“These unprecedented tactics – which even the former top lawyer of the Department of Homeland Security in the first Trump administration has characterized as embarrassing, lawless and cruel – have now resulted in the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens,” the Obamas said.

The Obamas accused the Trump administration of “escalating” the tension in Minneapolis by offering the public explanations of the shootings of Pretti and Renee Good “that aren’t informed by any serious investigation – and that appear to be directly contradicted by video evidence.”

  • z3rOR0ne@lemmy.ml
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    2 days ago

    One of my earliest wake up calls was when a certain president didn’t outright dismantle the Patriot Act, allowing illegal privacy invasion policies on American citizens to continue and have now made the life of ICE officers a lot easier.

    I wonder who that president was…

    • lmmarsano@lemmynsfw.com
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      11 hours ago

      when a certain president didn’t outright dismantle the Patriot Act

      because presidents and not congress do that? cool willful ignorance of government roles & powers.

      @lemmy.ml

      of course

      • ianonavy@lemmy.world
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        8 hours ago

        Obama could have vetoed the PATRIOT extension act, and yet he signed it in 2010, and then again 2011, and then in 2015 he signed the USA Freedom Act, which replaced mass surveillance with “targeted surveillance”. And I’m no law expert, but in my view with the current federal government “targeted” does not seem to mean very much with respect to actions by the US government toward its citizens.

    • manualoverride@lemmy.world
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      24 hours ago

      So instead of doing something about it you’re going for whataboutism, we’ll done, whatever makes you feel better about your inaction.

      • OBJECTION!@lemmy.ml
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        20 hours ago

        I swear to God, “whataboutism” just means, “You stated a fact I don’t like.” Of course it’s relevant that the guy criticizing ICE was someone who could’ve actually done something about them and chose not to. What a load of bull.

        • manualoverride@lemmy.world
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          16 hours ago

          Yeah actually you have a point here, I’ve been in this thread so long I forgot it was Obama who was being quoted on the post.

          I do maintain that in the list of people responsible for what is currently happening and we should be really mad at today… Trump is way out ahead and Obama is behind about a million assholes who are actively involved in propping up the Trump presidency.

      • z3rOR0ne@lemmy.ml
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        20 hours ago

        Firstly, may I remind you that you are online? If you are going to criticize someone for inaction, maybe you should stop wasting time bishing and complaining cuz someone made a comment you didn’t like on a social media feed, go outside, and take your own advice.

        Secondly, pointing out hypocricy, especially as that hypocrisy relates to a person in power, and especially when said person in power is a former president of the US, is a far cry from whataboutism.

        I can draw a straight line from the Patriot Act to the privacy invading tools ICE and other Federal Agencies use today, and while Obama didn’t draft nor sign into law the Patriot Act, he did fuck all to end it. Heck, he extended provisions of that horrendous act in 2012.

        So nah, I’m not about to forget that there’s plenty of blame to go around when it comes to Obama. And yeah, I’m gonna shout that shit into this void. Thanks for reading.

        • manualoverride@lemmy.world
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          17 hours ago

          You don’t need to worry about me I spend plenty of time outside and petitioning my government.

          I’m just sad to see the top comment on this thread focusing on the guy who left office 9 years ago, rather than the one inciting murders on the streets of MN.

          • z3rOR0ne@lemmy.ml
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            16 hours ago

            Fair enough, but it’s not an either or situation here. People can criticize both Trump and Obama dude. Just because Obama is saying the right things now doesn’t mean he’s not a hypocrite, and I’ll be damned if we all just willingly forget exactly who made some of the bad decisions that got us to where we are today.

            Fuck Trump, Fuck ICE, and yeah, Fuck Obama. Not equally, but yeah, fuck’em.