Trump revives old tropes as he pushes warnings of ‘communist menace’

President harks back to red scare of his childhood to attack US left – but will such language resonate beyond Maga base?…

If They Ever Ran Out of Fear | Powerful Folk Protest Song About Fear, Hope and democracy

One Republican campaign speech after another promises a new crisis, a new enemy, and another reason to be afraid—but what if the fear finally ran out? “If They Ever Ran Out of Fear” is an original contemporary folk protest song that argues today's Republican Party has made fear its most powerful political strategy, replacing hopeful ideas and meaningful solutions with an endless cycle of manufactured threats, scapegoats, and culture-war distractions. Through evocative storytelling, rich vocal harmonies, and an uplifting Americana-inspired sound, the song asks a simple but devastating question: if fear no longer worked, what would they be running on? Created for those who oppose Donald Trump, reject authoritarian politics, and believe America deserves leaders who solve problems instead of exploiting anxiety, “If They Ever Ran Out of Fear” is ultimately a reminder that hope, truth, and democracy become stronger the moment we look beyond the lies—and refuse to let fear decide our future.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwtcbQ58OiQ

 

What ICE Didn’t Say About Its Latest Killing – Mother Jones

The agency is no longer even claiming its officers feared for their lives...

 https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/07/ice-killing-statement-duran-guerrero-salgado-dhs-pretti-good/

Six-hour polygraphs, forced reassignments: inside homeland security’s campaign of fear

The ruthless gutting and reforming of the Department of Homeland Security has traumatized both workers and the most vulnerable immigrants…

 https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2026/jul/11/inside-homeland-security-campaign-of-fear

 

Original Sin and Salvation are a Scam (Jon Cohen - Unconvinced live stream on YouTube)

If humanity is supposedly born broken because two people ate fruit thousands of years ago… and the only escape is accepting the cure offered by the same system that condemned you in the first place…
then maybe we should ask an uncomfortable question:

What if the whole thing functions like a scam?
We’ll be looking at: 

• The logic of original sin 

• Why inherited guilt makes no moral sense 

• Why “salvation” only works after convincing you you’re doomed 

• Fear, shame and obedience in religious systems 

• Whether a loving god would design reality this way at all

Interview: 

https://www.youtube.com/live/T1UJZCxFyos?si=LO4S9dyrYmamP7fL

What Draws People to Christian Nationalism? An Interview with Jeremie Beller (Warren Throckmorton; The Christian Past That Wasn’t: Formerly Telling Jefferson Lies podcast)

"In my book The Christian Past That Wasn't (Broadleaf Books), I spend two chapters on the factors that make Christian nationalism attractive. 

In this segment, I interview Dean of Oklahoma Christian University's College of Bible, Jeremie Beller on the subject of terror management. 

This theory provides a powerful, research-based account of what makes nationalism attractive to people. 

Jeremie's theological expertise provides a novel perspective on the application of terror management to Christian nationalism. I go into this topic in depth in chapter one of the new book. 

Chapter two discusses the role of deception by Christian organizations and how ingroup bias keeps people loyal to the overall group goals despite the deception. To order the book go to www.christianpast.com."

Interview: 

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/what-draws-people-to-christian-nationalism-an/id1720424853?i=1000767436590

Trump Says He Made Memphis Safer. Locals Told Me It Felt Like 1930s Germany or North Korea. – Mother Jones

Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris, a Democrat who opposed the task force, speculated that crime—which had been a problem—was dropping at least in part because people weren't venturing out nearly as much. "Our risk is that [America is] gonna become a Yemen or a North Korea or something else altogether, where there is an armed individual with a semiautomatic weapon and military fatigues on many corners," he told me. "There may be zero crime, but we also won't be leaving our houses. I know that's a dark scenario, but that's kind of where we are."…

https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/03/trump-memphis-safe-task-force-local-residents-repressive-police-state/

 

Head of US Catholic bishops says deportations are causing 'fear and uncertainty' - POLITICO

"This is kind of a fundamental principle in Catholic social teaching regarding immigration and migrations: People have a right to remain in their homeland, but they also ought to be allowed to migrate when conditions in their homeland are unsafe and necessitate moving to a place where they can find peace and security," he said in an interview on CBS' "Face the Nation" with host Margaret Brennan...

https://www.politico.com/news/2025/12/21/catholic-archbishop-deportations-fear-uncertainty-00702353 

