A note to my Democratic senators...

 Just  caught some social media chatter to the effect that Senate Democrats are considering offering increased funding to ICE in exchange for body cameras and de-escalation training.

Respectfully, ARE YOU FCKING KIDDING ME?!  That's some top quality appeasement. "Give him the Sudetenland, maybe he'll be satisfied." No. Just no. And furthermore, hell no.

ICE funding should be cut. Any pending funding should be held back while all of their crimes, including the murder of Renee Good are fully investigated and evidence logged for future prosecution after we no longer have a corrupt POTUS. And the utterly improper investigation of Good's wife on trumped-up domestic terrorism allegations should be halted immediately.

ICE needs a firm yank on the leash, not more biscuits and pats on the head.

Thank you.

Fascist Fatigue

 Opponents of the current regime and the institutions behind it have been using the f-word for years now, with a sprinkling of the n-word as well. The terms "fascist" and "Nazi" have become meaningless epithets, as both sides fling them at each other.

Voices on the left face accusations of crying wolf because they have been calling "fascist" for so long. But there's a difference between crying wolf in the sense that we've all come to scorn: alarming the populace about an imaginary peril; and simply providing advance warning long before the general public is ready to see where the trend must inevitably lead. The wolf was a long way off, but its path was clear.

As with original recipe fascism in the 1920s and '30s, the current iteration has had its supporters who like some or all of its tenets, whether they just hope for the economic prosperity or also relish the suppression of fringe elements in society. Maybe they believe that what really brought down the fascists and Nazis was their expansionism (which is true), and believed the rhetoric of the current regime about ending foreign wars and concentrating on some nice ethnic cleansing at home. Now, of course, the regime has struck militarily at Venezuela, threatens to steal territory from a NATO ally, has eyes on Cuba, and is rattling sabers at Iran.

Nothing annoys a modern fascist more than being called a fascist. They will lead the chorus saying that anyone who points out their fascistic tendencies is overreacting. They find harmony among all of the ordinary folk who don't want to believe that their simple struggle for survival and economic advancement is going to be interrupted by either an authoritarian crackdown or a messy resistance to an authoritarian crackdown. Surely things aren't so dire! We just want affordable housing, food, education, and transportation.

America is the land of the open mind when it comes to debating political philosophies while ignoring systemic oppression of women and minorities. Let's argue fine points of whether we're really well into a fascist state, while said state sends armed goons into selected cities to harass, maul, and even kill without remorse or restraint. Don't get between them and their targets of ethnic cleansing, or you will be punished, up to the point of summary execution in the street (you fuckin' bitch).

Sounds pretty fascist to me. And the playbook was public before the election that threw this regime into power. We knew what they wanted to do. Now they're doing it. Call it what it is and declare your support or opposition. It's that simple.

Why the 2A crowd ain't shooting:

 There are two main reasons that the patriots of the Second Amendment aren't picking off the shock troops that the current regime is sending into selected communities to pound them into submission.

First, they have generally voted reliably Republican, which means accepting if not endorsing all party policies. This includes racism, misogyny, xenophobia, and Christian nationalism. So they sense victory, not a threat. For many of them, ICE is a dream job.

Second, they probably know better. Opening fire on this government would just invite a devastating counter-offensive. It would justify the claims of the regime, that there's an insurrection. It would tilt public sympathy in favor of "law and order" even when that actually represents a further assault on the Bill of Rights. Wars are only entertaining at a distance.

The widespread ownership of guns in this country contributes to the virtual impossibility that the government could actually occupy the country as a whole against its will. If the entire military supported a government crackdown, they could devastate large areas, but would still have to deal with unconventional warfare until the resistance got bored with it. Anything short of full military cooperation leads to a paramilitary force like ICE as the regime's goon squad. They can be brutal and lethal in a limited area, but can't hold it for the long term.

If combat becomes the norm, certain places will turn into battle zones, while others remain physically untouched, albeit economically devastated. All the while, China and Russia will observe, smiling, while running psyops to fan the flames, and funding insurgents to keep them interested.

Stupid Slogan of the Day, 1-14-2026

 Just caught a post on Blue Sky that said, "A reasonable and moderate opposition party will never ever ever ever ever ever permanently defeat and displace an extremist ruling party."

I posted in response, "Thus assuring that we never have reasonable government."

