Straight White American Jesus Weekly Roundup: American Authoritarian Empire: From Minneapolis to Venezuela to Greenland
37 snips
Jan 9, 2026 Brad returns to discuss unsettling stories of expanding authoritarianism in the U.S. He highlights the tragic killing of poet Renee Nicole Good by an ICE officer, signaling a shift in the normalization of state violence. The conversation pivots to U.S. military actions in Venezuela, driven by oil interests and a revived imperial mindset. There's also a focus on Trump's threats toward Greenland, threatening NATO alliances. Throughout, the suppression of empathy and rising impunity are seen as key themes linking domestic and foreign actions.
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Impunity Expands Beyond Scapegoats
- State violence once normalized becomes a threat to everyone, not just marginalized groups.
- Brad Onishi warns the ICE killing of Renee Nicole Good signals impunity expanding beyond scapegoated communities.
Political Rhetoric Preempts Empathy
- J.D. Vance framed the officer as entitled to full immunity and asked listeners to pray for him without condolence for the victim's family.
- Brad Onishi argues this rhetoric preempts empathy and normalizes secret-police impunity.
Certainty Used To Silence Dissent
- The administration presents certainty and moral clarity to justify force and silence dissent.
- Dan Miller and Brad Onishi note this rhetorical certainty functions as fascist-style power consolidation.
