GoFundMe launched to pay for Trump's border wall, $1M in two days

[LostMarbels]

You have hawks in your house and through wrenches at your hamster? That’s awful...

My son’s hamster just does these things.

All in fun.. got tired of being so serious for a moment.

 

[LostMarbels]

I don't think it's the wall opponents who you have to convince about the campaign being more about symbolism and signaling than about effective policy.

I don't think anyone that isn't convinced needs to be. Opinion or understanding is inconsequential to the reality of building the wall. Individuals do not need to understand or condone it, as long as it is built.

 

[KCfromNC]

So... you still think it will be stopped?

I don't remember writing anything about something being stopped or not. Where do you come up with this stuff?

 

[KCfromNC]

I don't think anyone that isn't convinced needs to be. Opinion or understanding is inconsequential to the reality of building the wall. Individuals do not need to understand or condone it, as long as it is built.

If enough individuals don't condone it, good luck getting the people elected to represent them to fund it.

 

[LostMarbels]

I don't remember writing anything about something being stopped or not. Where do you come up with this stuff?

That's an honest question. I do not need to trap people, or 'come up with stuff'.

Do you think the private funding and/or construction of the wall, will be stopped?

If enough individuals don't condone it, good luck getting the people elected to represent them to fund it.

We do not elect private citizenry. You kind of go right around the bureaucracy that way, and can't really stop private citizens who are engaged in the action. They have the right to spend money as they chose, and private businesses have the right to build and or supply the wall.

 

[Arcangl86]

That's an honest question. I do not need to trap people, or 'come up with stuff'.

Do you think the private funding and/or construction of the wall, will be stopped?



We do not elect private citizenry. You kind of go right around the bureaucracy that way, and can't really stop private citizens who are engaged in the action. They have the right to spend money as they chose, and private businesses have the right to build and or supply the wall.

They do, but I doubt private citizens have the resources to build this wall, especially since the people who own the land might not want to sell and eminent domain requires a government actor.

 

[LostMarbels]

They do, but I doubt private citizens have the resources to build this wall, especially since the people who own the land might not want to sell and eminent domain requires a government actor.

For the most part it is the general labor, skilled labor, heavy equipment, blue collar industries, and mill owners that support both Trump and the wall.

We already own 10 feet on either side of the current border. 20 feet in all. It can be worked with.

 

[iluvatar5150]

We already own 10 feet on either side of the current border. 20 feet in all. It can be worked with.

Who is this "we" you're referring to?

 

[LostMarbels]

Who is this "we" you're referring to?

Who do you think? It's not a hard concept or revelation to understand what I am saying.

 

[iluvatar5150]

Who do you think?

If I knew who you were talking about, I wouldn't have asked.

Is "we":

The federal government?
State governments?
Private citizens?
Some combination of all of the above?

If it's private citizens, are they all Trump supporters? Are they all wall supporters?

It's not a hard concept or revelation to understand what I am saying.

Your overall point isn't difficult to understand, but it seems to me that there are some glaring weaknesses in the assumptions upon which your point is founded. Before I described just how silly your assumptions are, I wanted to make sure I had understood them correctly.

 

[LostMarbels]

If I knew who you were talking about, I wouldn't have asked.

The wall is getting built one way or another by those that want the wall. That's not hard to understand.

It is much easier to say 'we' or 'us' to refer to a 'side' or 'like minded individuals' then to speak in semantics and legalise.

Your overall point isn't difficult to understand,

No kidding... It's blatant.

Before I described just how silly your assumptions are, I wanted to make sure I had understood them correctly.

No need to understand, because I do not care about how silly you think they are. This is the reality. The wall is getting built.

 

[SummerMadness]

Now that the wall guy has spirited off with your money, how does it feel to get hoodwinked? I know a lot of people are laughing at their friends and family who donated with an "I told you so."

 

[LostMarbels]

Now that the wall guy has spirited off with your money, how does it feel to get hoodwinked? I know a lot of people are laughing at their friends and family who donated with an "I told you so."

Where is your proof Kolfage "has spirited off with your money"?

