In addition to deliberately traumatizing immigrant families, racist policies that deliberately target people of color, blatantly violating asylum laws, and hamstringing justice by overloading the immigration system and federal courts with meritless cases, the administration is targeting humanitarian groups who are attempting to save lives, particularly those who have highlighted anti-humanitarian actions (like destroying water supplies left in the desert). Four aid volunteers found guilty of dropping off water, food for migrants in Arizona desert (USA Today). To my knowledge, every previous such case, or conviction, has been thrown out. Nonetheless, it is a staple of this administration to dehumanize the downtrodden and to target critics to suppress both criticism and action. It is impossible to properly describe my disgust, or to accurately describe their inhumane policies without resorting to curse words and less than polite, though completely accurate, language.

I think I have seen that dystopian movie

I don't think that most people realize that we're in an existential fight. Trump is just the latest manifestation of the disease, but we've been fighting it for decades. Democracy is in peril, along with the world economy, and the planet itself (and with it, humanity).

Malicious actors within and without the government are attacking democratic institutions world wide. Putin and Xi are just the most public antagonists. The Republican party, at least since Gingrich, have been actively trying to destroy democracy from within. Conservative parties around the world are following similar paths and strategies. They are agnostic about who they join forces with. Their techniques are multifold, some obvious, some underground, from vote suppression, to vilifying government, to making government dysfunctional, to old-fashioned disinformation campaigns.

The results are becoming unavoidable - economic collapse, global weather catastrophes, humanitarian crises the world over. World War II is going to seem tame and uncomplicated in contrast.

Yeah...it's hard to remain optimistic in the face of it.

And yet somehow I do.

I guess democracy is not important if you are going to lose power. Republicans are facing demographic changes in the US that drive them from power, unless they can make it "only White male property owners can vote" again. Pretty much every crappy thing they have done is explained by this.

You are so correct. These people are breaking the law and do not belong here. If they want to come to the US, let them follow the rules of the US. If they break the law to enter the US, then they are useless. They cannot work legally, they are usually under educated, usually do not speak English and add nothing to society except for another drain on society.

NW,
For a smart guy you take a lot of liberties with logic. You understand the law (I thought you were a lawyer), yet you talk gibberish about These people's governments have failed them and instead of doing something about it, they run away. For that reason alone, they should not be welcome.

It is these people who attack democratic institutions world wide. Look what has happened in Europe, look what is happening in Mexico where their resources are being devoured by "caravans" of cowards and children. Hell, these people are abandoning their children to get them into the US. While I understand the sentiment, it is the ultimate sin to abandon your child to the unknown.

Nope, it isn't Trump doing damage, it is people like you who see a group of criminals and want to spend other people's to take care of them. The mayor of Boston volunteered to put illegal aliens up in city hall. He wouldn't do the same thing for legal citizens of Massachusetts. He, like so many other people in politics, was just looking to make press, not progress. Stop telling me that I am a bad guy for not wanting these people here. America has enough issues right now without importing more of them.

Tim

WOW


Get your mirror out and look deeply into it. still don't see it ... let me help


Yep and absolutely no one ... none .... nobody ... has said open the borders and allow everyone in. However, everyone including liberals has said follow the law. Where you hear voices telling you liberals are saying otherwise, is nothing more than some delusional right wing nut creating the fictional strawman.


Had you not prefaced this statement with your scree about illegals I would have thought you meant the huge chunk of Americans who fit that description, but what is most revealing about your statement is you must think that chunk is every bit as useless and a drain on America and its resources, and yet you never attack them.

Here goes the paragraph which I will allow you to fill in with your explanation why, because you can deport one group and not the other?

It was another time many years ago in a far far away country when people from all corners of the globe began finding their way to the Americas ... many running from failed governments ... perhaps your family was one of those? All of my ancestors fit the bill.


So desperate helpless people are attacking democratic institutions? Do you think there is a global conspiracy trying to bring western democracies down and the leaders are using people who are attacked in their own countries as the foot soldiers in this war?

Why do you not think Mr Trump is not attacking democratic institutions? He attacks the judicial system for not doing what he wants. He attacks the intelligence institutions because he irrationally believes they are a part of some deep state conspiracy. He attacks the fundamental values upon which our nation was founded, and yet you believe asylum seekers are attacks democratic institutions? I think you have confused straining resources with an attack.


No one ... I just don't know what words are necessary for you to comprehend "no one" wants illegals here. Further NO ONE wants to import illegals.

You may be confused about illegals and asylum seekers. Two different sets of people. Asylum seekers are trying to enter LEGALLY.

What makes any discussion with you extremely difficult is I believe you are confused about the issues but clear about what you believe.

It helps that we are old farts....

Good article connecting the Republican hatred toward government to everything happening now:

Republicans Cynically Demonized Government For Decades


If government consists of bad people doing bad things, then shutting it down must be a good thing! This fantasy leads directly to such nonsense as “Keep your government hands off my Medicare.”

Government is not the problem, Republicans are. They don't want to govern, so they can't govern. What the shutdown is demonstrating to ordinary Americans is that the government does a great deal for them, and that Republicans are not their friends. Put Larry Kulow, Steve Mnuchin and Wilbur Ross on TV more often. These are the idiots that Republicanism promotes. The worst and most clueless.