ICE still has over $70B in other funding so…
this post was submitted on 12 Feb 2026
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Yeah through the all-or-nothing Big Beautiful Bill that was shamefully voted through last year.
AOC really needs to primary Schumer.
Someone needs to challenge schumer for leader, and jeffries. Why is there no ambition with the lackluster results, rock bottom approvals?
Jeffries is hand picked by pelosi, not one challenge, not then, not in the 10 years prior. Wtf?
Is that in addition to the 180 billion dhs was it got in the bill last year?
I hate to break the news to people but there was an article just the other day about "swing voters" in Arizona. It was a mix of Rs, Ds, and independents who voted Biden in 2020 and Trump in 2024. They asked their opinions on ICE, etc. etc. Pretty much all IIRC said that ICE is going too far, people are living in fear, etc.
The thing that stood out is the last sentence- NONE said ICE should be abolished/dismantled.
Reading in here you'd think the popular opinion is that it should be. I can tell you it's not true. Even some of my more liberal/left friends don't always think it should be abolished, not to mention anyone more center.
I personally think it should've been abolished yesterday and the entire DHS dismantled but I also realize that is not the popular opinion, or at least seen through polling etc. I hope all the people thinking it should are voting in primaries for candidates who argue it should. Or convincing their neighbors that it should and they also vote accordingly.
Ok but these people are too stupid to care about. Just jangle some keys after abolishing ice and they'll forget about it
These people are the normal, liberal, middle-class of America and have the greatest political capital, more than any other group, because they are the breadbasket of our nation's tax revenue and disposable-income shopping habits. Their comfort and desire to preserve that comfort is why ANY of this is happening. Yes they can be distracted by keys easily, but they're already held by capital because again... they are comfortable.
The second strongest form of political capital is armed groups of brainless nationalists who will fight and die for their nation's flag.
Where does progressive political capital sit on this scale? Somewhere below "unarmed protestors politely asking for civility."
We need to understand how power works if we ever want actual change in this country, and it's not hugboxes and performative inclusivity, it's flags and guns and money.
I understand that. My point is why pander to the nonsensical policy prescriptions of "normal" middle class America? They are illiterate. Just tell them they'll still have shopping malls and Netflix and we're abolishing ice.
Because that's not enough, they are a resource, if we don't tap that resource, the other side does... as they are doing now.
I'm saying it's not an "abstract group of people," I am talking about the currency that shapes nations, the force behind the declarations and policies and intentions.
That power comes from only a small number of sources, the top two are violence or money.
The right has both, and they are doing everything they can to secure them before others can, and there are a LOT of forces trying to get a piece of both those pies. We could wrest a section of it with careful political messaging and coordination and establishing local communities and electing leadership that actually wants better outcomes instead of better donations. But you don't do that without knowing exactly who you're trying to message and what your message needs to be.
None of this is as simple as "fuck them, we're doing our own thing" we're all in this together, even the people you don't like.
I didn't say fuck them. I said ignore whatever polling you think these people represent. These people's opinions do not matter, they will hold whatever political opinion you put on tv in front of them. They will follow anything.
As for your arguments about political power, I only somewhat agree. Political power springs from the barrel of a gun.
To disregard those is a mistake. That bloc’s opinion needs to change in order for them to help do something about it. They’re needed, because it’s a big bloc. It might include many of those who don’t care enough to vote.
whats funny is ice is a relatively new thing so I don't see why not abolish it.
The first reaction is because that sounds like just allowing unlimited immigrants. They can't consider it not existing.
Performative bullshit. They'll fund the fascist department they helped create (DHS) soon enough. Primary the old dems out!
I didn't know why you're being downvoted. It's true.
It's OK. Nothing would make me happier than to be wrong in this case. Hopefully they stick to their guns, shut down the gestapo, and finally do something to restore democracy and protect the safety of their constituents. I'm not holding my breath.
