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Jill Dennison's avatar

ENOUGH!!! His racism has led to children essentially being kidnapped by armed men ... can we imagine what a trauma that must be for those poor children? And if that child with cancer dies, then Trump committed murder in my book! Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr ...

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Scott Schrader's avatar

His name is Homan because he’s not human. Prove me wrong…

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Susan Johnson's avatar

So true...this toon and blog. These deported mothers...were terrorists? WTF

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Claire Lamberth's avatar

Just another chapter in Trump's "I don't give a shit" about families with children.

Remember his first term when children were put in cages?

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-44518942

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Alexandra's avatar

I am re-reading 1984 and it is sickening how relevant it is to what is going on today.

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Clay Jones's avatar

I read it in 1984. haha.

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Judy the Lazy Gardener's avatar

What happened to deporting all the criminals in prison? They seem to be concentrating on students and families.

I laughed when you addressed the interesting items under the TV. Biggest lesson, don't mess with Clay's stuff!

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Clay Jones's avatar

I had a housemate at the time I bought the hammer, and I didn't want him to take it.

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David Yohalem's avatar

Tianamen Square was not the last time one heard of protests against the Chinese government. It was, however, the last time the brutality of the regime was publicized. But there have been protests in Hong Kong and also in the far west (the Uighurs). And there have been jailings and internments of many. We still see trials (sic) of opposition participants in Hong Kong and get reportage about internments in re-education camps among the Uighurs.

Otherwise, I find your blog pretty much correct. But this guy is worse than Xi. Agent Orange has no vision and has done nothing to improve the lot of most Americans, although he assures us he is protecting jobs, homeland and security against the invading hoards (sic.) His vision is narrow, focused only on the never-ending present. He lacks imagination and empathy. The man should be introduced to the works of John Rawls (although I can only imagine him clogging his plumbing and issuing a (posthumous) warrant for his detention and prosecution. (Maybe that's why he hates Harvard.) If he realized that Noam Chomsky was affiliated with MIT he would consider defunding that institution, despite his uncle's many years of employment there.

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Paul Davis's avatar

There are always protests in China. Last time I was aware of real figures was 2008, there were way over 80,000 reported "social incidents". That covers everything from a malcontent throwing a brick at a cop car to hundreds trying to tear down a local party office.

China's focus is always on keeping the masses stable and busy.

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David Yohalem's avatar

More on Rome. Although all Roman male citizens could vote under the Republic, the system was structurally an oligarchy (one hereditary aristocrats could serve in the Senate), because the purchase of votes was legal and expensive it quickly became a plutocracy. Julius Caesar was declared Emperor, murdered by members of the Senate and, after a long civil war, Augustus was made Caesar. He had a large and querulous family, but no sons. Hence, his long life and indecisiveness about the succession were problematic. His favored family members died of both natural and unnatural causes. He was succeeded by his stepson, Tiberius, famous for bacchanalia on the island of Capri (with people whom today we would call children. Sound familiar?)

Tiberius extended the empire but was a terrible administrator. He was succeeded by Caligula, who was the son of a deceased heir of Augustus. Caligula was enthroned by his Praetorian Guard. He held great circuses and gave bread to the masses. He made a horse a Senator. After a coup, the guard elevated Claudius to the role. A member of the Praetorians, Sejanus, in concert with Claudius' promiscuous 14-year old wife, Messalina raised the visibility and overt power of corruption among the elite to new heights. After his death by poisoning, Claudius' nephew, Nero, was made emperor. Nero, as we have heard, played the lyre while Rome burned. He kept the masses content with the Caligulan methods: bread and circus.

So: which one is most like Agent Orange?

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Celeste  Copeland's avatar

Actually, Sejanus was involved with Livilla, Tiberius' neice, and they plotted to assassinate him and take over. Messalina was involved with, and bigamously married Gaius Silius, and they planned to assassinate Claudius and take over. But yeah, it was a big ol' mess in both cases.

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Clay Jones's avatar

Man, you guys are all like smart with the history stuff.

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Celeste  Copeland's avatar

Can I call myself an East Coast Elite now? Oh wait, I'd have to have a Ph.D. for that. Nevermind.

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Linda Rather's avatar

Read, or better, watch "I, Claudius". Not much need to stretch the truth to dramatize that bunch. Lots of lead poisoning through their water pipes, their drink ware, possible makeup, too. And of course, the usual aristocratic inbreeding.

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Peaceful Mary T.'s avatar

I was just thinking the same thing, Clay! There are SO many intelligent people who comment on your pages. Even if I'd learned these things in school (I don't think I did), I can't imagine that I'd be able to remember so much of it. I'm always impressed by your readers!

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Priscilla A Langenderfer's avatar

The raw hatred of racism, misogynistic attitudes, and just absolute incompetence of this administration is astounding. I ache for some kind of resolution in a completely selfish way as I am feeling so angry, lost, and helpless. Thank you Clay, and all of your followers that contribute to my understanding of our situation. I am truly appreciative! Reading and listening really does help me.

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Apr 29
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Andrea Chiou's avatar

Above every elementary school entrance in Paris is a plaque commemorating the children lost to those forced removals. It moves me every time I walk by one.

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Clay Jones's avatar

Do you live in Paris? I want to visit this year.

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David Yohalem's avatar

Seulement les enfants?

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Andrea Chiou's avatar

I will check the wording on the school plaques. But it would make sense to mention just them there. I’ve not seen anything quite as consistent as these plaques since there are public schools every km in every direction it seems.

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David Yohalem's avatar

Look at the Roman Empire after Augustus. Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius (who hated the concept of the empire), Nero. Call Miller Sejanus. Call Melania Messalina. Call Drumpf Caligula. Or Nero. It's all there.

The French have a long history of antisemitism. Dreyfus was accused of being a spy for the Germans and sent to Devil's Island. Hundreds of years earlier, the Italian and French Jews migrated north and east. The Ashkenazim are their modern descendents. The French today revile the Rothschilds, who managed the wealth of the state (i.e. the monarchy) and later, the industrialization of France. They more or less invented the modern banking system. The French do, however, appreciate the grand cru wines produced on their estates in Bordeaux.

But blaming the Fifth Republic for the sins of the quisling Vichy regime is really a rather silly claim. That would be like blaming the present government of Spain for the sins of the Inquisition (which only formally ended in 1834.)

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