Despite, or more likely because of, the many words written and spoken about the subject of President Trump’s border wall there’s been a lot of confusion and inconsistent thinking.
What if we could bring together both sides in this? I know it seems impossible, but if we combine Aristotle’s interest in understanding a thing by knowing what it’s for, and a determination to find a win-win solution, we can do it!
Stakeholders:
- President Trump: promised an 8th Wonder of the World wall, promised Mexico would pay for it (in some way, later). Ultimately, it’s all about showing a win.
- Mexico: refuses to pay for such a wall, hates and feels insulted by the idea.
Objectives:
- We need get President Trump re-interested in the idea, if only for the publicity he could bring to it (you’ll see the importance of that later).
- We need to convince Mexico that it is entirely in Mexico’s best interest to fund the wall.
Obstacles:
- Cost and feasibility – The wall would cost at least $20 billion. That seems like a lot for the U.S. since our deficit was over half a billion and national debt over $14 trillion. Mexico’s debt is only $600 billion, but they’re not rich.
- Mexican pride – Seemingly the only way to make Mexico pay for it would be through war or massive but unenforceable remittance garnishing.
Solution:
Here’s the elegant solution: Mexico should pay for a 100 foot wide stretch of border wall, designed and built by the U.S. That might cost a few million dollars, but consider what would be accomplished.
Criticism: Mexicans can just go around the wall if it’s only 100 feet wide. What if it went across the whole border?
Answer: What if Mexicans knew about boats, rafts, wood, or other things that float? If we understand what the wall is for (see Aristotle), we understand why the criticism is invalid. The wall was obviously never about keeping out illegal immigrants, it was about winning. So why not win and get other benefits?
Win-Win
Mexico:
- Gains an outstanding tourist attraction – bringing much needed revenue.
- Improves national morale – Mexicans can display determination and ingenuity for the world to see.
- Imagine the competitions!
- How fast can you get over the wall?
- A couple of thousand dollars worth of ladders would do it.
- How inexpensively can you get over the wall?
- Rope and grappling hook might be only a few dollars.
- There would be many different kinds of competitions
- Ladders, wall climbing, senior citizens only…
- The list would only grow.
- How fast can you get over the wall?
U.S.:
- Also gains an outstanding tourist attraction. Perhaps by law we could apply admission fees to the national debt.
- We could point to progress on the border wall without having to figure out how to find all that money or build walls in rivers.
- We don’t pay for it, Mexico willingly does.
Thanks for reading this guest post. What are your ideas for more wall contests?