Charles P. Pierce, a regular blogger at Esquire, describes the Trump administration’s blatant indifference to a judge’s order to produce the hundreds of toddlers that were taken away from their parents, then “lost” in the system.
He says, someone should go to jail for this. I agree.
Try this sometime. You’re in court and the judge gives you a deadline to do something by Day X. Then, when Day X arrives, tell the judge that you’ve only been able to do four percent of what the judge demanded that you do. See where you’re eating dinner that night.
What are the odds that anyone will pay other than the children and their parents? Zip.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Some Trump official was on the TV saying he could put his fingers on a keyboard and match kids with parents. Sorry I don’t have more. This was just after a report on a child facing a judge and answering a question about his age by raising five fingers.
This may be the link http://www.alexandrianews.org/2018/07/hhs-update-on-unaccompanied-minors-and-children-separated-from-parents-in-trump-administration-zero-tolerance-immigration-policy/
It was Alex Azar, THE HEAD OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (sorry to yell, but it’s so ridiculous). I saw him on CNN today.
“Alex Michael Azar II is an American lawyer and former drug company executive who is the current United States Secretary of Health and Human Services, after being nominated by President Donald Trump — ”
It seems that everyone Trump nominates for a position in his administration is fundamentally flawed in an evil, dystopian, draconian way.
Is there anyone that isn’t?
“Donald Trump is the subject of two federal criminal investigations.”
Yea, someone will go to prison for this. Trump will frame Hillary and Obama and rant that they are responsible and should be behind bars. Trump’s deplorable followers will cheer and chant “Throw the child molesters in jail.” And they will be talking about Hillary and Obama.
I’m surprised Trump hasn’t come out and accused all the women accusing him of sexual abuse and/or affairs that it is their fault and they forced him to do it.
I would like for Trump, Hillary, and Obama to all be jailed…..Maybe in the same cell. And then they can be replaced with true socialist democrats.
An auteur can dream….
Maybe we could convince God to come up with a repeat but revised Exodus 11:5.
instead of every firstborn son in the land of Egypt dies, God strikes down every billionaire and elected representative in the United States that isn’t a progressive or moderate.
Not bad, Lloyd!
I gotta say NF, a long time ago I used to pay attention to your comments, but this one is as idiotic as I’ve seen in a while from anyone. So all three, in your opinion, are equivalent? Just checking.
NF,
Sorry, I don’t agree. Trump should be held accountable for many reasons. The best place to do that is the ballot box.
We are not yet a banana republic. Leave Hillary and Obama out of your rant.
Diane,
I respectfully disagree with your disagreement.
I thought I was not insulting the host or other readers, following your very own rules and really utilizing the knowledge I gained from your book, “The Language Police”. That’s what I thought I was doing.
I was under the impression that Obama helped big time to destroy public education and devastate teachers. Maybe my facts about that have been wrong? I am open to being corrected about that.
That said, this is your living room, so I will watch what I say, as you are the host and I am a guest. It’s okay for you to censor my thinking and violate your own rules. You are the host, and that’s well within your prerogative.
I apologize solely to you, but with confusion. I have openly attacked Charles, and should NOT do so, even thought I was left alone doing so. Charles, I will apologize to you this one time.
But that’s okay, and all is fine with me. I enjoy your blog and the comments.
I’m sill a fan of balanced socialism and will not relent on that. It has too many benefits that far outweigh the cons.
NF,
I think Obama was a disaster on education, but so are many others, and we don’t jail them for it.
Obama was a man of great intellect and probity, which makes it all the more confusing that he would have bashed public schools. I admire him for many things, but not his education policies. RTTT was a bust and a disaster.
GregB,
I did not mean to be idiotic. I had no idea that I was therefore an idiot, as you stated. I feel so badly that you would say that. I mean, I am not pro-idiot. In fact, I’m actually against idiocracy. Let’s therefore you and I hold an anti-idiot pride parade and you and I can be the grand marshals, floats and character balloons and all. Are you in?
Hillary and Obama are the slow death of democracy and redistribution of wealth. Trump is an aggressive, deadly bacteria in the bloodstream wanting to cause that same death.
Either way, I don’t welcome democracy’s demise. I believe in preventative treatment either way. The gradual abandonment of the DNC of working class people, labor rights, protection and growth of the public commons over the last 3 decades or so is one major reason why Trump won. It’s not the sole reason, but it is a major reason.
Reinvention of the DNC, or third parties, and reinvention of the teacher unions is called for, plain and simple in my opinion.
We can always look at the enemy and should. But we must always look within, regardless of the pain it causes us. Some pain is good and essential for growth.
“auteur”? Really?
Diane,
I’m sorry you had to censor my last comment. You took down my post. It sent me a very powerful message about the audience, and I’m okay with that.
