The photos of the "crowds" at the tank parade remind me of when Bill Hicks would come on stage in an almost-empty club, scan the room slowly, and announce "I've had more people in bed than this" ...
When the president sends a cabinet member on TV to announce "We are using the military to liberate an American city from its elected leaders," where do you go from there. What is left to say. The idea of that being anything short of a near-universal "Wait, what the fuck is going on" moment proves how far we've backslid.
This is from 2022 but it was absolutely right. The practiced buffoonery of Trump 1, all the "just kiddings" and "seriously but not literallys" absolutely succeeded in desensitizing people who are hardly paying any attention to the harder stuff they always intended to do next. ...
The basic fallacy in chasing votes by being "tough on immigration" is that the modal American's position on the issue is "Deport the Bad ones and keep the Good ones," and they alone know who is which, and that simply does not translate into workable policy. So this kind of gestapo stuff horrifies some of the same people who cheered when Trump promised to do it. There are true sociopaths who love this, but "No, I meant only the BAD immigrants! Not my coworker/friend/neighbor!" is as likely a reaction as enthusiasm. You cannot do immigration policy that satisfies these people because what they want is nonsensical.
So by the time center-left parties fully commit to chasing the far right by "getting tough" on immigration, the backlash has already begun to build and they walk right into it. "I thought you people wanted this!" No, they want something impossible and convinced themselves they'd could have it - the "eat whatever you want AND lose weight!" of immigration policies.
It is hard to grasp but large masses of Americans are both racist/xenophobic AND not racist/xenophobic enough to applaud what Trump is doing. It's goldilocks shit, they want a level of racism/xenophobia calibrated exactly to their personal preferences, and you just can't make that policy. Don't try. ...
AP: Trump extends olive branch, invites Musk to White House cellar to taste some brand new amontillado ...
FMguru says:
R.I.P., little dude.
Michael says:
I'm sorry for the loss of your pet.
Craig says:
My condolences for your loss.
Ecks says:
Poor lil bastard. May the glory of the tacos be upon him.
Curt says:
I'm sorry for your loss. It is always hard to lose ones we love — big or small.
Nathan says:
That sucks man. I hope no suffering was involved.
Mike says:
I'm sorry to hear this. Best to you guys.
J. Dryden says:
Condolences.
Riggsveda says:
Sweet little thing. Sorry for your loss.
We used to have a pair of rats who loved to eat every scrap of clothing we were foolish enough to leave within reach of the cage. They're so funny, so smart, and so surprisingly affectionate.
waldo says:
We once had a mouse called Peanut. We adopted him after we took a photo of him eating the cheese off a mouse trap.
Although a bush mouse, he would eventually come for his bread and peanut butter when whistled in the evening.
ladiesbane says:
I'm sorry to hear about Little. I hope her going was easy, and that you and Liz are hanging in there.
J.D. Rhoades says:
Always tough to lose a part of your life like that. My condolences.
Samantha says:
No life, no matter how small, is insignificant. I'm sorry for your loss.
William says:
My wife and I lost a couple rats earlier this year, too. It's amazing how much presence and personality a rat bring to a home. Our condolences.