If you wish to divert from the discussion of whether free and fair elections is still possible in the USA, and would rather enter the meta-discussion, I'll bite, and cite Wikipedia:
> Godwin's law can be applied mistakenly or abused as a distraction, a diversion, or even censorship, when miscasting an opponent's argument as hyperbole even when the comparison made by the argument is appropriate.
That thing in the lake in the China poster, is that some AI nightmare hybrid between a Japanese Shinto shrine and a Chinese pagoda (EDIT: no, it seems to be real: https://img.visiontimes.com/2022/01/hangzhou-ge36163601_1920... - it's just the color that looks more like https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Itsukushima_Shrine_Torii_...)? And of course the Taj Mahal in the India poster only has one tower. But I wouldn't put it past the current administration if they really printed 100,000 of these low-effort AI slop posters. The designer probably got a boatload of money for them too, after all the extremely generous budget increase for ICE has to go somewhere...
Objectively, which is hard to say because I’m just obviously not in this position, but if I were in the United States legally and I’m looking at three options…
1. I take self-deportation offer. At Christmas it was $3000 a person, but usually $1000, a commercial plane ticket anywhere, and I can come back to the US upon following the legal method. I can say goodbye to people I can sell my things. I can do this on my own timeline within reason.
2. I’ve risk it and trying to invade ice for the next three years minimum. If Vance wins, I need to make it to at least 2032 without showing up on any radar. I’m careful and looking over my shoulder constantly and work is a never ending dread.
3. I am caught by ICE. I have absolutely no claim to stay in the US. I can sit in a detention center while an NGO funded lawyer tells me that I do. And in high likelihood, I am sent back with no money on a cargo jet and I’m banned from the United States forever. This happens at any moment.
Practically speaking, I just cannot picture taking option two which could be three at any time. The fact is, I would know without a doubt, unfair or not that I am here legally, that my state would apply in any European country as well. I cannot fathom how option one is not the best option. Perhaps I’m too risk adverse.
"A commercial plane ticket anywhere" != the legal right to go anywhere
Pretty much you go back to your country of origin
Typically people take on the immense risk and challenge of leaving their country of origin to come here because their country of origin has really bad problems
Those problems likely still exist or have gotten worse over the last several years due to (if nothing else) COVID further separating the US economy from the rest of the world's
This administration changes its tune based on what business/tech leaders are telling them[0][1]. There's no doubt that ICE will be used for selective enforcement (as we've seen them used at American protests) but some immigrants are probably staying based on the reality that business interests are more important.
Also, I would be hesitant to say that immigrants being targeted by ICE are "illegal" as we saw some be detained/deported after speaking out against the war in Gaza[2]. Also, a lot claim asylum at the border which is a legal process.
> and I can come back to the US upon following the legal method
That process in reality takes a really long time due to the federal immigration system being strained. The 2024 border bill tried to address this by adding more immigration judges and asylum officers but Trump told Republicans to kill it because it'd make Biden look good. So far all we got was a massive DHS funding increase that allowed Kristi Noem to funnel $100M+ to herself and her friends and kill two American citizens with ICE.
I guess they need more money for an agency that burns it. Using conspiracies to goat the dumbed down public to get the ok to spend more money on a pointless Space Force.
What was that card game that supposedly predicted the outcome of the future? Was there revealing the presence of aliens in the deck? /s
I remember reading shady sites in 00s, where the other side claimed that govts around the world will get along on this idea and with help of elaborated holograms hoax will tell populations that aliens are here among us/are about to invade.
Here, in the mid-20s it's much cheaper to do that with help of AI. /s
[0]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ALF_(TV_series)
https://polymarket.com/event/will-the-us-confirm-that-aliens...
EDIT: oh it's play money, good website
It can do it all!
Man, they really don't think much of their voter base or ordinary people for that matter.
We have discovered aliens!
Still too expensive but not exactly going to bankrupt me.
I wonder if Hitler ever said that in the 30s..
> Godwin's law can be applied mistakenly or abused as a distraction, a diversion, or even censorship, when miscasting an opponent's argument as hyperbole even when the comparison made by the argument is appropriate.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godwin's_law
And I think considering what this administration has said is important. Do you think otherwise?
There is this promotional campaign on-going, it could be related
https://www.dhs.gov/cbphome
It seems to be an incentive for voluntarily departure
1. I take self-deportation offer. At Christmas it was $3000 a person, but usually $1000, a commercial plane ticket anywhere, and I can come back to the US upon following the legal method. I can say goodbye to people I can sell my things. I can do this on my own timeline within reason.
2. I’ve risk it and trying to invade ice for the next three years minimum. If Vance wins, I need to make it to at least 2032 without showing up on any radar. I’m careful and looking over my shoulder constantly and work is a never ending dread.
3. I am caught by ICE. I have absolutely no claim to stay in the US. I can sit in a detention center while an NGO funded lawyer tells me that I do. And in high likelihood, I am sent back with no money on a cargo jet and I’m banned from the United States forever. This happens at any moment.
Practically speaking, I just cannot picture taking option two which could be three at any time. The fact is, I would know without a doubt, unfair or not that I am here legally, that my state would apply in any European country as well. I cannot fathom how option one is not the best option. Perhaps I’m too risk adverse.
Pretty much you go back to your country of origin
Typically people take on the immense risk and challenge of leaving their country of origin to come here because their country of origin has really bad problems
Those problems likely still exist or have gotten worse over the last several years due to (if nothing else) COVID further separating the US economy from the rest of the world's
Also, I would be hesitant to say that immigrants being targeted by ICE are "illegal" as we saw some be detained/deported after speaking out against the war in Gaza[2]. Also, a lot claim asylum at the border which is a legal process.
> and I can come back to the US upon following the legal method
That process in reality takes a really long time due to the federal immigration system being strained. The 2024 border bill tried to address this by adding more immigration judges and asylum officers but Trump told Republicans to kill it because it'd make Biden look good. So far all we got was a massive DHS funding increase that allowed Kristi Noem to funnel $100M+ to herself and her friends and kill two American citizens with ICE.
0: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/15/us/politics/farm-labor-tr...
1: https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5601588-trump-h1...
2: https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/2026/03/17/immigrati...
https://youtu.be/nCP3LZoxABs?si=2qspQFC-Imfwy2Ua
Cloudflare has proudly protected Trump campaign websites for the last decade https://www.businessinsider.com/cloudflare-ceo-anonymous-ddo...
They'd be stupid to use anybody else.
there is so much you can legitimately be upset with cloudflare for, that i do not understand the need to exaggerate
"Welcome to Aliens.gov -- a friendly guide and reminder to leave."
...
"Ya fired."
I remember reading shady sites in 00s, where the other side claimed that govts around the world will get along on this idea and with help of elaborated holograms hoax will tell populations that aliens are here among us/are about to invade.
Here, in the mid-20s it's much cheaper to do that with help of AI. /s
Anyway, guess it's "some kind of" distraction, again? /s
coming from a different country, race, or group