The crowds are incensed because Morrissey has compared US immigration officers to the SS.

The crowds are foolish. A large proportion of good immigration officers [*], whether in the US, the UK, India, or anywhere else, would make good SS men – and nearly all SS men would make good immigration officers. The two jobs share some very important traits: the willingness to follow immoral and nonsensical orders without question, and the ability to take pleasure in inflicting suffering upon others.

Many immigration officers would creditably refuse if asked to shoot the unfortunate would-be migrants themselves, instead of merely sending them abroad to be shot by whichever vicious regime they’re escaping from. I’d be surprised, however, if this ‘many’ were much more than 75%.

It’s easy to write Nazi Germany off as a place full of uniquely evil people, and the developing world off as Not Europe. It’s also foolish. The world is depressingly full of horrible, horrible bastards who take great pleasure in fucking people over. The difference between civilised and Nazi society is that the Nazis celebrated immigration officers and other vicious, petty-minded thugs as heros.

While civilised people’s opinions may differ on such groups’ necessity, it’s vitally important that we remain agreed that they’re scumbags.

[*] I’m aware that many immigration officers take no pride in their job and try and avoid causing trouble and general badness. I have no quarrel with these people.