Dwain Northey (Gen X)

Oh good — we’re at that phase of American governance. The one where the body count quietly ticks upward while everyone in power pretends they’re waiting for a more “appropriate” number before acting concerned. Apparently one dead American citizen at the hands of ICE is a tragedy, two is “complicated,” and three is still not quite enough to interrupt the regularly scheduled authoritarian cosplay.

We are told, very seriously, that none of this is alarming. Federal immigration agents killing U.S. citizens is just an unfortunate byproduct of “enforcement.” Marines being sent to places like Maine — Maine, for God’s sake — is totally normal, nothing to see here, please ignore the sound of boots on democratic norms. And when people react with outrage, the response isn’t reflection or restraint; it’s a threat. Behave, or Daddy will dust off the Insurrection Act.

That’s the real irony. The same administration that still whispers lovingly about January 6 now seems almost eager for unrest — not because chaos is bad, but because chaos is useful. Protest becomes “insurrection,” dissent becomes “threat,” and every dead citizen becomes another brick in the road toward justified military crackdowns. The question isn’t whether force will be used; it’s how much blood needs to be spilled first so it can be framed as “necessary.”

So here we are, watching federal agents gun down Americans while officials argue over optics, not lives. Waiting for the magical number — the one where outrage finally outweighs ambition. Until then, we’re told to stay calm, trust the process, and remember: this is all being done in the name of law and order.

Funny how law and order always seem to survive just fine.

It’s the citizens who don’t.