Mainstream Media Discovers Imperialism Frightens People
The Independent now reports that naturalized citizens are 'gripped by fear' as Trump contemplates expanding his immigration dragnet, including potential checkpoints miles inland and a vast escalation of deportations. This 'newfound fear' conveniently ignores the decades-long expansion of the US surveillance and enforcement state under Republicans and Democrats alike, which routinely targets
communities of color. This isn't a 'Trump shift'; it's a structural feature of modern American empire. From the Patriot Act's domestic spying to Obama's record deportations and Biden’s current border strategy, the infrastructure for this fear has been meticulously built and refined. The mainstream press, however, only seems to notice when it might affect a slightly broader, more 'respectable'
demographic than those already living in perpetual fear. How quickly they forget the domestic surveillance acts, the warrantless wiretaps, and expanded federal agency powers that paved Trump's path. Now, the chickens perhaps roost a bit closer to home.