The J.D. Vance Project 2025 Housing Plan: Mass Arrests and the Elimination of 20,000,000 people

"I think it's interesting that people focus on, well, how do you deport 18 million people? Let's start with 1 million.  And then we can go from there," Just Dishonorable Vance said.

Lost in the whirlwind of the last months in the 2024 election cycle is the Monstrous Republican Plan to round-up 20,000,000 people and eliminate them.

Now, read very carefully.  Yes, I'm sure you've heard Republicans claim this is just going to be a deportation program for "illegals" and is going to be very legal with absolutely no evil intent.  Well, that's just malarkey or more directly complete and utter horse shit.

Republicans are Fascists.  One tenet of fascism is you issue orders;  a Fascist like Couch Fucker Vance or ugly weirdo Trump, issues the immoral, impossible, or insane dictates, then leaves it bureaucratic state to implement them.  They know people who believe in service or government or law&order will try and figure out how best to make this "lawful" order happen despite all the logistic difficulties, moral quandaries, and illegal gray areas.  This is precisely what happened in Iraq and Poland, during the illegal torture program Bush and Cheney dictated, which Don Rumsfeld ordered, and John Yoo sanitized, and Naval Lawyer Ron DeSantis vigorously defended.  They relied on regular CIA agents and normal everyday people to carry out the actual acts of torture without specifying how and thus the upper levels of the Bush Regime got away with their War Crimes.

Project 2025 Housing/Deportation Plan

And make no mistake, the mere act of ordering Law Enforcement to round-up millions of people is going a monstrous crime and rend the Nation apart.  I think when local Police forces collapse under the strain of such unlawful commands, and (some) State Police Departments refuse to follow orders, that's when Project 2025 people are expecting there to be plenty of rightwing paramilitary volunteers whom they can deputize to go around pulling people out of restaurant kitchens, kicking in doors of homes in the middle of night and pulling them from their beds.

Stephen Miller euphemistically called the Concentration Camps he and the Republicans will set up "The Staging Grounds"...

And Vance hasn't just spoken about rounding-up and eliminating 20,000,000 once but over and over and over and over again.  But, the Corporate Media's job is never to push for policy details from the likes of Trump or Vance, it's to polish those turds and bothsides every issue while working tirelessly to tamp down Harris/Walz momentum.

“People always say, Well, isn't it really difficult logistically to get all these illegal immigrants out of the country? Well, first of all, the first thing you have to do is stop the bleeding,” Vance said. “The second thing is, okay, well, ‘now that we've gotten illegal immigration as close to zero as physically possible, what are you and President Trump going to do about the 20 million illegal aliens who are here?’ And I think of it, it's kind of like somebody asking me, ‘well, that's a really big sandwich. It's 10 times the size of your mouth. How are you possibly going to eat the whole thing?’”

J.D. Vance is about squared away as a Soup Sandwich.  That fucking fat fascist has attached himself to America's Hitler, the Shit Sandwich he and the Republicans want to feed the American people bite after bite after bite is nothing less than the destruction of the United States of America.

Addendum: I should add that Laws enacted by States, such as Illinois Legislature passing the Illinois Way Forward Act in 2021, to buttress smaller laws passed by Counties and Chicago to protect Immigrants would not stand in the Way of the Totalitarian Trump Secret Police rounding up and brutalizing hispanic peoples.  Although I don't know any self-respecting Sheriff or municipal Deputy Chief who is going to take orders fro Steve Bannon or Stephen Miller all got up in Fascist garb.

ETA:

The Fucking New York Times is once again all on-board with Nazi proposals and has to make sure the BothSides BothSides BothSides BothSides narrative is the narrative of the Corporate Media.

Republicans hate America 23: If you love Migrants so much why don't you house them?

"We can fight about fixing the border or we can fix it..." - President Biden, State of the Union March 7, 2024.

If you love the immigrants so much why don't you put them in your house?  In Chicago, at least, one man is doing his best to answer this disingenuous rhetorical retort with "Alright..."

Joselin Mendoza sleeps on the floor of a cold stone basement with her two kids at a house in Roseland.

The property’s owner Chris Amatore came by in a truck one day in January and offered her the chance to leave a city-run shelter before she and her family were kicked out.

He has now resettled close to 500 migrants in 15 buildings around the city, spending $150,000 of his own money, he said.

Amatore’s solution isn’t a long-term fix — for himself or the migrants, who are grateful for the vacant buildings they now call home. He is facing strong backlash from community members and city officials, as housing experts raise alarms about what is going to happen to thousands of people without assistance. 

This man's humanity, compassion and dedication to his fellow man are beyond reproach.  He's a General Contractor who founded, a company Manage Chicago, most likely buying and flipping homes and buildings.  Now... Flippers and General Contractors can be ruthless predators but, Chris Amatore apparently put his money where his mouth is this winter.

However, 'this why don't you do it' is the Gotcha Lib! rhetoric question rightwingers use to put you on the defensive and "prove" you're a hypocrite when it comes to the so-called Migrants crisis.  Now, understand the Republicans don't frame this as a human crisis but use the phrase Border Crisis.  This is deliberate.

The reason I (or even a business like Manage Chicago) don't simply house all the immigrants is the same reason I don't simply solve the Israel/Palestine problem... Such problems are too big for any one person to solve or handle alone.  Of course, this is precisely the reason Man (Homo Politicus) came together to form Government in the first place; to deal with problems which are too big for anyone to address.  Of course, the Republican solution for immigrants is the same for the Palestinians; Total Eradication.

Now, this Gotcha Lib! bad faith device has been used by rightwingers before as they've said this for decades about homeless (or unhoused people) i.e. if you really want to hep the homeless you'd let them stay in your house.

And now a variation is being used to undermine the military aid to Ukraine as Republicans have apparently discovered many Veterans Republicans have been fucking over for years are homeless.

Of course, Republicans are full of shit because just like everything they say they have no intention of every following through.  But, they've played the Corporate Media to reporting Republican words are as good as action.  Being a conservatives means having No Memory and shamelessly using their past panics and phony crisis to undercut the current dilemma. 

