I met Annie today at the Witzgals and had a delightful conversation. I mentioned that I had started posting on Substack. She told me you are a writer so I’m checking out your posts.
I value your Substacks and also appreciate the input from your readers and writers. Many likely follow the recent wave of anti-immigrant bills, and some may have participated in last week’s protests at the Capitol.
These bills are driven more by fear and political messaging than by facts. They rest on the assumption that undocumented Iowans commit crime at disproportionate rates — an assumption not even supported by the conservative Cato Institute.
In contrast, most Iowans believe policy should be based on data and public safety — not on fear or rhetoric.
Thank you for all those subscribers to Deep Midwest, especially those of us who are paid subscribers. All of us who read, like, comment, share, subscribe, and follow help keep putting Bob where he needs to be so the stories we need to hear can find him.
I do disagree with you. When they take part in evil, when the consequences of their actions are evil, I cannot think of them as anything else. What they do is still voluntary. Are they propagandized? Yes. Do they harbor prejudices? Yes. Has something in their raising, formation, miseducation led them to what they do? Yes. Are they not mentally capable enough to do or think differently? Yes, probably. Nevertheless, does what they do harm society and other people? Yes. Can I perhaps understand why they take part in evil? Yes. Does that excuse the harm they cause? NO. When Hannah Ahrendt coined the famous term, Banality of Evil, I understand it was when covering the trial of Adolph Eichmann in Israel. Did she still deem him evil? I believe so. I believe so, too. They may love their children and be kind to them. Does that excuse what they cause? I do not think so. I refuse to interact with my local Republican legislators, if I can avoid it, for the evil of their intent to destroy public education and decimate women's reproductive rights. On a personal basis they might seem nice. But their actions, in my estimation, are evil. I believe that defines what they are.
Well said, Scott. I contemplated using the word, then decided against it for some reason. I have used the word before, in my interview of the Nazis at the capitol who supported what Trump and Iowa Republicans were doing. I was probably being hopeful. Thanks for saying this.
1. Interesting and provocative, as usual. 2. I have a friend (former is more accurate) who is MAGA-Libertarian, and who married second time to a woman from China. I learned a lot about the process & signficant expense of bringing her to the US, citizenship, working, driving, etc. for a woman engineer from a Communist country. 3. Money is a currency x2 in the Trump MAGA world, but the payment is really for Trump's narcissism which is the critical driver in all he and the MAGA world does. www.narcissmexposed.com/what-do-narcissists-want/ provides a good deep dive into this process. I'd love to see the field do a specific application to Trump-MAGA. I suspect that Donald's psychologist niece has done this work, but I haven't pursued her writing.
Awhile back you had a post I think written by someone else where she talked about the cost incurred by becoming a citizen. I had no idea about the actual money cost- I only thought about the mental anguish that goes with it. We really need to make big changes in immigration.
This brings to my mind. When my first wife's, of 51 yrs died of cancer, great great grand mother came to this country as a young teen alone she started the process in Hamburg, Germany staying in the large processing center for a while. On the way over a couple befriended her and said she could go with them to Mn., but first had to be processed through Ellis Island. She eventually met a German boy that had come over, they married and farmed. She informed all the children and husband that they would always speak English in the home as they were now Americans and would act as such. Always thought this was really cool on her part, they went to the work to earn it.
Well put, Bob. Many times, in my years in the rotunda, I would hear another lobbyist respond to my criticism of a legislator with "Why do say that? He's such a nice guy." "If he's such a nice guy", I would respond, "why does he vote for the measures which are hardly 'nice'?" Hopefully, that would bring more than one thought to mind.
Thanks for sharing your experience at the Capitol. It's inspiring. We are all (almost all) immigrants. BTW, what's the name of the Iowa MAGA site you check? I should be doing more of that.
The banality of evil…broken by the shock of shouting, breaking glass and pepper spray…concentration camps quietly being constructed and filled…job growth defined by those “native born”…vileness and cruelty aren’t always shouted at rallies but by the strokes of pens and voting switches
Thanks for sharing. Deny someone bail? Seems like the anti-WOKE folk are asleep at the wheel. Who else will be next to be prohibitted for the right to pay for bail, pedophiles!?! Maybe they ought to substitute pedophiles for immigrants in the proposed law?
Thanks for writing. It’s inspiring to know that in Iowa, people are standing together with immigrants of all statuses. What’s inspiring is to know that people are standing tall peacefully in all capitals. Thank you for both standing with our country of immigrants and for writing about it.
I met Annie today at the Witzgals and had a delightful conversation. I mentioned that I had started posting on Substack. She told me you are a writer so I’m checking out your posts.