They won't. The old guard is hopeless. We need a third party. A party that stands for the middle class. Abolish the electoral college, add Supreme Court justices, get rid of the filibuster, and tax the rich.
Harris lost because she was more of the same. Trump won because he claimed he was in the outside and could fix this mess. We need outsiders. We need Mamdanis and Johnny Offstreets to stand for the middle class and save America.
No, we need a complete overhaul of our voting system. As things currently stand, a third party will never have any real power on the national level. And don't get me wrong, local elections are really important, even more than national in many ways. But without proportional representation, there will never be real meaningful change.
While I agree an overhaul is needed, I disagree about a third party not being able to have power. We used to have the Whigs, whose party was much like our Democratic establishment regarding ICE/Slavery. Eventually, many of their supporters got fed up and made the Republican Party, going on to side with the Union in the Civil War.
While I wouldn't mind the Democratic Party being hijacked by a leftist tea party, I am also fine with it getting overtaken by a new party. Both are valid options, so long as we are willing to believe in the possibility.
That's only ever happened temporariily during a shifting of the power and influence of the parties. And although it's may appear we had three parties, only two are really in power at a time. Also, the third always loses relevance and disappear.
Frankly, this isn't a matter of opinion, anyway, and to frame it as such is either ignorant or malicious. It is literally_impossible_ to sustain three parties within the rules of our voting and political system.
I would say the collapse of the Whigs is pretty relevant, seeing as how that is one of the things that made America edge closer to the Civil War.
Also, your ad hominum about ignorance and maliciousness is shitty. You are being a jerk.
I totally agree, but I think it’s a question of how to go about achieving that overhaul. I think the best method for that right now is to “hijack” the primaries of one of the political parties, get the old guard out, and nominate new candidates that want to see that reform. I don’t see that happening with the Republican party for hopefully obvious reasons, which just leaves the Democrats.
All the while leading up to midterms, get organized outside the party system, stage protests and strikes advocating for changes to the system. And if it’s clear the midterms are rigged, or the newly elected Democrats fail to push reform, use those same external organizations to tear it all down and probably write a new Constitution (something I didn’t think I’d be advocating for two years ago).
But right now, the most important thing is getting involved in getting organized and getting involved in the primaries. Here’s a list of dates I found: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2026-primary-elections/calendar
And one more detail that we don't want to overlook: the path to shaking up primaries starts right in your backyard. But that I mean the local elections. It feels so small to think about how much some random city officer means in the grand scheme - but the truth is the opposite, the unknown random jackass that maintains the lift stations (or whatever), those are the people who matter. Not a cheetoh-faced McDictator who thinks he matters but can't remember why.
And here's why: that tiny sliver of "power" in the hands of the little guy, if, and only if, you combine that with the tiny sliver in the hands of all the other nobodies, the combined strength is unstoppable - far more than a Mango Mussolini in a diaper.
But, fucking eh have they gotten good at convincing all us nobodies to avoid solidarity. But we have to just figure it out anyway, cause there is no losing. Not this time. It's win, or there nothing left to win or lose next time....
Third party gets in power and then packs the Supreme Courts. Then passes vote reform and proportional voting. Then disbands the electoral college. Then dismisses the Senate.
LOOK A PERSON CAN DREAM OK!
This is the way.
Also, expand and reform the supreme court, such as preventing presidents from picking replacements, age limits, term limits, rules against bribery, and so on.
I like it. Fuck, it's way better then what we have right now!
I'll dream with ya!
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Regardless, I'd recommend getting shitty Schumer out.
He weakened the democrat's response into jelly, and loves Israel. That bastard straight up said "All the aid that Israel needs, I will continue to fight for it" and called aid for Israel his "baby"
what state voted him in?
New york
jeez. I expect better from them.
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There are blue MAGA in the midst and don't mind all the political murders and erosion of democracy, as long as their economic privileges are not touched.
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"Immigration tactics" again being a euphemism for "shooting innocent people in the face in broad daylight."
Guess which Democrat senator voted in favor? That's right, strokeboi.
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