The Devil You Know vs. The Machine You Don’t
We just traded a cartoon villain for an unknown that may be far worse
January 26, 2026
January 26, 2026
“Better the devil you know than the devil you don’t.” — Richard Taverner, ‘Proverbs of Erasmus’ (1539)
The Trump administration has just sacrificed its favorite pawn. Gregory Bovino, the “Commander at Large” with the Nazi-esque greatcoat and the film crew, has been demoted following the murder of Alex Pretti.
Liberal Twitter is celebrating. They see the removal of a “bad man” as a victory. They are wrong. They are forgetting the second half of the proverb.
Bovino was the Devil We Knew. He was loud. He was theatrical. He telegraphed his every move with press conferences and “tough guy” photo ops. His vanity made him visible; his need for attention made him trackable. In the language of Robert Greene’s 48 Laws of Power, he violated Law 1: Never Outshine the Master, and for that, he was easy to isolate and remove.
Now, we face the Devil We Don’t. Bovino is being replaced by the “Border Czar” Tom Homan and a team of faceless bureaucrats. They won’t wear the scary coats. They won’t scream at protesters on camera. They will apply Law 26: Keep Your Hands Clean with surgical precision.
We are trading incompetence and spectacle for silence and efficiency. The deportations will continue, the raids will continue, but the “content” will dry up. The resistance relies on visibility to rally outrage; the administration just removed the most visible target on the board.
Don’t mistake a change in management for a change in mission. The machine just got quieter, which means it just got more dangerous.
The Rise and Role of a Political Enforcer
Bovino wasn’t just any Border Patrol official; he was elevated to an unusual “commander at large” role, operating outside traditional chains of command with a film crew in tow, turning enforcement into spectacle.
For months, he spearheaded aggressive immigration crackdowns in Democrat-led cities like Chicago, Charlotte, New Orleans, and Minneapolis, embodying Trump’s mass-deportation agenda. In Minneapolis, amid “Operation Metro Surge,” Bovino became the face of federal overreach, holding daily press conferences where he deflected blame onto protesters, local officials, and the media.
“He’s merely a pawn, discarded to appease public fury while the regime reloads with fresh loyalists.”
His demotion, reported today, signals a pivot: Senior CBP agents are pulling out of Minnesota imminently, with “border czar” Tom Homan stepping in to manage the fallout. Yet, this isn’t reform—it’s damage control. Bovino’s backers, including DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, are also on shaky ground, but the underlying tyranny remains intact.
Gross Behavior and Dehumanization: A Pattern of Cruelty
Bovino’s tenure was marred by gross, dehumanizing conduct that stripped immigrants and critics of their humanity, treating them as threats to be crushed rather than people deserving dignity.
Defending the indefensible: In defending the detention of a five-year-old child during raids, Bovino callously asserted that agents acted appropriately, ignoring the trauma inflicted on vulnerable families.
Smearing victims: After Pretti’s killing—an unarmed citizen shot in the back despite video evidence contradicting claims of aggression—Bovino accused the victim of intending a “massacre,” a baseless smear that villainized a man dedicated to helping veterans.
This rhetoric echoes broader Trump-era tactics, where immigrants are labeled as invaders or criminals to justify brutality. Bovino squandered taxpayer funds on photo ops and occupations, prioritizing propaganda over protection. His shouting at civilians in Minneapolis, surrounded by armed agents, exemplified this thuggish approach—intimidation masked as authority.
The Weird Aesthetic: Nazi Fashion Echoes and Symbolic Menace
Adding to the unease is Bovino’s peculiar aesthetic, which has drawn sharp criticism for evoking Nazi-era fashion. His signature long green greatcoat, worn during operations and press appearances, has been likened by German media to SS uniforms—complete with its militaristic cut and authoritarian flair.
Critics have called it “Nazi cosplay,” pointing to how it amplifies the menace of his role, turning enforcement into a theatrical display of power.
Bovino defended the coat, claiming compliments and sharing photos from the Biden era, but the symbolism is undeniable: It projects an image of unyielding dominance, reminiscent of fascist regimes that used style to intimidate. In a DHS video, his black trench coat variant sparked backlash for glorifying Nazi imagery. This isn’t mere fashion faux pas—it’s a deliberate nod to authoritarianism, dehumanizing targets by cloaking cruelty in historical echoes.
