Juliajms

Here's some good news.

They certainly achieved that much, no doubt. Anyone who isn't actively trying to harm large groups of people would be better. Anyone.

Yes and also a sign of how strange things are. We have such a clash of ideology going on. We careen disaster to hope and back again sometimes in a matter of days.

And probably a lot worse, even now. Who else really has the military to be a global power on the same level? I was thinking just the other day, who will save us from ourselves if things really go to hell? Then I thought of China and what they have done to their population. No one stopped them because the price would be far too high even if it were possible. The same is true for us. I think a lot of nations will find a better economic and ecological partner in China, as long as they can ignore the gross human rights violations. Plus when it comes to xenophobia is there a country more plagued with it than China? I guess it'll be interesting to see how things shake out.

I certainly wouldn't be surprised if 45 found an "enemy" in an attempt to unite us close to the next presidential election. Very true.

I would. I would be very surprised. Why stop when you are in the middle of a major power grab? I can't think of a single reason why they wouldn't back 45 in hopes that RBG (in her 80's) will die. It's not like they needed him to get a conservative on the court anyhow. Pence would have done the same if that's all it's about. I would love nothing more than to see him kicked out on his ass, but I'm not hopeful. I understand if people don't like this guy, but I think he's right. https://twitter.com/MichaelAvenatti/status/1012079664263827458

It's pretty bad if you care about reproductive rights, voting rights or gay rights.

This piece discusses pre-fascism in The U.S. and Italy, although I agree more with the people who see it as the early stages of fascism. I think he is right on when he calls what is happening on our border as a trial balloon. One that worked pretty well overall. https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/fintan-o-toole-trial-runs-for-fascism-are-in-full-flow-1.3543375?mode=amp Fascism does not need a majority – it typically comes to power with about 40 per cent support and then uses control and intimidation to consolidate that power. So it doesn’t matter if most people hate you, as long as your 40 per cent is fanatically committed. That’s been tested out too. And fascism of course needs a propaganda machine so effective that it creates for its followers a universe of “alternative facts” impervious to unwanted realities. Again, the testing for this is very far advanced.

This is obviously more bad news. The message is states can do what they want.

What a nightmare.

F*ck. Also, you weren't wrong. Rumors aren't facts, but as it turns out this time they were correct.

I don't follow the court closely, but I know he's a conservative that doesn't always follow party lines. I guess I'll hope he sticks around, since Trump will almost surely pick someone worse.

Do you think it's a false rumor?

I enjoy your posts. This is such an unstable and dangerous point in our history. I think you are right that some people feel voting isn't going to change anything. We'll find out pretty soon, but I fear more Russian interference and possibly even a crackdown. If we have relatively free and fair elections maybe we will start to see a light at the end of the tunnel.

This isn't who we are. We are better than this. All of those phrases are over used and clearly false. For starters we are a house divided against itself, so there is no "we" when it comes to these issues. 45 is openly using the language and tactics of ethnic cleansing. I keep seeing people say "we haven't learned from history". Learning isn't the problem. The problem is that they agree with calling human immigration an "infestation". On another note 45's tweet about Maxine Waters is disturbing. I hope she makes it through the coming months unscathed.

I'm not saying that and I don't think anyone else here is either. In fact I'm not even debating anything because I completely agree with both you and Carl. What I said is I don't believe we can get rid of ICE under Trump. I didn't say people shouldn't try. Sorry, I'm not going to pretend to believe something I don't. If it happens I'll be thrilled I was wrong. This is interesting.

No way in hell. Sorry to be negative, but I don't see anyway that's happening. If anything I expect things to get worse for the next couple of years.

^ I always figured that ICE was basically INS renamed. I'm all for coming up with an agency that isn't trying to kill or traumatize people, but that's not going to happen until this administration is either ended or reigned in. I agree they are basically going to start over if the US ever gets it's $hit together. Right now we have people who are capable of doing evil things and I don't think you can just retrain them. They are too set in the idea that this is a border war. Trump didn't start it, but he has made it worse. ETA: Looks like INS was merged into ICE: The agencies that were either moved entirely or merged in part into ICE included the investigative and intelligence resources of the United States Customs Service, the criminal investigative, detention and deportation resources of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, and the Federal Protective Service. The Federal Protective Service was later transferred from ICE to the National Protection and Programs Directorate effective October 28, 2009. In 2003, Asa Hutchinson moved the Federal Air Marshals Service from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to ICE,[7] but Chertoff moved them back to the TSA in 2005.[8]

I've wondered the same. I think some of the far left people don't want to replace it at all. That seems unrealistic to me. I agree that they are a dangerous organization, but a lot of that comes from the top. Until we have a better leader, the changes needed to ICE will not happen.

Very interesting article. I would have guessed the U.S. was somewhere in the low 20's and that Germany was higher and Australia lower. They are definitely right about the manipulation that goes on and it's scary to think that the radical right might keep rising because of that.

There are so many apologists for Trump out there it's sickening. "It's just summer camp". "it's better than the projects." F*ck everyone of these people. I thought I had weeded all of the Trumpers out of my life, but one eluded me. Just today with a Facebook post about how that Time's cover was a lie and the little girl in the photo was never taken from her mother. I have no idea if that's true, but it's obviously not the point. Over 2000 were taken, so anyone trying to minimize that trauma is delusional in my book. I just pray the democrats can take back the house in November because we are well and truly a heartless nation right now.

I'm hoping they kill her off. It'll be interesting to see Dan move on.

My vote goes is for a separate thread. Let's have a clean slate.

I think it's sick and disgusting. People need to that kid alone. This is infuriating. https://twitter.com/thehill/status/1009895000031875072

I hope this isn't true.