Stephen Miller (Photo from the Southern Policy Law Center)
The raids at the Home Depot parking lot and a Los Angeles workplace said everything: armed ICE agents dragging away day labourers – some while their children watched – their only “crime” being undocumented status in a nation built on exploiting their labor. This wasn’t law enforcement. It was theatre – Stephen Miller’s theatre – a production of state-sanctioned cruelty from a man whose American dream has always been a nightmare for everyone else.
Stephen Miller doesn’t leak policy; he oozes malevolence. He’s not just the architect of suffering – he’s its interior decorator, polishing every cruel edge until it gleams. His influence in the Trump administration was never just about immigration. It was about making cruelty the point, and then smiling for the cameras. He engineers suffering with the precision of a man who’s studied every dark chapter of history and taken notes. His fingerprints are on every inflection point of the Trump administration’s descent into barbarism. Notedly, he is “credited with shaping the racist and draconian immigration policies of President Trump.”
His résumé reads like a dystopian greatest hits album:
Now, as Deputy Chief of Staff – yes, Trump kept him on like a cursed amulet – Miller is doubling down. His May 2025 directive demands 3,000 daily arrests of non-criminal migrants. When ICE leadership hesitated, Miller scolded them for lacking “resolve” – a word which, in Millerese, translates roughly to “willingness to traumatise children for prime-time ratings.” This isn’t about law. It’s about spectacle – misery in high definition, with a chyron ready to roll on Fox.
Miller’s worldview is equal parts white grievance and apocalyptic cosplay. He traffics in invented crises, racial paranoia, and a deeply suburban fear of multilingual grocery stores. His so-called solutions? Roundups, quotas, and more barbed wire. His rhetoric of “unraveling” relies on a familiar playbook:
Los Angeles isn’t unraveling – it’s resisting. And Miller, who sees every protest as proof of his own warped prophecy, is thrilled. He doesn’t want order; he wants a permanently panicked nation with fewer brown people.
Let’s be clear: Stephen Miller is not a rogue operator. He is the purest distillation of a movement that swapped empathy for exclusion, and justice for jingoism. The question is no longer if he will be remembered as a villain. It’s whether the damage he’s doing can be undone before his blueprint for authoritarianism becomes permanent.
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A great article, that works well in tandem with Michael’s earlier one.
But let’s not kid ourselves that this disintegration of values and accepted practices is a uniquely US phenomenon or US problem. As Roswell points out -- Stephen Miller is not a rogue operator. He is the purest distillation of a movement that swapped empathy for exclusion, and justice for jingoism.
This movement is at work in all the Western democracies, but is not being reported adequately here in Oz.
From The European Conservative -- Thierry Breton, the European Union’s former internal market commissioner, admitted in a French TV interview at the end of last week that the Romanian Constitutional Court (CCR) bowed to EU pressure. It annulled the country’s presidential elections last month, following the first-round victory of the Eurosceptic and anti-NATO, right-wing populist candidate, Călin Georgescu.
Georgescu is apparently no more than an old-style conservative looking to protect his country’s interests.
From Public News -- The European Union has banned three journalists, two German and one Turkish, from entering the EU, and frozen their bank accounts.”
Punishment without due process.
Guilty until proven innocent.
Their crime is reporting that does not agree with EU policy.
For stand-out hypocrisy, after the EU banned journalists, they threatened Elon Musk for doing the same in a milder version. Times of Malta reports -- The EU on Friday warned Elon Musk that Twitter could be subject to sanctions under a future media law after the "worrying" suspension of several journalists from the messaging platform. "News about arbitrary suspension of journalists on Twitter is worrying. EU's Digital Services Act requires respect of media freedom and fundamental rights. This is reinforced under our Media Freedom Act," EU commissioner Vera Jourova posted on Twitter.
Then we have the UK criminalizing dissent.
A new Public Order Act makes it illegal to hold a rally or demonstration if it “inconveniences” anyone. This gives the state unlimited power to clamp down on any demonstration.