 Republicans have claimed over and over again in committee meetings and interviews that Joe Biden is so senile he can't speak.  Biden just talked rhetorical circles around every Republican in the chamber.

One of the avenues of attack, Republicans have taken on President Biden is to invent "The Border Crisis".

In Katie Breathy Britt's, vile lie filled speech she referenced the border 9 times without mentioning the people.  Well, except to tell a Massive Lie (using the Excluded Middle Fallacy) about a trafficked young woman allowing rightwing drones to believe it was happening under President Biden when, in fact, the situation occurred in Mexico, in 2004, when George Worst Ever was President.

But, have you noticed that in order to demonize President Biden, it is necessary for Republicans to remove humanity from "The Crisis".  Dehumanization is the first step towards death trains and concentration camps.

But, Republicans are planning far, far worse.  Rightwingers across the country claim the Border is the biggest issue facing America.  They've dutifully been conditioned and if Trump gets back in, they will dutifully support the next step for the "illegals";  Rounding-up and elimination.

Mike Davis, one of the men under consideration by Trump and the Project 2025 for Attorney General, proudly told rightwingers in September 2023 he would “unleash hell on Washington, D.C." , would "indict President Joe Biden and every other scumball, sleazeball Biden,” and helping pardon those found guilty of crimes associated with the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol. 

“We’re gonna deport a lot of people, 10 million people and growing—anchor babies, their parents, their grandparents,” Davis said. “We’re gonna put kids in cages. It’s gonna be glorious. We’re gonna detain a lot of people in the D.C. gulag and Gitmo.”

Steve Bannon, says the 2024 Election is a referendum on "deportation" of 10,000,000 people.

But, remember there always is that unspoken middle between what Republicans openly talk about now and the physical deportation of 10 MILLION people.  How do you find them?  How do you arrest and process them?  Where do they go when awaiting deportation?  

Stephen Miller went further, 

“You grab illegal immigrants, and then you move them to the staging grounds, and that’s where the planes are waiting”

"The Staging Grounds" are that unspoken middle, Millions of people in concentration camps and you absolutely know that will result in huge number of deaths, rapes, and other crimes as once Republicans have successfully demonized "illegals" and have millions of people in custody far from peoples eyes it will be easy for Conservatives to simply accept the liquidation of these people.

In 2025, if they've managed to secure power Republicans will destroy the United States of America.  Democrats build, Republicans destroy.  The choice for President is clear and simple;  Either you support Joe Biden and the United States or you fundamentally wish to end the Democratic Republic and replace it with a Christian Fascist Nation.

Additional:

I don't think it can be stated strongly enough just how much Republicans hate America and loathe the American people.  Republican Senator James Lankford was censured by the Oklahoma GOP for being seen during the SOTU saying "It's True." as President Biden laid out exactly how Donald John Traitor Trump scuttled the Bi-Partisan Border Security Bill.  There is no greater sin than correctly reporting Republican actions.  Republicans absolutely have no interest in governing or solving problems; they are laser-focused on destroying the United States.  Republican-led domestic terrorism is coming when Trump loses in 2024, be prepared...

Pigfvckers Darren Bailey, Sean Hannity, and Curtis Silwa endorse violence against immigrants (Faux News and Guardian Angels attack innocent man on air)

Bailey's Farm 1172 Miles from Eagle's Pass  

That pigfvcker Darren Bailey is back at it again.  Now, even though the "Bailey Family Farm" is located just south of Effingham, Illinois nearer to the border with Kentucky than anywhere close to Mexico, Pigfvcker Bailey decided he needed to travel to Eagle's Pass, Texas.  As you may have guessed his press conference afterwards was an endorsement of voting for Pigfvcker Darren Bailey,

 

“Friends, it’s time to vote for a secure border. It’s time to vote for a safe America.  It’s time to vote for me.”

As with Jim Oberweis, there's something about these wanna-be Landed Gentry who believe they are the Patrician Class and political office is owed to them as their birthright.  Darren Bailey absolutely believes he is owed Illinois office and the deference from the American people.  Bailey also repeated lies about "illegal" immigration and fentanyl and was accompanied by Illinois Freedom Caucus State Rep. Blaine Wilhour another downstate Illinois farmer.  Wilhour spoke about the need to stand up to Governor J.B. Pritzker, an end to sanctuary cities, and the help for Illinois residents instead of migrants.  

Hilariously, the real problems at the border are the various factions of Reactionaries turning on one another at Eagle's Pass as they learn Faux News and rightwing liars, lied to them again.

One of the most bad faith tacks rightwingers take when talking about money for Migrants is too bemoan that money could be going to homeless veterans.  It's the most disingenuous bait-and-switches Republicans use, similar to how they try to distract from every mass shooting and sensible gun control law by talking about Mental Health, which is another thing Republicans will never fund.

Republicans have no intention of helping homeless veterans, Republicans routinely piss on Veterans.  While Chickenhawk coward Sean Hannity was broadcasting an attack on President Biden and giving a bullshit monologue claiming Eric Adams and New York City liberals should be giving homeless veterans a $106,000 debit card they are giving migrants, his bad faith broadcast was interrupted by Curtis Silwa proclaiming, "our guys have just taken down one of these migrants."  Because "they've taken over.  They're taking over."

Sean Hannity has always loved domestic violence

“The Guardian Angels spotted him, stopped him, he resisted, and let’s just say we gave him a little pain compliance,” Sliwa said. “His mother, back in Venezuela felt the vibrations. He is sucking concrete. The cops scraped him off the asphalt. He’s on his way to jail.”

FUCK YEAH!  Pain Compliance!  His momma felt the vibrations!  BOOM!  Suck Concrete!  Nice admission to the crime of battery and unlawful restraint but, Republicans are already comfortable with the idea of rounding-up people and shipping them off to camps.  If you resist well, rightwing paramilitary terrorists will make sure you "suck a little concrete" before your train ride to a concentration camp.

Well, guess what?  It turns out the man is a New Yorker from the Bronx and not a "dastardly" immigrant and was merely speaking Spanish and Silwa invented a story about him "shoplifting" to justify the assault & battery his Red Beret Paramilitary terrorists visited upon him. (Crooks & Liars).

