This administration* has a real jones for detention camps. Truly, it's like they designed a Boer War starter kit. We all know about the horrors along the border. Now, according to the Washington Post, they're branching out to include the homeless population of California.

Administration officials have discussed using the federal government to get homeless people off the streets of Los Angeles and other areas and into new government-backed facilities, according to two officials briefed on the planning. But it is unclear how they could accomplish this and what legal authority they would use. It is also unclear whether the state’s Democratic politicians would cooperate with Trump, who has sought to embarrass them over the homelessness crisis with repeated attacks on their competency. Trump’s directive is part of his broader targeting of California and a number of major U.S. cities in recent months, including Baltimore and Chicago. He has complained about what he says are years of failed Democratic leadership that have led sustained poverty and crime.

First of all, there is absolutely no way this is a federal issue. As the Post points out, this is part of the administration*'s re-election strategy to delegitimize those places guaranteed to vote against him in 2020. The rubes at the rallies love horror stories about The Big Bad Cities and The Big Bad People who live there. Not that this president* cares about violating those silly "norms" that the rest of us call "laws."

Planning also involves officials from the Department of Health and Human Services. An administration official cited the need to act based on “rampant diseases” as well as sewage problems.

"Rampant diseases." Boy, they're really playing a strong game of Alien Other Bingo, aren't they?

The administration* is putting together a re-election strategy aimed at convincing people that large portions of this country should not count, and many of those people do not need much convincing. It is developing a list of Shithole Cities and Shithole States that it can use to scare the good country people out of their votes, their health care, and, ultimately, the money. The cynicism of this is almost breathtaking.

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Charles P. Pierce Charles P Pierce is the author of four books, most recently Idiot America, and has been a working journalist since 1976.

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