It is difficult to find the language for what Trump and his minions are doing. By the standards of the Rome Statute, they're committing "crimes against humanity," a category of crime invented at Nuremberg to address the horrendous nature of the acts of the Nazis.
A "crime against humanity" involves actions so grave that they go beyond the criminal code of any one nation. They are so unbalanced and so malevolent that they strike at our common understanding of what it means to be human and, in so doing, threaten the international order. When this is over, and it will end, we will have to grapple with the inadequacy of our legal system to deal with crimes transcending it.
However, tomorrow in DC, I will be delighted if the showers and thunderstorm lasts all afternoon and evening. And by all means throw in a few lightning bolts!
Agreed we need ICC but since we are not part of the Rome Statute anymore maybe’s we can send our “observations”
1️⃣ First — Rome Statute and ICC Jurisdiction
• The United States is not a State Party to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC). We signed it under President Clinton (2000), but unsigned it under President Bush (2002).
• Because we are not a party, technically the ICC has limited jurisdiction in the U.S. unless:
• The UN Security Council refers a case.
• The alleged crime occurred in the territory of a Rome Statute member state.
• The accused is a national of a Rome Statute member state.
• So: The ICC itself does not automatically have jurisdiction over U.S. internal events unless one of these conditions applies.
⸻
2️⃣ Can U.S. citizens or organizations still submit information?
• YES.
• Even though we are not under the ICC’s jurisdiction as a state party, any person may submit “communications” to the ICC Prosecutor under Article 15 of the Rome Statute.
• This includes NGOs, individuals, legal scholars, civil society groups, or victims.
• The Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) accepts information from anywhere in the world.
• The submission can still be reviewed as part of their preliminary examinations even if they ultimately cannot exercise jurisdiction.
I understand this, but it's not really my point. (Venezuela is a signatory to the Rome Statute, and crimes against humanity are arguably being committed against Venezuelan nationals, but that's still not my point.)
My point is simply that we're going to have to grapple with the inadequacies of the U.S. legal system in its current form. It is not adequate for addressing the magnitude of the crimes being committed by Trump and his agents.
I will add that what was done at Nuremberg was extraordinary. New categories of crimes were created, and then these categories of crimes were applied retroactively to the actions of accused Nazis. Imagine if the prosecutors at Nuremberg had been limited to, for example, the Geneva Conventions current at the time? Their charges would have been wholly inadequate for addressing how grave and horrendous what the Nazis had done.
We can't know what we will have to do when all of this is over because we don't know what kind of world we will be living in. But whatever world we're living in, if we want to reestablish a deeply shared sense of humanity among us, we will have to find a way of addressing that which happened.
I'm reminded of Paul Fussell's book "The Great War and Modern Memory," in which he argues, in part, that it took time for the culture to catch up to the horrors of the First World War and find the language to describe it.
I think we need to struggle, right now, to find the language to describe what is happening in our country. This is not an easy thing to do, but we must struggle to do it.
Yes you are right - I am following the major Law Schools Stanford, Harvard and in particular NYU Law—www.justsecurity.org that tracks ALL Trump EOs (Tracks all Executive Orderswith legal analysis and expert explainers) to hopefully fill in gaps where areas of The Constitution have been exploited. Just donated as these are legal volunteers who manage the Trackers.
Thank you, Simon! I'm interested in what you make of Trump's statements yesterday that it's not sustainable to keep deporting people who have jobs especially in farming and the hotel industry. Is he going to TACO?
I called Senators Alsobrooks and Van Hollen and Congressman Raskin about the budget and the attack on Senator Padilla. I'm writing postcards to NC voters today.
The post I shared today was released after he said that. So it appears he veered from Miller's script and they cleaned it up afterwards. I did share that statement in my post yesterday and it is true of course. Could they narrow the terror campaign only to cities in blue states and exempt rural areas and red states? It's possible but not where they are right now.
Thanks, Simon! It sounded to me as if Miller's losing and business interests are prevailing, but it's difficult to know what the madman will say tomorrow. BTW, I listened to Gavin Newsome's press conference yesterday and he appeared to be quoting you about how weak Trump is.
Like everything he does, he will try to claim two contradictory things all at once. None of it is clear. Whether or not he TACOs on immigration, he'll lie about what they are doing. Lying is the only thing you can count on.
