*** “…authoritarianism happens when followers submit too much to the authorities in their lives. What is “too much,” then? When followers choose to believe a leader who demonstrably and repeatedly lies to them, ignore undeniable contradictions in his rationales, and back him to the max when he makes very bad decisions. – that’s “too much.” When they turn a blind eye to obviously immoral and outright unlawful acts he performs, support him when he places himself above the law and repeatedly tries to undermine the nation’s founding principles, and they genuinely think, feel, and do what he tells them to, because he is their leader, that is WAY TOO MUCH.” [ John W. Dean, Bob Altemeyer: “Authoritarian Nightmare…..Trump And His Followers” ]
This post is based around “ICE plans. ‘wartime recruitment’. push” [ Drew Harwell, Joyce Sohyun Lee; Washington Post Weekly; 1/4/26]. Americans have seen the results of Trump’s use of U.s. troops on American streets; now see armed, masked. ICE thugs routinely assaulting American citizens. – recorded in personal and in shared videos. WHO are these men??? WHY do they act this way???
1] One ICE recruitment site has an Uncle Sam pointing at the reader, with this caption: “America NEEDS YOU America has been invaded by criminals and predators. We need YOU to get them out. You do not need an undergraduate degree. You may be entitled to UP to these benefits $50,000signing bonus $60,000 student loan repayment $25,000 Premium Pay”
{Harwell, Lee: “ICE plans ‘wartime recruitment’ push”]
5] “On social media, administration accounts have mixed immigration raid footage with memes from action movies and video games to portray ICE’s mission as a fight against the “enemies…at the gates.” “Want to deport illegals with your absolute boys?” one post says. “are you going to cowboy up or just lay there and bleed?” says another.” [Harwell, Lee]
8] “ICE has hosted hiring events around the country, including at a Texas job fair last year, during which a
former mixed martial arts fighter told The Post he was eager to “work with these guys that are going to arrest you, slam your face on the pavement and send you home.”
***. “If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face – forever.” [ George Orwell: “1984” ]
10] “Americus Reed…said the ICE strategy reminded him of the “Army of One” campaign that the military once used to build up recruits as mighty warfighters critical to safeguarding the American way of life.”
“They’re aiming for that sweet spot of people who’ve got something to prove, who want to have that power, under the guise of patriotism,” he said.” [ Harwell, Lee ]
2] “U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials are planning to spend $100 million over a one-year period to recruit gun-rights supporters and military enthusiasts….through ads targeting people who have attended UFC fights…with calls for recruits willing to perform their ‘sacred duty” and “defend the homeland” by repelling “foreign invaders.” [ Harwell, Lee ]
*** “Authority has always attracted the lowest elements in the human race. All through history mankind has been bullied by scum.” [ P.J. O’Rourke ]
3]. “..Sarah Saldana, a director of ICE during ther Obama administration, who recalled filling its open positions through local police departments and sheriff’s offices with appeals to officers’ interests in federal public safety work.”
“She said she worries that the speed with which ICE is racing to bring on new hires – coupled with the ad campaign’s framing of the jobs as part of a war – will raise the risk that the agency could attract untrained recruits eager for all-out combat.” [ Harwell, Lee ]
4]. “The appeal to law enforcement should not be “the quicker we get out there and run over people, the better off this country will be,” she said. “That mentality you’re fostering tends to inculcate in people a certain aggressiveness that may not be necessary in 85 percent of what you do.” [ Harwell, Lee ]
6] “ICE recruitment ads, the plan said, would be shown to people with an interest in “military and veterans’ affairs,’ ‘”physical training” or “conservative news and politics”. and would target people whose lifestyles are “patriotic” or “conservative-leaning.”
“The strategy said to target listeners of conservative radio shows, country music and podcasts related to patriotism, mens’ interests and true crime, as well as any accounts that resemble users with an interest in “conservative thought leaders, gun rights organizations [and] tactical gear brands,’ the document said.’ [ Harwell, Lee ]
7]. “The war rhetoric is in line with the Trump administration’s broader efforts to push mass deportations as critical to American security and immigration officials’ work as heroic..” [ Harwell, Lee ]
*** “The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed [and hence clamorous to be led to safety]. by menacing it with endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary.” [ H.L Mencken ]
9] “… DHS has spent more than $1 million on “self-deportation’ ads in the last 90 days targeted to people interested in “Latin music,” “Spanish as a second language’ and “Mexican cuisine.” [ Haewrll, lee ]
Re-read the above – think about the thinking behind what Harwell and Lee have presented to YOU. Do YOU find this at all a little frightening – that ‘YOUR’ government has done this – in ‘YOUR’ name – supposedly for ‘YOUR’ security??? That most of the “enemies” said to be “threatening America’ are NOT “criminals.” That somebody has figured out a profile of people who would be attracted to do “the dirty work”???
Consider trhe following from trhe “SPLC Report – Winter, 2026”: “A Hatewatch review of Department of Homeland Security [DHS]. social media posts and web content found that the federal agency uses white nationalist and anti-immigrant images and slogans in recruiting materials. In some cases, the images and language appear to come from antisemitic and neo-Nazi publications and a white Christian nationalist website.”
“The increase in white nationalist content appears to originate with a June 11 post. DHS’ official X and Instagram accounts posted a graphic of Uncle Sam hammering a sign with the caption: “Help your country…and yourself…REPORT ALL FOREIGN INVADERS.” A hotline number for Immigration and Customs Enforcement [ICE] accompanied the post. Mother Jones reported the doctored graphic of Uncle Sam originated from an X user called “Mr. Robert,’ who is associated with white nationalist content.”
***. “When and if fascism comes to America it will not be labeled ‘made in Germany’; it will not be marked with a swastika; it will not even be called fascism; it will be called, of course, ‘Americanism’..” [Halford Luccock]
Dean and Altemeyer summarize their research findings on pages 172-173: “..decades of research reveal that, as a group authoritarian followers appear to have a lot of “hurt,” which they are looking to lay on others. These impulses are triggered by fear of a dangerous world…many released by their self-righteousness. When an authority approves the aggression…they find justification in attacking others…research reveals these people have a deep need to belong to a powerful movement they feel will safeguard them…are deeply dependent on others for social reinforcement…are more untethered and adrift than most people….this dependence makes them uniquely vulnerable to manipulators….”
[ “Authoritarian Nightmare…Trump And His Followers ]
FOOD FOR THOUGHT, #1: find Mike Luckovich’s cartoon of 1/14/26 – showing 3 armed, masked ICE thugs standing over a fallen “Statue of Liberty” with the caption. “SHE WAS BRANDISHING A TORCH”
FOOD FOR THOUGHT, #2: find the Minnesota Star Tribune front page, 1/15/26. for a picture of an ICE thug reaching out of a car window for a drive-by hit on an unarmed protestor. “with chemical spray”
FOOD FOR THOUGHT, #3: “The darkest places in hell are reserved for those who maintain their neutrality in times of moral crisis.” [ Dante Alighieri ]
With Justice For All 