Letter.

Letter Published in The National UAE on 10Jan 19 The US can ill afford Trump administration’s shutdown   I refer to your article Walls are as much a state of mind as they are physical structures (January 9): Rashmee Roshan Lall’s opinion piece on how the recent US shutdown, which is now in its third week over the contentious US-Mexico border wall, could have made US President Donald Trump more popular with his base was an interesting read.In the history of the US administration, Mr Trump is the first leader to devise his own unique strategy to handle illegal immigration from Mexico, ostensibly to protect US borders and citizens.But while that might be a priority for Mr Trump and those who elected him, it is extremely unpalatable to others.As Ms Roshan Lall has rightly pointed out in this insightful piece, it is a certain state of mind that leads politicians and leaders to build walls.But in doing so, they often ignore other important aspects of governance, including trade, bilateral relationships with neighbours and tourism.If the wall is built – and perhaps even if it is not – the US will find itself isolated, which the nation can ill afford, despite its immense wealth.This is a sad state of affairs indeed.K Ragavan, Bengaluru