Category: Cold Civil War

Renee Good’s Murder At The Hands Of ICE As The First Shot Of A Second American Civil War / Revolution

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

I don’t know what to tell you with this one. While it definitely seems as though things are coming to a head, every time in the past I started to rant about the possibility of a civil war and or revolution…meh. Nothing.

And I’ve done that a lot over the years. A whole lot.

So, I dunno. It could be that I fear — some sort of shooting war between the Minnesota National Guard and the U.S. Military won’t happen and there will be some sort of uneasy peace that just tapers away into nothing. That’s, at least, what I hope happens.

I have a novel I’m working on. I would prefer not to have to become a domestic political refugee because my politics don’t fit where I live — and they definitely don’t. But I’m a survivor and if that’s what I have to do to survive, that’s what I’ll do. I guess.

Anyway, while I do feel the country is a little…unstable…I’m not prepared to give up hope just yet. And, yet, it would make a lot of sense if things got out of hand and we had a fighting war in the middle of the country between the US Military and a state right about now.

This does bring up the question of if there is literally anything Trump could possibly do to be impeach and convicted at this point. I mean, starting a civil war or instigating a revolution is…bad, right? To someone?

But we live in surreal times. So, lulz.

Combating America’s Caligula

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

Trump — probably at the behest of Putin — seems hell bent on burning the Western world to the ground over his dumb desire to own Greenland of all things. I think this might, just might, be the thing that really causes Europe to unite in opposition to the US.

It will be surreal and maybe mean the end of NATO as we know it, but I do think Europe is going constructively fight back against America’s Caligula in some meaningful way.

Or, put another way, something big is going to happen where it finally becomes clear that Trump has bitten off more than he can chew. I’m not saying he is going to lose any support from the MAGA base….but the context will potentially be different.

Anyway, we’re still fucking doomed. Trump could name a horse Sec. of State and he would probably be confirmed by the Senate, the way things are going.

It Feels Like Something REALLY Big Is Going To Happen Soon

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

Maybe it’s just a byproduct of the country being on edge at the moment, but it feels like something BIG is going to happen soon. Something really, really big that changes everything.

For instance, the Minnesota National Guard has been called up by its governor. I could see something happening whereby the National Guard and ICE have a shoot out or something. Then Trump uses that as a pretext to arrest the governor.

Anyway, I have no idea what it’s going to be. And maybe it will ultimately be nothing. But…I’m a little nervous.

America On Edge 2026

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

It definitely feels like the USA is…on edge at the moment. It’s as if we’re all waiting for the other shoe to drop, for something even BIGGER to happen.

I don’t know what that might be, but there is such turmoil in the American political system that it could just about anything. Whatever it is, it might be pretty big.

I could see Trump literally trying to arrest a governor — of Minnesota? — just out of his surreal, bonkers spite. I could see the some pretty surreal things happen before the year is over, especially because of the 2026 midterms.

But hopefully, none of that will happen. Hopefully, we’ll just muddle through like we always do and the Main Event will be sometime in the 2028-2029 timeframe when ASI and civil war / revolution happen at just about the same time.

Sigh.

Not Great, Dan

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

I usually am in agreement with the Pod Save America pod bros. In fact, in the past, if you wanted to know my general political views, you could just listen to PSA to get a sense of what I believe.

But today, I was listening to PSA and…oh boy. Dan Pfeiffer went into a long, extended rant about how we should not use the “Abolish ICE” slogan going into the 2026 and 2028 midterms.

This reminds me of the comment in William Safire’s book “Freedom” about the events leading up to the Emancipation Proclamation where someone turns to another person at a party, “We are all Abolitionists now.”

In fact, I would keep an eye on the political rhetoric of the PSA pod bros. When they grow radicalized enough that they embrace the radicalized nature of “Abolish ICE” rather than be so fucking milquetoast. We need to have a backbone politically.

And, yet, things are going to have to get a lot, lot worse before PSA will get with the program and embrace rather than poo-poo the idea of “Abolish ICE.”

Help Us Stephen Colbert, You’re Our Only Hope

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

There are two people who definitely should say fuck it and run for office: Stephen Colbert and Jon Favreau. I keep expecting Pod Save America’s Favreau to run for governor of California, but, to date, not even a hint that he will.

