Donald Trump listed five "shared goals" of the United States and Mexico at his press conference with President Nieto. Here they are in the order that
he stated them. I am not quoting him precisely, word for word.
1. Ending illegal immigration.
2. Having a secure border. Mutual recognition of the right to build a wall, by each country on its side of the border. No discussion of how the wall
will be paid for.
3. Dismantling drug cartels and ending drug flow. Can only be done cooperatively.
4. Improving NAFTA, for both countries. Workers in both countries need a pay raise. Improving pay standards and working conditions.
5.Keep manufacturing wealth in our hemisphere. Jobs have to be retained.
The goal stated fourth in order is at the heart of the achievement of all the other goals. Improvement of pay and working conditions at home makes it
unnecessary for workers to migrate to achieve the same result. It also make the life of crime, drug manufacture and smuggling less attractive, as an
employment option, for the many foot soldiers of the illegal and dangerous drug trade.
Is Mr. Trump hinting at a raise in the minimum wage in America? I doubt it.
In his fifth "shared goal" it is interesting to note that Mr. Trump has included Mexico into the territory in which it is important to keep jobs and
to keep manufacturing and industry. Keeping jobs "in the hemisphere" was the terminology he used. This is quite a departure from his theme of keeping
jobs and manufacturing in America and
preventing them from going to Mexico.
How about it Detroit? Is Donald Trump now saying that American plants can go to Mexico?
Shared goal number three will only be achieved when the chief law enforcement officers of both countries are Thai nationals, on loan, accompanied by
their execution squads.
Some sort of increased fortifications as part of shared goal number 2, secure borders, may well be built along the Mexican boarder but I doubt if they
will be much more than an infrastructure project of dubious usefulness.
Getting more of the money down to lower levels of the economy of each country is the only way to bring illegal immigration, shared goal number one,
down to a trickle.
Good luck with that one. Each leader will be battling the "enemy within and at the top" of their respective societies.
edit on 31-8-2016 by
ipsedixit because: (no reason given)
edit on 31-8-2016 by ipsedixit because: (no reason given)