a ‘Mexico funds the Wall’ would be enough to outweigh the public beating they would take for going with an unpopular policy in Mexico. > > What I am not sure of is whether it would be enough to get just the Mexican President on board. Can a person in such a position control the pursestrings, or would an effort need to be made to ‘win over’ members of the Mexican congress? It is still political suicide. The likeliest way that a border wall is built is if the US simply foots the bill, builds the wall itself, and also imposes some symbolic penalties on Mexico - i.e., tariffs, visa fees, etc. ---
**Author:** ![purplehearingaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@purplehearingaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehearingaid)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2017, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-we-build-the-wall-and-get-mexico-to-pay-for-it/794582/186 "2017-08-28T18:15:31Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > No. > > Slavery & slave labour is unconstitutional and immoral. This ! I agree with you 100% and was thinking the same thing . ---
**Author:** ![purplehearingaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@purplehearingaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehearingaid)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2017, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-we-build-the-wall-and-get-mexico-to-pay-for-it/794582/187 "2017-08-28T18:32:23Z")
> **[The environmental costs of Trump's wall](http://theconversation.com/the-environmental-costs-of-trumps-wall-72608)** > > We should be building wildlife bridges on the US-Mexico border – not walls. trump " beautiful wall" will effect the environment so I say how can we stop the wall from being build . ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2017, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-we-build-the-wall-and-get-mexico-to-pay-for-it/794582/188 "2017-08-28T20:13:47Z")
> [@Alzarian](#): > > I’d like to propose a far more likely scenario. Obviously, the best way to achieve the goal of Mexico purchasing the wall, would be for the Mexican government to commit to doing so. As many have pointed out, doing so would be political suicide for any Mexican politician, so the question becomes… how to you get a politician to work against the people they are elected to represent. After all, it is not unheard of for politicians to make unpopular decisions. The only question is whether the personal benefit to the politician of going along with a ‘Mexico funds the Wall’ would be enough to outweigh the public beating they would take for going with an unpopular policy in Mexico. > > What I am not sure of is whether it would be enough to get just the Mexican President on board. Can a person in such a position control the pursestrings, or would an effort need to be made to ‘win over’ members of the Mexican congress? I have a cunning plan: Trump invites the Mexican president and his family to the United States for a state visit, just to show him there are no hard feelings about Mexico not paying for that wall. Then, when dinner is over and the guests are served the most beautiful piece of chocolate cake, Trump orders the DHS agents to hold the Mexican president’s family hostage and forces El Presidente to start building the wall. Meanwhile, Trump demands money from the Mexican congress to fund the wall and to assure the safe release of the Mexican first family - only after the wall is finished, of course. Winning! ---
**Author:** ![Alzarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@Alzarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alzarian)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2017, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-we-build-the-wall-and-get-mexico-to-pay-for-it/794582/189 "2017-08-28T20:57:02Z")
If President Trump can actually convince enough Mexican politicians to vote to pay for the Wall, despite the political jeopardy it would put them in, then he truly would be the greatest negotiator of all time. What sparkly baubles could he possibly dangle to get them to pass such legislation? Not a clue - but if Putin is able to get the American President to make decisions that are more in Russia’s best interest than in the US - who’s to say that the same couldn’t happen to Mexico. This would of course require the Mexican people to elect their version of Trump as leader… ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2017, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-we-build-the-wall-and-get-mexico-to-pay-for-it/794582/190 "2017-08-28T21:14:44Z")
> [@Alzarian](#): > > If President Trump can actually convince enough Mexican politicians to vote to pay for the Wall, despite the political jeopardy it would put them in, then he truly would be the greatest negotiator of all time. What sparkly baubles could he possibly dangle to get them to pass such legislation? Not a clue - but if Putin is able to get the American President to make decisions that are more in Russia’s best interest than in the US - who’s to say that the same couldn’t happen to Mexico. > > This would of course require the Mexican people to elect their version of Trump as leader… Tricky, but not impossible. What Trump should do is promise US citizenship the Mexican politicians who co-operate with funding the wall. They could squeeze through just as the last concrete slab is being lifted into place. And if that isn’t motivation enough, Trump could ask Putin to hack their emails and look for kompromat. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2017, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-we-build-the-wall-and-get-mexico-to-pay-for-it/794582/191 "2017-08-28T21:27:43Z")
> [@Alzarian](#): > > If President Trump can actually convince enough Mexican politicians to vote to pay for the Wall, despite the political jeopardy it would put them in, then he truly would be the greatest negotiator of all time. What sparkly baubles could he possibly dangle to get them to pass such legislation? Not a clue - but if Putin is able to get the American President to make decisions that are more in Russia’s best interest than in the US - who’s to say that the same couldn’t happen to Mexico. > > This would of course require the Mexican people to elect their version of Trump as leader… Or we could get Paris to impersonate the Ambassador to Mexico and have him arrange a meeting between El Presidente and Madame Blovatsky(Cinnamon Carter), who will proceed to hypnotize him into believing that there is a secret conspiracy to smuggle bad tequila into Mexico. When the mission is accomplished Barney will blow a hole in something and they all escape to a plane piloted by Jim. ---
