The Great Wall of Trump!

✍️ by Wilfredo Dominguez Español

A history of the Berlin Wall
Every wall carries its own story of division, pain, and the scars left behind after its fall.
Some call them border-crossers —I call them bridge-builders. They feed us, house us, and keep our cities running. Oh, and they also keep America’s population from shrinking. Funny how that works. Yet, back home, they starve, endure violence, and face horrors we can’t imagine. And no matter how hard the haters try, no wall has ever stopped people driven by desperation. Look, Barriers don’t stop hungry men. Simple as that. Sure, the Berlin Wall was somewhat effective… but only because it was surrounded by minefields and shoot-to-kill orders. Will Trump go that far? The Great Wall of China? A joke. It was supposed to stop the Mongols. Instead, they jumped over it, rode around it, and ruled China for centuries. But sure, let’s pretend a see-through wall will stop desperate families with nothing but ladders and determination. Think about it—sharks and waves don’t stop Cuban rafters. Nicolae Ceaușescu’s bloody metal hooks didn’t stop Romanians from swimming across the Danube to escape. So what makes you think Trump’s wall will stop anyone? History proves that walls—no matter how grand—fail to keep out those determined to survive. Trump’s wall is no different. It’s just another futile, headline-grabbing stunt—like his China tariffs—meant to build barriers against something stronger than brick and steel: human resilience.

The Myth of Trump’s Great Wall

On more than one occasion, Donald Trump has cynically compared his wall to the Great Wall of China . I am certain Trump himself doesn’t believe a word of what he says about China’s relic, but his supporters do—and that’s what counts.

Objectively, there is only one point of similarity between the two walls: China’s wall aimed to stop an invasion, and Trump’s wall, well, pretends to stop another. The Chinese effort failed miserably, causing the deaths of millions in a tragic aftermath of famine, oppression, and war.

The parallels highlight significant limitations in the concept of physical barriers. During its construction, the fragmented Chinese kingdoms of the time were mired in discord. History shows that animosity rarely inspires ambitious or effective projects. Even after centuries of labor—often by convicts—the Great Wall failed to achieve its primary purpose. It was ultimately abandoned during the Mongol Yuan dynasty , leaving its utility as a defensive structure unfulfilled.

From History to Bling-Bling

Over time, the Great Wall of China evolved far beyond its original purpose. Under the leadership of Deng Xiaoping—arguably a modern-day emperor, not the imperial type but of the Communist variety—the Wall was reimagined as a tourist attraction, revitalized for a new purpose.

For more than a thousand years, the Wall had been largely forgotten, left to decay as a relic of a bygone era. Yet, it was transformed into an economic asset. From failing to stop a Mongol invasion, the Wall has ended up promoting a tourist invasion to China. Today, it endures as a historical relic, drawing millions of visitors annually— some of whom, if they manage to evade the watchful eye of China’s pesky police, ensure pieces of the Wall spread across the globe, perhaps more as souvenirs than as symbols of historical significance. Yet, it also stands as a stark reminder of the ineffectiveness of physical barriers in addressing complex societal challenges.

The Flaws in Trump’s Wall

The comparison between Trump’s border wall and the Great Wall of China, for one, underscores the inherent futility of such endeavors. History demonstrates that no wall, regardless of its grandeur, can effectively halt the movement of people or the exchange of ideas. The Mongol invasions persisted despite the Great Wall, illustrating the limitations of physical barriers in preventing human migration.

Immigrants trying to make it to the U.S.A
Immigrants willing to take the journey to Make America Great Again.

Efforts to curtail immigration through the construction of a wall on the border with Mexico ignore the broader economic and cultural advantages immigrants bring to the United States. The desire to isolate the nation from neighboring countries by erecting a physical barrier is not only impractical but also disregards America’s historical identity as a land of opportunity and diversity.

Just the idea is fundamentally flawed. Even walls erected with substantial resources have historically failed to achieve their intended goals. The Great Wall of China serves as a reminder that physical structures, while symbolically powerful, are rarely effective in addressing the complexities of migration and cultural integration.

Conclusion.

Ultimately, the Great Wall of China—and, by extension, Trump’s proposed border wall—serves as a cautionary tale about the limitations of isolationist policies. Walls, whether ancient or modern, have consistently proven to be ineffective solutions to intricate issues like migration and national security. America’s true strength lies not in erecting barriers but in embracing adaptability, innovation, and the diversity that has always been its hallmark. In an increasingly globalized world, fostering connections rather than divisions is essential for ensuring the nation’s continued success.