7 ms·

As a former MAGA it's just mind boggling to watch all the supposedly freedom loving GOP base clamor for mass digital surveillance and gestapo immigration raids.

As a former MAGA it's just mind boggling to watch all the supposedly freedom loving GOP base clamor for mass digital surveillance and gestapo immigration raids. These same tools and policies will just be used against them in the future. Makes me question democracy.

ljsprague 1y ago
I don't know anyone clamoring for mass digital surveillance. Immigration raids perhaps.
burkaman 1y ago
Not in the future, these tools and policies are already used against everyone right now. Plenty of Trump supporters have already been arrested and/or deported by ICE.
- oceansky 1y ago
  And they still blame Biden/Obama/Hillary for it.
- hnpolicestate 1y ago
  Ya good point. Just because the tools haven't been used on me personally doesn't mean they aren't already being used. I assume they used for J6 riot.
- ujkhsjkdhf234 1y ago
  I assume you are talking about Hispanic Trump supporters because ICE definitely hasn't deported your middle of America white Trump supporter.
  - burkaman 1y ago
    I was actually thinking about this guy when I wrote that comment: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/nh-green-card-holder-denied-reentry-canada-trump-rcna218345 https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/nh-green-card-holder-de...
- deleted 1y ago
  [deleted]
mikece 1y ago
When the founder of Palantir donates a ton of money -- as well as one of his acolytes to be the VP -- it would be more surprising if this DIDN'T happen. This is precisely the kind of thing the angry right wing would be up in arms about (maybe even literally) if it wasn't their side pushing for it. The billionaire party owns both political parties; they shuffle the front-people to give the illusion of choice. In reality they get what they want. George Carlin spoke eloquently about this.
- ThinkBeat 1y ago
  I believe strongly that most of this work has been done prior to the current president taking office. What you say may be true and we will see what comes in the future, but dont for a moment believe that all these things are due to the current, nor that previous was fighting to stop it.
  - user982 1y ago
    Many of the weapons now wielded by Trump (ICE, AUMF, DHS, Guantanamo, etc) were introduced under Bush II.
    - potato3732842 1y ago
      Exactly. Everyone screeching now should have listened to those weirdo civil liberties people 20yr ago. You get the government you deserve. I hope we can get this authoritarian phase over with quickly so that the people who actually made decisions, if only as minor as voting, can suffer for them rather than die peacefully leaving future generations to sort it out.
      - ThinkBeat 1y ago
        Given that the majority of Republicans and Democrats have kept these programs alive, one way or another, does not fill with much hope on that front. Or put differently, enough Republicans and Democrats to keep it alive.
b59831 1y ago
[dead]
dmix 1y ago
The news of Palantir database was pretty unpopular among the twitter right from what I've seen. If it came to a public vote I doubt "government builds giant surveillance system" would get wide support from anyone even if it was spun as anti-immigrant. This is just something the type of people who end up in government try every year despite the fact few people want it.
- dyauspitr 1y ago
  By “pretty unpopular” you mean lip service while they vote for the same cretins that are doing this next cycle.
  - bcrosby95 1y ago
    No politician 100% aligns with everything you believe in. I voted for Obama twice and he certainly disappointed in several ways. But voting for the other guy would have been more disappointing.
    - snypher 1y ago
      Imagine if we had more than two choices. I have no idea how to make that happen, but it seems like it needs to.
      - willis936 1y ago
        https://youtu.be/3Y3jE3B8HsE https://youtu.be/3Y3jE3B8HsE
      - dmix 1y ago
        We have three choices in Canada and it's basically the same thing. They pretended we were going to get more options last time but it turned out to be politically untenable for the powers at be.
      - deleted 1y ago
        [deleted]
      - 1y ago
ta8645 1y ago
[flagged]
- clutchdude 1y ago
  > After two excruciatingly long years, likely voters are beginning to question the federal government’s handling of the pandemic,” said Chris Talgo, senior editor and research fellow at The Heartland Institute, which commissioned this poll. “First and foremost, likely voters are beginning to sour on Dr. Anthony Fauci, who seems to have lost credibility after countless flip-flops. I mean, you kinda tipped your hand here.
- hnpolicestate 1y ago
  Yep. I lost my city job over mandates. General population suffers from herd mentality.
- epakai 1y ago
  [flagged]
  - ta8645 1y ago
    A lot of the anti-vax people felt like Covid was a made up and didn't warrant being called an emergency. Not saying they were right, but the point is, once you decide something is an emergency, all of a sudden, you're willing to put up with a lot of government intrusion, for the "good of society". That's the same thing the Trumper's _think_ they're doing, too. It doesn't feel made up to them.
    - bananalychee 1y ago
      You are trying to walk between the lines and perhaps that's an attempt to avoid being flagged, but it is disingenuous to insinuate that the only objection to the pandemic population control exercise was that it was "fake". There were many lies spun over the course of the pandemic and in most cases it was obvious that they were lies within weeks or months of the outbreak. Despite that people were happy to collaborate with the overreach by snitching on their family members, "friends", and neighbors for touching too much grass, when in fact virtually no healthy individual under the age of 40 was risking much by living normally, and especially not the children abused by the extended freakout. Had cooler heads prevailed perhaps we could have ended the madness after a year, but it had to drag on for two more, and the resulting "stimulus" overspending that dragged on for far too long subsequently aggravated the wave of inflation and cost of living crisis that we're in today. Regardless of our feelings towards illegal immigration enforcement today it is completely insane how whitewashed this event was in comparison, but I suppose that's how it is when the authoritarians are on "your" (general you) side. And in response to the parent comment: "made up characterization of the situation", you bet. If only the concerned citizens had a consistent moral framework, I could sympathize.
dragonwriter 1y ago
> As a former MAGA it's just mind boggling to watch all the supposedly freedom loving GOP base clamor for mass digital surveillance and gestapo immigration raids. Both (sweeping away due process for mass deportation, and eliminating restrictions on law enforcement and surveillance in the name of “law and order” generally) were both major promises of Trump’s 2024 campaign and things that he made steps toward limited by institutional forces (courts, political resistance including in some cases from old-line Republicans, etc.), which Trump and the MAGA movement derided as deep state traitors, during his 2017-2021 term. Kind of surprising to see someone who describes themselves as ex-MAGA who is surprised that the GOP under Trump supports these things.
- mbostleman 1y ago
  > sweeping away due process for mass deportation…> This is pretty off topic obviously but I see this due process claim a lot and I am assuming I’m missing some kind of fundamental legal concepts. And that wouldn’t be surprising because I have no legal background. If a person is not a citizen, and they’ve overstayed whatever limit there is to staying while not being a citizen, and if the action taken is to remove the person from the country - what role does due process play? Proof of citizenship seems like it should be a pretty cut and dried thing to determine. It shouldn’t require a court proceeding should it? If the accusation was like theft or murder and/or the action taken was imprisonment or fines, that would be a different story. But this is like being escorted out of a movie theater if you can’t present your ticket.
  - dmix 1y ago
    US Supreme court has ruled there is due process for illegal immigrants and reaffirmed it in various case law since immigration law became a thing over a century ago. The US was founded on natural rights principals which apply to every person in the country, not just citizens. The right to due process is not something congress can touch via new immigration laws even if they wanted (absent maybe a constitutional amendment).
    - terminalshort 1y ago
refurb 1y ago
I haven’t seen any base “clamoring for mass digital surveillance”? It’s either indifference (mostly due to ignorance) or outright opposition?
blitzar 1y ago
As MAGA likes to say - Promises made, promises kept It makes me question all sorts of things when people get what they were promised and then complain they got it.

