S11.E27: Mass Deportation/Lee Greenwood

[Lantern7]

Wow.

More railing against the Trumpinistas, this time going after their plan to rid of “the bad hombres,” which would also eliminate people who came here for new lives. And John was right about the crying girl . . . that was hard to watch. Oh, and it would be a logistical and costly nightmare, but when do stats matter to the radical right?

Drew Barrymore loves Mac ‘n Cheese. Like, really loves it.

And then John took Lee Greenwood’s overrated ass behind the woodshed. It’s amazing to think that citizenship ceremonies — including John’s — had a video message from President Donald Trump. The footage of a crowd listlessly waving their American flags as “God Bless The U.S.A.” played was . . . well, chef’s kiss. And then it turned out Greenwood did a patriotic song for Canada by swapping out locations in his hit song. I’m guessing the show had been sitting on this for some time, because they bring out a patriotic. — albeit cynical — song sung by Will Ferrell. “Holy shit, I remembered the coup.” Classic.

I hope that’s the showstopper for this season . . . because if John wraps things up by symbolically blowing up yet another year, then something will have went horribly wrong.

Edited October 28 by Lantern7

[Annber03]

That song was amazing. John's reaction to the Canada version of Greenwood's song was hilarious - his frustrated, "It doesn't even RHYME!" just cracked me up XD. I'm not even remotely surprised they would do a deep dive into researching the history around that song, and Greenwood himself, and I am so glad they did, because that was a fascinating, if also hilariously stupid, history lesson. 

But wow, yeah, I have always hated "God Bless the U.S.A.", partly because the song just...sucks, and partly because of how it's always been connected with the obnoxious "RAH RAH 'MURICA!" jingoistic "patriotism" that's out there. That backstory certainly just further confirms why I was right to be so put off by that song. 

And of course he's going to go the Trump grifter route and capitalize off the lyrics being connected to the Bible. If anything, I feel like people like him and Trump are proof of atheists' stance, 'cause surely capitalizing off the freaking Bible would be grounds for being struck by lightning. Way to follow Jesus' teachings there, Greenwood! He'd be so proud!

Also didn't realize that song came out the year I was born. Not thrilled about having that in common. 

But the idea that it got played at welcoming ceremonies for immigrants. Ugh. I apologize to all immigrants who've had to sit through that. 

As for the other main story...yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeah, that footage of that little girl crying was gutwrenching, and it makes listening to Trump/Vance/Miller's rhetoric even more skin-crawling and horrifying. That rhetoric is VILE. Absolutely grotesquely vile. Trump casually dropping Hitler into his speech while also trying to "distance" himself just adds to the utterly chilling nature of his words. And then the fact that so many people will fall for that scary rhetoric on top of it all.. And people wonder why we're sounding the "fascist" alarm. I want to share John's optimism that some people are just completely uneducated, and that bit he showed where people were more supportive of a path to citizenship once they heard the full details is encouraging...

...but at the same time, it also feels like something that you shouldn't have to explain in depth for people to be on board with, that treating people like human beings worthy of basic righst shouldn't have to be something you need explained to you? Mind, given how much we've gutted our education system in this country, making sure people don't know the history around deportations is kind of what people like Miller are banking on, so...

It's just so depressing and disturbing and I cannot believe we are actually having to deal with this shit again. I cannot believe a guy who lost in 2020 and tried to stage a coup to ensure he stayed in power gets to run again. Obviously we'd still have to deal with candidates spouting this kind of creepy rhetoric even if he weren't running, but his continued presence sure as fuck isn't helping the situation, and it's insane that he's even still part of the conversation. 

Also, voters railing about wanting to hold criminals accounttable while happily supporting Trump is certainly...a choice. 

[kittykat]

Ugh now that we're in single digits here to The Day, I'm officially in full blown chronic headache panic mode.  Somebody needs to make me laugh and I can't believe it but thank you Will Ferrell because holy hell I needed that.

Not surprising main story #1 is depressing and blood boiling.  At the end of the day these are people and most of them are good.  Also just the appearance of Stephen Miller gouges the anxiety meter.

