Category: The Resistance

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.

‘Salt on the Road’ — Lyrics To An Anti-ICE Protest Song Written By ChatGPT

Salt on the Road

Verse 1
Red dawn patrols on Portland Ave, stones on the pavement crack
Steel boots, badges blinkin’ lies, the narrative they pack
They said she weaponized her ride — but the tape don’t show
Three shots ring through the windshield — in the cold Minnesota snow
Salt on the road, blood on the asphalt, truth gets runnin’ thin
The chorus in the gutter cries like the mothers that she left within

Pre-Chorus
Say her name in the streets, carved on picket signs
Every step shakes the silence, every voice undermines

Chorus
Salt on the road! Hear the wheels turn over bones!
Salt on the road! We won’t let their lies condone!
Salt on the road! Every heartbeat’s in protest code!
Salt on the road — for Renee, for justice owed!

Verse 2
Federal surge in the cities, armored fear in every lane
They call it defense, but the echoes scream her name
A mother, partner, citizen — gone before the sun
And the men in charge rewrite the fight before it’s even begun
Salt on the road where the crowd chants out the truth
Minnesota rise, resistance won’t be subdued

Pre-Chorus
Hands in the air, and the whole square roars
We won’t forget the woman that they shot on Main Street floors

Chorus
Salt on the road! Hear the wheels turn over bones!
Salt on the road! We won’t let their lies condone!
Salt on the road! Every heartbeat’s in protest code!
Salt on the road — for Renee, for justice owed!

Bridge
They try to bury truth with propaganda streams
But every open wound ignites a million screams
From Minneapolis squares to every state line bend
Salt on the road — our fury won’t relent!

Final Chorus
Salt on the road! Hear the wheels turn over bones!
Salt on the road! We reclaim what they stole!
Salt on the road! We ignite with every shout!
Salt on the road — till justice shakes the ground!

Martial Law In The USA Because Of The 2026 Midterms Seems Like A Real Possiblity

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

The only reason why I bring up the possibility of martial law because of the 2026 midterms is Trump keeps pushing the Overton Window farther and father down the road — moving the goal posts.

So, now, he’s talking about using the Insurrection Act in Minnesota, but by the time the 2026 midterms roll around, it could be he will want to invoke martial law so he can “cancel” the elections or something just as devious.

If he does that, then, of course, all bets are off.

We could have a massive popular uprising in the USA not seen since the American Civil War. Or something. Something really bad WILL happen if Trump fucks with the 2026 midterms.

All the conditions for Trump to do something untoward around the 2026 midterms are there. Trump doesn’t want to get impeached again and if it looked like there might be a “Blue Wave” that could take even the Senate to the point that Trump might be convicted if impeached, then, yeah, I could see Trump “canceling” elections.

Sick, Sad World: We Can’t Even Agree On Facts Anymore

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

Our political system has gotten so tightly wound that we can’t even agree on basic facts. Now, obviously, this is not new — we all saw what happened on January 6th, 2021 and yet, well, you know.

The latest incident is, of course, the cold blooded murder of Renee Good in Minnesota by a thug ICE agent. We all saw the same thing, and, yet, the MAGA interpretation of what happend — because of fucking Trump — is totally deranged relative to what I saw.

This is yet another example of something that if you told me we were going to have a civil war and or revolution soon in the USA, then, yeah, I would say that it was obvious it was going to happen in hindsight.

You just can’t have a functioning polity if the two sides are so divided that they can’t agree on what the fuck reality is. I still think that if there’s a civil war or revolution, it will be not from the Right, but from the Left. The Left will finally, finally get radicalized enough to the point that it finally does something about all the bullshit that the MAGA Right has been up to.

But the center-Left is such a bunch of wussies and there is so much slack in the system — at least in center-Left echo chamber — that….I think ultimately we become a fascist state and that it is that.