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Notes -
You know, that tweet actually gives me a lot of hope. Without assuming intent, Trump is currently in a position where he has the power to create clients (instituting broad tariffs, but then making carveouts for just the companies that agree to bend the knee; going after illegal immigrants, but only in the places and workplaces that are politically opposed to him), and the cultural conditions around ICE's formation make it a force intrinsically predisposed to become his personal army (he got them a massive increase in funding, he got them their massive signing bonuses, and they're very aware that maintaining those things requires keeping his opponents out of power.) I'm therefore heartened to see the formation of a unified, counterbalancing force. I thought the blue tribe was too limp-wristed and fractious to ever gather the hard power required to physically (as opposed to memetically) counter the tribe of the 2nd amendment, but I'm glad to be wrong. I would obviously prefer that both sides disarm, but I'm sure that's impossible because-- among other reasons-- people are going to reply to me arguing that Trump is responding to some n-2 step on the escalation ladder and disarmament would necessarily require the blue tribe to not just disband their current militias, but also willingly bring into effect exactly the kind of deportation actions the current militia is trying to prevent.
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