A new National Security Act makes it illegal to accept funding if it comes from “a hostile state”. There is no definition of what qualifies as a “hostile state”.
A new Public Safety Act makes it a criminal offense to publish “misinformation”, There is no definition of “misinformation” — the government decides.
This all confirms the view recently stated by Yanis Varoufakis, that the political structure in Europe, with its layers of authorities and bureaucracies, has become fascist in all but name.
He says we did not have to wait for fascism to arrive for the banning of the 2015 Greek referendum because Europe did not like the outcome. For civil servants in Germany to be fired for failing to support genocide.
And so we see that the EU has gone full-Nietzsche -- “There are no facts, only interpretations”.
The key point there as one analyst put it, is that in the artificially fabricated post-truth environment, facts are only facts if we say so; so only one interpretation is allowed – be it from the Empire of Chaos, whoever may be in power, or from a Kafkaesque mechanism such as the European Union or the European Commission.
And well done Roswell for reminding us of our contribution to this tide of fascism, with our offshore detention that has become an inspiration for unspeakable ratbags from the UK to the US who never saw a concentration camp they didn't like.
Whatever is causing this global tide of restrictions across the West, this global clamp-down, this removal of freedoms that are in fact attempts at thought control, must be serious indeed. It has an air of desperation about it.
That air of desperation fits well with this beautifully succinct description of the problem from the economist Radhika Desai -- “Capitalism is no longer able to provide the basics for most people on the planet. It cannot recover. What we are suffering now ... is the cost of keeping capitalism in business.”
Agree, but Australia has been only a wafer thin margin away from similar, following the same movement/ideology, bipartisan migration policies, tactics and media dog whistling; now MAGA white Christian nationalist Tanton Network.
Same focus on 'the other' & their character, border security, immigration restrictions and population control, for a fossil fueled environmental greenwash. The dec. white nationalist Tanton admired white Oz, visited and hosted by SusPopAus (& friend Brimelow allegedly reported directly to Murdoch at FoxNews) .
Related to the latter, is Miller, Bannon, Musk, Le Pen, Orbán et al favourite literature, Jean Raspail's 'Camp of the Saints' which inspired Renaud Camus' 'The Great Replacement', and published by Tanton's TSCP.
The same book or 'racist screed' was recently classified down to 'unrestricted' from 'mature' upon application by ABF's Terror Unit, and SusPopAus patron had bagged interview with Raspail, decades ago....no wonder we have bipartisan bigotry?
Here's republished article of 1994-95 by SusPopAus patron and collaborator with 'Australia's best demographer' Bob Birrell, Katherine Betts:
'A propitious decision by The Social Contract Press to republish Jean Raspail’s prescient novel The Camp of the Saints has had long-lasting effect. It is the most popular title we handle, often assigned for college courses. In anticipation of that reprinting we asked Dr. Katharine Betts, during a visit to France, to arrange an interview with author Raspail. The result appeared in our Winter 1994-95 issue.'
https://www.thesocialcontract.com/pdf/fifteen-four/xv-4-305.pdf
My God, America USED TO BE a compassionate, caring country that prided itself on its multiculturalism and tolerance. NOW, under the mismanagement of that diabolical, cold-blooded misogynist and dysfunctional CONVICTED CRIMINAL, Donald Trump, America has become a cruel, racist, unforgiving and callously inhumane nation thriving on hate, division and a condescending contempt for all of America's (once) loyal allies like Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the UK and many other nations throughout Europe! My God, you only have to look into the cold, heartless black eyes of Stephen Miller to see what a chilling psychopath he is - the fact that Trump is elevating revolting, inhumane sociopaths like Miller in its ranks can be expected considering that Trump, himself, ticks every box as an amoral, totally unconscionable, self-obsessed political psychopath!
Trump's appalling, contemptuous mistreatment of the Ukraine President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, was not well received around the world and displayed Trump's disgusting level of born-to-rule arrogance and his complete lack of respect towards other nation's elected leaders.