While the opposition party in this moment has to act with strategy, strength, and resolve, the power of any party derives from the voters. Say what you will about the influence of big money, big money exerts its influence by brainwashing little voters in large numbers. By scorning moderation and reason, you lock yourself into an endless cycle of lashing back and forth between extremes. That will never ever ever ever ever make the United States trusted and respected globally. It will weaken our country permanently -- if it hasn't been so weakened already by the fact that voters chose to install the most destructive and unstable executive branch in history in our last election.

The damage of that executive branch is compounded by the anti-democratic Supreme Court majority, and the authoritarian Republican Party in general.

We need to get to reasonable government and work to stay there. Extreme rhetoric and actions from the far ends of the political spectrum serve no one but their insane disciples.

That being said, I acknowledge that the current threat to our very existence calls for powerful action. But don't expect miracles from the minority party. Every citizen needs to engage in the endless process of persuasion to get voters in large numbers to vote for the policies that will get us to a government that takes care of its people instead of its corporations. The power comes from the people and the responsibility rests there to keep pressing. If that's too much trouble, kick back and hope that you get lucky with the next dictator and the one after that and so on. Or commit to generation after generation of bloodshed in extremist confrontations.

Extremism in defense of liberty is a vice, because extremism can't help but curtail liberty. The extremist personality is fundamentally self righteous. That's not a trait you want in power.

Commitment is not extremism. Staunch opposition to the unreasonability of extreme authoritarianism is not counter-extremism. Truly effective government calls for thoughtful, deliberate action. Inclusivity is always more complicated than exclusion. Extremism narrows its view and resorts to coercion. You might claim that extreme actions are just for now, but in the aftermath you discover how many war crimes your own side has committed. You find yourself as a besieged revolutionary government crushing dissent to defend itself.

Extremism is dumb. Theirs is narrow minded and nasty, and ours would be, too.

Is it time to start sleeping in our clothes?

 With Vice President JD Vance threatening that ICE will begin "door to door operations," and the rogue agency clearly targeting anyone even slightly uncooperative with the regime, maybe those of us who are at all vocal in opposition need to start sleeping in our clothes. Especially in colder climates, who wants to be dragged out in their PJs for the humiliating spectacle of being cuffed and stuffed, carted away to a mysterious fate by secret police?

Keep some sturdy slip-on footwear beside the bed to complete your ensemble. And be mindful of how your nightly moisturizing routine might make you look to the cameras.

No one expects the Spanish Inquisition!! Likewise, you may have no hint that the all-seeing eye of the regime has settled upon little old you. Dress for the weather outside, in case you have to face it unexpectedly.

Lots of apocalypticists and general preparedness advocates have kept a "go bag" handy for years. Unless you plan to beat feet through the back door as the agents kick down the front one, don't expect to be able to retain a handy kit of personal possessions after your arrest. You'll probably have a shaved head and an orange jumpsuit within hours. But, for the sake of dignity and protection from the weather, stay suited up at all times, in anticipation of your time in transit to that fate.

Even if they just pop the door and shoot you in the face, you want to look good. On the other hand, in the case of summary execution, sporting the flannel pajamas, mug of cocoa, and fleece blanket will get the point across that maybe you aren't such a terrorist mastermind after all.

Everything in political violence is for emotional effect. That's why we keep our protests scrupulously nonviolent. They call us a threat, we show up in goofy costumes, or cheerfully assure them that we're not mad at them. And they shoot someone in the face. Who looks like a threat now? All of this posturing from the regime on one side and positioning from the opposition on the other is ultimately to persuade the sideline public that they want to support one side or the other. Do you prefer the goofballs in frog suits who want to share a living wage and universal health care, or the masked, armed, angry men who want to shoot you because you don't grovel quickly and thoroughly enough?

The vast majority of us do not have to worry about the goon squad kicking our door in and dragging one or more family members away. But no one has perfect immunity. Just because it probably won't be you does not mean that it never could. Certainly the percentage of people who should be subject to home invasion by law enforcement, after thorough investigation and under a valid warrant, is minuscule. There were already enough mistakes before the current regime decided to make it a regular occurrence. They're being sloppy both in preparation and in accountability afterward, because the people in power don't really care about accuracy. They care about intimidation, about maintaining order by making obedience seem like wisdom and self defense.