What Noem said at her press conference should be the primary headline in every publication today… in bold, with numerous exclamation points. THIS is exactly where the Trump regime us taking us if we don’t put a stop to it, and every citizen needs to be duly armed with that knowledge and appropriately alarmed. For my part, I relayed Noem’s exact quote in the comment section of the Fresno Bee (Central Valley, CA) immediately after the news broke about Padilla, after the Bee failed to mention Noem’s comments in their reporting. I tied this with the importance of joining the No King protests this weekend in my comments.
It's amazing that after Noem sounding like a crazy third world dictator declaring that they were liberating a US city from its democratically elected officials, the only takeaway MAGA and much of legacy media has is, "he should've waited his turn."
The contrast in leadership of Kristi Noem compared to Governor Newsome and Senator Padilla is incredible. It’s inspiring to see how those two are standing up for their constituents.
To me the truth is that Stephen Miller, the minister of cruelty and hate, is really running this shit show. He is a known racist and desires to "cleanse" the country of brown and black people. Kristi Noem appears to be a useful puppet. It is flat out scary that they want to replace elected people with their puppets. If you are not signed up for NO Kings in your community, please do so. We need to stand against this over use of force. We need to stand for democracy.
Agree about Stephen Miller but hope you won't mind that I add Russell Vought. Is there a way to remove the Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy & Homeland Security Advisor or Director of Management and Budget of this administration? I do so want them to gone imprisoned in Siberia or to some far, far away and remote place in China for the rest of their lives.
I spent last night listening to every syllable uttered by Senator Schiff alternating with footage of the manhandling of Senator Padilla and this morning listening to every phoneme of Senator Padilla’s long MSNBC interview. In between I read Noem’s unbelievable declaration of war against the world’s 4th largest economy and the major funder of the federal government and the snippet regarding the static StarLink introduces between pilots and air traffic controllers.
I wrote to each Senator thanking them for not getting distracted and for their laser focus on the important over-story of federal overreach. I wrote to my MAGArep urging him to grow a heart and drop the scales from his eyes.
For a break from the horrors, I sent Stand Up For Science info to two scientist friends, signed both their petitions, and set up a modest recurring donation.
And I decided that I need resume my efforts to learn to speak Spanish. My school French isn’t completely terrible. Now I need Spanish if only to make it easier to stand in solidarity with my neighbors to the south.
Calls are in to WI elected officials. Tariffs/bill and second call Padilla, Republican’s complicity and the attacks on our democracy. We’re on vacation but found a protest to go to tomorrow. It sounds like a joyous event- speakers, food, games and American flags. Staying in the fight. I appreciate the inspiration I get from all of you. Thank you all for that.
Remigration is a far-right and white supremacist concept, closely related to "great replacement theory," that whites are being replaced by immigrants from "low skilled" countries. Essentially, this administration is in white supremacist territory and to deny otherwise is foolishness. Now how MAGA resolves their complaints about "too many low skilled immigrants" with their calls for closing off higher education access and turning the US into a giant manufacturing hub will be something to see.
I have today made contributions to Abigail Spanberger and the Hopium Seven Congressional Representatives. I also mailed a contribution to Senator Ossoff (not made through the Hopium link); I am a constituent of Senator Ossoff.
📣 A Message to My Fellow Grandparents: The Escalation We Cannot Ignore
My dear friends and fellow guardians of memory and wisdom,
What happened to U.S. Senator Alex Padilla — a sitting senator, forcibly detained and dragged by Department of Homeland Security agents — should send a chill through the heart of every American who remembers our nation’s history and who understands how democracy begins to unravel.
This is not an isolated moment. This is part of a pattern. We’ve watched as:
ICE raids increased under orders from Trump adviser Stephen Miller, targeting minority neighborhoods and families at dawn.
Peaceful protestors were gassed and beaten, journalists detained, and federal agents in unmarked vehicles abducted citizens from the streets.
And now, a U.S. Senator, simply for participating in a peaceful protest for immigrant dignity, is violently subdued on camera — while identifying himself.
This is not law enforcement. This is intimidation.
This is not security. This is state-sponsored suppression.