Not only is Trump a chest-beating, alpha male misogynist and an arrogant megalomaniacal narcissist, he ticks EVERY box as a dangerously undemocratic political psychopath whose reprehensible regime has been reduced to arresting and incarcerating little children in order to flex its muscles like a huge, ravaging schoolyard bully! Right now, it is no surprise that Trump is about as internationally "popular" as a three day old fish left in the back seat of a car in the hot sun! In fact, I cannot think of ONE other POTUS who is as universally despised, unspeakably corrupt, unconscionably cruel and as inherently amoral as Trump (with the exception of that irrational intellectual midget, George W Bush - yet ANOTHER repugnant, war mongering Republican, who runs a close second).
If America hopes to regain ANY level of integrity or credibility throughout the world, it needs to (once again) IMPEACH that depraved political psychopath, Trump - who is exhibiting very worrying signs as a developing fascist - whom they foolishly and short-sightedly elevated into the most powerful position in the world. Trump's condescending contempt and, now, his total rejection of the AUKUS Treaty is a RED FLAG WARNING that Trump's version of America now has NO gratitude, zero respect and not one iota of loyalty towards nations (like Australia and New Zealand) that assisted and stood by America's side during America's dirty little wars in Vietnam and their illegal invasion of Iraq and Syria.
It has been evident, over many years, that Trump is a totally repugnant individual who's only allegiance is to the sociopath who stares back at himself from his mirror every morning! How can ANYONE expect an egotistical, totally irrational and absolutely dysfunctional sociopath like Trump to act with loyalty and honour to other nations when he is a serial adulterer who cannot even remain loyal to his OWN wife and family? The fact is that Trump - and the appalling sociopaths he is elevating in his despicable regime - are totally self-serving political psychopaths and dangerously undemocratic fascists who will tear down, destroy and obliterate EVERYTHING that decent Americans once stood for and believed in. History has already PROVEN that Trump is an annihilator who sees no value in anyone or anything UNLESS it can bring him some type of personal advantage. Australia, Canada and New Zealand NOW need to alienate our nations from Trump's sick, twisted version of America which country has now become unrecognisable since that grotesque chest-beating narcissist (Trump) has usurped a terrifying level of power with considerable help from the malignant, unspeakably depraved Murdoch press!
The fact that this appalling, hatefully divisive, rusted-on misogynistic predator, Trump - a CONVICTED CRIMINAL - now has his shaky, irrational finger poised over the Doomsday Button should be of HUGE CONCERN to the rest of the free world! Trump's close association and blossoming relationship with that ex-KGB killer, Vladimir Putin, is yet ANOTHER aspect of Trump's insane lack of discernment that is proving to be a REAL worry to anyone with an IQ in double digits!
As a hard-lined racist, a rusted-on misogynistic predator, a self-serving megalomaniacal psychopath and a CONVICTED CRIMINAL completely devoid of any compassion and with zero morality, Trump will prove to be a terrifying and dangerous choice to be POTUS and, no doubt, one that America - and the rest of the world - will come to SERIOUSLY REGRET in the short term! Honestly, America - WTF were you thinking?
In Australia we hunt down "illegals" - we are not above sending six or eight Border Force operatives to apprehend one illegal worker the only difference is that the Border Force operatives have a Court Order and warrant to enter premises and apprehend.
The Trump operatives appear to have bypassed the courts both as regards the apprehension of 'illegal workers' and their deportation from the country - their criteria for apprehension appears to be skin colour - that, and the fact that they ignore State legislatures, is a worry.
Thank you, Steve. I appreciate that.
Katie, I’m stealing your comment.
It may not be a 'rolling ball' of history, but more likely a pendulum. A pendulum that is allowed to rest, be oiled then resume the essential tik-tok of time. No, there are the malcontents and prestidigitators who lack trust and faith in the advances of time, and would grab it so as to force reversions to arcane stupidities they wallowed in, whilst at the same time setting off false alarm bells.
The grandfather clocks of the US, Britain and Europe have been stopped by their parliaments of malcontents and prestidigitators. Hitler, Mussolini, Franco and Joe McCarthy will be rejoicing in their graves.
