What’s striking about the administration’s response isn’t simply that it’s dishonest. A year into Trump’s second term and a year into this era of unshackled immigration officers, we should only be surprised if their initial presentations hold up under scrutiny. Instead, what’s remarkable about the immediate responses is that they include no statements of regret or sympathy. Hours after a federal agent shot and killed a young mother, the government couldn’t even be bothered to extend its condolences. This wouldn’t have made the effort to impugn Good’s life and actions any better, certainly, but it would at least indicate some sense of humanity. It would suggest that even critics of the administration live lives worth preserving and appreciating.
This administration has no interest in offering that impression. Good, by virtue of being in a position of friction with federal agents, became an Other. And Others are not people for the administration and its allies to mourn. They are people to disparage and mock and accuse.
Except it’s not even remarkable now, it’s just more of the same from the usual suspect and his minions. He always says the worst thing possible. What would be remarkable is if he failed to do that.
The blatant cruelty of Trump domestically is in line with the blatant resource-grabbing internationally. Earlier administrations at least played a little homage to virtue by framing their actions as anti-Communist (Vietnam) or weapons of mass destruction (Iraq) – they may have partly meant it. Hypocritical maybe – but hypocrisy at least acknowledges that the people would prefer to be aligned with some kind of virtue. A lot of his supporters and the likes of Stephen Miller seem to enjoy this blatantly cruel and cynical attitude. I’m in power, I’ll do it. We’re the powerful ones, we’ll take it. Polls show the majority of American don’t – but they’re not the ones in charge.
By the way, Miller even looks like a ruthless bastard, as cast by Hollywood.
I am sorry that the use of the word “remarkable” in the section I quoted detracted from what I thought was well-put commentary by Philip Bump on the incident. I didn’t want to quote the whole thing. I don’t think he meant “remarkable” as in “surprising”, but rather as in “noteworthy”. I agree that it would be surprising if Trump acted in any way like a decent human being. Another candidate for a pull quote from Bump’s essay was this:
They will lie about you and then kill you and they will kill you and then lie about you.
The lying, the gaslighting, the cruelty, the complete lack of decency and empathy, those are all worth noting. If we don’t make note of it, remark on it, we risk complacency.
I like what Philip Bump had to say about this.
Remarkable but entirely consistent and predictable.
Except it’s not even remarkable now, it’s just more of the same from the usual suspect and his minions. He always says the worst thing possible. What would be remarkable is if he failed to do that.
The blatant cruelty of Trump domestically is in line with the blatant resource-grabbing internationally. Earlier administrations at least played a little homage to virtue by framing their actions as anti-Communist (Vietnam) or weapons of mass destruction (Iraq) – they may have partly meant it. Hypocritical maybe – but hypocrisy at least acknowledges that the people would prefer to be aligned with some kind of virtue. A lot of his supporters and the likes of Stephen Miller seem to enjoy this blatantly cruel and cynical attitude. I’m in power, I’ll do it. We’re the powerful ones, we’ll take it. Polls show the majority of American don’t – but they’re not the ones in charge.
By the way, Miller even looks like a ruthless bastard, as cast by Hollywood.
I am sorry that the use of the word “remarkable” in the section I quoted detracted from what I thought was well-put commentary by Philip Bump on the incident. I didn’t want to quote the whole thing. I don’t think he meant “remarkable” as in “surprising”, but rather as in “noteworthy”. I agree that it would be surprising if Trump acted in any way like a decent human being. Another candidate for a pull quote from Bump’s essay was this:
The lying, the gaslighting, the cruelty, the complete lack of decency and empathy, those are all worth noting. If we don’t make note of it, remark on it, we risk complacency.