And yes, it echoes the early tactics of fascist regimes:
Mussolini began by using paramilitary squads to silence critics.
Hitler used legal structures and state violence to criminalize dissent, beginning with raids, surveillance, and arrests — before the machinery of full authoritarianism took over.
In both cases, people were told it was for “order,” for “security,” for “the good of the nation.” Sound familiar?
We cannot let our children and grandchildren grow up in a country where silencing elected officials becomes a precedent, not an outrage.
💥 This is the trajectory of tyranny.
🛑 What Can We Do?
Speak truth at family dinners, in church halls, and over coffee with friends.
Call it what it is: unconstitutional, un-American, and dangerous.
Educate our families on historical patterns — because those who forget are doomed to repeat them.
Contact your representatives and demand accountability from DHS and Homeland Security Secretary Noem.
Support independent media that reports the truth, not sanitized talking points.
Show our grandchildren that standing up is not just our right — it’s our legacy.
We are the keepers of stories — of Selma, of Normandy, of the Freedom Riders.
We’ve seen this before, and we must say now, together:
I did call yesterday to thank my Senators Wyden and Merkley for fighting against the Big Brutal Bill. Our family had company for the past two weeks, and we also were out of town, so I haven’t been very active in “doing the work.” But I’m back!
Today I’ll make a sign. I’m thinking of a line, pattered on one from the Declaration of Independence: He is unfit to be the leader [“ruler” in the Declaration] of a free people.
Self-report: I don't post here every day, but I call MOC every day. EVERY SINGLE DAY.
Yesterday I called once about the Budget Bill and how it reflects the values of an authoritarian regime, including the additional funds to ICE and Defense to scale up what they are doing in LA.
Then the assault on Senator Padilla crossed my social media feed...just as I was telling myself to get off and get outside. I immediately wrote a script and called all my MOC. The senators never have staff,but messages to publicly denounce the authoritarian action were left. Bresnahan (PA-08) staffer said she'd pass it up to the congressman, and I asked her to read it back to me, a first for me and maybe for her, she seemed caught off guard.
Today I called all three with an edited script to reflect what NOEM said right before Sen. Padilla identified himself to ask a question. The threat is the very definition of a coup, and I told them all that it is time to publicly announce whether they will uphold the Constitution of the United States or whether they pledged fealty to the coup makers. In addition, I asked Fetterman to call for Noem's resignation.
I am attending a march and rally in a nearby town tomorrow, carrying a sign that has Timothy Snyder's "Don't Be A Bystander: Twenty lessons from the Twentieth Century" poster taped on.
how can one class of undocumented immigrants be exempt? like farm workers and hotel workers. in fact, why doesnt ice raid donny 2 dolls properties? and will this immigration enforcement only be done in blue states/cities and red states/cities are exempt? is this selective enforcement? there are no rules any more in this administration. just the whim's of the dictator and his henchmen, homan, miller & vought. finding it easier to contact my REPUB electeds thru resistbot.
It's clear that we need to be massive and peaceful tomorrow. But it feels to me like general strike is coming soon. I posted late yesterday, and do so again. We are in it now. "Never give up the fight" and "fear is the enemy."
I called ALex Padilla's office, expressing sorrow, admiration, and asking him to email us about how we can have his back beyond a donation, which I also sent him a modest donation. I will call my other reps later today on the Maga Murder Bill and attack on science
Maybe we should start calling what Trump is trying to do "Ethnic Cleansing", because that's what it feels like.
That is what I've been calling it. Ethnic cleansing is exactly what this is.
It is difficult to find the language for what Trump and his minions are doing. By the standards of the Rome Statute, they're committing "crimes against humanity," a category of crime invented at Nuremberg to address the horrendous nature of the acts of the Nazis.
A "crime against humanity" involves actions so grave that they go beyond the criminal code of any one nation. They are so unbalanced and so malevolent that they strike at our common understanding of what it means to be human and, in so doing, threaten the international order. When this is over, and it will end, we will have to grapple with the inadequacy of our legal system to deal with crimes transcending it.
Yes. East West Street by Philippe Sands is an excellent history of this idea
Thanks for the book suggestion!
I have to take comfort in the quote from the Tao: The wind does not last forever, and the showers do not last all day. I hope so.