I am completely unsurprised the "Guardian Angels" saw a brown person, accosted him, and threw him onto the street.  Look, don't kid yourself, Fascism is already here.  Faux News labeled this video "Guardian Angels stop Migrant Attack in NYC"...  Republicans will call their violent mistreatment of migrants and "suspected" migrants as enhanced Internal Border Patrol and beef up and super charge the Homeland Security Apparatus and then use it as all Authoritarians do; to cow and control the populace at home.  Of course, the circle of enemies will expand from migrants, to those who aid migrants, to LGBTQ+ persons, to women who get abortions, to anyone suspected of being associated with an abortion, to anyone teaching children wrong American history, to anything Republicans can come up to send people to the massive concentration camps Republicans have already planned to create Day 1 in 2025.

This is how The Law works in a rightwing dictatorship, you are guilty on sight and if you resist then you get roughed up (or killed) before being taken away.  Just ask any black person you might know about the presumption of innocence.

I'm not telling you to take to the street and fight the foaming at the mouth angry white people but, have you thought of what you'd do watching a gaggle of fat white fuckers throwing around and beating some Person of Color or a young person who they claim is a "biological male"?  Be brave if you can, but be prepared.

Migrant Buses and the Government's inability to respond to a crisis Part 5: Caravan of Conservative Terrorists on the way to the Border

There may be a convoy of armed rightwing domestic paramilitary terrorists is heading to the Texas border to bolster Greg Abbott, Dan Patrick, and Ken Paxton's play.  (Never forget Republicans are so fat and financially well-off that the can take off for weeks or months and drive 1000's of miles bringing their arsenals of expensive guns to go Glamping and Cosplaying Cops in the Texas desert.). They call themselves TOBB and 'God's Army' as conservatives continue to make violations of Godwin's Law meaningless, knowing that the FNYT will simply not call them Fascists and will continue to BothSides everything, while making Republican Perfidy just palatable enough for the largely politically unmotivated middle able to punch that (R) on the ballot with a semi-clear conscience.  

"Let me tell you, I'm not willing to do too damn much right now to help a Democrat," Republican Rep. Troy Nehls of Texas told CNN this week. 

Republicans not only have no intention of doing anything constructive in reference to the border and immigration, it looks like they are hoping to spark a shooting confrontation with Federal forces.  And you know these Convoy Cosplay gun-tottin' yahoos are just itchin' to shoot a brown person. 

Republicans saw the Trump loving murderer in El Paso as a model and a Hero.

Republicans have nothing to offer the American people.  They are not interested in anything to help the American people or to effectively govern the United States, nor any desire to interact with the wider world other than to play big swinging dick and tell everyone else well, SUCK. ON. THIS!  It's Rule or Ruin.  That's what's going on and that's what 2024 is all about.

I've said before but, when The Left (writ large) became so disgusted by the criminal and oppressive actions of Republicans and rightwingers we made a "mistake" in allowing them to co-opt the language of Patriotism, Freedom, and Liberty.  Republicans profane the Untied States of America but, they learned from the mistakes of their ideological ancestors in the Confederacy and have worked for decades to infiltrate, subvert, co-opt, and pervert the Nation into an ungovernable conglomeration of little fascist fiefdoms.  It's the same with religion, or more specifically christianity in America.  The abuses by the religious leaders, the dehumanization of people written into dogma, and the massive on-going grift by various denominations have allowed the worst people to claim the mantle of religious leadership.

Will this Texas border stunt turn into Mahleur Bird Sanctuary or a Waco?  Well, Biden was no doubt advising President Obama not to let the Bundy Insurrection (#1 or #2) turn into a large scale Ruby Ridge, which the Bundy Klan and Supporters definitely wanted but, this time we have a Governor and multiple "Law Enforcement" Agencies in Texas defying Supreme Court rulings and ratcheting up the pressure for a shoot-out.  Faux News continues to call this a Civil War, so you know diaper wearing rightwing grandpas watching at home are itching for this to be the Casus Belli, and open insurrection they've yearned for, for so, so long.

Understand quite clearly, Republicans have no desire to fix "The Border" because it has supplanted "Abortion" as the cause célèbre for Republicans to gin up Fear and Anger amongst their rabid base.  Notice how Republicans are fighting to make sure Abortion is nowhere on any ballot in 2024.

Legislative efforts in Missouri and Mississippi are attempting to prevent voters from having a say over abortion rights, building on anti-abortion strategies seen in other states, including last year in Ohio.

I will be amazed but, not surprised if Republican Treachery in Texas results in electoral victories for Traitor Trump and other Republicans in the 2024 elections because this bullshit border theater is too early to be an October Surprise.  But, the Republicans have subverted the government at many levels and will continue to do so not only because it helps them get elected but, also because Republicans don't believe in a functioning government. 

So... where are we right now?  Republican Governors are openly pledging their allegiance to this Texas Sedition and sending their National Guardsmen to help.  Republican Congressmen are clearly behind the effort and if something goes sideways I believe Texas Republicans and the various rightwing paramilitary are going to declare some sort of Declaration to overthrow the criminal Biden Crime Family by any means necessary.

Migrant Buses and the Government's inability to respond to a crisis: Part 4: Texas threatens to Secede; every Republican is a Traitor to the US

Briscoe Cain
“Let’s see them enforce it.” 

Additional: 

Republicans in Texas have decided they will not comply with the Supreme Court ruling and will not recognize President Biden’s authority.  It appears Greg Abbot believes he can force a reaction from the President which bad faith Republicans will use to justify their upcoming decision to engage in open rebellion, violence and Civil War 2.0.  

Clearly, Abbott and Republicans in the Federal Government see no problem with cosplaying CivilWar Nullification crisis actors and expect that the Corporate Media and their rightwing drones will blame Biden for Texas Lawlessness as we edge ever closer to that day Republicans decide to attack the United States of America... again.