I hope you’ll allow me to continue to read and comment in the future. It would be, in one sense, my loss, and I leave it to anyone else if they would considèr it a loss, as that’s up to them.
I admit I’m a bit leftist for this context, and I should not judge anyone if they are not so ready for that set of politics. But I think the USA could stand quite a bit of leftism at this point.
Not centrism.
Leftism.
NF,
I did not censor your comment. It was in moderation, as are many, not by my decision. I have been working on my book all day.
The delay was due to my absence.
Filmmaker – please, please continue reading and commenting here! I for one value your input highly. We’re losing voices like yours around here. (Anyone notice that SomeDamPoet hasn’t been around in a while?)
We have no lost SDP. He or she is always welcome.
We have lost Charles, at least for now. How much do you miss him?
Diane,
My apologies for presuming.
You are funny about missing Charles.
I told Charles I needed a break. He still comments but as usual has nothing that he hasn’t already said.
Diane,
I think Charles took a vacation in Norway. He must be having a great time.
Maybe, but a better bet would be Charles moving to another country or state for another job. He doesn’t seem to hold on to his jobs that long.
Dienne,
Thank you for your vote of confidence. A herring in one hand is sometimes worth more than a whole net of salmon. I appreciate it.
NF, I wrote that your comment, Our Dear Leader=Hillary Clinton=Barack Obama, was idiotic, not that you were an idiot. I stand by that.
My problem with many of your comments is that I don’t believe you understand how the American Constitution laid out the rules of governing this nation and its processes. (Not that you’re alone in this, few Republicans today understand it either, they see it as a system to be exploited for personal gain.) As I have written many times before, I believe your fundamental error is comparing a parliamentary system to a federal system. The rules of governmental representation and elections are different. Put as simply as possible, it would be like complaining that a football (soccer) match does not play by the rules of a basketball game. Each has to be approached in a different way and the processes are not analogous. So judging one system by the standard of another is not only dangerous, it is counterproductive and focuses critics on the wrong incentives and goals.
Personally, I value the strengths of each and shudder at the weaknesses. As we have seen ad infinitum in Italy, now in Germany, and soon in France, the politics of forming or not forming coalitions at the governing level can paralyze a nation. We see the same here, but the politics of coalition building happen outside of formal government. When they invade the governing process, we also have paralysis—or worse, legally sanctioned corruption.
While I separate your comments from your person, I cannot do so with your friend, our resident commentator, who only takes contrarian positions, whines, and make ridiculous claims like the one below that “Trump is actively trying to undermine one of Russia’s most important projects – the pipeline to Germany.” It is another example of focusing on one facet of a complicated story to arrive at a simplistic, irrational conclusion. It’s a doctrinaire, black-and-white, “Four legs good, two legs bad” view of the world. In other words, a ridiculous, self-serving conceit.
But hey, if you make each other feel good with consistent trite negativity without at least trying to offer solutions, real engagement or paths toward change, more power to you. Just don’t expect those of us who pay attention, read, and try to learn despite our views to take your comments seriously.
Having spent a lot of time in Norway and hiking in Hardangervidda, there is no country in the world I respect more or would rather live in if I could (or Germany or Denmark). But remember, your country is also the home to one of the most racist, violent Nazi factions that is spreading in Europe. It is also the home of the Nobel Peace Prize and incredibly progressive policies to support social services from cradle to grave. But you also have a historical tradition of mutual support through public policy which fits well with your parliamentary governing. We, on the other hand, are dominated by an individualistic mindset—whether it is warranted or not—that is framed by a federal system with varying levels of local governance. We still, more than 150 years after the end of the Civil War, are dominated (deluded?) by the ideas of state vs. national sovereignty. You don’t have those debates as far as I know. For example, I am not aware of people in, for example, Lofoten, who claim sovereignty, independence and special privileges from Oslo. But here it exist every day in many parts of the nation.
Thank you, GregB, for an interesting historical perspective and someting very enlightening.
Trump has a talent for projecting his actions onto others. Like saying this morning that Germany is “a captive of Russia” when he is.
Trump is actively trying to undermine one of Russia’s most important projects – the pipeline to Germany. Somehow this makes him a “captive of Russia”. Wow. Trump is an even better eleven dimensional chess player than Obama was.
By embarrassing Putin or allies?
By embarrassing Putin or allies?
Here is Trump not caring and expressing himself with his usual ‘great intellect’. He is beyond disgusting. I’ve read comments on other sites whereby people say the same thing, but with better English.
Coming to the US for amnesty is legal, except under Trump.
………………
From the WaPo:
“Well,” he replied, “I have a solution: Tell people not to come to our country illegally. That’s the solution. Don’t come to our country illegally. Come like other people do — come legally…Is that what you’re saying…I’m saying this: We have laws. We have borders…Don’t come to our country illegally. It’s not a good thing…Without borders, you do not have a country.”
