They just took them.
A frantic young man whose 8 year old was taken from him.
A mother had her 11 and 12 year old daughters with her. Agents told her they were taking the girls for questioning and they'd be right back. But they never returned. I've read this tactic has become standard. Federal agents know the kind of scene they'd see if they told the parents the truth. They know that there is no greater suffering they could inflict than to take a parent's young children away from them.
There are four year olds taken away. Six year olds who just cry all day or hug their parents' pictures, if they are lucky to even have pictures or anyone who is caring for them enough to relay the story to the press. According to Business Insider, nursing babies are being pulled from their mothers' breasts.
The judge exchanged high fives with an associate for prosecuting all of his cases by a target time that day. Every single one pled guilty because they were told that's the fastest way they will see their children again.
I'm not sure if this qualifies as fascism.
But it is an atrocity.
These people are being charged with a misdemeanor. Sessions and Trump know what they are doing. They are intentionally creating a heinous punishment that they believe will deter people from crossing the border.
I've called my Congressmen. They agree but seem helpless. I think they are not doing enough.
People write to me saying it's a gross exaggeration to call Trump a fascist in the making. The fact that the U.S. is one of the oldest and strongest democracies in the world keeps him and the GOP from going there full blown. No matter what you call it, he keeps escalating the authoritarianiam and the cruelty.
I have a feeling that down the road that all these people that are so proud of themselves for doing this are going to suffer greatly, I don't know how but just feel that good things will not be coming their way and am grateful that I won't be one of them.
this is fascism. The people doing this are behaving in ways similar to the Nazis. And when sessions and others quote the bible to justify this policy of their implementation it reminds me of other moments from history. The southern slave owners who justified slavery by quoting the bible and the many churches that worked with the Nazi's during the second world war. I'm so scared for those kids, the pain inflicted on them is horrific.
What they're doing is unconstitutional. The ACLU is suing over it and I think they will prevail. It's horrifying but it won't last. In the meantime even right wing evangetical leaders are voicing pretty strong opposition. Even Franklin Graham opposes it, which says a lot.
I feel this will be one of the catalysts that helps the blue wave in November, which, at this point, is the only thing that can serve as a check on this monster of a president. As morally repugnant as this policy is, it is shining a light on just how cruel this trump and has administration are. They won't be able to hide from this.
As he does worse things and gets away with them, there is no change to stop him. The GOP continues to be quiet and the Democrats are sending me emails and going on talk shows. So who is running the country? Trump and the wealthy that support him. If it’s not a fascist state, what is it?
Fox continues to be complicit as its loyal viewers continue to believe all is fantastic. How do we hold them responsible for the damage they are doing as well?
Anita
Natalie, I agree that this is Fascism. We don’t know what to reference, though, so we haven’t had a way to talk about it except to compare it to the NAZIs. I just started reading a book that really helped me to comprehend what it is precisely. It’s Putin’s favorite fascist philosopher at work here. The book is called, “The Road to Unfreedom” by Timothy Snyder. Here is one of the author’s essays: http://www.nybooks.com/daily/2018/03/16/ivan-ilyin-putins-philosopher-of-russian-fascism/
Ok, I have to speak out on this one. I have had many years where I worked on Human Rights issues and did what I could to help and assist those that were struggling with what was right. My worst experience, abroad, was during the Bosnia War, when a totally fascist Serbian Government was committing genocide against the Bosnians. Several times it looked as if the Serbs would win, and that the Bosnians would be "Palastinianised". Over 300,000 were killed, and a million turned into refugees. It looked hopeless. I had discussions with shocked Bosnian Government officials about the massacre going on right in front of their eyes. There were also some scandinavian NGO groups, in Human rights. The end result was that we said to the Bosnians, "Listen. Even if it seems hopeless, document it. Keep records. Get international help. List every war criminal you hear about. Every Serbian official that you hear of, every massacre, every camp, etc etc.....One day, it might take years, there might be justice. There might be war crimes court. We were told we were fools. But it actually happend. The International Tribunal and war crimes court did appear. It pursued those who committed such crimes.They were brought to justice. in such times, it is all you can do. The ACLU is stalwart, but facing a massive deconstruction of the American social and political and legal system and norms.
The Trump objective is to "Normalise horror". To degrade official behavior, and to make every day, what is abnormal, and which no country should have to endure. also, some will say that it is wrong to compare events in America with those in Fascist countries.
Actually, most fascist countries had times before they became fascist. It did not happen overnight. They were subjected to exactly the processes that America is now undergoing.
The objective of these processes is to condition and prepare Americans to accept and not resist against what is being done to them. What you are seeing at the borders will spread, like a plague, unless it is stopped. I have seen this, with my own eyes, and unless Americans start organizing and acting, it will happen to them, as well. I think that in border areas, groups need to be set up, that can track what is going on, and use the freedom of information acts to track the crimes of their own government officials. Remember the Bosnians. One day, there could be a court. It might even be in America.
I wish to God all enlightened people that are able, would do something. I feel sick inside with all going on under our noses, leading us to this demise.
Thank you Zoron for weighing in.
It would help if more people understood the history of fascism and the many forms it has taken. I’ve been chastised for saying this the trump administration is fascist and that this was not officially fascism. But after reading the history and meaning of fascism, I realize that term is not just about Mussolini who coined it. It has had wide meaning about a number of regimes with some common theme that fit the Trump administration.
I keep in mind that In July 2016 I saw Donald trump in a vision standing on the January 20, 2017 inaugural platform scowling and holding a Roman fasces, the symbol of fascism. Then after he was elected I saw him in another vision in December 2017 awaiting the Electoral College vote looking like a baby lion.
When I read the literature on fascism, I see that Donald Trump ressembles other fascists in his behavior and in the ideology he expresses: (1) His tendency towards the use of rallies to spread his violent doctrines; (2) violent solutions to getting his way, (3) his nationalism, (4) his authoritarianism, (5) His disregard for the rule of law, and (his) his attempt to destroy the media (6) His xenophobic beliefs, (7) his desire to cleanse America of immigrants which is both xenophobic and racist. Notice that it’s okay that his wives are immigrant and his children the product of immigrants because they are white, though not Northern European.
All he has needed is permission to rule the way he wants to rule and we will be living in a fascist state with all of the brutality of past fascist regimes.
I am opening up a topic on fascism in this country so people can wake up to what is happening. Madeline Albright has spoken about it in her tour on her new book Fascism: A Warning.