Part of me wants to see Texas secede and Get the Fuck Out of Here Texas.  It's a shithole State that's only been kept afloat with massive influx of Federal cash.  LBJ really fucked America over by making sure Houston was going to be NASA's headquarters.

Like, everything that's bigger in that shithole state, Texas has always had an oversized share of assholes, from the Jerry Jones and his Dallas Cowboys to the Texans who fought for slavery to the Texans who got the shit kicked out of them by Santa Anna at the Alamo, to the current crop of assholes Greg Abbott, Dan Patrick, and Ken Paxton.

I'd like to see Texas leave the Union and try to make it on it's own.  But, it's fascinating to watch these

Two-Tiered Justice System at Work!

Republican controlled states simply ignore the Supreme Court while Republicans everywhere expect us to continue to adhere to the decisions of 6 unelected wannabe Priests without push back. 

Now, if Texas were to go, I would place crushing sanctions on them and this wouldn't be punitive for leaving but simply back pay for the United States taking on Texas massive debt in the 1800's.  Something like $100,000,000,000 Trillion should cover it, the IMF can place sanctions on the militant Nation of losers and make sure Texas pays its' debts to US while they try to make it on their own.

But, of course Texas isn't going to secede or succeed.  They along with the conservative movement have become too successful at infiltrating and subverting the United States Government to simply take their Hats and go home.  For instance, Ken Paxton sent demand letters and subpoenas to a Seattle, Washington Hospital to appear in person and answer his questions under oath.

The first demand, which has an issue date of Nov. 17, told the hospital that the OAG was investigating “misrepresentations regarding Gender Transitioning and Reassignment Treatments and Procedures and Texas law” that allegedly violated the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices-Consumer Protection Act.

That demand gave the hospital until Dec. 7 to produce documents to the OAG for the agency to identify the following:

• All medications prescribed by the hospital to Texas children
• The number of Texas children treated by the hospital
• Diagnosis for every medication provided by the hospital to Texas children
• Texas laboratories that performed lab tests for the hospital prior to prescribing medications
• Protocol/guidance for treating Texas children diagnosed with gender identity disorder, gender dysphoria or endocrine disorders
• Protocol/guidance on how to “wean” a Texas child off gender transitioning care

Notice first how Republicans claim ownership of children.  "Texas children" as though they belong to the State.  That's the filthy secret of the Moms for Liberty, PraegerU, and every other rightwing fascist organization going;  they feel absolutely entitled and empowered to own people, especially children.  Republican States have been receiving money from Democratic States for decades now they feel confident in reviving Fugitive Slave Laws to control other states legislatures.  Just before Republicans attempted to overthrow the United States Government on January 6th 2021, Texas sued multiple states to overturn their election results. 

Texas is going to stomp and cry and evil fvcking pricks like Abbott, Paxton, Dan Patrick will be invited on Faux News to continue undermining the United States of America as "homegrown" terrorists who are trying to destroy the Nation and replace it with a Neo-Confederate Fascist Fundamentalist slave state, held aloft by the pillars of white power and patriarchy. 

I have no doubt that Abbott, Paxton, and Patrick are hoping the Traitor Republicans in Congress will push some bullshit and threaten to "Imeach" President Joe Biden.  But, no Texas won't Secede anytime soon.  We, the People, are stuck with Republicans and they've made it clear that they intend to Rule or Ruin America. 

Vote.  Volunteer.  Help Democratic candidates.  But, get ready.  Because Republicans in 2025 are going to unleash waves of State sponsored terrorism across the Nation if they gain control of the Federal Government.

Migrant Buses and the Governments inability to respond to a crisis - Part 3: Stop the Buses!

The Migrant Crisis is only a crisis of ill preparation and 50 years of Republican perfidy in slashing social services, cutting taxes on the rich, and hollowing out the administrative state.  Dealing with this relatively small influx of people could be handled by the government.  It's not 1909 anymore with Immigration agents asking people to sign cards declaring they aren't Anarchists.  But, taxes have kept low and we can't have large number of government workers on the payroll because Government doesn't Work.

Start thinking of why the people who denigrate government often run to be in charge of it and why they want you to believe government can't handle issues like the migrants and asylum seekers being trucked here under false pretenses from Texas assholes.

Of course, the response from the suburbs in the collar counties has been less than admirable.  Numerous small suburbs have passed ordinances banning the dumping of migrants in their towns.  Especially, when the Kankakee County Sheriff's panicked just before Christmas because 30-40 people were abandoned at a gas station before dawn.

Now, the complaint is small villages in DuPage, Lake, suburban Cook, and the nearby counties aren't equipped to take in large number of migrants might be true, but why is that?

First off, I think villages and everyone of these communities could take in 10-20 people and house them temporarily but, most have allocated zero budgetary funds and have made zero preparations with local churches or charities, and because small suburbs have bitterly resisted building any sort of temporary or homeless shelters because NIMBY.  Thus, fail to plan, plan to fail and all that...

So, as Chicago began to decide buses could not drop off migrants without having coordinated first and began turning away buses full of people.  The suburban response is to tell the buses to keep going.  In my town there was such a panic in December of buses stopping in town that we (i.e. the Police) were supposed to follow them and ensure they don't stop, if the bus did stop we were to ensure the migrants didn't get off.  As far as I know there is no "official" policy from the town board or city manager, obviously due to the fear of lawsuits.  But, in many other suburbs residents have expressed their desire to help.

It's would certainly be better than keeping the migrants on the buses because the sub-zero cold will kill the lightly dressed people.  The bitter negative degree temperatures will supposedly abate by this Monday so we'll see what happens.

Now, I think IDOT, the Illinois State Police, and Secretary of State should have asked for guidance from the Governor's office and treated the busing of undocumented people north as a case of possible human trafficking.  Which means detaining drivers, impounding vehicles, and conducting a thorough investigation, including filing charges against the owners of any companies engaged in a conspiracy.  Now, I read that the migrants who arrive here have supposedly signed affidavits requesting transport but, regulations for shipping people are laxer than those for transporting livestock.

