Courtesy of goglee.com
Maybe I’m wrong, but since the world’s largest pedophile ring was linked to plutocrats friendly to Donald Trump, MAGA’s outrage over child pornography has decreased. The portion of Republicans who believed the Epstein files mattered even just ‘a little’ in their view of Trump’s presidency dropped from nearly half in July 2025 to only 36 percent in November. (“Nothing to See Here,” by Kali Holloway, Nation, April 2026, pg. 6.)
That count would be lower when we remember that MAGA folks exclude trans or minority children from their concern. In fact, when one MAGA woman was sued for calling a Black autistic child the N-word, the group crowd-funded her defense to the tune of $850,000. (Ibid, pg. 6.)
MAGA’s initial willingness to exploit children for political purposes is probably no worse than that of those who exploit them for profit. In New Mexico, a jury rendered a verdict against the giant technology firm, Meta, stating the company had knowingly harmed the mental health of adolescents. Meta announced it would appeal the decision. Nonetheless, 40 additional state attorneys general were convinced by the judgment and are filing similar suits of their own.
Outrage over the plight of children does little to change the landscape, however. We’ve seen them torn from their parent’s arms at border crossings or imprisoned in detention centers, still wearing their bunny hats. If they are hungry, we pass legislation to deprive them of food assistance. If they become ill, those without medical insurance must wait in an emergency room. If their homeless parents take shelter in a city sewer, the family will be evicted, and the manhole bolted down.
The Republican Party, in particular, has stood out for its abuse of children. Since returning to power in Congress, it has rolled back many child labor laws, seeming to prefer children work in factories rather than sit in classrooms, a choice that endangers their development.
In third-world countries, the situation is more dire. Oligarchs who depend upon cheap labor are exemplary in their ability to turn a blind eye to the cruel outcomes of their industry. In Congo, for example, children work in dangerous mines, extracting the raw earth minerals necessary to produce smartphones and electric cars. If they die, they die. If they live, they earn $2.25 a day.
Bernie Sanders is right. Oligarchs hurt families. Most strikingly, they hurt children. Because these billionaires are parents, their disconnect from the welfare of the young is breathtaking.
Nelson Mandela once said, We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear.
Few would argue with him. Even so, the country has left the well-being of the innocent in the hands of the greedy, those for whom possessing all the money in the world will never satisfy. When this nation rises against the exploitation of children, when it faces its past hypocrisy and vows to do better, then, perhaps, we can crawl our way back to decency.
BOYCOTT: Tesla, Apple, Amazon
