The Zeitgeist Shifts

[babylonsister]

https://digbysblog.net/2026/01/27/the-zeitgeist-shifts/

The Zeitgeist Shifts
Published by digby on January 27, 2026

snip//

The way I have been thinking about this is that by pushing extreme enforcement measures that are now resulting in the deaths of innocent American citizens, Trump has changed the images people attach to the word “immigration” in their heads. When “immigration” doesn’t mean “pictures of migrants under an overpass in south Texas” but “ICE officer killing a woman in her car and calling her a ‘fucking bitch’” or “regular guy being shot 10 times in the back after being tackled to the ground and disarmed”, that’s going to change how people view the issue.

more...

The Republicans live in a bubble and don’t want to hear that their Dear Leader is screwing up. But sometimes that news cannot be contained. And when it escapes the news silos it changes people’s minds. That’s why it’s important for the Democrats to do everything in their power (and I realize it’s not easy) to get that out.

I still maintain that this story has stuck because they made the decision to go to a very white, mid-western, northern city where the population is about as “Real America” as it gets and they treated them like they treat the inner cities in big blue states. They didn’t realize that there are millions of white Americans who find their policies to be abominable and are willing to take a stand on behalf of the minorities in their communities against this fascist onslaught.

When people see old people being brutalized and beaten on the streets, a young blond woman getting shot in the head by a panicked, out of control ice agent who says “fuckin’ bitch” after he shoots her and then two weeks later they gun down a 37 year old white, male, gun owner, it starts to sink in that this is an actual war against anyone who exercises their rights.

Something has changed and it’s important to adapt to that. I really hope the Democrats aren’t so stuck on the “don’t make trouble just talk about egg prices” strategy that they miss this opening to mortally wound the MAGA movement. We’ve been warning about this for years now and it’s finally here. Will they seize the moment?

[tulipsandroses]

1. Even if you don't give a damn about your minority neighbors, do you want your community under siege?

Disrupting activities everywhere.? From the grocery store to schools. Now we know they don’t mind killing people, do you want to be in the middle of that? Where returning from your kids’ basketball game could put your own family in danger? It is ridiculous to think that you can surge 3000 masked men into a community and think that only the people you don’t like will be affected.

[Endlessmike56]

2. I feel bad for all the people who have been abused by this group of monsters

But the video of Alex Petti really struck a nerve with me. I can’t watch it without wanting to cry. He was only trying to help someone, and they treated him like he was a piece of crap. It doesn’t help that my son is around the same age and works in an emergency department.

[Cirsium]

3. "a panicked, out of control agent"

The man who executed Renee Good was not panicked nor was he out of control.

Cool, calm, deliberate, perhaps even premeditated.

[flashman13]

7. And it was premeditated.

[YodaMom2]

8. Angry.

And filled with misogynistic contempt for the “fucking bitch” who not only wouldn’t cower before him, but spoke to him as a mother would a child - “I’m not mad at you”. His fragile masculinity couldn’t handle it and he reacted with rage.

[leftstreet]

4. Loss of "faith" in govt is killing both parties

I'm not sure their expensive consultants can meet this moment

We'll see

[Lonestarblue]

5. I fear that too many people just assume that all migrants are in the US illegally.

The media does everyone a disservice when they fail to report that millions of migrants are here legally. Our laws allow refugees and migrants to apply for asylum. Those who do can live in the US legally until an immigration judge hears their case and either grants asylum or issues an order for deportation. ICE cannot legally deport anyone without that order. What they can do, unfortunately, is imprison them until their hearing. There is actually very little advantage to the government to imprison asylees awaiting their court hearings. But Republicans love to throw tax dollars at the private prison industry, thus Trump’s push to imprison as many as possible, including children.

Many of the people ICE is dragging off to jail, and causing their deaths there, are awaiting asylum hearings. I wish the media would explain why they are here legally.

[Torchlight]

6. Conservatives are playing Peak Paradox this week

On one hand, they've been raised by bumper stickers, "God and Country" "Family Values" "Small Government" "Come take 'em!"

And now they give fealty to the one person actively taking all of that away from them. The idiots among them will point at both sides to better rationalize the irrational.

[pat_k]

9. Clapping and jumping like a touchdown has been scored after witnessing/participating

... in firing 10 shoots into a man who is pinned to the ground by (4? 5? 6? agents) demonstrates the murderous state of mind.

And EVERY video examined so far confirms this was a murder.

Concocting a "reasonable" state of mind that would led agents to cross the street to assault protesters, pin down and beat one with a pepper spray canister, shoot him in the back, and then contine to shoot him 9 more times, is simply beyond the skills of any real-life defense attorney.