The federal Department of Transportation in conjunction with the FAA and airport authorities at Rockford, Midway, and elsewhere should have taken a stronger hand and suspended the shipping licenses for whatever shitkicker backwater Texas airline/bus company is transporting people as well as investigating the companies for human trafficking.  

But, instead the Texas bus company Wynne Transportation LLC, trucking migrants north filed a federal lawsuit against Illinois for interfering with interstate commerce and for "intentional discrimination".  Chicago is again the second city because New York City did the right thing suing 17 bus companies in Texas for $708,000,000 with Docket No. 01 at the beginning of the year. 

Now, these above ideas obviously reflect my focus in terms of law enforcement but, this is really a question of the soul of the Nation and the perfidious nations Republicans are taking to make white people insane.  It's generally worked, nearly half of the white Republicans in Iowa declared immigration the number on issue.  Iowa... 

And of course, Republicans in Congress openly declare they will fuck up the budget and will hamstring any legislative efforts to address immigration because they've staked their political futures to making white people insane.

Texass, of course, receives billions from the Federal Government for "Border Security" and what have the Republicans governors done in the last 20 years?  Well, shuffle those public monies to private companies.

An investigation by ProPublica, The Texas Tribune and The Marshall Project found that the state’s claims of success have been based on shifting metrics that included taking credit for uncovering crimes that had no links to the border, work conducted by troopers who were in the region before the operation began, and arrests, drug seizures and migrant apprehensions made in conjunction with other agencies. More than nine months into the operation, DPS told the news organizations that it had removed about 2,000 charges it deemed not related to border crime from a dataset of arrests credited to Operation Lone Star. The state faces several lawsuits and calls for investigation from Democrats, lawyers and advocacy groups following media reports detailing alleged civil rights violations and court rulings raising questions about the constitutionality of the trespassing arrests. Despite DPS and Abbott’s office highlighting human trafficking and smuggling arrests, the largest share of arrests are of people accused of trespassing on private property. The Army Times and the Tribune have also reported about poor working conditions and suicides among National Guard members deployed under the operation.

Of course, it's shameless but, that's how Republicans operate.  And the rise of rightwing media and the explosion of social media agitprop grants Republicans a wide latitude and enormous cover to engage in these schemes, shenanigans, and crimes.  And that's they name of the game for Republicans;  having Two Sets of Laws.  For Republican friends and allies everything, for their enemies The Law.

Migrant Buses and the Governments inability to respond to a crisis - Part 2: Ice is just water in another form to drown Migrants for Greg Abbott

So, Chicago is gripped in an epic freeze with temperatures reaching negative 15 for several days in a row.  Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker implored Greg Abbott to not send bus and plane loads of migrants to Rockford and Chicago.

Governor Abbott,

The ongoing international migration crisis that our nation faces demands a strong, compassionate, and humane response. We agree that our nation needs immigration reform, but instead of advocating for that, you have chosen to sow chaos in an attempt to score political points. You are now sending asylum seekers from Texas to the Upper Midwest in the middle of winter — many without coats, without shoes to protect them from the snow — to a city whose shelters are already overfilled with migrants you sent here. Chicago’s temperatures this weekend are forecast to drop below zero. Your callousness, sending buses and planes full of migrants in this weather, is now life-threatening to every one of the arrivals. Hundreds of children’s and families’ health and survival are at risk due to your actions.

We refuse to play your political game of exploiting the most vulnerable for the sake of culture wars.

But, to the cold-blooded Abbott this signals weakness and that his strategy is winning.  And I must admit, frightening white people about immigration and demonizing migrants is a winning strategy for Republicans.  In the just completed Iowa Caucuses,

About 4 in 10 GOP caucusgoers chose immigration as the most important issue facing the country, according to AP VoteCast. About one-third said it was the economy. Fewer people named other priorities, including foreign policy, health care, abortion or energy.

The vast majority, about three-quarters, say immigrants are a negative for the country, an indication that caucusgoers are not only seeking more order on the U.S. southern border but major cuts on how many foreigners can come into the country.

"The vast majority say immigrants are a negative for the country..."  For many years Republicans have slowly warped rightwingers minds about immigration and laws.  Rightwingers angrily declare 'Those people are breaking the law' and when white people believe a Person of Color (PoC) is breaking the law whites demand government agencies and law enforcement exact maximum punishment including extrajudicial execution on the spot.

To Greg Abbott that's a Siren's Call to action.  Abbott has been accused by multiple local, state, and federal agents of ordering migrants crossing to be pushed back into the river.  Well, Abbott can claim 3 bodies.

Three migrants, a woman and two children, drowned in the Rio Grande in Eagle Pass, Texas – very recently the epicenter of the migrant crisis – just days after state authorities blocked the US Border Patrol from accessing miles of the US-Mexico border in that area, officials said.

Yet... Greg Abbott and Republicans in Texas will proudly call themselves the Party of Life and defender of children.  Of course, Abbott is blaming Biden for this just like his Lt. Governor Dan Patrick claimed Biden is the Real Insurrection!

“The only thing that we're not doing is we're not shooting people who come across the border, because of course, the Biden administration would charge us with murder,” Abbott said during the Jan. 5 radio interview with Dana Loesch, a former editor at Breitbart News and spokesperson for the National Rifle Association.

Now, Dana Loesch used to be the "Hawt" Republican babe who through clenched jaw and cracked teeth spit out rightwing invective and propaganda.  Loesch has been strangely silent on the ouster of Wayne LaPierre from her employer the NRA (Nasty Russian A$$holes) gun club after 47 years in Washington DC.  But, she apparently has a radio show to continue pumping out her love of gun violence.

Rightwingers like to claim they are simply dispassionately applying the law, objectively and without any bias this is captured in the missive by Ben SShaprio that "Facts don't care about your feelings".   In reality, rightwingers are ill-mannered emotional terrorists, easily triggered, and readily offended when the law is applied to them.  Because they demand the most lenient application for themselves and the most rigid ruthless interpretation for others.  This is aptly demonstrated by the Republican insistence that January 6th criminals and seditious insurrectionists are, in fact, "Hostages" of the weaponized Biden DoJ.

