History Repeats Itself

 

Guess the year that describes when and where what is written below happened.

Repressive reforms fell victim to a repressive crusade. Pacifists, anarchists, socialist, political dissenters were the target of a  massive campaign of arrests and reprisals. They were considered enemies. Foreign born men and women, American born unionists and thousands of innocent people were arrested without warrants and due process. Abusive newspapers were denied U.S. mailing privileges. Secret agents infiltrated union and political meetings. 

Secret agents infiltrated meetings, broke up meetings and some of the attendees were beaten. 

What is described above isn't the U.S. under Trump. It happened in 1919 under the direction of Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer, a Democrat. He  recruited Herbert Hoover, who spied on Americans for decades.

Palmer also held the Red Raids, supported by the American people although progressives fought him. His support came from the people who believed the propaganda about communists, socialists and - gasp - immigrants.

Now think of what is happening today in the U.S. 

ICE and violence against those who disagree with the administration is not that different. Maybe that is what Trump meant by making American Great Again going back to the time of the Red Raids where white supremacy was the goal, due process was a maybe do it, maybe not, and business and banks ruled without responsibility for the damage they caused. 

The major difference today is that with the internet information spreads as fast as people can check their screens. Whether the information is true or not and their reaction depends on their education or lack thereof.

I don't know if I feel better or worse to know that the awful things that happened in the United States in 1919 is repeating itself in 2025 and may get worse in 2026, 2027... 

The cliché that those who don't know history are doomed to repeat it is echoing in my head. 

Note: The photo is of an ICE agent attacking a woman in a court house.