Lee Greenwood is a tool that is all.  Not sure we needed an entire segment on him but him selling out his anthem to Canada is classic.

[Spartan Girl]

Every time I hear “God Bless the USA” because of those rallies:

But bless Will Ferrell for the laugh.

[mojoween]

I’m still mad at John for both-sidesing 2016, but at least he has come around.

But yeah I’ll pass on Will Ferrell, thanks.  John couldn’t get Dolly Parton?

[peeayebee]

I was half-expecting Dolly Parton, but then I remembered that she's not political.

 

11 hours ago, Lantern7 said:

It’s amazing to think that citizenship ceremonies — including John’s — had a video message from President Donald Trump.

I'm going to guess and say that those ceremonies always include a message from  the current President.

If they have to play a song, why not play God Bless America or America the Beautiful? Public domain and inoffensive (unless someone doesn't want any mention of God).

I can see how many people aren't bothered by the Bible having the Constitution, etc., and a note (lyrics?) from Greenwood. To them this is a Christian nation -- forget about Freedom of Religion -- so what's the big deal about putting historical American documents inside a Bible? Loved John riffing on how Christianity Today would respond to the "separation pages" defense. 

I liked John detailing the issues around mass deportation: jobs, housing, and crime. Of course MAGAites don't want to be confused with the facts. People want  illegal immigrants deported for a variety of reasons. One is racism, of course. Another is the belief that these immigrants are the cause of lots of violent crime, a belief that comes from being innundated with amplified news stories about individual incidents. Yes, it happens, but not as much as people are led to believe.

Another is looking for scapegoats for the problems in their lives, community, and country, easy scapegoats whose elimination will solve all these problems. Simple solutions to complex problems.

But of course if all these immigrants are removed from their jobs, there's going to be an impact on the economy. Who's going to pick the crops? Who's going to work in the chicken processing plant? Who's going to clean your hotel room? Cut your grass? And so on. And if American citizens DO take these jobs, they're going to want higher pay, and if they get it, costs to consumers will go up. 

As John said, there's also the impact on other businesses that illegal immigrants patronize: restaurants, grocery stores, other stores, and much more.

Trump saying, "In some cases they're not people in my opinion, but I'm not allowed to say that because the Radical Left says that's a terrible thing to say," is kind of a DUH statement. Yes, people say this is a terrible thing to say because it is a TERRIBLE THING TO SAY. So don't say it! Plus, you say you're not allowed to say it, but you say it, so I guess you can say it. Ugh.

I know the show couldn't include the Madison Square Garden rally, but man, what a horrible, disgusting gathering. I expect John will bring it up next week.

John said, "Trump is no Hitler but let him cook." What does that mean? A concentration camp oven reference?

What flavor is Mountain Dew Baja Blast?

When that clip of Bill O'Reilly's show was playing, I was surprised that he's still around, so I enjoyed John basically saying the same thing.

This happened with the clip of a rally when someone is raising that teddy bear -- I hoped John would mention it -- and when we see Stephen Miller talking about the Hispanics in the posters not looking like your neighbors -- I thought about Miller being one creepy neighbor.

Has anyone transcribed the lyrics to the closing song Will Ferrell sung?

[DoctorAtomic]

11 hours ago, Annber03 said:

I have always hated "God Bless the U.S.A.", partly because the song just...sucks, and partly because of how it's always been connected with the obnoxious "RAH RAH 'MURICA!" jingoistic "patriotism" that's out there.

I don't think it's that bad, but the song is certainly played out. I also don't like the religious aspect of the song, as well as God Bless America either. Except when Whitney Houston sang it at Yankee Stadium after 9/11. We have to give some things a pass.

