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Comment by Simulacra | Hacker News Reader

Tell that to the last President.

I never understand this retort--how is a long gone administration any excuse for continuing reprehensible behavior?

I mean, if you think this is a bad practice, shouldn't we end it now? And if you don't think it is a bad practice, why feign anger at the previous administration?

Don't worry, if Biden somehow manages to stumble into the White House this will continue under him too.

That isn't as good of a rebuttal as you think it is.

Two wrongs don't make a right.

Sure but they go a long way to discredit the sincerity of sudden changes in people’s positions when the only thing different is the chief executive.

You say "the only thing different" is the chief executive, but... https://www.factcheck.org/2018/06/nielsens-rhetoric-on-famil...

(If you don't like factcheck.org, fine, but the facts have been widely reported elsewhere as well.)

I don't think that this gives cover to either Obama or Bush for any abuses of the system under their administration, but suddenly changing to a zero tolerance policy and massively widening the scope of family separation counts as a difference, no?

Trump is president now, why then, is he continuing the practice?

Yes, Obama did a lot of bad things, and his office disillusioned a lot of people (including me).

Now, what does that have to do with the point you were replying to?

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