These crusty old clots fail to see the gravity of Foucault's pendulum - that they cannot control the spin, and what is more, that today's clocks, that everybody has, are incontrovertibly attached to the pulse of the cosmos, and it is via those that we should fashion or political and economic mechanisms.
Looking at Miller all I see is a combination of psychopath and sociopath. A truly vile excuse for a human being.
the worst of the many nasty inappropriate appointments made by trump
So what is the “cost of keeping capitalism in business” that is referred to by Radhika Desai?
To answer that we must first establish the business of capitalism.
As the saying goes, the purpose of a system is seen in what it does.
And what has been an outstanding feature of capitalism for a few decades now? The creation of refugees.
The creation of refugees has mainly occurred in two regions -- West Asia/North Africa, and Central/Sth America.
How are these connected to the business of capitalism?
The business of capitalism is the acquisition of resources as cheaply as possible, so theft becomes a feature, along with other practices that are close to theft. Institutionalised theft (through the IMF) becomes an integral part of the system.
This theft creates hardship and suffering for the victims, who are forced to leave home in search of a better life.
The choice for those in Central America is easy. A better life is to be found in Hollywood, or the closest thing to it. Because the movies tell them so.
For those in West Asia or Nth Africa, the next best thing to Hollywood is to be found in Europe.
And so they stream towards a dream. The dream of liberal illusions.
Europe has been struggling with the refugee crisis for decades, but has any European leader called out the US for its meddling in their neighbourhood?
Nothing is done that might upset the system. So they treat the refugee stream as just a cost of doing business.
The refugee stream into the US was welcome for many years as it provided cheap labour, but as the cheap resources slowly dried up, manufacturing was hit, and local labour was laid off. Suddenly the refugees became a political problem.
Has any voice in Congress called out US theft from Central and Sth America? Not that I recall. Any such call would be quickly silenced by the system.
There was another cost of doing business that arose in West Asia/Nth Africa. Regional leaders such as Saddam and Gadaffi were working to establish a scheme to trade oil, a scheme that by-passed the US dollar. This was a threat to US dollar hegemony. The extremely costly removal of Saddam and Gadaffi, was just another cost of keeping capitalism in business, and created another crop of economic refugees.
We should not think for a moment that Australia stands aloof from this grubby sideshow. Our refugee policy for many years, and most likely still is, is that we reject economic refugees, instead favouring political refugees. To make ourselves feel good. And this despicable position is given legitimacy by the international community.
According to the United Nations Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, as amended by its 1967 Protocol (the Refugee Convention), a refugee is a person who is outside their own country and is unable or unwilling to return due to a well-founded fear of being persecuted because of their race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion.
No protection there for those whose livelihood has been disrupted or stolen, but plenty of protection for the system that disrupted and stole.
And so, as resources get scarcer and markets shrink, as the cost of keeping capitalism in business grows, the financial system will find it ever more difficult to provide the basics for its domestic constituencies. Unrest will grow, protests will become frequent, and repression will become harsher. And harsher.
This is just the beginning.
Welcome to the liberal dream.
Gazing into the tea leaves, Steve, how long have we got? I recall that there was a Global Happiness Index published by a British group called the New Economics Foundation, who noted that resource utilisation was twice the planet's capacity for replenishment. That report was around ~15-20 years ago, and obviously things are much worse today.
Putting global warming and its consequences to one side for the moment, the checklist of extraction & utilisation of resources proves to be an exercise in dismal accounting; whether it's food & fibre, timber, minerals, potable water, general health & welfare of ecosystems, and not to neglect the state of play in human societies which, despite those who believe in fairies and sprinkling star dust whilst waltzing through the Elysium Fields, seem to be increasingly stressed year by year.
I'd go so far as to suggest that if a benevolent extraterrestrial entity was paying careful attention to the damage that H.sapiens was doing to this little orb of organic miraculousness, he/they might be inclined to bring in the Zap-blaster and put the planet out of its misery by decimating said human herd.