The author was trying to shield themselves from the despair of political doomscrolling by reading books, but was dismayed to learn of Trump’s plans to declare a national emergency and use the military to carry out mass deportations of undocumented immigrants. The author speaks with anti-imperialist veteran friends who remind them that this is not the first time Trump has threatened to deploy the military against immigrants, and that actually carrying out such a plan would be a logistical and legal nightmare, requiring a massive expansion of the prison system at immense cost. The author argues that the only reasonable response for active-duty soldiers is to refuse to carry out these immoral orders, drawing parallels to the G.I. resistance during the Vietnam War. They advocate reviving networks of support like “G.I. coffeehouses” to provide a space for soldiers to organize and resist. Experts emphasize that troops have a moral responsibility to disobey illegal and immoral orders, and that immigrants are not the true enemy - it is the ruling class elite who are stealing from the working class. The author acknowledges the impulse to retreat into escapism, but argues that now is the time to collectively challenge these dangerous policies.

    • @Maggoty
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      11 month ago

      And then the next guy down the line, and on, and on, until you’re left with incompetent yes men who couldn’t fight their way out of a wet cardboard box.

        • @Maggoty
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          11 month ago

          It’s a bad plan then. It will take all 4 years to see even some movement.

          • @[email protected]
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            fedilink
            11 month ago

            You’re expecting them to work within the established system to make this happen. Dictators don’t do that.

            • @Maggoty
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              11 month ago

              They aren’t magic either though.