ICE is living the American Dream

 Who among us has not secretly fantasized about shooting some smartass in the face for defying our authority? Seriously, what's the point of having guns if you can't use them to enforce your will?

The freedom-loving patriots of the right wing never cared about freedom for everyone, only freedom for themselves to exert force on all of the types of people they deem inferior. If you judge human value solely by the ability to dominate by physical force, they are correct. It's all about the hierarchy. You're either dishing it out or taking it. They have always only wanted the freedom to dish it out with no consequences except at the hands of someone better at dishing it out. Let every dispute be solved by combat or the threat thereof.

How many people who deplored Kristi Noem shooting her puppy for being unruly celebrate her goon shooting a lesbian in the face for being mouthy? You have to realize that a solid percentage of the voting public still thinks that gunning down people they view as deviants is a step in the right direction for this country. It's nowhere near a majority, but it's not a tiny number, either. They feel fully safe from that kind of street justice, because they are the good people, the righteous people, the true Americans. And they don't care who they have to kill to secure their dominance.

There is no shared humanity with people who don't consider you human.

Their American dream may not be your American dream, but it is as American as slavery and genocide. As such, it does not invalidate every other, more welcoming American dream, but it traces its roots back before the Mayflower. Our only power against it is the vote. Outnumber the bastards, and show up every time. We can also educate, and hope to prevail gradually in the contest for hearts and minds, but well short of that we just have to keep working the system on which we base our rights.

All you people who like to yap about revolution and starting over, remember this: you lose everything in the process. Starting from scratch in this modern, interconnected world is a far more dicey prospect than it was in the 18th Century. You don't really want to render the entire country defenseless while you haggle over the perfect constitution you will use to replace the tattered and scribbled-on document from which we currently work. Your whole concept of what rights you should have comes from those 18th Century documents.

Voting seems like a feeble response, but...

 As murderous thugs kill citizens with impunity and the regime lies about it, you might feel that we've gone beyond the humdrum norms of political engagement. But what's at stake are exactly those humdrum norms.

Protest. Yes. Demonstrate. Yes. Absolutely barrage Republican officials with harsh criticism of their cowardice, corruption, and treasonous betrayal of the United States Constitution. Lean on irresolute Democrats to make sure that they know we are behind them in their opposition to the un-American (to say the least) operations of the current lawless regime.

Lawless is the only word for it. The dictatorship currently holding the executive branch with the full support of Republicans in Congress and conservatives on the Supreme Court simply does what it wants. Their behavior reflects the cancerous libertarianism of people like Peter Thiel, who have declared that their freedom to wield power solely based on their money completely outweighs any influence that ordinary  voters should have on how  the country is run, and for whom.

All that patriotic bullshit about 1776 and independence and freedom? They don't believe a word of it. If the popgun patriots try any Second Amendment shenanigans against the regime that they thought were their friends, they will probably find themselves on the receiving end of a drone strike. That goes double hard and double quick for anyone who has been openly opposed to the slide into fascism.

The first, indispensable step in reclaiming our constitutional republic is to vote in overwhelming numbers in the upcoming midterm election, and any special elections before or after. It's a shame about the Republican Party, but they've been digging this hole for themselves since the 1970s, and started using heavy equipment on it in 1980.

I'm all for self interest. That's why I'm all for a government designed around taking care of ordinary citizens as the default. Spend my tax dollars to make life go a little smoother for people who have it rough. Make a charitable outlook the standard. Make society function more smoothly to reduce the burden of private charity to try to treat symptomatically a disease that is caused and intensified by a government that only favors the wealthy.

The system we're trying to preserve and defend provides us as voters with the ultimate check on power. The Constitution itself begins with the words "We the People." Yes, "people" in those days meant white male property owners, and property included both Black people and wives. We've literally fought a war over that and amended the document to clear some of that up. More work is required, but we were moving in the right direction.

It's hard to keep up with the actions of elected officials after they get elected. I get that. Depending on where you live, you may have municipal officials, county officials, state officials, and federal posts to monitor. Maybe a school board, a water commission... it's a lot. We have to trust each other, when the positions attract unscrupulous types who want to take advantage of that trust. 

Time to get back to expanding the inclusiveness of who people are. Time to get back to selecting and maintaining a representative government that responds to more than bribes from corporations. Such a government is assembled through the boring mechanism of voting.