Trump

[Mayhem]

Whilst I think the term "concentration camp" in the normally-used modern context (i.e. a place where an ethnic group is taken to and exterminated) is indeed an exaggeration (but also feeling that the current administrations policy is inhumane), the historical definition sums up the current situation pretty well (quote from Wikipedia):

"The American Heritage Dictionary defines the term concentration camp as: 'A camp where persons are confined, usually without hearings and typically under harsh conditions, often as a result of their membership in a group the government has identified as a suspect.' "

It's not really much different, at least in my eyes, from America interning Japanese Americans during WW2...

[F-ZeroOne]

Well, if it gets done, it's money for space, and that's very probably good.

The Martians did melt Woking of the face of the Earth?

Money for space research is good. Money for ill-defined military conquest of space... hmm.

Sorry, I'm not clear if you got the reference - in H.G. Wells "The War of the Worlds" the Martians famously attack an English town called Woking. The residents appear to have been remarkably amicable about it, as a Martian tripod war machine stands near Woking railway station to this day.

[F-ZeroOne]

Whilst I think the term "concentration camp" in the normally-used modern context (i.e. a place where an ethnic group is taken to and exterminated) is indeed an exaggeration (but also feeling that the current administrations policy is inhumane), the historical definition sums up the current situation pretty well (quote from Wikipedia):

"The American Heritage Dictionary defines the term concentration camp as: 'A camp where persons are confined, usually without hearings and typically under harsh conditions, often as a result of their membership in a group the government has identified as a suspect.' "

It's not really much different, at least in my eyes, from America interning Japanese Americans during WW2...

The similarities have been pointed out. Of course, back then America was at war with the Axis powers, rather than just at war with TERROR.

[Cloudane]

The problem of course is that although concentration camp is an exaggeration now, it might not be for long. That country is just constantly hopping along stepping stones towards that kind of fascism, to defending cries of "he's not gassing people (yet) so it's not real fascism". He keeps pushing and pushing gradually, gradually enough that not much of a fuss is made because it's just a small step and Obama did a bad thing once etc.

[Cloudane]

Then again, he could just do something nasty and then u-turn on it to portray himself as the good guy *taps temple*

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-44552852

[Little stoned kiwi]

The Onion reported it best.

Political Scientists Baffled By Trump’s Ability To End Something He Had No Control Over Just Days Ago
"Just yesterday, he was explaining that his hands were tied and there was nothing he could do to stop children and infants from being forcibly torn away from their parents and put into cages—but then today, out of nowhere, he suddenly issued an executive order doing just that!"

[F-ZeroOne]

This administration should really just skip to that part first after announcing whatever the next new arsehole polic - excuse me, "initiative" is. It would save a lot of time, effort, twitter characters and hardship for all involved.

[merman]

Comes to something when even the Mrs is speaking out publicly against you.

Actual concentration camps in Texas.

I don't think there are (m)any Trump supporters on here, but watch out for making claims like that on the wider internet it's not entirely true and the commonly circulated "caged kids" image is from 2014:
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/child ... tion-camp/
It adds fuel to the narrative that The Leftists make things up or use things from the Obama administration to criticise the Trump one, use exaggerated descriptions to conjure images of the Nazis etc. It strengthens their cause as the Trump supporting crowd absolutely revel in the idea of libs spreading lies/exaggerations (if unwittingly) via forms of media.

Seriously? I have been following this story for the last couple of weeks. I'm not making anything up.
Lights left on 24 hours a day, music played at high volume, children as young as 2 in metal cages. This is happening right now, and any attempt to brand it "fake" is misguided.

[Harlequin]

Are more contemporary images required?

https://twitter.com/DavidBegnaud/status ... 8816560128

[Cloudane]

Seriously? I have been following this story for the last couple of weeks. I'm not making anything up.
Lights left on 24 hours a day, music played at high volume, children as young as 2 in metal cages. This is happening right now, and any attempt to brand it "fake" is misguided.

I know, I've followed it a lot more closely since saying that, and it's more apparent that they're concentration camps. (No, not death camps. Yet. They're already at stage 7 of genocide though.)
The fact one widely circulated image happens to be from 2014, whilst it unfortunately gives the Nazis ammunition for their "muh fake news" argument and whataboutery, doesn't mean what's been going on recently isn't a lot worse.

Just like to check facts as their tactics include spreading bullshit (including bullshit seeded by fake leftist accounts so they can say "see! The left create fake news!") and gaslighting. That said, I'm also done with the whole "civil discourse with Nazis" argument that has ended up giving them legitimacy...

I'm a bit wary of Snopes now too, that article seemed a bit biased. Which is a shame, as I'm sure they never used to be.

[Little stoned kiwi]

People seem to be upset about Time's cover. The child crying isn't actually one of the children that's been separated from their parents and currently detained by the US government.
So it's fake news.

[snaff]

Looks more like America being America than a Trump thing.

[Harlequin]

Just like to check facts as their tactics include spreading bullshit (including bullshit seeded by fake leftist accounts so they can say "see! The left create fake news!") and gaslighting. That said, I'm also done with the whole "civil discourse with Nazis" argument that has ended up giving them legitimacy...

I'm a bit wary of Snopes now too, that article seemed a bit biased. Which is a shame, as I'm sure they never used to be.

I support fact-checking. I have often contradicted friends who have posted inaccurate information in support of views that I largely agree with.

I think the Snopes article is mostly balanced but, yes, we should probably be wary of the biases of any source or analysis. Just about everything and everyone has a bias, no matter how well-meaning.

People seem to be upset about Time's cover. The child crying isn't actually one of the children that's been separated from their parents and currently detained by the US government.
So it's fake news.

It might be if Time ever made such claims about the child pictured. As it is, the symbolic image may well have been hand drawn from an artist's imagination and still carried the same semiotic impact.

Looks more like America being America than a Trump thing.

The policy of separating families … has an awful [US]American pedigree. …

[Cloudane]

Yeah "this one depiction is No True Orphan therefore the whole thing is a lie" is one of the many go-to fallacies of fascists.

Though her presentation style can be a bit silly, this is worth a watch when it comes to spotting some of their other tactics:

[merman]

Oh great, a senior Supreme Court judge is stepping down. Gives Trump another chance to stack the deck in his favour...