Why I Doubt Trump Can 'Make America Safe Again'

So the 2016 Republican National Convention is over and Donald Trump will be running as the Republican presidential nominee. On day one of the RNC and in Trump;s speech last night, there was a theme of 'Making America Safe Again'. Personally, however, I doubt Trump can actually do that if he is elected President. It is certainly acceptable to have as a goal, but in our world today, it is not realistic. Rather, it is just a catchy campaign slogan to attract voters.

So let us start with his infamous promise of building a wall on America's border with Mexico and that he will make Mexico pay for it. But how will Trump accomplish this? Well, if you go to Trump's website (link here), you will see a page titled "Compelling Mexico to Pay for the Wall". On this page Trump basically provides four options: 1) Cancelling visas; 2) Increasing visa fees; 3) Enforcing trade tariffs; 4) Stopping the allowance of remittances sent to Mexico. All of this is to keep out the criminals, drug dealers, and rapists that Mexico is sending over, Trump claims. Newsflash, Mr. Trump, wall or not illegal immigrants will still find a way to get across the border. Have you considered the amount of illegal immigrants that are in the US and are not even from a country that borders America? Clearly you cannot build a wall in the middle of the ocean. Focus on immigration reform and working with foreign governments to improve their living conditions and cease the flow of illegal immigrants.

Caricature by DonkeyHotey (Creative Commons license)

If you read my introduction for this blog, then you know I am highly interested in international relations. So let me quickly mention Trump's comments on the Middle East. Since the beginning of Trump's campaign, he has attacked Hillary Clinton's record as Secretary of State and such was the case in his speech at the RNC Thursday night. Politico has written up his remarks from that speech. Read that article here.  Last night, Trump said "In 2009, pre-Hillary, ISIS was not even on the map. Libya was stable. Egypt was peaceful. Iraq was seeing a reduction in violence. Iran was being chocked by sanctions. Syria was somewhat under control." If Trump thinks that Clinton's actions alone caused an increase in violence and instability in the Middle East, that is a skewed viewpoint. In 2011, the Arab Spring shocked the Middle East. Essentially, sparking in Tunisia, thousands of people were fed up with their increasingly dictator-led governments and took to the streets demanding greater freedoms. Much of the instability can be traced back to the aftermath of this revolution, as each separate group tried to gain power, but Clinton alone certainly is not responsible.

Last night, Trump also proclaimed "Americanism, not globalism, will be our credo." America is considered by many International Relations scholars to be a global hegemon, but that does not make our country perfect, nor does it mean we should force our values on other countries. Who are we to act as the world government? As a country, we need to work on globalism and cooperation with the rest of the world. But by all means, Mr. Trump, please try to strong arm the Middle East into obedience. Frankly, I do not think "Americanism" is a message they will receive kindly.

Photo by Dick Swanson (Creative Commons license)

Lastly, on the domestic front, Trump stated last night that he "will restore law and order to our country." Framing himself as a "law and order" candidate is clever, considering Clinton's negative reputation highlights her as a criminal, especially with her involvement in the email scandal. But, Mr. Trump, can you really keep us safe domestically? Even before your nomination at the 2016 RNC, there have been plenty of electrically charged, borderline violent, protests centered around your polarizing opinions. And should I even mention gun control? Republicans largely oppose gun control, and while the right to bear arms is a Second Amendment right, it has developed into a huge problem, threatening thousands of lives right here at home. I firmly believe that anyone, regardless of their ethnicity or religion, and if given the opportunity, is capable of inflicting harm in our own communities.

There is simply no easy or practical way to 'Make America Safe Again' without infringing on the democratic process and without causing an international reaction. But if elected President come November, I truly do hope you prove me wrong, Mr. Trump.