Would Trump seek to change the territorial extent of the United States?

[Crumpets]

For all of the comparisons to ultra-nationalists of yesteryear and a certain fuhrer-who-must-not-be-named, I have never heard anybody argue that Trump will actually attempt imperial conquest or irredentism (to the extent that the US could even have irredentist tendencies). So, is Trump just pretty much more sane than his personality would imply on this one issue, or is he secretly thinking "54º40' or fight"?

[Lyin' Steve]

Can we have Mexico

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Can we have Mexico

All the brown people have to be deported from it, though.

[Famous Mortimer]

He's compared to Hitler because people are afraid he would put Muslims in camps.

No one thinks he's an expansionist.

Also, if Hitler was JUST an expansionists and hadn't tried to kill the Jews, he'd probably be remembered a lot of differently. Probably still not positively but his name wouldn't be the ultimate insult either. He would hold a similar place in the collective culture as Kaiser Wilhelm.

[Ronnie]

I vote to annex Canada.

[Orthogonian Society Treasurer]

No annexations but I can envision President Trump kicking Puerto Rico out of the union. 6.5 billion in federal welfare annually and it's not even a state, we've got to trim the fat, folks.

[Dr. Arch]

No annexations but I can envision President Trump kicking Puerto Rico out of the union. 6.5 billion in federal welfare annually and it's not even a state, we've got to trim the fat, folks.

Puerto Rico is currently not part of the union, and all Puerto Rican residents are American citizens. They pay federal taxes for all the programs they benefit from, and the US benefits more from Puerto Rico by drawing capital, while Puerto Rico's economy wanes while being restricted as a colonial territory. Even so, the American citizens there don't have a right to have real representation in Congress or vote for presidential candidates in the general election.

[Meclazine for Israel]

"Here's another one."

"Get 'em out."

"Get 'em out."

"Out!"

"Get out"

"Trump. Trump. Trump. Trump. Trump. Trump. Trump. Trump."

"Out!"

"Get her out."

"Get her out."

"Where are these people coming from?"

"Unbelievable."

"She had a Bernie sign."

"Thank You."

"Any other protesters in the room?"

"You know Bernie, our communist friend who is running."

"Get outta here."

"Get her out."

"Exciting are we right."

"Are they out?"

"Are they gone?"

"Ok. Here's the story"

"We will take Mexico"

"Canada as well"

"Canada as well"

"Dont you love it."

[Green Line]

Unfortunately no.

[ag]

One does not need to be an expansionist from the start to wind up in trouble. Trump presidency would mean severe disruption in cross-border cooperation on many issues. I could very well imagine a sequence, sort of, like this.

1. Trump becomes president.

2. Insists on renegotiation of trade/migration/law-enforcement agreements, etc.

3. Negotiations break down. Trump withdraw unilaterally from some of the agreements.

4. Mexico forces closing of a number of offices at the embassy (e.g., DEA), and generally suspends cooperation on law-enforcement.

5. US agents, operating within Mexico on some sort of covert mission (which previously would not have even been covert) get into trouble with local law enforcement. There is either an arrest or shooting, possible deaths (either during the arrest, or in custody - do not underestimate ability of Mexican law-enforcement of screwing up).

6. Trump insists on punishment for those Mexicans involved. Mexico refuses.

7. Trump sends in more agents to get out those detained/punish those responsible on the Mexican side.

8. There is an open clash inside Mexico. Though Americans, of course, are much better trained, it is still Mexico and Mexicans have numbers. More Americans get detained/killed.

9. Trump sends in armed troops to deal with the consequences.

10. Mexican forces initially resist, later, having suffered heavy casualties, fall back further South, leaving effective vacuum of authority in the immediate vicinity.

11. The vacuum gets filled in by the narcos/some sort of guerilla-type paramilitaries

12. Clashes between the US force and the paras lead to Trump sending in more troops to control the area (in the absence of Mexican regular forces, leaving the area uncontrolled could lead to vulnerability of the adjacent sector of the border).

13. Mexico goes into the UN. Massive condemnation in the GA, US vetos the SC resolution, otherwise supported by everybody else, including the UK.

14. A series of guerilla attacks on US units inside Mexico. Guerillas enjoy support of the local population, so US goes on regular patrols of the occupied territory. Casualties among the civilian population result.

15. Guerillas normally escape into the Mexican-controlled territory. Mexican authorities ignore the US demands to prevent further attacks, leading to an expansion of the US-controlled zone (with intention of creating a new buffer between it and the Mexican-controlled safe heavens from which guerillas operate).

16. Guerillas cross the border wall in other sections of the border, conducting what US classifies as terrorist attacks on the US territory and fleeing back to Mexico at the sight of the US forces, which pursue the attackers into Mexican territory. Further clashes with Mexican troops, which withdraw (suffering heavy casualties) further into the country. New guerilla units emerge in the abandoned sectors.

17. A Mexican suicide bomber explodes in a major US city, resulting in significant casualties and damage. It turns out that the attacker crossed one of the still intact sectors of the border. Mexican government declares that, though, of course, it is not encouraging terrorism, it is the US policy that has brought the expected, unfortunate, consequences. Refuses to cooperate in sealing the border.

18. Trump, declaring Mexico incapable and/or unwilling to cooperate against existential threat to the US moves to create the buffer zone inside Mexican territory all along the border.

19. Mexican regular units withdraw (suffering casualties in the process). Guerillas operate all along the US-controlled buffer zone, with training/recuperation camps located in urban areas on the Mexican side.

20. US bombs the camps. Severe damage to urban areas.

Should I continue?

[Negusa Nagast 🚀]

Can we have Mexico

Only Baja California. Maybe an exclave around Cancun.

[100% pro-life no matter what]

If Mexico refuses to pay for the wall, he would take over Mexico until Guatemala agreed to pay for it.

But, the joke would be on him at the end of the day, because all the Mexicans he doesn't want would then be Americans...

[ag]

If Mexico refuses to pay for the wall, he would take over Mexico until Guatemala agreed to pay for it.

But, the joke would be on him at the end of the day, because all the Mexicans he doesn't want would then be Americans...

Well, he would, probably, simply lovingly exterminate us. A final solution to the Mexican question!

[Absentee Voting Ghost of Ruin]

For all of the comparisons to ultra-nationalists of yesteryear and a certain fuhrer-who-must-not-be-named, I have never heard anybody argue that Trump will actually attempt imperial conquest or irredentism (to the extent that the US could even have irredentist tendencies). So, is Trump just pretty much more sane than his personality would imply on this one issue, or is he secretly thinking "54º40' or fight"?

How do you think he's going to get Mexico to pay for that wall of his?

What do you think his "Boots on the ground, take their oil" rhetoric regarding ISIS is about?

[Absentee Voting Ghost of Ruin]

If Mexico refuses to pay for the wall, he would take over Mexico until Guatemala agreed to pay for it.

But, the joke would be on him at the end of the day, because all the Mexicans he doesn't want would then be Americans...

Don't be ridiculous - Trump is going to be taking away citizenship, not giving it to more people. He, like all America's 1%ers, doesn't want to give up his cheap labor.