The Shutdown: Walls, DNA and Saving Face

“I would build a great wall, and nobody builds walls better than me, believe me, and I’ll build them very inexpensively. I will build a great great wall on our southern border and I’ll have Mexico pay for that wall.

Source: Donald Trump’s presidential announcement speech June 16, 2015

This is stupid; there I said it. The shutdown is a misguided effort to “save face.” Altruistically it can be framed as the president making good on a promise to build a wall. This Twitstorm left breadcrumbs to ruination. One of the latest from 19 December 2018

I often stated, “One way or the other, Mexico is going to pay for the Wall.” This has never changed. Our new deal with Mexico (and Canada), the USMCA, is so much better than the old, very costly & anti-USA NAFTA deal, that just by the money we save, MEXICO IS PAYING FOR THE WALL!

Source: Donald Trump’s Twitter Feed

Which begs the question, if Mexico is paying for it, why is our government shut down over wall funding? OK, that’s a rhetorical, because the reason is all about saving face. The real question is, how long will this go on and to what extremes will people to spin this? Spin, the story and narrative have to be reshaped – Mexico is paying through USMCA or the story and narrative have to be diverted  as demonstrated by  Congresswoman Warren. Ms Warren claimed a Native American lineage based on stories passed down through generations in her family, President Trump mocked her as Pocahontas.

I won’t sit quietly for @realDonaldTrump‘s racism, so I took a test. But DNA & family history has nothing to do with tribal affiliation or citizenship, which is determined only – only – by Tribal Nations. I respect the distinction, & don’t list myself as Native in the Senate.

Source: Elizabeth’s Warren’s Twitter Feed

DNA reveals Ms Warren  had at least one Native American ancestor dating back six to 10 generations, which would make her between between 1/64th and 1/1,024th Native American. She then goes on tweet about President’s Trumps family history. A story, while true, is a diversion away from the original topic. Sigh. My dad used to say two wrongs don’t make a right. In the case of Warren (not native American) and Trump (mocking Pocahontas) we have two wrongs. However the focus has literally been on he said, she said and potential backlash.

Saving face. Yet, we all do it. We post on social media what will support our vision of how we want our lives to be seen. We post what supports the image we want people to have. As we go through another week that will hopefully bring an end to the shutdown situation, consider the lengths you go through to save face. How often do you reshape the narrative or divert attention to another topic. How do you say I’m wrong, I’m sorry, I’ve changed my view? Finally, do you graciously accept  I’m wrong, I’m sorry, I’ve changed my view?

¹HBO said: “We were not aware of this messaging and would prefer our trademark not be misappropriated for political purposes.”