I value your Substacks and also appreciate the input from your readers and writers. Many likely follow the recent wave of anti-immigrant bills, and some may have participated in last week’s protests at the Capitol.
These bills are driven more by fear and political messaging than by facts. They rest on the assumption that undocumented Iowans commit crime at disproportionate rates — an assumption not even supported by the conservative Cato Institute.
In contrast, most Iowans believe policy should be based on data and public safety — not on fear or rhetoric.
Thank you for all those subscribers to Deep Midwest, especially those of us who are paid subscribers. All of us who read, like, comment, share, subscribe, and follow help keep putting Bob where he needs to be so the stories we need to hear can find him.
I do disagree with you. When they take part in evil, when the consequences of their actions are evil, I cannot think of them as anything else. What they do is still voluntary. Are they propagandized? Yes. Do they harbor prejudices? Yes. Has something in their raising, formation, miseducation led them to what they do? Yes. Are they not mentally capable enough to do or think differently? Yes, probably. Nevertheless, does what they do harm society and other people? Yes. Can I perhaps understand why they take part in evil? Yes. Does that excuse the harm they cause? NO. When Hannah Ahrendt coined the famous term, Banality of Evil, I understand it was when covering the trial of Adolph Eichmann in Israel. Did she still deem him evil? I believe so. I believe so, too. They may love their children and be kind to them. Does that excuse what they cause? I do not think so. I refuse to interact with my local Republican legislators, if I can avoid it, for the evil of their intent to destroy public education and decimate women's reproductive rights. On a personal basis they might seem nice. But their actions, in my estimation, are evil. I believe that defines what they are.
Well said, Scott. I contemplated using the word, then decided against it for some reason. I have used the word before, in my interview of the Nazis at the capitol who supported what Trump and Iowa Republicans were doing. I was probably being hopeful. Thanks for saying this.
Yes, Dr. Bob, you are a good human being and you are on the right side of history, always.
1. Interesting and provocative, as usual. 2. I have a friend (former is more accurate) who is MAGA-Libertarian, and who married second time to a woman from China. I learned a lot about the process & signficant expense of bringing her to the US, citizenship, working, driving, etc. for a woman engineer from a Communist country. 3. Money is a currency x2 in the Trump MAGA world, but the payment is really for Trump's narcissism which is the critical driver in all he and the MAGA world does. www.narcissmexposed.com/what-do-narcissists-want/ provides a good deep dive into this process. I'd love to see the field do a specific application to Trump-MAGA. I suspect that Donald's psychologist niece has done this work, but I haven't pursued her writing.
I think we know what her writing would reveal, but I would love to see it. I’ll check out the reference. Thanks!
Awhile back you had a post I think written by someone else where she talked about the cost incurred by becoming a citizen. I had no idea about the actual money cost- I only thought about the mental anguish that goes with it. We really need to make big changes in immigration.
This brings to my mind. When my first wife's, of 51 yrs died of cancer, great great grand mother came to this country as a young teen alone she started the process in Hamburg, Germany staying in the large processing center for a while. On the way over a couple befriended her and said she could go with them to Mn., but first had to be processed through Ellis Island. She eventually met a German boy that had come over, they married and farmed. She informed all the children and husband that they would always speak English in the home as they were now Americans and would act as such. Always thought this was really cool on her part, they went to the work to earn it.
Well put, Bob. Many times, in my years in the rotunda, I would hear another lobbyist respond to my criticism of a legislator with "Why do say that? He's such a nice guy." "If he's such a nice guy", I would respond, "why does he vote for the measures which are hardly 'nice'?" Hopefully, that would bring more than one thought to mind.
Very powerful for column you weren’t going to write! Thanks for attending and sharing!
Thanks Robert! It's truly a sad situation, uncalled for, and it seems history has taught so many, nothing.
Thanks for the Arendt quote - I just hijacked it to facebook.
Thanks for sharing your experience at the Capitol. It's inspiring. We are all (almost all) immigrants. BTW, what's the name of the Iowa MAGA site you check? I should be doing more of that.
I’ll email you Jim.
The banality of evil…broken by the shock of shouting, breaking glass and pepper spray…concentration camps quietly being constructed and filled…job growth defined by those “native born”…vileness and cruelty aren’t always shouted at rallies but by the strokes of pens and voting switches
Thanks for sharing. Deny someone bail? Seems like the anti-WOKE folk are asleep at the wheel. Who else will be next to be prohibitted for the right to pay for bail, pedophiles!?! Maybe they ought to substitute pedophiles for immigrants in the proposed law?
Thanks for writing. It’s inspiring to know that in Iowa, people are standing together with immigrants of all statuses. What’s inspiring is to know that people are standing tall peacefully in all capitals. Thank you for both standing with our country of immigrants and for writing about it.