Walls. The first elements of the Great Wall of China were constructed during the 7th century BCE. This wall was often altered over time. The most famous rendering was put in place by the first Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang, who completes his version of the wall during the years 220 – 206 BCE. The majority of the currently existing Great Wall was built during the Ming Dynasty, 1368 – 1644.

Began in 122, the Romans built a wall across northern England and it is known as Hadrian’s Wall. In 383 the Romans began their withdrawal from England. The stones from Hadrian’s Wall now mostly reside in the foundations of sturdy barns in the lovely northern English countryside.

Communist Party Leader Nikita Khrushchev started the construction of the Berlin Wall in 1961 for the purpose of stopping people and ideas from migrating. It was torn down in 1989.

What do all these walls have in common? They were all built under autocratic governments – and, they all failed to achieve the purpose for which they were built.

Now we Americans have elected an autocratic thinking president. He wants to build an $18 billion wall to stop drugs and people from crossing our southern border. This is in an age when Amazon is planning on delivering packages by drones, and most of our illegal immigrants simply over-stay their visas. Sort of makes one think of the Maginot Line, doesn’t it?

“Opportunity cost” is an economic concept that poses the proposition that the true cost of Trump’s wall is all of the other things that those18 billion dollars of taxpayer’s money could buy. Isn’t this type of wall actually a monument to stupidity? If so “the Donald” has thought out his memorial wall well.

Doug Morris, Columbus, N.C.