Donald Trump, the unfortunate 45th president of the United States, as one of his main promises to the people who elected him, he said that he will build a "big, beautiful wall," so beautiful that even Ivanka is nothing next to it.
Sounds like a good plan to execute on your day off, for example, right? Well, maybe not. BBC has brought out a few problems he might have with the tiny border idea.
The problems the orange man faces with border between U.S. and Mexico are different. I'd like to start with the first one myself - it's stupid, and many other people understand it as well. See what the ex-president of Mexico, Vicente Fox, has to say about it:
Secondly, of course, there's nature. In many places the border is in the middle of Rio Grande, the deepest parts of it. In 1889 US and Mexico also signed a treaty that prevents any disruption to the flow of the river. And as such, the wall would have the be build on its banks. Even with the current fencing away from the river means that many Americans are living in a sort of a limbo - outside the US fencing, on Mexico's side, but then again, according to the map on US side. Well, okay, let's assume Trump won't give a F and builds it there anyway, or maybe he decides the 1889 treaty isn't worth the paper it was written on and does it on the river. Anything can be expected from ignorant people. But okay, even if he manages to do that...
"
Besides everything else, how does protecting wildlife help the American miner? It doesn't, so it might as well go, right?
He would also have to build on Imperial Sand Dunes (the largest sand dune ecosystem in the US), on montains with up to 9,000-ft peaks. He would also have to decide that he doesn't give a F about the a delicate ecosystem on US-Mexico border. But okay, let's assume he doesn't know or care anything about that either, he is ignorant, after all. And besides everything else, how does protecting wildlife help the American miner? It doesn't, so it might as well go, right?
Now, let's assume he manages to kill off all the wildlife, nature, crush through the mountains and build on rivers, where does the money come from and how much would it cost anyhow? Bush put up 650 miles of quite simple fencing (at least compared to Trump's beautiful wall plans) and it cost roughly 7bn. Trump has said that his wall would cost $10bn. Some Republican estimations have put the number between $12bn and $15bn. The US Department for Homeland Security estimation puts the cost up to $25bn. And then there are the Senate Democrats who say that the wall would cost around $70bn and another $150m yearly for maintenance. There are other estimations as well....but let's say the wall will cost anywhere between $30bn and $50bn. And no, Mexico won't be paying for it. And Congress didn't approve any funding for the wall construction this year.
According to FBO.GOV the wall has to be made of reinforced concrete and additionally:
Be "physically imposing in height", towering at least 18ft above the border
Be impossible to breach with a ladder or grappling hooks and require at least an hour to breach with tools
Be sunk at least 6ft into the ground to prevent tunnelling
Blend in with the "surrounding environment" and be "aesthetically pleasing" from the north side
Include 25ft and 50ft gates for pedestrians and vehicles
And then there's land. Government doesn't own most of the land where the beautiful, gorgeous wall would be. And while some of the land can be bought, if the owner is not interested in selling, the government would forcibly take it. But this could take years in court. Also note that most of the people living there are/were most likely Trump supporters.
These are only a few main issues the orange man will face.
My guess - people (obviously, not Trump) will eventually come to their senses and the border will not be built. These days US and Mexico border problems are differently solvable than an orange man with a quadrillion tons of reinforced concrete.
,