So, Abbott is going to keep up his human trafficking campaign sending ill-equipped people north into deep sub zero temperatures and applaud himself for all the people who will become just another hidden death from the cold in Cook County.

Migrant Buses and the Government's inability to handle any Crisis - Part 1: Background

Do not mistreat or oppress a foreigner, for you were foreigners in Egypt. - Exodus 22:21

"One-to-one problem, yes.  FIVE-to-one problem too much ask anyone," - The Karate Kid (1984)

As a massive blizzard descends upon Chicago and the stories coming out about the struggles migrant people are facing having been shipped to Northern Illinois by vile Republican human traffickers it's useful to understand a little of how we got here.

As Republicans continue to demonstrate on Capitol Hill, they have zero ability to respond to any real crisis.  Now, Republicans certainly have the ability to create crises such as when Tommy Tubberbrain decided he was going to use his Liberum Veto to personally hold up the promotions of senior military officers.  Or with the Republican led House continued inability to fund the government.  Or with the Republican circuses surrounding Hunter Biden, which demonstrates Republicans have no interest in governing but in merely grandstanding and using the awesome power government to go after anyone who threatens their power.

Republican governance consists solely of the hollowing out of the functions of Government and the creation of a Nation which has zero-margin for error when dealing with any crisis.  Now, this is partially because Republicans have said for decades that government doesn't work so it's imperative for them to prove that axiom true by undermining the government all the time.  Doing so under the a of a Democratic President is an added bonus of them being able to blame Barack or Biden for Republican perfidy.

Immigration is not a crisis it's not even a problem but, because of 40+ years of Republicans slashing the social safety net, of Republicans undermining the Nation's industry and foundation, of Republicans using social issues to undercut government programs and funnel taxpayer money into the hands of private business, the Government at local, State, and the Federal level seems unable to address it.

Republicans have hollowed out the concept of community.  Much like the dumb car culture in America, the creation of suburbs and exurbs has led to the atomization of thinking Americans have been brain-washed into thinking each of them and all of us are individual islands instead of a shared continent.  When you couple, Republicans mean-spirited social programs with ruinous Republicans economic theories and policies the majority of the American people are too focused on their own day-to-day struggles to try and help their fellow man.

Of course, Government was supposed to be the creation of people to collectively handle issues too big for any one man to handle themselves.  This is also the mytho-historical truth of the creation of the United States of America; from the Founding Fathers "Join, or Die" to Abraham Lincoln "In Union there is Strength" and is absolutely why Republicans do not want Civics or history taught to children anymore. 

The United States has been limping along on the bones of Franklin Delano Roosevelt's New Deal and Works Progress Administration for decades now.  That evil slime Ronnie Raygun was hired by the Republican apparatchiks to slay the New Deal and make the idea of government toxic, which he successfully did.

One of his prime targets was the idea of government social services.   Raygun famously declared Social security was going bankrupt over 40 years ago a cry which Republicans echo til this day without anyone in the Corporate Media calling them out for their bullshit.

"As you know, the Social Security System is teetering on the edge of bankruptcy," Ronnie Raygun letter to Congress May 21st 1981.

Raygun also famously got his start by cutting a record for Chesterfield cigarettes calling Medicare and Medicaid "Socialism",

"One of these days you and I are going to spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it once was like in America... when men were free."

That scumbag Reagan damaged the country in so many ways but...  But!  He also granted amnesty to 11 million immigrants in a move no Republican today would tolerate and rightwing propagandists would call for the impeachment and the execution of any President DemocRAT who did.  (OH LOOK, Republicans are trying to bootstrap the term "Insurrection" because of the "8 Million" onto Joe Biden even if Missouri Attorney General Jay NEPO BABY Ashcroft couldn't tell his ass from a hole in the ground during an interview with CNN.

The basic facts are the Republican Party is completely uninterested in helping anyone; immigrants or American citizens.  The Republican Party does not believe the federal government should aid or help anyone; you are on your own.  The 40+ years of "compassionate conservatism" has been a cover the Party and the Media allies use to cover the awful truth of the Republican Party; a wholly Fascist Organization wedded to destroying the American dream and shackling the vast majority of the American People into perpetual corporate bondage and under the tyrannical thumb of christian fundamentalism. 

Why are Republicans so frightened of Immigration?

FEAR! The Caravan! HATE! Joe Biden!

“We are being conquered,” Stephen Miller said to Fox News’s Jesse Watters. “This is a complete resettlement of America in real time. It took hundreds of years, going back long even before our founding, going back all the way to the earliest days of the colonies in America to slowly build everything that we have.  And now we have millions of people coming in from different cultures and different ways of living and different belief systems. They’re going to take those belief systems with them to America.  So, a generation from now, I am telling you Jesse, people will not know the country that they are living in. These consequences are permanent. Unless there’s massive large-scale deportations by the millions, it will be irrevocable.”

I don't think anyone in modern America has ever so openly declared he wants round-up millions of people.  If you think Republicans are planning a large scale concentration camp system, then you're blissfully unaware of the current ICE detention system and the private prison industrial complex which has been raking in hundreds of millions of dollars a year by incarcerating Americans and people.

The Fear & Anger stimulus that has been drilled into rightwing brain stems by 50 years of ceaseless Republican propaganda is in full swing with the ridiculous Biden Border Crisis.

The biggest question is why are conservatives so scared/angry at immigrants and immigration in general?

Now of course some conservatives are against immigrants because the current wave to the country is comprised of mainly Central and South American people.  But, hating the so-called non-white immigrants is a trend which dates back to the early days of the United States.

Therefore, crime is often cited.  But, while Republicans are absolutely catering to their base of bigots and racists, unless modern Republicans truly believe every one of the 30 million Americans who claims Irish descent is, in fact, a "Fidlam Ben" or everyone of Italian descent worked as an extra on The Sopranos, then the right wing claim that future generations of current Hispanic migrants are going to be dangerous MS13 Rapists who vote Democrat is a ludicrous farce.

