Category: The Resistance

‘Minnesota’ — Lyrics to a Pop-Rock Protest Song Written by Grok

Minnesota
(In the style of “Ohio” by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young – slow, haunting folk-rock protest anthem, with a repetitive, mournful chorus)

Tin soldiers and ICE come marchin’ in
Federal badges, fear in their grin
A mother of three, just tryin’ to see
What they were doin’ to her neighbors, to me

Minnesota
How many more?
Minnesota
Blood on the snow
Minnesota
She was pure sunshine
Now she’s gone

Whistles in the cold, they had the guns
Stopped perpendicular, no place to run
One mile from Floyd, the ghosts still cry
Same city, same rage, same why-oh-why

She wrote her poems, she sang her songs
Loved her wife, raised her kids strong
Compassion in her veins, kindness in her name
They called it “terrorism,” called her to blame

Minnesota
How many more?
Minnesota
Blood on the snow
Minnesota
She was pure sunshine
Now she’s gone

(Bridge – spoken/sung low, building)
They say she tried to run ’em down
But the video tells a different sound
Wheels turnin’ away, not toward the fight
Three shots rang out in the winter light

A legal observer, a neighbor, a friend
Wife in the passenger seat, watchin’ it end
“Get the fuck out,” the mayor cried
While the governor called for peace on the other side

Minnesota
How many more?
Minnesota
Blood on the snow
Minnesota
She was pure sunshine
Now she’s gone

Tin soldiers and ICE come marchin’ in
But the people keep risin’, again and again
For Renee, for George, for the ones we lose
We’ll sing till the fear has no more excuse

Minnesota
(How many more?)
Minnesota
(Blood on the snow)
Minnesota
She was pure sunshine
Now she’s gone…
Now she’s gone.

(Fade on soft, echoing harmonies: “How many more… how many more…”)

As A Principled, Loudmouth Crank, I Have To Accept The Possibility That ICE Is Going One Day Murder Me In Cold Fucking Blood

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

Not that I think it’s going to happen anytime soon, but I do feel like it’s potentially inevitable that ICE is going to murder me in cold blood at some point. Either because I’m just at the wrong place at the wrong time — like Renee Good — or because of mission creep them turning into America’s SS.

I like to think of myself as something of a survivor, though.

So, I guess this is post is me just psyching myself up to game out what the fuck I’m going to do. But I do know that my gut tells me if ICE came into my neighborhood I would definitely, if nothing else, film them with my smartphone.

Bastards.

And, as such, I would be putting myself in a position where a fascist ICE thug might murder me for just doing something as simple as that.

Of course, the darker option is ICE turns into the American SS and they murder me for, well, being a loudmouth crank. Just for writing my thoughts out on this blog. I’ve already started to imagine what it will be like if ICE agents came knocking on my door and dragged me away into the night for calling them fucking cocksuckers online.

We live in interesting times.

America Needs A General Strike — Too Bad It’s Just Not Going To Happen Anytime Soon

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

It’s said you can bring down any government with just 5% of the population participating in a revolt. And, all things considered, the USA definitely needs a General Strike right about now.

But, alas, it’s just not going to happen.

Because of our K-shaped economy, the Powers That Be would just fire anyone who participated in a General Strike (at least in Right to Work States) and go about their merry business. The only thing I can possibly see that might provoke the type of macro freak out necessary for a General Strike would be if the AI Bubble popped in a really big way.

And, of course, more people being shot in the face by ICE for being at the wrong place at the wrong time.

But, for now, I think it’s safe to say Trump and fucking fascist MAGA have the upper hand and will continue to have it for the foreseeable future. Maybe if Trump really brazenly fucks with the 2026 and or 2028 elections…THEN, MAYBE we might see the average American getting all Bulls On Parade, but for now, it’s all a lulz.

Life In Fascist America, 2026

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

The thing about America right now is it’s in something of a luminal space, politically. It’s more an anocracy than an autocracy. We still have some basic rights that the regime doesn’t feel it can attack…but there is definitely a creeping sense of autocracy.

The interesting thing about the American variant of fascism in 2026 is how it’s a movement of decline and retraction, rather than expansion. It’s not like Trump, for all his “I must own Greenland” wants to take over the world.

The key thing to remember is Trump is not a traditional “Great Man.” It’s not like he’s bending history to his will. He is a symptom, not a cause of what the fuck is wrong with the United States at the moment. He’s very much a transitional figure.

I still contend that the whole point of Trump as a public figure is to destroy the existing American Constitutional order to the point that we have to convene a new Constitutional Convention to give people renewed faith and confidence in having a constitution at all.

The old system is failing and a new system is, in fits and starts, being born. In a sense, you could say what we’re witnessing is either the true demise of American democracy or the breached birth of the Third American Republic.

Just don’t know how things are going to work out.

My Take On Events In Minnesota

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

Here’s what I think is happening after the tragic murder of Renee Good at the hands of a ICE thug in Minnesota. Trump really wanted to get ahead of things, so the moment he learned what happened, he put out the word as to what the orthodoxy on the subject would be.