 

Myths of Violence: How Guns Became Sacred in America (Bradley Onishi and Daniel Miller; Straight White American Jesus podcast)

Brad sits down with Dr. Rachel Wagner, Professor of Religious Studies at Ithaca College and author of Cowboy Apocalypse, for a sobering and necessary conversation about why guns hold such powerful meaning in American life. Prompted by recent mass shootings, the episode explores how firearms have become more than tools or political symbols and instead function as sacred objects tied to religion, masculinity, and apocalyptic imagination. Dr. Wagner introduces the idea of the “cowboy apocalypse,” a myth rooted in frontier nostalgia, the fantasy of the lone hero, and the belief that violence can restore order in a chaotic world. Together, Brad and Rachel unpack how this story continues to shape American responses to fear, danger, and social change.

The discussion traces how Christian theology, end times thinking, and cultural certainty have fused with gun culture, turning weapons into symbols of protection, identity, and belonging for some, while representing terror and exclusion for others. Brad and Rachel examine the evolution of the NRA from a gun safety organization into a political and quasi religious force, the role of masculinity and whiteness in defining who is seen as a “good guy with a gun,” and how moments like January 6 reflect a kind of live action role play driven by these myths. The episode closes with a powerful reflection on democracy itself, emphasizing that dialogue, complexity, and empathy are incompatible with the certainty promised by violence. It is a challenging conversation that invites listeners to confront the stories Americans tell about guns and what those stories cost us.
Interview: 

https://www.podbean.com/ew/dir-555aw-298d22fb

'The calls are coming from deep inside the MAGA house'

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/narvNYwrTqg

 

FBI under Kash Patel has become ‘internally paralyzed by fear’, new report reveals

They accuse Patel of lacking the experience to lead the FBI and that managers will not take initiative without explicit direction for fear of being fired. Patel's first six months have produced a "troubling picture" of an organization described by insiders as a "rudderless ship", with two sources independently characterizing the director as being "in over his head". One stated he "lacks the requisite knowledge or deep understanding of all the FBI's unique and complex investigative and intelligence programs".

 One key accusation is that the FBI has become "internally paralyzed by fear". Managers are "afraid of losing their jobs", and "waiting on directions from the FBI director" rather than taking initiative, according to multiple sources...

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/01/fbi-kash-patel-leaked-report

 

Antifa is the Boogeyman of the Right - Mehdi

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/-sVgFLWYPZs

 

The sudden Republican fixation on ‘Sharia law’ is getting increasingly weird

The fact that this anti-Sharia nonsense is apparently back suggests that the GOP's existing list of boogeymen isn't delivering the kind of results the party wants to see, so at least some Republicans are turning back the clock, pointing anew to an old threat that still does not exist...

https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/sudden-republican-fixation-sharia-law-getting-increasingly-weird-rcna237580 

 

The #billionaires are squirming #peterthiel #wealth #inequality

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/aURIsBPwFzs

Let’s talk about the role of #hope when addressing the scariest question...

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/5gObZkb4Oyg

 

Don’t Be Afraid!

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/G9bBVzIMTNA

National Guard documents show public ‘fear,’ troops’ ‘shame’ over D.C. presence - The Washington Post

In another update, the Guard indicates troops "continue efforts to restore and beautify public spaces across the District" and have "cleared 906 bags of trash, spread 744 cubic yards of mulch, removed five truckloads of plant waste, cleared 3.2 miles of roadway, and painted 270 feet of fencing." 

 Those statistics may be among the most consequential takeaways of Trump's use of the military in D.C., Dempsey said, and should prompt scrutiny of whether this mission was ever necessary in the first place. 

"That is such a suboptimal use of military training that we should all be asking, 'Why are they here?'" Dempsey said. "If they're picking up trash, they're not here for a security emergency. There's no clearer metric than that."…

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2025/09/10/national-guard-trump-dc/

This is why the right is systematically attacking your sense of security and empathy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxq_dkdEZ9w

 

Born American: I'm Glad You Don't Have to Worry about ICE - YouTube

Seth Andrews is glad that many don't live their lives in fear, but he also has thoughts about being the lucky children of the "First World" and how American Christians might treat a modern-day immigrant Jesus.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NWA90fOHbs

This is why #maga people are so afraid of everything. #trump #leftist #p...

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/ZsXBxYwvNmU