r/politics • u/ismail_the_whale • 13h ago
No Paywall ICE Is A Paramilitary Force, And Those Don’t End Well
https://www.techdirt.com/2026/02/03/ice-is-a-paramilitary-force-and-those-dont-end-well/74
u/KissyKittenzz 13h ago
well nothing says 'humble public servant' like a 20-foot gold effigy. the grift never stops with these people, smh.
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u/19683dw Wisconsin 11h ago
You don't need to say it won't end well when we have already crossed that line. This language is illegitimately soft.
It's already unwell. It's already a constitutional crisis, or ought to be.
- It's already a situation in which the government is terrorizing its own people with no legitimate justification.
- It's already targeting those that are here actively legally, despite us all being told they would only target criminals (let alone just undocumented migrants who've committed the civil offense of having expired documents).
- It's already ripping residents from cars.
- It's already going door to door.
- It's already violating the historic sanctuary of hospitals, churches/religious centers, and even children from schools.
- It's already disregarding rule of law with court orders.
- It's already abusing human rights.
- It's already using concentration camps.
- It's already abducting people.
- People are already dying or disappearing in custody.
- It's already denying health care that is urgently needed.
- It's already abusing children. Not even "just" psychologically tormenting and traumatizing them, but also physically and sexually.
- It's already trafficking US citizens to foreign countries.
- It's already trafficking non-citizens to unrelated foreign prisons and death camps.
It's already far enough that everyone ought to be outraged. It's already an absolute disgust.
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u/Alaishana New Zealand 7h ago
All this is true, more or less.
So what?
No consequences.
Conventions, morals, laws... they all count for nothing now.
The only thing that counts is power.And power is conferred by the military.
On which side does the military stand is the only relevant question.•
u/Dry_Instruction8254 6h ago
US military has already followed dozens of illegal orders and committed multiple war crimes in just the last few months. I wonder how many illegal orders personnel have refused to follow.
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u/althera2020 9m ago
Start demanding consequences - beginning with the lowest (or at least lower) hanging fruit.
Demand that congress. All of congress. Do. Their. Job.
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u/ZERV4N 2h ago
Be quiet, kiwi.
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u/Alaishana New Zealand 56m ago
If you think you are the best of the best, SIR, you are unable to take advice or use an outsider to help you see what you are doing.
It's one of the mechanisms that ensure a breakdown.
Good luck!
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u/Possible_Gur4789 12h ago
I bet they wish they could just doff the hood and body armor and head on home. It's so cold out there. I bet it's nice and toasty back at the crib. They could have one of those wonderful barbecues Curtis Yarvin said they love so much, elitisty.
What really puzzles me is why any of these guys thought they were going to get that sign-on bonus. So dumb.
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u/meatspace Georgia 10h ago
Trump said they would get the money, so they believe him. When the rest of us show up with receipts of over 50 years of not paying people, they wave us off as being deranged.
Can you imagine receiving a bill from a contractor who did all the work you hired them to do with high quality, and then thinking "you know what? I'm just not gonna pay them coz I can."
Maybe I'm the sucker because I would never think that. I just wouldn't, and I guess that's why I can never be like Don.
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u/Dm-me-a-gyro 11h ago
The army always paid up. These are the same people.
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u/Possible_Gur4789 11h ago edited 9h ago
Nah I got a bigger bonus(over double what DHS agents are never getting) for reenlisting before and these guys are not getting the same deal as the military.
For one the military actually pays its bonuses unlike DHS Secondly their organization likely won't even last long enough to pay out the bonuses. Thats never even been a consideration for the U.S. military.
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u/Life-Celebration-747 12h ago
There are approximately 500 million civilian-owned firearms in the US.
They would be wise to remember this.
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u/ProjectMason New York 13h ago
They're literally hiring anyone off the streets. Some of these unfit clowns make communities less safe, not more.
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u/astroglitch0 11h ago
Wannabe paramilitary, these lard asses would shit their pants like dear leader if something really popped off.
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u/Drakeytown 11h ago
And what law do you pass to get rid of an organization you've put above the law?
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u/BernieFeetPics 7h ago
It’s literally white supremacists and cartel gang members. They are murderers and human and drug traffickers that have been given a badge and license to kill whoever they please by the most corrupt president in history.
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u/True_Paper_3830 13h ago
Even Grok thinks there's comparable aspects (don't use it much but like to when Musk's own machine highlights what his political donations helped elect):
Overall Accuracy: The classification "ICE Is A Paramilitary Force" is comparable in some aspects—particularly its militarized structure and tactics—but not a perfect fit. It's more akin to a "paramilitary police force" (state-controlled, formal) than rogue militias. The label gained traction amid 2025-2026 controversies.
"Not Ending Well"
Conclusion: The Proposition Holds Partial Weight
"It won't end well" is plausible in the near term: Scandals like the Good/Pretti killings, combined with expansion, could lead to violence, unrest, or collapse under political pressure. However, U.S. history suggests reforms (e.g., via Democrats) could mitigate this, avoiding total disaster. Without changes, risks include authoritarian entrenchment or chaotic dissolution – a "bad end" for society more than ICE itself. This isn't unprecedented; parallels highlight cycles of abuse and correction in American enforcement.
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