The standard response usually is the Democrap Party is inviting migrants here and offering them special free stuff in order to garner future votes.  Besides which the white people proclaim in a huff, my ancestors did it the right way!  And of course we've heard the Great Replacement Theory, which as far as I can tell is the fear by white rightwingers living today that some future generation of "white people" will be treated the way Republicans mistreat out groups today.  In fact, that is precisely the "argument" Stephen Miller laid out on December 20th.

The over-arching answer has to be a combination of blatant racism and Republicans have convinced white people that immigrants are taking away things which should be going to them as citizens.  And would be but, the immigrants got it!  Too Bad!!!  It's a key paradigm of the (Vulture/Late Stage/Crony/Insert modifier here) Capitalist economy of the United States.  There is only one static economic pie and it can only be sub-divided into so many sections.  Thus, any one else slice of the pie can only get bigger when another get's smaller. 

Now, we all know that what Republicans say and what Republicans do are two parallel train tracks which despite non-Euclidean geometry never shall intersect.  Do conservatives actually believe that Republicans would institute a Better than Barack's Obamacare replacement for them if we deport millions of immigrants?  Do conservatives actually believe the "illegals" are getting better treatment and care than them today?  Do conservatives actually believe Republicans would address and help homeless Veterans but for "illegals"?  Do conservatives really believe Republicans would address the opioid epidemic obliterating whites across the Nation but for "illegals"?  Do conservatives actually believe Republicans would safe-guard manufacturing jobs here but for "illegals"?  Do conservatives really believe Republicans will re-create the "White Man's World" of Post WW2 economic hegemony but for the "illegals"?  Do conservatives really believe any of the bullshit Republicans sell them?

Unfortunately, besides the bad faith Republican Party doing everything they can to make American life worse in every way, a large part of this is the timidity of the Democratic Party to tell Republicans to Get Bent with their racist policies while the Corporate Media is paid very well to pretend that Republicans and Democrats generally agree on the framework of the United States and sincerely want to make the Country a place of opportunity, hope, and the American Dream instead of facing the frightening realization that Republicans hate America, seek to oppress, imprison, eliminate many people with the overarching and oft stated goal of replacing the USA with a Theocratic Dictatorship.

Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois NAACP President Teresa Haley should not be emulating the abuse of Migrants like Ron DeSantis or Greg Abbott

I don't have "the solution" for immigration.  But, I do know that treating people like garbage to be boxed up and shipped elsewhere isn't a solution.  Nor is putting saw blades and buoys across rivers.  But, calling migrants "Savages" and claiming they are raping people sure puts you in the Trump category.

Illinois NAACP President Teresa Haley was recorded on Zoom earlier this month saying, 

"But, these immigrants have come over here, they've been raping people, they've been breaking into homes. They're like savages as well. They don't speak the language, and they look at us like we were crazy."

Reached for comment while vacationing in Dubai, Haley defended herself by saying this was faked because "with AI anything was possible."  This story was also leaked by Patrick Watson, a political opponent of Haley whom she disciplined for undisclosed reasons and his allegations stunk of payback.  So I had the faintest hope it actually was fabricated but, I know if that were true Haley or one of her allies would have immediately released a recording of the Zoom meeting with the "true" audio.  She didn't and now others have confirmed and apparently have the recording where she made these inhumane comments.

This is so depressing.  Oppressed communities are often targeted with this resource dilemma.  Having fought for years for recognition, fair treatment, and to stop discrimination these communities cling to their meager gains and resent when others (especially new arrivals) seemingly get a slice of that pie.  Because in America we've been taught for years that resources are a finite sum and therefore any resources some other group is getting is coming at your expense.

This is one of the Plutocratic controls the Rich have used for centuries to keep the poor and working class at each other's throats.  By consistently playing each of us off against the other they maintain control and are able to exert their influence on the political leadership.  And, more importantly, the 1% are able to ensure wealth and power flow through their hands from generation to generation. 

Mayor Brandon Johnson is facing a severe backlash from Chicago African American communities who saw the resources being expended on newly arrived people as a slap in their face.  Just before making those terrible remarks, Haley was speaking to the struggles with homelessness, drug addiction, and institutional racism faced by blacks in America.

Of course, the biggest obstacle facing Chicago and the US Government, as with every issue in the United States, is not only does the Democratic Party have to come up with a near perfect solution, they have to account for, plan and overcome the ratfvcking sabotage of the solution by the Republicans.  It's hard enough coming up with a plan when everyone is pulling the same way but, Republicans are political bomb-throwers who know that by undermining the Nation and damaging the economy, the country, and peoples' lives they can steal back into power.

Republicans never help in any situation facing the country and always hinder.  Nor do their ahistorical claims that their immigrant ancestors "did it the right way"...  Nor do the bad faith demands that anyone who is against the draconian mistreatment of the stranger must therefore individually house immigrants.  It's in no way any kind of an attempted solution but serves as a Gotcha Checkmate Lib.  It's part of a disingenuous demand that you be a Saint else you can not criticize Conservative sins. 

Compassion fatigue is a real issue phenomenon but the total lack of compassion, care or basic humanity repeatedly demonstrated by Republicans not only shames them but degrades and coarsens us as well.  There is no hate as vicious as “Christian Love”…. And once again we find ourselves in search of a Hero to solve this all in some Tolkien-esque Deus Ex Machina way.

Chicago is struggling to deal with migrants but, not because we have a housing or a migrant or a border crisis we have a crisis of compassion and an Epidemic of Republican lying and demonization of people.

So, that's how we end up here.  With the planned migrant Gardaworld temporary housing plan falling completely apart as winter approaches and with members of the Democratic coalition imitating the worst aspects of Republican inhumanity towards people looking for a better life.

Steppenwolf presents: Sanctuary City

 Sanctuary City is the latest play put on Steppenwolf's main stage production, while also being part of their young adult series.

The play by Martyna Majok and directed by Steph Paul (a first generation Haitian American) deals with a pair of Dreamers in that early part of the 21st century as their lives are complicated by the events of September 11.  

The striking aspect of the first act was the return to the concept of Steppenwolf as an experimental theater in this regard both the stage design and presentation.

