When dissent becomes an “indicator,” the First Amendment stops being a right and starts being a risk… Back in September, most Americans (and the media) thought it was so over-the-top that it had to be a joke. Turns out, it wasn’t a joke and isn’t remotely funny. In a bizarre directive that could have been written by the staff of The Onion or Putin’s secret police, National Security Presidential Memorandum-7 (NSPM-7), Donald Trump ordered the FBI, DOJ, and over 200 federal Joint Terrorism Task Forces (coordinating FBI with local police forces across the country) to seek out and investigate any person or group who meet it’s “indica” (indicators) of potential domestic terrorism. They include, as Ken Klippenstein first reported: “[A]nti-Americanism, anti-capitalism, anti-Christianity, … extremism on migration, extremism on race, extremism on gender, hostility towards those who hold traditional American views on family, hostility towards those who hold traditional American views on religion, and hostility towards those who hold traditional American views on morality.” — Have you ever spoken ill of our country or its policies, particularly under Trump?

"I hope we shall crush in its birth the aristocracy of our moneyed . . . corporations, which dare already to challenge our government to a trial of strength and bid defiance to the laws of our country." —Thomas Jefferson It was October 10, 2016, and the world watched as the last credible, integrity-bound Republicans surrendered. Just three days earlier, the infamous Access Hollywood tape had played on TVs worldwide. Donald Trump bragged about grabbing women “by the pussy,” claiming that “when you’re a star, they let you do it.” The footage triggered a political firestorm. House Speaker Paul Ryan distanced himself, canceling a planned appearance with Trump. Senator John McCain withdrew his endorsement entirely. Utah Congressman Jason Chaffetz declared he could no longer support Trump while looking his fifteen-year-old daughter in the eye.

Expect a fight for healthcare access, debt relief, affordable housing, and a living wage that doesn't require two full-time jobs… Young people are furious. A survey released this week by the Harvard Institute of Politics finds that under-30 Americans are "a generation under profound strain" who've lost pretty much any confidence in government or corporate institutions. By a 57% to 13% margin they told pollsters America is on the wrong track, and only 32% agree that the US is a healthy democracy or even one that's "somewhat functioning." Fully 64% of young American adults say the system is either in trouble or has completely failed. Pollster John Della Volpe summarized the Institute's findings: "Young Americans are sending a clear message: the systems and institutions meant to support them no longer feel stable, fair, or responsive to this generation." Which raises the urgent question: How the hell did we get here from the widespread prosperity of the postwar years?

A government that celebrates cruelty, weaponizes culture, and mocks due process is telling you exactly what it plans to become... The Trump White House just showed us something every American should find chilling, no matter what music they listen to or what party they vote for. They took a video of aggressive ICE arrests, slapped Sabrina Carpenter's song on top of it, and posted it like it was a victory lap. Then, when Carpenter objected and said the video was "evil and disgusting" and told them not to use her music to benefit an "inhumane agenda," the White House hit back with a statement that sounded like it came from a playground bully, not the seat of American government. They didn't debate her point. They didn't defend policy with facts. They went straight to dehumanization and insult, calling people "illegal murderers, rapists, and pedophiles," and saying anyone who defends them must be "stupid" or "slow." That's not just ugly: it's a warning. Because the biggest story here is not a celebrity clapback; it's that the White House is using the power of the state to turn human beings into a violence-normalizing punchline, and using America's culture as a weapon to spread it. This is what rising authoritarianism looks like in the age of social media.