The problem I have with railing against Project 2025/Agenda 47 (which you know Miller came up with at the last minute when people were covering Project 2025); yes, we should take this seriously because they all are serious about it, but I'd argue 99% wouldn't happen. Just about everything would be tied up in court or you just can't actually do what you think you can because those levers of government don't exist. Or, even if you only hire 'loyalists' (come on, that's just going to be people looking for political patronage), those people won't even know where the levers actually are. I certainly don't want to take the risk because the 1% of what they might be able to do would be really bad, but I've said before, too much of the the alarmism is going to make people so exhausted they might not even vote. 

So, instead of the alarmism, I wish there was more of the groups of people who loved their restaurant owner neighbor but were the reason he was deported. Hold the mirror up like that. No yelling, no taunting, just cold hard facts. And they're still going to vote for Trump. *That* is what should get people to the polls.

Lee Greenwood being a sleazy snake oil salesman is 100% America. 

[catsitter]

56 minutes ago, peeayebee said:

John said, "Trump is no Hitler but let him cook." What does that mean? A concentration camp oven reference?

"Let him cook" is a thing the young people say(I know thanks to my kids!), nothing to do with concentration camps.  https://www.dictionary.com/e/slang/let-him-cook/

[peeayebee]

Thanks. My first thought was that it was a meme or youngster slang, but then the oven thing came to mind. 

[andromeda331]

I do love "God Bless America" song. It always makes me think of my grandpa who fought in World War II and my dad who fought in Vietnam and other soldiers and others who made sacrifices for the country.  I hate that it's been taken over by Trump who's never fought or sacificed anything.

I like John pointing out what deporting so many immigants will do to jobs. Yeah, they do jobs no one else wants to do. Who's going to pick the food on farms? Who's going to build the houses? Repair roofs? And so many other places? Doesn't Trump employ a bunch of immigants at his various golf courts and in maids, etc?

They want the criminals out Vance describing the criminal illegal immigants even thought he and others are following an actual criminal. 

That poor girl. She never should have been put through that.

Exactly how far do we go in immigrations? How do we determine illegal? All my ancestors came before there was an Ellis Island or anything. So isn't that technically illegal? So do we have to go back? Do others have to back? Really, the only legal ones are the Native Americans. 

Trump's came from Germany so back to Germany for him? Good for us bad for Germany. 

[Palimelon]

Immigration in the US as a system needs fixing, but at the end of the day, immigration and illegal immigrants are both a diversion and scapegoat to draw people away from why there are problems with housing, wages, services, etc, and that's a combo of banks, real estate developers/landlords/hedge funds, cut backs to social services, hedge funds in general, price gouging by corporations, the way many corporations treat their workers, etc. Don't go after the real cause of the problems, they (the real problems) and many aspects of the media are colluding to make immigrants, legal and illegal, the reason for societies ills. And the sad thing is, too many people are falling for it.

My favorite paradox is that immigrants are coming to steal your jobs but also coming to abuse the welfare system to get money without doing any work (which would mean the majority of American jobs are to work as welfare queens abusing the system, by that logic).

Edited October 28 by Palimelon

[Anela]

10 hours ago, peeayebee said:

Thanks. My first thought was that it was a meme or youngster slang, but then the oven thing came to mind. 

It's basically like "you are toast" if someone says, "you are cooked". If someone is letting you "cook" they're letting you spout off, or do your thing.

[iMonrey]

On 10/28/2024 at 10:43 AM, peeayebee said:

People want  illegal immigrants deported for a variety of reasons. One is racism, of course. Another is the belief that these immigrants are the cause of lots of violent crime, a belief that comes from being innundated with amplified news stories about individual incidents. Yes, it happens, but not as much as people are led to believe.

 . . . as people are led to believe by right wing media propaganda. Whenever they show these MAGA hat-wearing people talking to reporters saying they favor mass deportation, it's always old white people who undoubtably get all their news from Fox and Tucker Carlson. They are just parroting what they hear on right wing radio and right wing TV. I saw it happen with my father, he'd say absurd things and I know he heard them from his idols Bill O'Reilly or Rush Limbaugh. Things logic would dictate to be obviously untrue but taken as gospel because they validate inbred bigotry. It's so sad and it's so damn frustrating, and it's the reason we have Trump at all.