ljsprague 1y ago

I don't know anyone clamoring for mass digital surveillance. Immigration raids perhaps.

burkaman 1y ago

Not in the future, these tools and policies are already used against everyone right now. Plenty of Trump supporters have already been arrested and/or deported by ICE.

oceansky 1y ago
And they still blame Biden/Obama/Hillary for it.
hnpolicestate 1y ago
Ya good point. Just because the tools haven't been used on me personally doesn't mean they aren't already being used. I assume they used for J6 riot.
ujkhsjkdhf234 1y ago
I assume you are talking about Hispanic Trump supporters because ICE definitely hasn't deported your middle of America white Trump supporter.
- burkaman 1y ago
  I was actually thinking about this guy when I wrote that comment: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/nh-green-card-holder-denied-reentry-canada-trump-rcna218345 https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/nh-green-card-holder-de...
deleted 1y ago
[deleted]

mikece 1y ago

When the founder of Palantir donates a ton of money -- as well as one of his acolytes to be the VP -- it would be more surprising if this DIDN'T happen. This is precisely the kind of thing the angry right wing would be up in arms about (maybe even literally) if it wasn't their side pushing for it. The billionaire party owns both political parties; they shuffle the front-people to give the illusion of choice. In reality they get what they want. George Carlin spoke eloquently about this.

ThinkBeat 1y ago
I believe strongly that most of this work has been done prior to the current president taking office. What you say may be true and we will see what comes in the future, but dont for a moment believe that all these things are due to the current, nor that previous was fighting to stop it.
- user982 1y ago
  Many of the weapons now wielded by Trump (ICE, AUMF, DHS, Guantanamo, etc) were introduced under Bush II.
  - potato3732842 1y ago
    Exactly. Everyone screeching now should have listened to those weirdo civil liberties people 20yr ago. You get the government you deserve. I hope we can get this authoritarian phase over with quickly so that the people who actually made decisions, if only as minor as voting, can suffer for them rather than die peacefully leaving future generations to sort it out.
    - ThinkBeat 1y ago
      Given that the majority of Republicans and Democrats have kept these programs alive, one way or another, does not fill with much hope on that front. Or put differently, enough Republicans and Democrats to keep it alive.