A Pawn in a Line of Yes-Men: The Machine Marches On
Bovino is no rogue operator; he is a symptom of a regime where loyalty to Trump trumps ethics. As a MAGA-aligned figure, he attacked journalists, dodged questions on fatalities, and amplified divisive narratives. His demotion, amid protests and lawsuits, buys time for the administration to regroup—Homan’s arrival ensures the surges continue, just with a new face.
Caution: While Bovino exits stage left, the line of yes-men ready to bend the knee is endless. No one is safe—citizens like Pretti prove that. The tyrant thrives on such pawns, sacrificing them to preserve power. True change demands dismantling the system, not celebrating fleeting scapegoats.
Sources and Further Reading
The Atlantic: Greg Bovino Demoted Following Minneapolis Fallout
The Guardian: German Media Critiques Bovino’s ‘Authoritarian’ Aesthetic
LA Times: Dehumanizing Tactics in the New Immigration Regime
Stay vigilant. Keep Your Eyes On ICE
It’s another Kent State moment - the murders of Renee Good, who with the words “we don’t hate you” stuck a flower in the barrel of Jonathon Ross’ gun, and Alex Pretti, whose last words were “are you ok?” to the woman he was attempting to protect. Both of them were innocent of any wrongdoing, and the ICE agents involved, whether they pulled the trigger or just stood there, all are guilty of murder. And let’s not forget Keith Porter! And Wael Tarabishi! Keep adding names to the list!
Speaking of which: Shouldn’t there be a warrant out for the arrest of Jonathon Ross based upon his own cell phone evidence? And warrants for every other ICE agent present as accomplices? And warrants for all ICE in the vicinity of the murder of Alex Pretti? And how about the others ICE has murdered? Not to mention all those who have been brutally assaulted and detained? Can culpability be assigned clear up to the White House?
THE COMMON GOOD MANIFESTO
A society built for people, not predators.
We are at our best when we invest in each other.
We are at our worst when we abandon the vulnerable.
This manifesto is how we return to the common good.
I. DIGNITY AND JUSTICE
1. Release the Epstein files — full transparency, no exceptions.
2. Impeach, convict, and imprison Donald Trump and every handler who enabled his corruption.
3. No federal office for any convicted felon.
4. End the weaponization of the justice system against the poor, immigrants, LGBTQ people, and marginalized communities.
II. DEMOCRACY THAT ACTUALLY WORKS
1. Abolish the Electoral College — one person, one vote.
2. Abolish ICE — replace it with humane immigration policy that honors human rights.
3. Ban gerrymandering with a standardized national apportionment method.
4. Two-term limits for every elected office.
5. Mandatory retirement at 70 for all elected officials.
6. Paper ballots only — end the era of hackable voting machines.
III. AN ECONOMY THAT SERVES PEOPLE
1. Restore 1950s-style progressive tax rates — when America was prosperous and fair.
2. Overturn Citizens United — corporations are not people.
3. Eliminate the Social Security payroll cap and tax capital gains for Social Security contributions.
4. $25 minimum wage indexed to inflation.
5. Medicare for All, one unified system — no A/B/C/D maze.
6. Congress receives Medicare, not boutique private insurance.
IV. WORKERS, CREATIVES, AND PUBLIC SERVANTS
1. Big pay raises for social workers, teachers, librarians, artists, and cultural workers — the people who actually hold society together.
2. Universal childcare — because families are the foundation of the nation.
3. Free public university education.
4. Full forgiveness of all student debt.
V. CLEAN GOVERNMENT
1. Root out corruption at every level, starting at the top.
2. Full financial transparency for every elected official, appointee, and senior bureaucrat.
3. Ban lobbying for former officeholders for life.
VI. THE FUTURE WE CHOOSE
We choose a country that values:
• Compassion over cruelty
• Community over greed
• Truth over propaganda
• Shared prosperity over billionaire hoarding
• Democracy over minority rule
• Human dignity over corporate profit
We choose a nation where the common good is not a slogan, but the organizing principle of public life.
And we refuse to apologize for demanding better.
I invite you to adopt this manifesto, add to it, improve it, and share it widely with your friends and elected officials, including school boards, city councils, churches, civic groups, anywhere you can get people to listen. Post it on Substack, send it by email, hell, print it on paper and post it on light poles and bulletin boards. Let’s show the world that we envision a better world that serves people rather than just the oligarchy.
We have the power to change the world. Let’s do it!
No policy changes, just outwardly personnel. Substitute one evil for another.