This is either a lie used to dissuade individuals or an honest mistake, but not reality.

 

[Aldebaran]

Where is your proof Kolfage "has spirited off with your money"?

This is either a lie used to dissuade individuals or an honest mistake, but not reality.

Yeah, I was intrigued by that claim and tried to look it up and found nothing about it. More fake news that we have to be on the lookout for.

 

[SummerMadness]

Where is your proof Kolfage "has spirited off with your money"?

This is either a lie used to dissuade individuals or an honest mistake, but not reality.

He's spirited off with your money because he turned the fund into his little non-profit. Yeah, no one saw that coming...

People giving money now aren't building any funds for a wall, they're simply throwing their money into the ether.

Here's a pretty good rundown of the scam:

GoFundMe Campaign for Wall Falls Apart

Speaking of the wall and delusions, ultra-right-wing activist Brian Kolfage, trading to some extent on his status as an injured veteran, started a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds to build Donald Trump's wall. Though the President seeks over $5 billion, the site has an upper limit of $1 billion, so Kolfage started there. He got up to $20 million or so before GoFundMe stepped in and effectively shut things down.

There were a bunch of problems with Kolfage's scheme. First, a private citizen or charity or company cannot simply give money to the government. Congress not only controls accounts payable, they also control accounts receivable. So, they would have to vote to accept the money, which isn't happening. Second, there was zero chance that Kolfage's campaign would raise anything more than a drop in the bucket, overall. Even $20 million, which is pretty impressive, is less than 0.3% of what Trump wants, and likely less than 0.015% of what the wall would actually cost. Third, and finally, Kolfage has past instances of collecting donations for a political cause, only to have the money disappear into the ether.

Anyhow, having collected his $20 million under possibly false pretenses, Kolfage set up a private concern called We Build the Wall, Inc., last week. He redirected all of the donations to it, saying that he and his "team" would begin private construction, since the government wasn't going to accept a check. That is when GoFundMe stepped in; they said this was a violation of their terms of service, and that donors would get their money back unless they specifically instructed that the donation be rerouted to We Build the Wall. Even if the newly-created company is legitimate, they are not going to achieve anything with just a few million dollars and no eminent domain power. And given Kolfage's past, it's pretty likely that We Build the Wall is going to turn into We Pay for Brian's New House and Tropical Vacation. Nonetheless, there's a good chance that he hangs on to at least a million or two. Remember the line about a fool and his money.

 

[LostMarbels]

He's spirited off with your money because he turned the fund into his little non-profit. Yeah, no one saw that coming...

Both topics for the non-profit and giving funds to the Gov were discussed in congress and the tresuary dept before the go fund me even began.

People giving money now aren't building any funds for a wall, they're simply throwing their money into the ether.

Opinion, of which you cannot back up with hard fact.

 

[SummerMadness]

It must be amazing believing in this fantasy project. Enjoy!

 

[essentialsaltes]

Opinion, of which you cannot back up with hard fact.

Is there a timeline you have in mind that would constitute whether the project is a failure or success?

5 miles of 20+ foot tall border wall built by January 1st 2022?

 

[LostMarbels]

Is there a timeline you have in mind that would constitute whether the project is a failure or success?

5 miles of 20+ foot tall border wall built by January 1st 2022?

I guess I would call it a failure if it fails to deliver. I'm not hardset on a timeline. One cannot even be established yet because of the opposition.

 

[essentialsaltes]

I guess I would call it a failure if it fails to deliver. I'm not hardset on a timeline. One cannot even be established yet because of the opposition.

If it fails to deliver what? 10 miles of wall? 1 mile of wall? 100 feet of wall?

What's opposition got to do with it? You have money and volunteers.

How about a smaller goal. From the FAQ: "We are beginning extensive due diligence and the commencement of feasibility studies and will be engaging leading experts in a variety of fields necessary to construct our Border Wall. These professionals will continue to provide us with critical guidance on the legal, engineering, contracting, environmental, accounting, maintenance, and real estate issues required to build a Wall along the Southern Border."

How long until they have absorbed all this information and produced their timeline for the project?