President Trump mistreats Mexico
“Poor Mexico so far from God, so close to the United States.” — Mexican President Porfirio Diaz (circa 1900)
A U.S. deeply disliked Mexican president, disliked by Mexicans as is his political party, the PRI, plays “David” to
President Donald J. Trump’s “Goliath.” Termed-out Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto canceled a planned meeting in the White House with President Trump. He did not want to be “bullied” by a much taller, more shoot-from-the-lip Trump.
Not only did President Trump express contempt for Mexicans in a Tweet but in a personal phone call a day later with President Peña Nieto, Trump threw one of his patented temper tantrums because the Mexican essentially told Trump that he would not offer any Mexican support for Trump’s “beautiful wall” on the Mexican/u.s. border — again, for the third time.
Reuters: “The Washington Post, which first reported the delay earlier on Saturday, said the two leaders spoke for about 50 minutes on Tuesday. But the discussion led to an impasse when Trump would not agree to publicly affirm Mexico’s position that it would not fund construction of the wall along the U.s.-mexico border…a Mexican official said Trump lost his temper during the conversation ... american officials that witnessed the phone call described Trump as frustrated and exasperated, because he believed it was unreasonable for Peña Nieto to want him to back off his campaign promise of forcing Mexico to pay for the wall.” Laugh Out Loud!
This episode reflects failed policies towards Mexico that peaked in the administration of President Woodrow Wilson in 1914 and 1916. He was America’s premier racist President who invaded Mexico twice in two years in failed attempts to influence and intervene in the Mexican Revolution of 1910-1920. Apparently, Trump has crafted his policy towards Mexico using the Woodrow Wilson Handbook on Mexico. Bullets, not balance.
Candidate Donald Trump declared what he considers a Mexico policy in his announcement speech for President in June of 2015. “Criminals,” and “rapists” seem to be flooding the United States from Mexico according to Mr. Trump’s announcement speech. His proposed “wall” will end that, he says.
A few weeks before the 2016 Presidential election candidate Trump surprised everyone by flying to Mexico to meet with Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto. Though Trump never admitted that the Mexican President symbolically slapped Trump around, the Mexican announced publicly that he told Trump to his face that Mexico would not pay for Trump’s “wall.”
Trump, of course, told a different story, he said the subject of the “wall” didn’t come up. Trump lied.
Trump’s “wall” continued to be an issue between Trump and President Peña Nieto shortly after Trump’s inauguration with the famous January 2017 phone call between the two Presidents. Trump tried to bully the Mexican who promptly verbally stuck it to the Trump Tower resident.
It appears that President Trump has not learned any lessons from his disastrous trip to Mexico in 2016 nor his first phone call after his inauguration in 2017, nor from the current phone kerfuffle. Either he is a slow learner, or his “world-class” memory has shrunk with age.
He appears to be totally unschooled on what a policy should be towards Mexico; additionally, and apparently, he has no idea of the history between the United States and Mexico. Moreover, whoever is whispering in his ear about how to deal with Mexico has no clue either about how to deal with it. Neither is aware of centuries of interaction between the U.S. and Mexico and Mexicans.
He’s not alone, of course, much ignorance of Mexico permeates the media, the populace and, of course, the Trump Administration. CNN, for example, which is watched by large numbers of people simply is ignorant on Mexico, as are its socalled experts. For CNN’S edification, the President of Mexico is not running for reelection. Instead of one “loss” and you’re out like in college basketball’s “March Madness,” its one “win” and you are out.
Mexico and Canada are our best customers and our best friends, considering between them there are more than 6,000 miles of common border with us. Trump’s threats of tariffs against Mexico and an end to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) with Canada — only because he misunderstands trade and “balance of payments” falls far short of neighborliness and smarts.
The United States does a trillion dollars in NAFTA tradea-year with Mexico and Canada. Trump needs to make nice with our best mutual trading partners. That’s what President Trump should be doing, not picking fights. He’s nicer to Russia than to Mexico.
No wonder he only received a tiny percentage of the Mexican American vote in 2016. In Colorado, for example, studies show Trump received perhaps only 14 percent of the Mexican American vote; ditto California where he lost by four-million votes.
Good luck, next time.