This from a man who we all know is a paragon of a law abiding citizen. When I read Trump’s comment, I thought of the recent reports of people seeking asylum waiting to enter legally, I think I heard, for as much as two weeks before deciding to enter illegally.
Reblogged this on NANMYKEL.COM and commented:
Shame, shame, shame.
I agree. Someone should go to jail for this. Wouldn’t it be great if was Trump? Yeah . . . I know . . . dream on . . .
Yes, somebody MIGHT go to jail for this, but you can bet it will be some under, under, underling, just as happened with the Flint water situation…& we all know it should have been Rick Snyder.
Also, as with “The Song That Never Ends,” neither will the majority of these children ever be reunited with relatives here, let alone their parents. I speak from a G-d awful experience during the time I was in V.I.S.T.A. (Volunteers in Service to America) in Miami, from 1980-81, when my job was to train a Haitian-American citizen to act as the Child Advocacy Coordinator for a non-profit agency, in order to get the FL Dept. of H.H.S. (which was a joke) to sign a contract w/a social service agency to complete the home visits necessary to reunite unaccompanied minors (their parents had sent them over to live w/aunts, uncles & other family members) w/stable relatives. I.N.S. would pick people up from the beaches & plop people in the middle of downtown Miami at 4 AM, & then call our agency (which had one 6-passenger van) to pick them up & to house them.
And that is just the tip of the ICEberg…I could write an extremely heartbreaking book, & this situation, today, is one million times worse.
And we pay for his upkeep. Gag me.
Yvonne: What makes me sick is that taxpayers will have to pay for tRump’s security for as long as he lives. He travels continuously and the amount of money wasted will be horrendous. If our security also includes his corrupt children, we are really sunk.
tRump complains about taxpayer money being wasted on NATO. I’d say taxpayer money used for security for him and DeVos is a much bigger waste. He doesn’t seem to mind this personal misuse as long as he can go golfing whenever he wants.
Impeach that orange-haired paypthological treasonous liar.
Thank you, carolmalaysia.
Trump and his deplorables believe they are above the law. The inconvenient truth is they are correct for most offenses. I hope Mueller finds something actionable.
retired teacher: There are a whole bunch of us waiting to find out what Mueller is learning. Let’s hope the Orange Buffoon doesn’t figure out a way to stop this investigation. I’m sure there is a LOT that he doesn’t want disclosed. Tough SH**!! It’s way past time that Trump is held accountable for the horrendous hurt he has put on people. He has a lifetime of abuse and nothing ever happens. No wonder he believes he is above the law.
The Treasonous Trump admin’s defense is that draconian punishment is simply a byproduct of breaking the law. Well, now (and ever before) the Treasonous Trump admin is breaking the law. And Treasonous himself constantly breaks legal and moral laws. By his own standards, he and much of his admin should be sitting in a cell, waiting indefinitely or permanently confined.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.vox.com/platform/amp/policy-and-politics/2018/7/11/17546970/trump-pruitt-shine
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/ncna890501
This country is sick. How much hurt can it impose on children and their parents? Trump is just plain evil and there is no justification for what is happening. These children will be irreparably harmed and nobody with any power cares.
…………………………….
Trump administration says more than 900 immigrant parents are ineligible for reunification
..In a court filing Thursday, government lawyers stated approximately 1,606 parents of those children are potentially eligible for reunification, under HHS screening standards. However, the remaining 908 may be out of luck.
According to CNN, two of those parents were being held in state or federal custody. Ninety-one others “had a criminal record or were otherwise deemed ineligible,” and 136 had “waived” reunification rights previously. Lawyers claimed the 679 who did not fall under those categories required “further evaluation” but did not offer details on what that evaluation would entail.
“That’s a very large number but the government as usual has not provided us sufficient information to evaluate these cases,” Lee Gelernt, deputy director of the Immigrants’ Rights Project at the ACLU, told CNN. The ACLU sued the government to speed up the reunification process following Trump’s order.
Separated children still waiting to be reunited with their families are currently being held in 106 government-contracted detention facilities across the country. Many of the facilities have histories of alleged abuse or mismanagement, and in some cases, children who are eventually returned to their parents present evidence of such abuse.
“[My] child continued to cry when we got home and would hold on to my leg and would not let me go,” the mother of a 14-month-old child wrote in a lawsuit filed by 17 states and the District of Columbia last month, on behalf of separated families. “When I took off his clothes, he was full of dirt and lice. It seemed like they had not bathed him the 85 days he was away from us.”…
https://thinkprogress.org/trump-administration-900-immigrant-parents-ineligible-for-reunification-3f71f574d4b9/