b59831 1y ago

[dead]

dmix 1y ago

The news of Palantir database was pretty unpopular among the twitter right from what I've seen. If it came to a public vote I doubt "government builds giant surveillance system" would get wide support from anyone even if it was spun as anti-immigrant. This is just something the type of people who end up in government try every year despite the fact few people want it.

dyauspitr 1y ago
By “pretty unpopular” you mean lip service while they vote for the same cretins that are doing this next cycle.
- bcrosby95 1y ago
  No politician 100% aligns with everything you believe in. I voted for Obama twice and he certainly disappointed in several ways. But voting for the other guy would have been more disappointing.
  - snypher 1y ago
    Imagine if we had more than two choices. I have no idea how to make that happen, but it seems like it needs to.
    - willis936 1y ago
      https://youtu.be/3Y3jE3B8HsE https://youtu.be/3Y3jE3B8HsE
    - dmix 1y ago
      We have three choices in Canada and it's basically the same thing. They pretended we were going to get more options last time but it turned out to be politically untenable for the powers at be.
    - deleted 1y ago
      [deleted]
    - 1y ago

ta8645 1y ago

[flagged]

clutchdude 1y ago
> After two excruciatingly long years, likely voters are beginning to question the federal government’s handling of the pandemic,” said Chris Talgo, senior editor and research fellow at The Heartland Institute, which commissioned this poll. “First and foremost, likely voters are beginning to sour on Dr. Anthony Fauci, who seems to have lost credibility after countless flip-flops. I mean, you kinda tipped your hand here.
hnpolicestate 1y ago
Yep. I lost my city job over mandates. General population suffers from herd mentality.
epakai 1y ago
[flagged]
- ta8645 1y ago
  A lot of the anti-vax people felt like Covid was a made up and didn't warrant being called an emergency. Not saying they were right, but the point is, once you decide something is an emergency, all of a sudden, you're willing to put up with a lot of government intrusion, for the "good of society". That's the same thing the Trumper's _think_ they're doing, too. It doesn't feel made up to them.
  - bananalychee 1y ago
    You are trying to walk between the lines and perhaps that's an attempt to avoid being flagged, but it is disingenuous to insinuate that the only objection to the pandemic population control exercise was that it was "fake". There were many lies spun over the course of the pandemic and in most cases it was obvious that they were lies within weeks or months of the outbreak. Despite that people were happy to collaborate with the overreach by snitching on their family members, "friends", and neighbors for touching too much grass, when in fact virtually no healthy individual under the age of 40 was risking much by living normally, and especially not the children abused by the extended freakout. Had cooler heads prevailed perhaps we could have ended the madness after a year, but it had to drag on for two more, and the resulting "stimulus" overspending that dragged on for far too long subsequently aggravated the wave of inflation and cost of living crisis that we're in today. Regardless of our feelings towards illegal immigration enforcement today it is completely insane how whitewashed this event was in comparison, but I suppose that's how it is when the authoritarians are on "your" (general you) side. And in response to the parent comment: "made up characterization of the situation", you bet. If only the concerned citizens had a consistent moral framework, I could sympathize.

dragonwriter 1y ago

> As a former MAGA it's just mind boggling to watch all the supposedly freedom loving GOP base clamor for mass digital surveillance and gestapo immigration raids. Both (sweeping away due process for mass deportation, and eliminating restrictions on law enforcement and surveillance in the name of “law and order” generally) were both major promises of Trump’s 2024 campaign and things that he made steps toward limited by institutional forces (courts, political resistance including in some cases from old-line Republicans, etc.), which Trump and the MAGA movement derided as deep state traitors, during his 2017-2021 term. Kind of surprising to see someone who describes themselves as ex-MAGA who is surprised that the GOP under Trump supports these things.

mbostleman 1y ago
> sweeping away due process for mass deportation…> This is pretty off topic obviously but I see this due process claim a lot and I am assuming I’m missing some kind of fundamental legal concepts. And that wouldn’t be surprising because I have no legal background. If a person is not a citizen, and they’ve overstayed whatever limit there is to staying while not being a citizen, and if the action taken is to remove the person from the country - what role does due process play? Proof of citizenship seems like it should be a pretty cut and dried thing to determine. It shouldn’t require a court proceeding should it? If the accusation was like theft or murder and/or the action taken was imprisonment or fines, that would be a different story. But this is like being escorted out of a movie theater if you can’t present your ticket.
- dmix 1y ago
  US Supreme court has ruled there is due process for illegal immigrants and reaffirmed it in various case law since immigration law became a thing over a century ago. The US was founded on natural rights principals which apply to every person in the country, not just citizens. The right to due process is not something congress can touch via new immigration laws even if they wanted (absent maybe a constitutional amendment).
  - terminalshort 1y ago

refurb 1y ago

I haven’t seen any base “clamoring for mass digital surveillance”? It’s either indifference (mostly due to ignorance) or outright opposition?

blitzar 1y ago

As MAGA likes to say - Promises made, promises kept It makes me question all sorts of things when people get what they were promised and then complain they got it.