**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2017, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-we-build-the-wall-and-get-mexico-to-pay-for-it/794582/192 "2017-08-28T22:38:45Z")
Hmm, I think we might be able to get the help of Queen Bee from Bialya here. She should be able to persuade the Mexican leaders to comply. And if that plan fails I see only one recourse - and it’s one that Trump supporters would see not problem whatsoever with: Invade Mexico, pillage it for money, resources, and artifacts, and then hastily leave before the costs of the invasion exceed the profit from our plunder. Okay, yeah, we might be able to spare a few extra dollars to bomb their cultural landmarks and orphanages on the way out, because we wouldn’t want to damage our reputation by doing a half-assed job of things. But the important part is getting in and out quickly, without wasting any money or resources on nation building. An upside to this is that after we reduce Mexico to a broken hellhole full of desperate innocents, there might be enough people attempting to enter the states overland that the wall would actually make a difference! Win-win! ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2017, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-we-build-the-wall-and-get-mexico-to-pay-for-it/794582/193 "2017-08-29T01:41:15Z")
> [@Buck\_Godot](#): > > But the correct answer as others have indicated is that short of forcing the Mexican government to hand us money at gun point it can’t be. **Alzarian** is okay with that, although it’s his second choice after slavery: > [@Alzarian](#): > > …option a is my plan, **option b is to bomb Mexico into submission until they agree to our demands.** I think option a is better. If there is an option c that you feel is superior to both options a and b… and builds the wall and makes Mexico pay for it… you’re on! ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Crap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.crap/32/3131_2.png) [@Dr.Crap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Crap)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2017, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-we-build-the-wall-and-get-mexico-to-pay-for-it/794582/194 "2017-08-29T03:33:37Z")
I have a new big beautiful plan for getting Mexico to pay for this thing. First we approach the Mexican President with a lucrative investment opportunity involving a 22 Billion Dollar “Chinese restaurant” called ‘The Wall’. Yada yada Matt Damon Yada yada George Clooney and Andy Garcia…this shit writes itself. ---
**Author:** ![Go\_Arachnid\_Laser\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b2d939/32.png) [@Go\_Arachnid\_Laser\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Go_Arachnid_Laser_1)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2017, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-we-build-the-wall-and-get-mexico-to-pay-for-it/794582/195 "2017-08-29T03:49:14Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > I have a cunning plan: > > Trump invites the Mexican president and his family to the United States for a state visit, just to show him there are no hard feelings about Mexico not paying for that wall. > > Then, when dinner is over and the guests are served the most beautiful piece of chocolate cake, Trump orders the DHS agents to hold the Mexican president’s family hostage and forces El Presidente to start building the wall. Meanwhile, Trump demands money from the Mexican congress to fund the wall and to assure the safe release of the Mexican first family - only after the wall is finished, of course. > > Winning! You may be overestimating how much the Mexicans like Peña Nieto. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@Mighty\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Girl)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2017, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-we-build-the-wall-and-get-mexico-to-pay-for-it/794582/196 "2017-08-29T04:01:13Z")
> [@Go\_Arachnid\_Laser](#): > > You may be overestimating how much the Mexicans like Peña Nieto. Yeah. They’d have better luck if they threaten to return him if Mexico doesn’t pay for the wall. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2017, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-we-build-the-wall-and-get-mexico-to-pay-for-it/794582/197 "2017-08-29T05:20:14Z")
> [@Mighty\_Girl](#): > > Yeah. They’d have better luck if they threaten to return him if Mexico doesn’t pay for the wall. That could be. Peña Nieto is mocked in Mexico for saying stupid things (in both Spanish and English) almost as much as Trump is mocked here. (In #21 [in this video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwqMjk1ryXU) he’s on a panel at a book fair–promoting a book he supposedly wrote–and [can’t even think of three other books that have influenced him](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/dec/06/mexico-literary-festival-pena-nieto).) ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2017, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-we-build-the-wall-and-get-mexico-to-pay-for-it/794582/198 "2017-08-29T05:36:04Z")
> [@Alzarian](#): > > Simply put - if you feel building the wall and forcing Mexico to pay for it is evil, but it has to happen… option a is my plan, option b is to bomb Mexico into submission until they agree to our demands. I think option a is better. If there is an option c that you feel is superior to both options a and b… and builds the wall and makes Mexico pay for it… you’re on! Okay. 1. Congress enacts a law declaring Donald Trump is a Mexican. 2. Trump is impeached as he is ineligible to be President. 3. As punishment for lying about being an American, we seize all his assets. 4. We deport Trump back to Mexico. 5. We used his seized assets to finance the building of the wall. 6. The wall now has bipartisan support. Democrats like that it will keep Trump out. Republicans like that it will keep all the other Mexicans out. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2017, 10:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-we-build-the-wall-and-get-mexico-to-pay-for-it/794582/199 "2017-08-29T10:41:37Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Okay. > > 1. Congress enacts a law declaring Donald Trump is a Mexican. > 2. Trump is impeached as he is ineligible to be President. > 3. As punishment for lying about being an American, we seize all his assets. > 4. We deport Trump back to Mexico. > 5. We used his seized assets to finance the building of the wall. > 6. The wall now has bipartisan support. Democrats like that it will keep Trump out. Republicans like that it will keep all the other Mexicans out. Plus, no slavery! I like it. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2017, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-we-build-the-wall-and-get-mexico-to-pay-for-it/794582/200 "2017-08-29T11:49:18Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > Plus, no slavery! > > I like it. But sending Trump to Mexico? What have they done to deserve that? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-we-build-the-wall-and-get-mexico-to-pay-for-it/794582.md?page=9) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-we-build-the-wall-and-get-mexico-to-pay-for-it/794582.md?page=11)