In the first act, the blue rectangle stage has no adornments and no materials at all.  The first act was frenetic as the two young main characters are left to illustrate their high school relationship via body placement, lighting choices, and movement.  I didn't know how they would keep up such a bouncing energetic pace but, the second act added a love seat, end table, and two-person kitchen table and a third character.  Obviously, at odds with the furniture being made for two.

Thinking about it, I realized the first act represented childhood, a set without bounds, even if the characters face terrible lives.  Now neither character states which country they immigrated from as children with their mother's The male character "B" would seem to be from the Caribbean and the female character "G" would seem to be Mexican.  G faces physical abuse from her mother's boyfriend and B's mother leaves the States having overstayed her Visa by 9 years, leaving him to try and work and get good grades in school, even though scholarships and college are denied to him by his immigration status.

The second act clearly represents the more grounded and limitations imposed by adulthood.  There's even a moment when G hides a birthday cake in the fridge for B (whom she is more or less feeding with her leftovers from work) and he becomes crestfallen as we realize he's 18 now and an adult.

Perhaps more importantly, are the unspoken two choices the characters face;  each character is put to the test of choosing Love or Home.  Even the off-screen mother characters make the choice.  B's mother returning to her Home country and G's mother choosing Love, by leaving her abusive boyfriend only to fall in with another man (who may or may not be abusive) as G bluntly states, 'She can't keep a dick out of that woman'. 

This is another aspect the playwright and actors get absolutely correct, the blunt and often brutal language which doesn't feel like stilted dialogue written for a play.

There is a very dualistic aspect to this play, which is absolutely complicated by the introduction of Henry into the adult second act.  G and B come up with a perhaps childish plan to get fake married int he first act.  And we find out in the second act, G has become frightened of the plan as she nears graduation from "Boston".  But, during the planning phase for the past 3.5 years the two have practiced their answers to questions of how, where, and why they became romantically involved.

But, G has found out B has a partner Henry and she's returned home to confront the situation.  By that action G, tells B she has chosen him and Love even if it's a sham marriage and B is gay.  She tells him she's choosing love even if it isn't romantic love.  This is illustrated quite brilliantly when G answers the question of 'When did your relationship turn romantic',  B stumbles over the answer but G gives a moving description of having claimed into his bedroom to escape another beating and recalls laying in bed with him and feeling his breathe on the back of her neck.  Just excellent.

B, however, has been living with Henry for a couple of years, which she hasn't told G about and B and Henry have had fights over this.  Around Thanksgiving it appears one of the fights turned physical as Henry defensively asserts 'couples fight' and he stole B's shoes to keep him from leaving, but B did leave and called G and that's when she says she's never heard him make sounds like that.  I'm betting that Henry has been physically abusive and B not having the coping skills from childhood could not handle it the way G had done throughout High School.

Again G came down and choose love for B.  And now we come to the tragedy of B, he wants Love but he also wants Home and he feels the situation is criminally unfair that he is being forced to choose.  Home is the United States and Love is Henry, but he can't accept the love represented by G.  So, B comes up with a last second plan for Henry to move with him but Henry balks and obviously chooses Home (i.e. the United States) over Love and tells B the choice has to be his and leaves the stage saying while it's unfair he didn't set up the parameters.

And G leaves so B remains with neither Home nor Love.

On this Cinco de Mayo weekend, let's acknowledge your Lawn & your Takeout are responsible for the Migrant "Crisis"

“So we went to the company and we said, look, you can’t have any illegals working on our property,” said Romney. “I’m running for office, for Pete’s sake, I can’t have illegals. It turns out that once, they hired someone who had falsified their documents, had documents, and therefore we fired them.”  If you believe these absurd lies from Vulture Capitalist Mitt R-Money... well Bain Capital will gladly manage steal your pension too.

Whenever, I'm home this time of year, it doesn't matter the day of the week or the time of day, and go out into my yard to weed or pick up branches or rake up yard detritus my fanatical neighbor cranks up his two lawn mowers (ones a riding) and mows his lawn to prove to me that his Surburbanite bonafides are superior to mine.  Often I give up and go inside because I do "yard work" as a mental reset, a time to turn of my brain, and enjoy physical labor in an almost meditative state. 

But, when I'm at work driving around Millon Dollar Suburban homes this time of year, I see trailer after trailer of lawn mowing equipment being towed by half-ton and three-quarter ton diesels, belching out fumes.  And the various pieces of equipment are, of course, also gas-powered so besides noise they also belch forth petroleum fumes.

All to maintain a lawn as though your yard and home are a Ducal Estate.  Lawns were always a "status symbol" of the elite, as having a large, non-food based "crop" across your land indicated you were not a farmer and could afford the luxury of having large tracts of monoculture vegetation.

Of course, the cutting and mowing also requires ridiculous watering (often done automatically even during rain storms) and gobs of pesticide/herbicide applications.  And let's not forget the attached "Carriage House" for your Auto-Mobiles.

Now, who does all this "lawn care"?  Why the very people oft demonized by the owners of these million dollar homes and yards;  Hispanic Immigrants.

Additionally, your favorite restaurant whether it be McDonald's or The Chicago Double Eagle Steak House employs large number of immigrants, and while they might not be the Sommelier, they might be cooking, they definitely will be busing table sand washing the dishes but, regardless of their role migrants will be there.  So, your lifestyle of lounging in the yard and eating your favorite takeout is thanks in large part to Hispanic Immigrants.

What we know the Republicans are never serious about "solving" the border crisis because they don't target those responsible.  The Corporations and businesses which rely upon and entice people to come here.  As John Fugelsang points out there is a Huge HELP WANTED sign at the border.  Republicans will never chastise companies which employ migrants because using migrant labor lubricates the US economy in numerous ways.

But, migrants help Republicans undercut US Labor and remain a useful cudgel to bash Democrats and liberals about the head with the term "Illegals" while whipping up their racist base and keeping rightwingers in a permanent frothing fury.

ETA: 

Axios has a good article about the No Mow and other anti-lawn pushbacks against obsessed Suburbanite Lawn Nazis and the inevitable Reactionary pushback and use of the legal system to punish no mowers.