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Notes -
General poll of opinions here, since I don't see much conversation about it - either because of news bubbles or general disinterest in discussing the ugly side of authoritarianism.
Main query: Are the blackbagging tactics of ICE a necessary evil, a dangerous overstep, or some nuanced in-between?
Genuinely, I don't have a steelman for blackbagging tactics. Right now, ICE is targeting a certain type of "undesirable", namely, allegedly undocumented illegal immigrants, and appear to have carte blanche to apprehend anyone who disrupts that process. But the hallmark of authoritarianism is to expand the definition of "undesirable" to include your political opponents - and if blackbagging undesirables is already palatable, then you can blackbag your political opponents. It's a matter of convenience that political enemies are already attempting to disrupt the blackbagging of undocumented illegal immigrants - it makes that leap that much easier were it to happen. How convenient as well that there's now an entire organizational apparatus gaining valuable experience in how to make people disappear on US soil? They may look like mall cops who are dressed for the paintball arena for now, but if they happened to get any of that DoD money...
Blackbagging by ICE seems to be an extrajudicial process by design, as a flex of the unitary executive theory that the judiciary exists only to serve the will of the executive. The judiciary is viewed as uncooperative and painted as obstructive, despite being intentionally hamstrung by the right wing of congress that has refused for several presidential terms to pass any immigration reform despite bipartisan efforts. One doesn't have to look very hard at all to find red tribe voices foaming at the mouth to declare enemies of the state: official mouthpieces of the current administration, senators, congresspeople. History rhymes, and I know enough of the current admin has read Carl Schmitt to recognize the paths that are available to them at this point if they happen to be hungry for power.
Ending query: Assuming (for the sake of this question) that the end goal of this administration is to establish a type of authoritarianism where people are kidnapped and disappeared because of vocal opposition to the regime, what should be the response by the opposition that would want to prevent that? History buffs, what are the best examples of countries barely recovering from the brink of authoritarianism?
Edit: I appreciate the responses, there was actually quite a bit of variety which was nice to read. I came away with a steelman (which I didn't have originally) which is that the theatrics of ICE is meant to intimidate illegal immigrants. In effect, it would seem like that would select for immigrants who are reckless and fearless (yikes), or immigrants who face such extreme danger in their home country that even Twitter videos of brown people being tackled by men in masks doesn't slow them down (these desperate people would probably be considered "authentic" refugees by most leftists, and not just "economic migrants").
What I'm okay with: Enforcing immigration laws, deporting illegal immigrants. I'm fine with "breaking up families", arresting people at their workplaces, and deporting parents of citizen children with them in tow.
What I'm not okay with: Masked men in plainclothes forcibly ushering people into unmarked vans. As long as they are unmasked and wearing uniforms, or unmasked, plainclothed and are obligated to give their full name and badge/ID upon request, I'd have no problem with it. Yes they may lose the intimidation factor, but it's a necessary trade-off compared to normalizing mask wearing thugs kidnapping people off the streets.
Riiiight, so they can be more easily doxed and their families threatened. Have the black bagging crew wear full face masks if they want, make it a uniform. I'm thinking the classic theater smiley/frowny face, but in black. Ooooh, and the ones who catch rapists and disappear them will wear white smiley masks.
Hell, I'm absolutely fine with ICE camping out children at school, then picking up their parents when they go to complain. Actually, have the teachers and administrative staff liable for knowingly having illegal children and illegal's children in their classes. Make it a felony, throw everyone involved in jail when an actual illegal immigrant child is caught attending school.
Just so I understand, are you saying that the Democratic Party of the United States is a criminal organisation which is sufficiently dangerous compared to, say, the Black Panthers or the Mafia that the US Department of Homeland Security (or Stasi, to use the original German) needs to break precedent and introduce the first secret police force in the history of the United States?
ICE might as well be secret police for all I care, I don't care which goon #47 is roughing up some illegal, as long as they have verifiable badges which can be looked up online i'm fine. (they don't need to be personally identifiable and can be rotated on an OP per OP basis.)
How, then, do you prevent the problem discussed elsewhere in this thread of random criminals impersonating ICE officers to cause mayhem with impunity?
Solution: ICE agents must wear an absolutely obnoxiously visible hat. Anyone else wearing this hat is subject to massive minimum fines and prison sentences, no plea bargains allowed. The regular uniformed police receive a bounty of $50,000 dollars for each person they (correctly) arrest who is wearing one of those hats and is not part of ICE, and all ICE agents must carry some sort of badge/ID that they must provide the uniformed police on request to prove they are ICE.
Boom. ICE is very easily idenfitifiable and verifiable, while being anonymous, and the police have a massive incentive and simple way to ensure it isn't abused by other parties.
Plus you’re bringing back obnoxiously large hats, the loss of which is directly related to the decline of our civilization.
Make bicornes great again!
Young Thug the 3rd esquire running from obnoxiously hated 5-0 in his latest hit STRAIGHT OUTA AZTLAN
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