When is a wall a wall?

At the end all depends on a single word: the wall. This word and the questions to expect, turns currently the entire policy in Washington. What is a wall? What is a wall? How long must be a wall, so that it is really a wall, is not only a high, broad thing in the landscape? But most of all, and this is where architecture and politics mix: Is it possible to build a building, the Person A as the wall can be described, without making himself ridiculous, while Person B can simultaneously and equally seriously deny that it is a wall?

Person A is in this case, the President of the United States of America. Donald Trump has promised his constituents to build a wall on the border with Mexico to keep illegal immigrants, Criminals and drug dealers outside. If there is a project that is connected with trump's presidency, then the WALL it is "", as he calls the building on Twitter.

Trump has expressed in the course of time, always different, how he imagines this wall. From its originally scheduled 2000-mile-long structure made of concrete components, for which there are already prototypes, finished is a rather vaguely-described "physical barrier" made of an undetermined Material. Concrete or steel that he could care less, stressed by the President. Also, at the length he has made compromises. 2000 miles, no more talk, 1000.

However, this all costs a lot of money must be provided by the Congress before the President is allowed to spend it. And because of that, Person B comes into play: the Democrats. You think nothing of Trumps wall, which they call an "immoral" work. But they forget conveniently that there is already about 600 miles of the American-backed Mexican border by blocking all types of engineering structures, which were built in the past few years, with the consent of the Democrats. But so it goes sometimes in the policy.

a new Shutdown

threatens in any case, the Democrats locked themselves in the Congress has to approve the President, the funds for the construction of the wall. $ 5.7 billion for the construction of 200 miles of new sections of the wall, Trump called for the end of 2018. About 1.3 billion dollars for the renovation of old fences to give the Democrats to him. Because Trump was too little, he refused, just before Christmas, laws on the financing of a number of important U.S. Federal departments and agencies. This led to a so-called Shutdown of the government ministries and agencies were dense, approximately 800'000 state employees received more than a month with no money. It was only when the situation was intolerable, a buckled Trump and agreed on a transitional budget, but only up to 15. February runs. There is no new funding law, again threatens a Shutdown.

The Republicans in Congress want to avoid. You know how much the citizens of Shutdowns hate. And even in Trumps party, the enthusiasm about it is, almost 6 billion dollars for a building of dubious Benefit spend is not very large. The Democrats, in turn, do not want to be seen as total objectors, of which the security of the land border is no matter. But the party, which took over in January, the majority in the house of representatives, can also make the hated President a great success, by granted him a billion for a wall.

The compromise that the Democrats and Republicans have found in Congress now, all pages bill: About 1.4 billion dollars should be invested in the construction of steel fences along the border with Mexico, for a total of 55 additional miles. In turn, the number of people, which may take the customs and border protection ICE immigration detention is not limited.

This package is likely to trigger protests at the right edge of the Republicans and the left edge of the Democrats, should be able to command a majority. In addition, it has the political advantage of Person B, the Democrats, can say they have no money for a wall. Steel fences maybe, but no wall. Person A in turn, the President could boast about in order to have the Congress billion for the construction of new "physical barriers" from the wonderful American steel from.

It is also brute

Whether Trump is ready to do so, was not on Tuesday. Some conservative commentators criticized the compromise sharp. The Fox News presenter Sean Hannity, trump's most important ally in right-wing media universe, called the agreement a "waste". Many voters, Trump is likely to be mild voted. Do you believe the statement of the President that he had started with the construction of the wall for a long time and was actually practically done.

Indeed, Trump, in truth, has built one inch of the new wall. On the posters, the build in his campaign appearance on Monday in Texas El Paso on the stage hung a stand but still not the old saying "Build the Wall", but "Finish the Wall", the wall finished. Except for a few very right Mäklern no one points to this lie. In this respect, Trump could sell many supporters of the compromise as a victory.

He could also go the brute way. Trump kept threatening to bypass Congress in case of emergency and to take the money for the construction of the wall by a state of emergency Declaration from the defense budget. This would lead to an Outcry in the Parliament, jealous of its budget right. Also, many of the Republicans would put the President well, the Democrats would immediately go to court. But maybe that would be a fight to Trumps taste.

(editing Tamedia)

Created: 13.02.2019, 06:45 PM