However, tomorrow in DC, I will be delighted if the showers and thunderstorm lasts all afternoon and evening. And by all means throw in a few lightning bolts!
Agreed we need ICC but since we are not part of the Rome Statute anymore maybe’s we can send our “observations”
1️⃣ First — Rome Statute and ICC Jurisdiction
• The United States is not a State Party to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC). We signed it under President Clinton (2000), but unsigned it under President Bush (2002).
• Because we are not a party, technically the ICC has limited jurisdiction in the U.S. unless:
• The UN Security Council refers a case.
• The alleged crime occurred in the territory of a Rome Statute member state.
• The accused is a national of a Rome Statute member state.
• So: The ICC itself does not automatically have jurisdiction over U.S. internal events unless one of these conditions applies.
⸻
2️⃣ Can U.S. citizens or organizations still submit information?
• YES.
• Even though we are not under the ICC’s jurisdiction as a state party, any person may submit “communications” to the ICC Prosecutor under Article 15 of the Rome Statute.
• This includes NGOs, individuals, legal scholars, civil society groups, or victims.
• The Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) accepts information from anywhere in the world.
• The submission can still be reviewed as part of their preliminary examinations even if they ultimately cannot exercise jurisdiction.
👉 Where to submit ICC information:
Office of the Prosecutor
International Criminal Court
The Hague, The Netherlands
Email: otp.informationdesk@icc-cpi.int
I understand this, but it's not really my point. (Venezuela is a signatory to the Rome Statute, and crimes against humanity are arguably being committed against Venezuelan nationals, but that's still not my point.)
My point is simply that we're going to have to grapple with the inadequacies of the U.S. legal system in its current form. It is not adequate for addressing the magnitude of the crimes being committed by Trump and his agents.
I will add that what was done at Nuremberg was extraordinary. New categories of crimes were created, and then these categories of crimes were applied retroactively to the actions of accused Nazis. Imagine if the prosecutors at Nuremberg had been limited to, for example, the Geneva Conventions current at the time? Their charges would have been wholly inadequate for addressing how grave and horrendous what the Nazis had done.
We can't know what we will have to do when all of this is over because we don't know what kind of world we will be living in. But whatever world we're living in, if we want to reestablish a deeply shared sense of humanity among us, we will have to find a way of addressing that which happened.
I'm reminded of Paul Fussell's book "The Great War and Modern Memory," in which he argues, in part, that it took time for the culture to catch up to the horrors of the First World War and find the language to describe it.
I think we need to struggle, right now, to find the language to describe what is happening in our country. This is not an easy thing to do, but we must struggle to do it.
Yes you are right - I am following the major Law Schools Stanford, Harvard and in particular NYU Law—www.justsecurity.org that tracks ALL Trump EOs (Tracks all Executive Orderswith legal analysis and expert explainers) to hopefully fill in gaps where areas of The Constitution have been exploited. Just donated as these are legal volunteers who manage the Trackers.
Ethnic Cleansing is exactly what Trump and his MAGA base want.
this administration is fully integrated with the global far right and white supremacists
Yes, we appear to be in the early stages of an ethnic cleansing engineered by Stephen Miller.
Thank you, Simon! I'm interested in what you make of Trump's statements yesterday that it's not sustainable to keep deporting people who have jobs especially in farming and the hotel industry. Is he going to TACO?
I called Senators Alsobrooks and Van Hollen and Congressman Raskin about the budget and the attack on Senator Padilla. I'm writing postcards to NC voters today.
The post I shared today was released after he said that. So it appears he veered from Miller's script and they cleaned it up afterwards. I did share that statement in my post yesterday and it is true of course. Could they narrow the terror campaign only to cities in blue states and exempt rural areas and red states? It's possible but not where they are right now.
Thanks, Simon! It sounded to me as if Miller's losing and business interests are prevailing, but it's difficult to know what the madman will say tomorrow. BTW, I listened to Gavin Newsome's press conference yesterday and he appeared to be quoting you about how weak Trump is.
I disagree, slightly. It's hard to know what the madman will say five minutes after he blathers on or posts on Truth Social.
Gavin is a daily Hopium reader.
It shows!