The thing about Colbert, meanwhile, is he’s in the political sweetspot. It’s like he was designed in a lab to be the perfect Blue response to MAGA’s Trump. But there are two major problems.

One, is, Colbert just won’t do it. Probably because of his wife, if nothing else. He would actually see governing as something to be taken seriously and, as such, he would bow out because he’s not willing to do it as a comedic guy.

Two, a lot of Blues would be opposed to Colbert because they would roll their eyes and say we learned our lesson with Trump — celebrities don’t make for good politicians.

As such, I just don’t see how in the world we could get Colbert to run for *anything*, much less POTUS. The only way I could maybe, just maybe see him doing it is if something happened to him personally because of Trump — or if maybe the Pope told him to.

Blues Are Radicalizing…Just A Tiny Bit

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

Blues, because of the surreal nature of modern American politics, are the keepers of the establishment. And, as such, it’s kind of difficult for them to get too radicalized. But we need “radical moderates” right now and it will be interesting to see if Blues start to get angry.

For my own part, I’ve not grown more radical, but I have begun to psyche myself up for the possibility of getting the shit beat out of me by ICE for just being at the wrong place at the wrong time.

I’m a man of peace, a man of ideas — I hate violence and guns — but I do have principles and as such, if I’m not doing anything wrong and ICE comes after me I’m going to stand my ground. I’d rather die on my feet a free man than live my life on my knees a slave, as the old saying goes.

But one thing I will acknowledge is the country is kind of on edge right now. And if there are more murders on the part of ICE…I don’t know what to tell you. Some unexpected and surreal things might happen.

It could be that Trump gets his way and there’s enough of an uprising in Blue states because of ICE thuggery that he declares not just the use of the Insurrection Act but actual martial law.

And then because he’s nuts, he may attempt — attempt — to cancel the 2026 midterms. Now THAT would be interesting.

A Greater Than Zero Chance Of A Civil War / Revolution In The USA By The End Of 2026…Exists…Maybe

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

We seem to be careening towards a dark and unknown shore. Trump grows more and more bonkers, seemingly by the moment. And, so, it definitely seems at least possible that — probably because of the 2026 elections — the USA has some sort of severe political disruption up to and including civil war / revolution.

Now, I have been talking such “hysterical doom shit” for years and years now and nothing has happened — in large part because Republicans have gotten what they wanted and so they have had no need to rebel (for the most part)

So, as such, if there is any sort of civil war / revolution, it will be because Blues have had enough and there’s a major uprising. I still have my doubts that such a thing will happen, but…I have to admit that I’m growing a little uneasy.

Trump keeps poking the bear, as it were, and there may come a point when Blues have had enough and they finally fight back. How exactly that “fighting back” might show itself is any’s one’s guess.

It will be interesting to see how things progress, going forward.

Not Even Lincoln During The American Civil War Canceled Elections

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

There is a lot of talk on the Left on Twitter about Trump potentially “cancelling” the 2026 midterms. I just don’t see that happening. I could totally see him fucking with the elections so they’re not free and fair — but canceling? Nah.

But I do believe that if Trump fucked with the elections in some big way that that, in itself, would cause a revolution / civil war. I think it’s possible that Trump might declare martial law in some Blue states and — gulp — even maybe start arresting political leaders in those states as well.

And THAT would DEFINITELY start a civil war / revolution.

And remember, it will be the Blues who start any civil war / revolution. Reds have no need to because they’re politically ascendent and all they have to do is be patient and let fascism fully take hold.

Well, That Went Over People’s Heads

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

I wrote on Facebook’s social media service Threads:

“I swear to God I’m going to film ICE if they come into my neighborhood.”

Now, I thought this was not only rather benign, but I also thought it was obvious what the point of the statement was — just doing that obviously entails some risk.

But, not, this being a social media platform in 2026, I had the extremes of both sides essentially telling me to drop dead. This reminds me of the old Usenet quip about “Go ye not to Usenet for advice, because you will only get, yes, not and try another newsgroup.”

Anyway, I guess I learned my lesson, huh. It definitely seemed like my dumb comment was about to go viral until I deleted it. (Which, of course, is why I deleted it.)

But the point remains — I really will put myself in harms way if ICE comes into my neighborhood. They keep getting closer and closer to my little hamlet and I could just see them start to knock on doors under the right conditions.

Ugh.