It’s not meaningless. The more funding they get the more harm they can do. Keeping the funding level high instead of astronomical will mean fewer Americans will be subject to state-sanctioned violence.

But I do agree that those funds should be clawed back as soon as possible.

That said I expect them to capitulate like they always do. But we’ll see.

I don’t believe it’s a physical blockade but threats of sanctions against anyone who provides them with oil.

Somehow they’ve found a new low every year that passes. I am terrified where they will go from here.

They’re always ready to shoot us the exact second they think they can get away with it.

Is there somewhere I can read about this? I haven’t heard this.

I know they had made further threats against California recently but not specifically national guard.

Yeah there are people keeping eyes out. Currently the level of ICE activity has been very low which unfortunately means there is also less activity in the watchers. I am worried about a big ramp up like mentioned in the article. I’m in Sacramento so I feel like we could get targeted for being the capital.

That’s my assumption but I wonder if it’s confirmed. Since it’s in downtown I don’t see how it could be physically expanded. Maybe into the parking lot but that’s where they keep all their kidnapping wagons.

So no details, just the location? My city is mentioned but the building in question is already the main local ICE office so I’m curious what they plan to change.

Wait for the cops to arrive? I thought those were the cops. Are there other ruffians who routinely break into people’s houses in the middle of the night?

I’d say even outside of MAGA this isn’t really done. Maybe no one would object but I can’t say I really see it.

Historically the US funded a lot of important medical research. Do you think they did this for altruistic reasons?

Similarly, healthcare is beneficial to the state to keep workers healthy.

States do many things, good and bad, but none just out of the goodness of their hearts.

True. It’s a state. I can’t think of a time a state did something for purely altruistic reasons.

Wow I rarely say this about Chinese government but based.

OK, I understand your position but again that’s not what I meant. I just meant the free dissemination of information is largely legal and available to those of us who care to look for it. So I don’t think something this big could go unnoticed by everyone. Some people sure but not everyone.

[T]o be a bit serious one irony of Vance’s life is that he is also an addict: addicted to power and clearly willing to sell anything to get it," Bouie added.

Great video on the topic of power as an addiction for any interested: https://youtu.be/7ebhXFuPkR4

Our precious baby boy is even featured as the epitome of this issue.

I agree. The US is now highly authoritarian but not yet autocratic. Although many formerly independent institutions are more or less autocratic. The executive branch, many media outlets, and most of congress are now virtually puppets of the president. However, the courts, other media outlets, citizens, educational institutions, most state and local governments, and the minority faction in congress remain at least somewhat independent.

Well it has been a long time. I’d trust then more if I wasn’t relying on a long faded memory. Though admittedly a powerful one.

OK so it depends on what you mean by free press. I meant you can report the truth and that (usually) won’t get you arrested. I did not mean the mainstream press is always fair or honest.

There’s been a huge growth of independent journalists that give far more accurate accounts of leftist perspectives in protests, etc. Though you have to be careful because there’s plenty of dishonest independent journalists too. But if you have good media literacy and fact checking ability the information is still out there. As opposed to places where if you speak certain facts aloud you may be arrested.

Didn’t it start from the top down? It’s been 25 years but I watched it live and that’s what I remember seeing.

I think he supports 2 state solution, right? So some people consider that a form of Zionism. Which seems a bit questionable because I believe that has also been Hamas’s position for the last few years, although they don’t call it that.

Maybe there’s more to it. To be honest I’m not overly worried about the exact positions of one of the more outspoken critics of Israel in congress. I’d much rather focus my ire on its defenders, which are many.