Actually what he says is another word salad with harsh criticism of Biden of course
Like everything he does, he will try to claim two contradictory things all at once. None of it is clear. Whether or not he TACOs on immigration, he'll lie about what they are doing. Lying is the only thing you can count on.
What Noem said at her press conference should be the primary headline in every publication today… in bold, with numerous exclamation points. THIS is exactly where the Trump regime us taking us if we don’t put a stop to it, and every citizen needs to be duly armed with that knowledge and appropriately alarmed. For my part, I relayed Noem’s exact quote in the comment section of the Fresno Bee (Central Valley, CA) immediately after the news broke about Padilla, after the Bee failed to mention Noem’s comments in their reporting. I tied this with the importance of joining the No King protests this weekend in my comments.
It's amazing that after Noem sounding like a crazy third world dictator declaring that they were liberating a US city from its democratically elected officials, the only takeaway MAGA and much of legacy media has is, "he should've waited his turn."
The contrast in leadership of Kristi Noem compared to Governor Newsome and Senator Padilla is incredible. It’s inspiring to see how those two are standing up for their constituents.
To me the truth is that Stephen Miller, the minister of cruelty and hate, is really running this shit show. He is a known racist and desires to "cleanse" the country of brown and black people. Kristi Noem appears to be a useful puppet. It is flat out scary that they want to replace elected people with their puppets. If you are not signed up for NO Kings in your community, please do so. We need to stand against this over use of force. We need to stand for democracy.
"
I think he's one of Trump's Rasputins.
Couldn't agree more.
Time to Bannonize him
Agree about Stephen Miller but hope you won't mind that I add Russell Vought. Is there a way to remove the Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy & Homeland Security Advisor or Director of Management and Budget of this administration? I do so want them to gone imprisoned in Siberia or to some far, far away and remote place in China for the rest of their lives.
how about "useful idiot"?
Self reporting:
I spent last night listening to every syllable uttered by Senator Schiff alternating with footage of the manhandling of Senator Padilla and this morning listening to every phoneme of Senator Padilla’s long MSNBC interview. In between I read Noem’s unbelievable declaration of war against the world’s 4th largest economy and the major funder of the federal government and the snippet regarding the static StarLink introduces between pilots and air traffic controllers.
I wrote to each Senator thanking them for not getting distracted and for their laser focus on the important over-story of federal overreach. I wrote to my MAGArep urging him to grow a heart and drop the scales from his eyes.
For a break from the horrors, I sent Stand Up For Science info to two scientist friends, signed both their petitions, and set up a modest recurring donation.
And I decided that I need resume my efforts to learn to speak Spanish. My school French isn’t completely terrible. Now I need Spanish if only to make it easier to stand in solidarity with my neighbors to the south.
Calls are in to WI elected officials. Tariffs/bill and second call Padilla, Republican’s complicity and the attacks on our democracy. We’re on vacation but found a protest to go to tomorrow. It sounds like a joyous event- speakers, food, games and American flags. Staying in the fight. I appreciate the inspiration I get from all of you. Thank you all for that.
Remigration is a far-right and white supremacist concept, closely related to "great replacement theory," that whites are being replaced by immigrants from "low skilled" countries. Essentially, this administration is in white supremacist territory and to deny otherwise is foolishness. Now how MAGA resolves their complaints about "too many low skilled immigrants" with their calls for closing off higher education access and turning the US into a giant manufacturing hub will be something to see.
More info about remigration:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/oct/03/how-remigration-became-a-buzzword-for-europes-far-right
Simon, this is an extraordinary piece of writing for this historical moment.
I have today made contributions to Abigail Spanberger and the Hopium Seven Congressional Representatives. I also mailed a contribution to Senator Ossoff (not made through the Hopium link); I am a constituent of Senator Ossoff.
📣 A Message to My Fellow Grandparents: The Escalation We Cannot Ignore
My dear friends and fellow guardians of memory and wisdom,
What happened to U.S. Senator Alex Padilla — a sitting senator, forcibly detained and dragged by Department of Homeland Security agents — should send a chill through the heart of every American who remembers our nation’s history and who understands how democracy begins to unravel.
This is not an isolated moment. This is part of a pattern. We’ve watched as:
ICE raids increased under orders from Trump adviser Stephen Miller, targeting minority neighborhoods and families at dawn.