The rest took care of itself.

Trump wants to divide us so he can run roughshod over civil society and he’s doing a great job at the moment of just that. So much so, that I’m beginning to doubt that anyone will do anything of note if Trump really fucks with the 2026 midterms.

Sure, people like me will get upset, but, in general the average person, especially “Good Americans” will just bothsides everything or do whataboutism and Trump will effectively cement us as a zomibe democracy — a managed democracy like they have in Hungary.

As such, I don’t see us having a civil war or revolution this year. We’re just going to slide further and further into autocracy. To the point that when Trump runs for an illegal third term in 2028 it will be a lulz for most people, but not me.

Second American Civil War (or Revolution), 2026?

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

I have pontificated so much on the possibility of a civil war or revolution to the point that it’s kind of silly for me to talk about it. But, let’s do it anyway.

I just don’t think there will be a civil war in the United States in 2026. Americans are not French and, as such, they are very, very docile. It takes a lot — A LOT — to rile them up.

The only possible way I could maybe, just maybe see a civil war (or revolution) in the USA this year is if Trump actively fucked with the 2026 midterms to the point that he invoked the Insurrection Act or even declared martial law. If he declared martial law and tried to actually cancel the 2026 midterms, then, yes, we will have a civil war in the second half of this year.

But, otherwise, I just don’t see it.

Now, while we’re on the subject, I do think that if Trump ran for an illegal third term in 2028, then, yeah, that would cause a civil war or revolution. Big time. But, at the same time, I think Trump’s personal historical reason to exist on a macro basis is to destroy the existing Constitutional order to the point that we may have to convene a Constitutional Convention to fix things once he finally, finally leaves the stage.

But all of that is very, very speculative.

I will note that I have long thought that if there’s a civil war, it will because Blues have had enough, not because of Reds — why would Reds want a civil war, they’re politically ascendant.

Anyway, I can’t predict the future.

I Just Don’t Think We’re Ever Having Free-And-Fair Elections Again In My Lifetime

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

Trump is not governing like he ever expects Republicans to ever be out of office again. And, as such, I think this is it. The USA as we’ve known it for 250 years is over. The end, no more.

For the rest of my life, the USA will become poorer and more introverted while the wealthy grow richer and richer. I will also note that I think Trump’s historical purpose is to destroy the Constitutional system to the point that we are forced to hold a Constitutional Convention — at some point — to fix things.

Just imagine of Trump ran for an illegal third term and some (Red) states put him on the ballet, while some (Blue) states did not. If that’s not a recipe for a revolution and or civil war, I don’t know what is.

But, then, I think, Trump and MAGA would finally get what they wanted — the total destruction of what’s left of liberal democracy in America.

The Recent Murder Of A Woman In Minnesota By An ICE Agent has Enraged Me, But…Lulz?

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

I’m kind of the black sheep politically of my family and while I’m enraged by the murder at the hands of an ICE agent of a hapless woman in Minnesota, relative to my conservative (and gracious) relatives…it’s all a lulz.

So, in a sense, I can only get so upsest.

It does, however, make me wonder what Trump could possibly do that would be “bad” in their opinion. What could Trump do that would at least give them pause for thought. As it stands, I can’t think of anything.

Maybe if he started eating people? Having sex with dead people? Marrying Ivanka? Those seem to be the three things left for him to do that maybe, just maybe, might give MAGA people a reason to be a little less supportive.

But, as it stands, it definitely seems as though Trump is a god-emperor in all but name for about 37% of the electorate. He can break the law with impunity, he can do anything, say anything and the base because they hate trans people will support Trump no matter what.

It’s all very surreal.

Luminal Political Spaces: Anocracy In America

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

America is definitely neither totally fascist nor totally free. Living in such a luminal political space is call an “anocracy.” With the shooting of a hapless driver by ICE today it’s possible Trump may get his chance to invoke the Insurrection Act.

For people like Trump, the Insurrection Act has taken on mythical proportions. They see it as a cure-all to all their woke cancel culture mob problems. Ugh. Anyway, I have long said the only way we get out of this situation is a general strike.

But, alas, not even fucking ICE murdering people in cold blood is going to get us to that point. I think we’re totally and completely fucked.

I think there won’t be free-and-fair elections and this is it. We’re just going to be Trumplandia for the rest of my life. We will get poorer and more fascist as things progress.

It was great living in a free America while it lasted, I guess.

This Greenland Thing Is So Dumb

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

We live in a very, very dumb age. We have a Mad Emperor doing crazy shit here in America and we seem powerless to do anything about it.

The chief example of this is Trump’s fascination with owning Greenland of all things. It’s very, very dumb for lots of reasons because we can get everything we want from Greenland without going through the trouble of upending the entire global order.

And, yet, here we are.

It definitely seems as though Trump is going to destroy NATO in his quest to own Greenland. I suppose that was always the ultimate end goal of Trump’s foreign policy — to destroy NATO.

It’s times like these when I think Trump has got to be a Russian agent, or, at least, a Russian stooge of some sort.