With the dramatic and painful events in Minneapolis this past week culminating in the killing of another lawfully protesting American citizen, it’s become increasingly common for those outraged at the tactics of ICE and the Border Patrol to refer to them as the “American Gestapo.” That reinforces the rising narrative of ICE as the prototypical jackbooted thugs of a fascist regime, except in this case that regime isn’t Nazi Germany; it’s the current administration in the White House.
I just mentioned to my husband today how ashamed I felt for being so outraged now while this has happened to our brothers and sisters of color for as long as this country has been in existence. It doesn’t make it any less outrageous—it makes it even more disgusting because the reason is STILL THE SAME! Hunting down people of color but now white people are getting in the way and being killed publicly to try and intimidate Us into giving up while these racist assholes continue to genocide groups of people based on their color. Hopefully, we white people have learned the lesson that all of us are expendable to fulfill the goal these fascists have of eradicating anyone who isn’t white and racist just like they are.
Hmm, good question—they remind me of slave ships, nonwhite people crowded together as if they weren’t human beings, hungry, cold, getting sick and dying, murdered, raped, treated with smirking cruelty, in places far away from their families and no way to get in touch with them. Unlike concentration/death camps they are not being worked to death or gassed…oh god this is too much
Millions have come here without official sanction. They have often overstayed their welcome, engaged in criminal activities, created “ anchor babies” , and set up replicas of the places they escaped. It needs addressing. Yet violating our principles is not permissible. The drain on social services, already strained is immense. But they cannot be refused care. A rock and a hard place hardly describes the dilemma.The methods used by the minions of the Turd are despicable. Our ancient tenets and religion forbid them. The courage shown by the victims in demonstrating against them is commendable.
Refusing compliance to authorities corrupt and venal led to our independence. Unfortunately, it was soon replaced by similar deviants, our history is replete with them. This struggle shows no sign of ending, as the song goes, “ Those that gots, is them that gets, and I ain’t got nuttin’ yet”.
Thanks for the GREAT post - I'm a huge fan of "looking in the mirror": I blame the Trump presidencies on myself and all of us on the Left who have not done enough to restrain govt spending and restore meaningful work to vast swaths of blue-collar (Urban AND Flyover) America while "our" side was in power. But I always have to question this linkage between African Americans and immigrants in the country illegally: yes, both groups have been harassed, threatened, wounded, and killed at the hands of US police forces, but African Americans have been here forever and have every right to be. Today's immigrant groups who came here illegally...are here illegally. They (like my own immigrant ancestors at the turn of the 20th century) are here for one reason - to undercut the wages/bargaining power of African American and white US workers who have been here for decades/centuries and want their work conditions to improve. This will never happen in the context of capitalism's endlessly open borders, so these equivalencies only go so far. Thank you again - I always learn from your work!
I just mentioned to my husband today how ashamed I felt for being so outraged now while this has happened to our brothers and sisters of color for as long as this country has been in existence. It doesn’t make it any less outrageous—it makes it even more disgusting because the reason is STILL THE SAME! Hunting down people of color but now white people are getting in the way and being killed publicly to try and intimidate Us into giving up while these racist assholes continue to genocide groups of people based on their color. Hopefully, we white people have learned the lesson that all of us are expendable to fulfill the goal these fascists have of eradicating anyone who isn’t white and racist just like they are.
Very good points. Would you term the ICE detention centers concentration camps? If not, what are they?
Hmm, good question—they remind me of slave ships, nonwhite people crowded together as if they weren’t human beings, hungry, cold, getting sick and dying, murdered, raped, treated with smirking cruelty, in places far away from their families and no way to get in touch with them. Unlike concentration/death camps they are not being worked to death or gassed…oh god this is too much
Millions have come here without official sanction. They have often overstayed their welcome, engaged in criminal activities, created “ anchor babies” , and set up replicas of the places they escaped. It needs addressing. Yet violating our principles is not permissible. The drain on social services, already strained is immense. But they cannot be refused care. A rock and a hard place hardly describes the dilemma.The methods used by the minions of the Turd are despicable. Our ancient tenets and religion forbid them. The courage shown by the victims in demonstrating against them is commendable.
Refusing compliance to authorities corrupt and venal led to our independence. Unfortunately, it was soon replaced by similar deviants, our history is replete with them. This struggle shows no sign of ending, as the song goes, “ Those that gots, is them that gets, and I ain’t got nuttin’ yet”.
Thanks for the GREAT post - I'm a huge fan of "looking in the mirror": I blame the Trump presidencies on myself and all of us on the Left who have not done enough to restrain govt spending and restore meaningful work to vast swaths of blue-collar (Urban AND Flyover) America while "our" side was in power. But I always have to question this linkage between African Americans and immigrants in the country illegally: yes, both groups have been harassed, threatened, wounded, and killed at the hands of US police forces, but African Americans have been here forever and have every right to be. Today's immigrant groups who came here illegally...are here illegally. They (like my own immigrant ancestors at the turn of the 20th century) are here for one reason - to undercut the wages/bargaining power of African American and white US workers who have been here for decades/centuries and want their work conditions to improve. This will never happen in the context of capitalism's endlessly open borders, so these equivalencies only go so far. Thank you again - I always learn from your work!