Peaceful protestors were gassed and beaten, journalists detained, and federal agents in unmarked vehicles abducted citizens from the streets.
And now, a U.S. Senator, simply for participating in a peaceful protest for immigrant dignity, is violently subdued on camera — while identifying himself.
This is not law enforcement. This is intimidation.
This is not security. This is state-sponsored suppression.
And yes, it echoes the early tactics of fascist regimes:
Mussolini began by using paramilitary squads to silence critics.
Hitler used legal structures and state violence to criminalize dissent, beginning with raids, surveillance, and arrests — before the machinery of full authoritarianism took over.
In both cases, people were told it was for “order,” for “security,” for “the good of the nation.” Sound familiar?
We cannot let our children and grandchildren grow up in a country where silencing elected officials becomes a precedent, not an outrage.
💥 This is the trajectory of tyranny.
🛑 What Can We Do?
Speak truth at family dinners, in church halls, and over coffee with friends.
Call it what it is: unconstitutional, un-American, and dangerous.
Educate our families on historical patterns — because those who forget are doomed to repeat them.
Contact your representatives and demand accountability from DHS and Homeland Security Secretary Noem.
Support independent media that reports the truth, not sanitized talking points.
Show our grandchildren that standing up is not just our right — it’s our legacy.
We are the keepers of stories — of Selma, of Normandy, of the Freedom Riders.
We’ve seen this before, and we must say now, together:
Not on our watch. Not in our name.
🇺🇸 With love, fire, and peaceful courage,
Clarissa Sr., an American Grandma
For democracy. For justice. For family.
YOU ROCK Grandma!!! Thank you!
I did call yesterday to thank my Senators Wyden and Merkley for fighting against the Big Brutal Bill. Our family had company for the past two weeks, and we also were out of town, so I haven’t been very active in “doing the work.” But I’m back!
Today I’ll make a sign. I’m thinking of a line, pattered on one from the Declaration of Independence: He is unfit to be the leader [“ruler” in the Declaration] of a free people.
I'm terrified SCOTUS will say Trump's ability to declare a "rebellion" cannot be questioned
Being "terrified" by things that haven't happened yet is an indulgence we cannot yield to.
Self-report: I don't post here every day, but I call MOC every day. EVERY SINGLE DAY.
Yesterday I called once about the Budget Bill and how it reflects the values of an authoritarian regime, including the additional funds to ICE and Defense to scale up what they are doing in LA.
Then the assault on Senator Padilla crossed my social media feed...just as I was telling myself to get off and get outside. I immediately wrote a script and called all my MOC. The senators never have staff,but messages to publicly denounce the authoritarian action were left. Bresnahan (PA-08) staffer said she'd pass it up to the congressman, and I asked her to read it back to me, a first for me and maybe for her, she seemed caught off guard.
Today I called all three with an edited script to reflect what NOEM said right before Sen. Padilla identified himself to ask a question. The threat is the very definition of a coup, and I told them all that it is time to publicly announce whether they will uphold the Constitution of the United States or whether they pledged fealty to the coup makers. In addition, I asked Fetterman to call for Noem's resignation.
I am attending a march and rally in a nearby town tomorrow, carrying a sign that has Timothy Snyder's "Don't Be A Bystander: Twenty lessons from the Twentieth Century" poster taped on.
how can one class of undocumented immigrants be exempt? like farm workers and hotel workers. in fact, why doesnt ice raid donny 2 dolls properties? and will this immigration enforcement only be done in blue states/cities and red states/cities are exempt? is this selective enforcement? there are no rules any more in this administration. just the whim's of the dictator and his henchmen, homan, miller & vought. finding it easier to contact my REPUB electeds thru resistbot.
It's clear that we need to be massive and peaceful tomorrow. But it feels to me like general strike is coming soon. I posted late yesterday, and do so again. We are in it now. "Never give up the fight" and "fear is the enemy."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6szT5NnwTY
I called ALex Padilla's office, expressing sorrow, admiration, and asking him to email us about how we can have his back beyond a donation, which I also sent him a modest donation. I will call my other reps later today on the Maga Murder Bill and attack on science
grt music video. made my day!!