On January 4, 2016, Donald Trump released his first official political television advertisement. On that day, Trump told CNN that “I am very proud of this ad, I don’t know if I need it, but I don’t want to take any chances because if I win we are going to make America great again.” If by proud, Donald Trump means that using television footage of Morocco somehow equates to Mexicans rushing the US border, then I guess there is nothing more I can add to that.
As expected, Donald Trump trumpeted two specific issues in his first ad, immigration by Muslims and immigration from the US-Mexico border. Obviously, Donald Trump is trying to cater to the lowest common denominator voters in the United States – the xenophobes. Unfortunately for Donald Trump, he clearly lacks a clear understanding of immigration and it shows in his television ad.
Since he clearly doesn’t understand the issue, that is the cornerstone of his political platform, I thought I would take his television ad and point out his obvious lack of understanding the fundamental problems with his rhetoric.
Donald Trump clearly has no clear understanding of the true dangers to the United States, especially when it comes to the ISIS/ISIL terrorists. Trump continues to rely on xenophobia in his quest for the presidency.
Why does Mexico allow Central Americans to cross its borders, ride trains north to come to our border with Mexico? We should hold Mexico accountable for allowing the violation of our borders by illegal migrants within Mexico.
A great America is an America for all of us here LEGALLY. The rest of you can GTF out.
Those caught crossing illegally were twice the number the past two months than they were this time last year. Why is it wrong to want our laws enforced? Clearly, Obama isn’t interested in securing our borders and keeping us safe. I believe a secure border is about safety of the American people. Those crossing illegally don’t want to assimilate! If they did, they’d follow the law to enter the U.S. Look what lack of assimilation has done in Europe. And please don’t say I’m racist!
We have 28000 troops guarding the North Korean border, more than guarding our own border with Mexico that is being violated. Can you see the insanity of this while we drive Korean cars and buy their TVs and cell phones and tablets? Maybe Trump will call the game what it is and even the odds back to a level playing field.
The commentators before me need to buy a clue. Mexico has a brutal immigration policy in place for immigrants coming from central/southern America thru Mexico in order to get to the USA. Atrocities like immigrants being caught on the southern Mexico border and being summarily executed by Mexican authorities tough enough for you? Does the fact that young women going through Mexico on the way to the USA take birth control pills before leaving because of the near certainty they will be raped while in Mexico excite you? Is that justice? Is Mexico providing enough deterrent to satisfy your blood lust?
Saying they should come legally is just stupid. How can someone on a waiting list that is into the decades long get here legally? They come out of despair. Things are THAT BAD back home that they still come. Have you ever thought of the torture a decision like that is for someone? Imagine being certain of being raped….unsure of being kidnapped or extorted….fear of death via exposure…not to mention leaving the only place they have ever known all to clean your toilets so you can save on employment taxes? Have some goddamn mercy.
The lack of empathy in El Paso is shocking. Gary Tison deserved death by exposure for his killing spree…some kid from Guatemala seeking a better life does not. Simple
Central America’s problems are not our fault so we do not have to shoulder its burden. As for the poor refugees riding on top of trains thru Mexico we are not dumb enough to swallow your sob story about Mexican brutality toward them. Mexico obviously gives them a free pass because Mexico has no respect for us or for themselves. We (America) need to beat a little respect for the USA and our laws and borders into Mexico, if that is what it takes. Exporting their culture of lawlessness and poverty to America degrades our culture here. I am sick to death of their casual attitude toward law, beginning with our immigration laws.
You probably think the Muslims are a good idea, too.
“Central America’s problems are not our fault” HA! Wanna bet?
What about the USA’s involvement in the 1954 coup in Guatemala?
Last I heard the USA has never paid any restitution to the people of El Chorrillo, never even bothered to count the innocent lives of those killed when el Papa Bush decided to invade Panama.
What about the USA’s support of the dictatorship of Honduras?
The School of the Americas trained the soldiers and generals that massacred, tortured, and disappeared thousands of people throughout Latin American countries so that the USA would have its puppets/dictators in place. The school of coups now goes by a different name.
“The death toll was staggering — an estimated 70,000 or more political killings in El Salvador, possibly 20,000 slain from the Contra war in Nicaragua, about 200 political “disappearances” in Honduras and some 100,000 people eliminated during a resurgence of political violence in Guatemala. The one consistent element in these slaughters was the overarching Cold War rationalization, emanating in large part from Ronald Reagan’s White House.” from How Reagan Promoted Genocide by Robert Parry, February 21, 2013.
“You probably think the Muslims are a good idea, too.” What an asinine statement.
Why would the blogger think that 1.3 billion Muslims are a good idea or any idea for that matter?
Read a book, Mate, you may learn something.
An immigration policy based on solving the ills of failed states is an Rx for national suicide. Our immigration policy needs to be based on what is good for the USA and the kinds of skills we need here, not on refugees’ needs. If you just let in anyone with a hard luck story you end up with American cities that look like El Paso versus, e.g., a San Jose or a Houston – diverse, dynamic, skilled and having the ladders of social mobility for all.
Ambrose Bierce wrote that ‘War is God’s way of teaching Americans geography’. Obviously el trompas failed geography, but then he’s been too busy spewing hate and bigotry. So this not-so-learned bully is going to build a wall somewhere?
Every time the essay is about immigrants the usual words come out – assimilation, illegal, learn english, etc. Seems that these fine, astute ‘US Legals’ are only against certain groups whom they deem inferior to them. They overlook the illegality of the USA’s invasions of sovereign nations and don’t seem to notice, don’t seem to care about the hell our perpetual warring creates for the citizens of said nations.
Ever heard about the Amish/Pennsylvania Dutch or the Hasidic Jews? Ever been to a large city, say like New York, where you may enjoy walking through China Town and uptown via Little Italy? The street names in China Town are not only in English but in Chinese.
As a volunteer in the English as a Second Language (ESL) program I tutor people from the different American countries; they work hard at their jobs and they work hard at learning English. They work hard to learn so they can get citizenship and their GEDs.
Pati, thanks for saving me the trouble of responding. Thank you for all you do as a volunteer educator.
The film Panama Deception got me to read more about our sorry history in Latin America. As an uneducated gringo I tend to use movies to inspire me to learn more about a subject. Probably not ideal, but it beats willful ignorance.
Take their oil? At this stage, I can only believe that Donald Trump is just trolling and making a mockery of the Republican party.