The Trump Administration is getting ready to begin the construction of the wall between the United States and Mexico (some might say that a wall between the United States and Canada would be needed as well but that is a subject for another day…). Also, discussions are going on Capitol Hill about certain programs dealing with immigration and refugees such as DACA for example. In this context, I think it is important to have a complete view and understanding about the problem we are facing and the solutions necessary to solve it. There are four layers to the ‘wall’ the way I see it. First, President Trump wants to build a physical structure between the United States and Mexico, to prevent illegal immigration and the flow of drugs. Good. I support the idea. But we have to realize that the problem is more complex than that. The ‘wall’ as to be understood in a larger manner in order to be effective. The very perspicacious and astute Michael Cutler, a former INS agent, has brought to our attention over the years the question of the ports of entry into the United States. In effect, airports, seaports and border crossings are important vectors of illegal immigration and drug trafficking. So, secondly, unless these ports of entry are secured correctly as well in a way that is satisfactory, the wall will remain insufficient to really protect the country. Also non-physical elements such as programs like E-Verify and others can give a hand to secure the United States. Thirdly, the question of cybersecurity remains central in any security strategy. Since a cyber attack can happen anywhere anytime, the construction of a protective wall must be accompanied by a capable, strong, resilient and effective network of cybersecurity protections, methods and safety mesures in order to support the important investment that will be made in the south of the country. Everybody understands that if a strong border wall is built, invaders and criminals will simply look for weaker spots to attack the United States, physical or cyber.
And fourthly, the question of the virtual or psychological wall is important as well. I think it is the great Chinese military general Sun-Tzu that said that wars are won in the minds before being won on the battlefield. Enemies of the western world know that pretty well, I think. Ideologies have a strong impact on people and they pave the way very often for the quiet conquest of territories. Since a couple of years, we have seen the deployment of islamist militants to impose Shariah Law on our populations. Some have used guns to do it, others have used words. The bottom line is that the ideology of Shariah Supremacism has a strength and a power that is a threat to all western countries and nations. A national security strategy must include that in order to be effective and President Trump seems to be inclined to do just that. Also, ideologies are not the only things that fall under the category of the virtual or psychological. Language is a very potent tool of conquest too. Very often the conqueror will try to suppress the use of the language of the conquered, either at work or in the public space. The slow and progressive diminution of the language in use by a people brings with it the disappearance of the people itself speaking it. It is a very effective way to wipe out a whole nation without using guns or bombs.
Which brings me back to the physical wall…The wall between the United States and Mexico will stop the uncontrolled migration to the United States and Canada of people from around the world but especially from South America. In last years, listening to conservative media in the United States, I heard many times that South Americans, referred to currently as latinos, are creating problems in the many businesses where they work in the United States. We are getting reports that they refuse or can’t speak English there. From what I see here in Canada, it is the same thing. As soon as they reach a certain number of Spanish-speaking employees in one enterprise, they stop speaking English (or French in the Province of Quebec) to use Spanish instead. Some might say that in the era of diversity and multiculturalism it is not a problem. I think it is if we understand the real nature of warfare. The imposition of a language on a people brings about the conquest of this people. This problem has metastasized so much in the United States that certain elected officials have begun to talk openly about making English the official language in certain states of the Union if not in the entire country.
The Province of Quebec has been a precursor in these matters. In 1977, the National Assembly adopter Bill 101 to protect the status of the French language in Quebec and make it both the official language of the province itself and the language of the work place. At the time, it was made specifically to protect the population of Quebec from the imposition of English used by Anglo-Canadians or Americans to operate the conquest of the territory. As you can see, times are changing. Now all western nations see their territory being invaded by foreign and hostile populations, sometimes using violence but some other times using stealthy means such as religion or language. So I beg President Trump, in parallel with the construction of the physical wall, to order the preparation of a bill that would make English the official language of the United States. Our countries face an emergency and strong measures must be put in place to save all our nations with their culture, history and civilization. No need to say that it stands to reason that all nations of the western world should do the same and adopt such a law to protect the language of their national population.
To Make America Great Again starts with a strong wall with its four layers. If it works, the United States will have a very very bright future…in English!
