Seattle has peaceful protests seven days a week, for months now. It’s a good time and good citizenship, but it’s never going to convince Trump & the Republicans to change their cruel and illegal habits and policies. As Stokely Carmichael observed, “In order for non-violence to work, your opponent must have a conscience.” Our opponents don’t, so peaceful protest will accomplish nothing.
That’s not a call for violence, nor an endorsement. It’s only a prediction.
Trump & the Republicans want violence, want it more than anyone on the left wants it. They’ll keep pushing — with violence against immigrants, violence against protesters, illegal and unconstitutional acts by the regime daily — until, in frustration and in response, someone blows up a building or shoots some cops. That’ll be the excuse Trump & the Republicans are looking for. Martial law will follow, and all America will be Kent State University, 1970.
Putting the above into words seems … trite. I’ve said nothing above except what’s obvious, and Trump & the Republicans are not exactly keeping their plans quiet. But I don’t think I’d ever said it plainly until today, and it ought to be said, just on the unlikely chance there’s still history when this is over.
AND NOW THE NEWS
plus memes and
my brilliant opinions
#532
JULY 3, 2025
a twice-weekly news & meme round-up,
usually on Sundays and Wednesdays
Pardoned Jan. 6 rioter who threatened police joins Justice Dept as Trump’s retribution advisor
Trump and Noem pledge to prosecute CNN for reporting: ‘We’re gonna actually go after them!’
Excerpt: Noem replied first, “Yeah, we’re working with the Department of Justice to see if we can prosecute them for that. Because what they’re doing is actively encouraging people to avoid law enforcement activities, operations, and we’re going to actually go after them and prosecute with the partnership of Pam [Bondi] if we can, because what they are doing we believe is illegal.”
Trump jumped in, “And they may very well be prosecuted also for having given false reports on the attack in Iran. They were given totally false reports. It was totally obliterated.“
ONLY THE RICH HAVE RIGHTS
“Big, beautiful bill” cuts to Medicaid could be devastating for nursing home residents
Trump administration illegally freezes billions in funding for after-school and summer programs
Trump & the Republicans’ budget bill will give top 1% over $1-trillion in tax breaks
TO HELL WITH HEALTH AND SCIENCE
Republican tax bill would strip insurance from 11.8-million people
While everyone’s watching Medicaid, the ACA is about to unravel — quietly and catastrophically
Major reports about how climate change affects the US are removed from websites
50-year study of women’s health is shit-canned by Trump regime
Scientists warn US will lose a generation of talent because of Trump cuts
Far be it from me to second guess scientists, but beating the hell out of American science have repercussions far, far beyond just one generation.
GIVE US YOUR TIRED, YOUR POOR, YOUR HUDDLED MASSES YEARNING TO BREATHE FREE, SO WE CAN IMPRISON THEM
Immigration raids leave crops unharvested, California farms at risk
Kilmar Abrego Garcia describes ‘severe beatings’ and ‘psychological torture’ in Salvadoran prison
Cuban man who lived in the US for 60 years dies in Miami ICE prison
Alligator Alcatraz opens in Florida Everglades
FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF DYSTOPIA
In an email direct from SSA.gov, the Social Security Administration, I’ve today received a spam titled “Social Security Applauds Passage of Legislation Providing Historic Tax Relief for Seniors.” It praises Congress for passing “the One Big, Beautiful Bill,” followed by a series of lies about the law’s impact, before ending with a wink and a nudge, claiming “Social Security remains committed to providing timely, accurate information to the public.”
In very small print at the bottom, it says, “This email was sent by the Social Security Administration, and was produced and disseminated at U.S. taxpayer expense.” There’s an ‘unsubscribe’ link, which, if clicked, would probably end my checks from Social Security.
Idaho Attorney general: ‘Everyone is Welcome Here’ sign is illegal, cannot be displayed in schools
Paramount pays Trump $16M to grease wheels for merger — some dare call it bribery
EPA suspends 144 employees after they signed a letter criticizing Trump
Excerpt: “The Environmental Protection Agency has a zero-tolerance policy for career bureaucrats unlawfully undermining, sabotaging and undercutting the administration’s agenda as voted for by the great people of this country last November,” the EPA press secretary, Brigit Hirsch, wrote in an email.
Debunking the first flood of BS about Zohran Mamdani
HORRID, HORRID PEOPLE
J.D. Vance dismisses kicking millions off Medicaid: ‘Minutiae”
Kristi Noem secretly took a cut of political donations
Trump falsely questions Zohran Mamdani’s citizenship, threatens to arrest him over ICE operations
EYE ON AI
Maine: Cops post AI slop image of “drug bust,” then lie and say it’s real when they’re called out
Washington Post goes AI to clean up amateur right-wing op-eds
American police are out of control
Ignoring the climate emergency
The Lord works in mysterious ways
And that’s the way it is,
and nothing will
meaningfully improve
until billionaires fear for their lives
7/3/2025
Logo illustration by Jeff Meyer. Tip ‘o the hat to the Anderson Valley Advertiser, Bleepity-Bleep, Lorem Ipsum Dolor, Mitchipedia, Sloth Unleashed, Toad’s Lily Pad, Voenix Rising, Weantuniverse, and anywhere else I’ve stolen links, illustrations, or inspiration.
Special thanks to Linden Arden, Becky Jo, Joey Jo Jo emeritus, Jeff Meyer, John the Basket, Dave S, Name Withheld, and always extra special thanks to my lovely late Stephanie, who gave me 21 years and proved that the world isn’t always shitty.
Leave a Reply