The unending rift between United States and Mexico

            It has always been the custom of the Mexican president to sit down with the US new president soon after they have carried out the election. Thus the US and Mexican president were scheduled to meet on 31^st January 2017 where they were to discuss on the issue of immigration, border security as well as NAFTA issues so as to re engineer their relations that is between the Mexicans and the Americans (News.com.au n.p). However, following the various talks from Trump about the Mexican immigrants, the Mexican president cancelled their meeting. This angered the US president and the rift between the two presidents has continued to increase as days pass by. As a result of this rift, both presidents have not been able to meet and have a dialog and a negotiation so as to be able to come up with the best possible solution. This paper therefore will present and discuss on the bad choices that President Enrique Peña Nieto of Mexico and President Donald Trump of the United States are making on behalf of their countries.

             The construction cost of the wall is likely to increase taxes in Mexico and ultimately increasing the price inevitably. According to president Trumps plan on the construction of the Mexican, US wall, the US government is targeting at imposing a 20% tax on all the Mexican products. This is aimed at contributing towards the payment of the construction cost of the wall on their border. This would thus be the start of an extensive tax reform process. In doing this, the construction of the wall would thus be easily carried out as the mechanism would provide for cash that would cater for all the cost (Evans et al n.p). Mexico is one of the countries that supplies agricultural products to the United States annually and they are in the third leading sources of the US product imports. However, it is evident that the Mexican state are not ready to collaborate with the United States in the construction of the wall as they believe that issue is not negotiable. This has greatly aggravated the rift between the two countries and between the two presidents as each one of them has a different view on the payment of the construction cost of the wall. As a result of their unending rift following their lack of meeting so as to sensibly modernize the NATFA trade agreement, this standoff might result to hindrances to their free trade. This will therefore result into a poor relation between the countries with economic regression due to the obstacles of trade and hence the two presidents are not doing the right thing by creating this rift.

            The postponement of the meetings by the two presidents has delayed the resolving process of the rift between the two states. The cancellation of the meeting by the Mexican president has been aggravated by the tone at which Trump is using in the issue of immigration. These comments made by Trump on issues regarding with the Mexican immigrants has angered the Mexican citizens and even the president himself. As a result, many of the citizens proposed for a cancellation of the meeting that was to be held between the Mexican president and US president so as to solve the rift that has been caused by the proposal of the construction of the boarder wall. Following this drift the two presidents are working against each other with each and one of them doing what they think is right for their country. President Nieto is thus on the opposing side of the construction of the wall while president Trump is so determined to do anything in his power so as to construct the wall. The Mexicans therefore strongly believe that in collaborating with the US state to construct the wall would not be a good idea and it would be a form of insult to their national independence following the reproachful comments by president Trump on the Mexican immigrants who are on the US soil (Evans et al n.p).. This has thus continued the development of the rift thus leaving the two stats in poor relations with each other and thus not benefiting any of the two nations.

            Respect is an essential quality that is highly appreciated by all; however, mutual respect is the key to reaching an understanding. According to the current rift between the two countries it is clear that there is a huge problem that is underlying. Mutual respect is not adhered by the two countries as they all believing being offered and given respect. However, both the Mexico and US presidents only believe that they are the ones that are offering respect while they are not on the receiving end. Thus this has resulted to each country withdraw from reaching into a consensus as they all believe that they are not accorded respect by the other state. Mexican president in one of his report, he states that they are willing to work in a friendly manner with the US only if they are accorded the respect that they deserve as an independent country (Evans et al n.p). President of the US, Donald Trump, has also refused to corporate with the Mexican government as he argues that they are not treated with respect and thus he dismisses any need for them to have any meeting as he thinks that they are fruitless. Their willingness is however is influenced by this fact and as a result both the countries have not been able to reach an agreement which are favorable to both the states.

            Even though the choices of these two presidents are viewed as a problem, there are others who strongly disagree with this fact. President Enrique Peña Nieto of Mexico states that, “Mexico and the United States are friends, partners and allies and we should keep collaborating for the competitiveness and development of North America” (The Guardian n.p). However, according to Donald Trump, the border between Mexico and US is a porous one that is soft as well as weak thus it allows for drug pouring into the US soil, crime and rapist people who are not good for US (prime minister’s office n.p). The reality is that the two countries have a mutual benefit as they both have an economic integration since they trade with each other. However, the unresolved issue on the construction of the wall has increased the rift between the two nations and it is predicted that it might influence their trade and relations negatively. The two presidents’ staunch stand to fight in any means possible for their countries is not helping at all but it is rather increasing their problems. This unending rift following the refusal to have a dialogue and negotiation by the two presidents is not a good choice for the two nations. If they all agree to have a seating and to negotiate as they all leave behind their differences, the countries will move forward as the right choices for each of the country will have been made through the meeting of the two presidents. However, as they continue to avoid facing the challenge, they will end up making more bad choices for their countries thus affecting all sectors of their country including the economy.

            It is thus important to realize that a good relation is important in any border. Leaders are therefore entrusted by their citizens to make right choices on the behalf of their country. Therefore the two leaders are supposed to put their countries priorities first and agree to meet up and be able to resolve the issue as early as possible before it becomes too late to correct the mistakes or rather the bad choices. Confrontations using the social media only expose the weaknesses of these leaders and thus they should refrain from approaching the issue on social media as it is raising an alarm to all the citizens and it may increase the drift between the citizens. Avoiding meeting is not the solution to the existing problem and it will not help the two nations thus the two presidents should ensure that they schedule a meeting and see the best way forward so as to enhance both states to develop. In doing so, a good example will not only be set on the citizens of Mexico and US but it will be good for the rest of the world.

References

Evans N, Bucktin C & Campbell S. Mexican president CANCELS meeting with Donald Trump in breakdown of relations between two countries, 2017. Retrieved from: http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/mexican-president-cancels-meeting-donald-9699668