(‘Spider Of The Evening‘ by Salvador Dali, and found here).
Lately, some bit of news reflection strikes me between the eyes and creates a desire to pass on some words signifying/explaining our current political/social/cultural content. This Friday afternoon it’s Josh Marshall’s conclusion to his daily newsletter at TPM (paywall) about ICE-produced, real-time terror/horror activity and the backlash from the general public.
Marshall finishes the post with a right-on point:
The mission of cleansing violence is something the MAGA base loves. It’s a kinetic performance of the heart points of the MAGA movement: aggressive and violent retribution against domestic enemies — the whiny women, the lesbians and the gays, the international riffraff polluting the nation’s blood, the armies of complainers the elites call “protesters.” They can’t really cut that loose because that’s the core of their movement; it’s what drives their most devoted and motivated followers. But to a majority of the population this spectacle is surprising and upsetting, and increasingly frightening. It’s a reminder that “good politics” isn’t always a simple thing. Sometimes you have to do necessary politics (sticking with your core supporters) before you can get to good politics. And hyper-aggressive people often think they can manifest the political reality they want into being even when they can’t. It’s a sign that this vision of national cleansing through violence remains very much the wish of a minority of the population, really probably a pretty small minority. And if you think adamantly defending the unloading of a firearm into a harmless woman might not play well with most people … it really may be that simple: people don’t like it.
Indeed, a shitload of people don’t like it.
And even from decent-minded government work:
ICE has kidnapped so many people from their cars that the city had to put out this statement. Let that sink in.
What …? Wait …
Plus, already failed in court:
BREAKING: Judge enters TRO blocking feds from interfering with or arresting peaceful protesters in Minnesota. Judge Kate Menendez, Biden appointee. Order: www.documentcloud.org/documents/26…
— Josh Gerstein (@joshgerstein.bsky.social) 2026-01-17T01:02:19.997Z
ICE-induced chaotic-cruel, or not, yet here we are once again …
(Illustration out front is of a New York state high-school student exhibit: ‘The piece was displayed during student-driven art show at Shenendehowa High School. It consisted of at least 12 identical black-and-white pictures of Donald Trump. There was also a sign above the pictures that read, “Draw on Me.” Using markers from the art classroom, Isome students opted to scribble critical messages and profanities on the pictures‘ — and found here.)