Five (+1) Points, Defining the Week of September 21, 2025
From assassinations to tariffs, America is wobbling between MAGA circus and losing the right to speak freely.
Happy Sunday, folks. Although, “happy” appears like a colossal misnomer, we’ll go with that for now. Again, a lot is going on, and this is my attempt to focus on five important points for the week of September 21, 2025.
Do me a favor, please, and restack or share this post, and we’ll talk more in the comments.
Captain’s Log: Week of September 21, 2025:
1. Fallout from the Assassination of Charlie Kirk
The assassination of Charlie Kirk has detonated in U.S. politics like a pipe bomb in a powder keg. The fascist lovers on “X” are up in arms, leaving no stone unturned to keep the topic at the top of the headlines. In a similar vein of capitalizing on the events, Trump and Vance are staging a memorial rally in Arizona that looks less like a eulogy and more like a propaganda stop under the guise of grief.
Supposedly, 100,000 or more MAGA attendees will be met with opposition protests. Whether there are clashes depends solely on crowd control and the behaviors of MAGA, who will likely taunt the sane Americans who counter the positioning of a fascist as an American hero and saint.
AZ police have been on high alert for a few days already, and iron fences have been erected around the stadium. Because nothing says “remembrance” like a prison fence event to honor one of the most divisive voices in American politics.
But this is only what’s playing out on the ground. In the interwebs, those who previously lamented cancel culture are now hell bent to get as many antifascists fired as humanly possible.
The jump from Kirk to fascism isn’t a particularly difficult leap, and by opposing antifascism, those who go to extraordinary lengths to “punish” those who oppose Kirk’s messaging are themselves declaring that they are fascists. This is one of the situations where two things cannot be true at the same time. If you stand for Kirk’s message, whether you align as a racist, misogynist, homophobe, transphobe, against bodily autonomy, or reproductive rights, all things combined, it equals fascism.
Already, educators, journalists, entertainers, healthcare providers, etc., are losing jobs for comments on Kirk. The FCC asserted its power, instructed by Trump and in keeping with Project 2025, and the Jimmy Kimmel show was subsequently canceled. Importantly, Kimmel did not say anything wrong. For that, there are too many editorial checkpoints and legal departments involved. They wouldn’t approve of anything going into the taping of the show that could come back to haunt them. This was a power play, intended to evaporate the line between condemning violence and exploiting it for power.
Also, in the wake of Kirk’s departure and MAGA outrage, ANTIFA (antifascism) is considered a terrorist group, and the illegitimization of our Trans friends is increasing
2. Skilled Worker Visa “Elimination”
Trump gleefully signed another Executive Order. This time, he’s aiming at skilled workers in the USA. Employers now have a choice. Fork over the money or send skilled workers home. It’s a ransom kind of situation.
The administration’s $100,000 H-1B visa fee is holding American companies hostage, while celebrating economic vandalism dressed up as nationalism and ethnocentrism. MAGA first, everyone else can take a hike. The “measure” goes beyond punitive; it’s prohibitive. Prohibitive to American progress, because many of the skills our employers need must be imported. We do not have enough “in-house” talent, because for too long we have engaged in villainizing intellectual pursuits.
Adding to future damages, the way the Trump administration has restructured student loans will ensure that we won’t have a pipeline of talent for years to come. This can only result in the United States becoming less competitive before it becomes inferior and inconsequential altogether.
The tech giants with offshore talent in the United States cannot pay the U.S. government a $100,000 annual ransom per employee. Their fiduciary responsibility toward the shareholder doesn’t permit it. The conditions set forth, beyond the usual circus show Trump puts on, are detrimental.
The U.S. economy, already under pressure from tariffs and inflation, is now strangling its own innovation pipeline. This policy isn’t about jobs for Americans, for that, we don’t have enough Americans to fill the slots. This is mostly about punishing outsiders and scoring cheap applause at MAGA rallies.
The irony is that other nations smell blood in the water. They attract top global talent, getting the best of the best. Just ask my friend,
, who is among the best. Meanwhile, the regime is erecting tollbooths on the knowledge economy. Pay up or fall behind.3. Trade Tensions and Tariff Expansions
Strangely, the impacts of the tariffs on the American economy are no longer front and center in the headlines. Although prices have risen across most metrics, the American consumer has already become conditioned to live under greater constraints. Nonetheless, we should pay attention, because even though the trade negotiations in Spain were supposedly beneficial to both nations, the escalation is inevitable. Farmers and automakers are already begging for relief, and while exporters and some importers are absorbing the cost spikes, that moat is going to break.
However, while we still hold on for dear life, the protectionism that is being marketed as patriotism is just a calculated wealth transfer from workers and families to corporate middlemen and politically connected firms who know how to game tariff carve-outs.
From where I stand, they know that history is clear. They know that tariff wars never end well, and this one will be no different. However, until the pre-programmed clash hits us in the face, they’re going to shift as much wealth as possible. And when the bottom falls out, they’ll buy assets for cents on the dollar, with the wealth they transferred until then. The wealthy know that they can ride the wave of destruction and capitalize on the misery of the commoners. The question is whether they can withstand the mutiny that’s likely to unfold once Americans have nothing left to lose?
4. Redistricting Battles and Election Interference
This is a running tab: gerrymandering, redistricting, banning mail in voting, policing polling stations, etc.
The first question we must ask is whether we will have midterms in 2026?
The second question we must ask is whether there’ll be an illusion of a free and fair election?
The third question is whether MAGA will accept a loss?
Texas has rammed through new maps cementing GOP dominance, while Utah’s judiciary just ordered a redraw by September 24. These aren’t just state fights, these are intentional structural moves in the 2026 midterms chess game. The issue is that Rucho v. Common Cause (2019) left federal courts powerless to rein in partisan gerrymandering, so states are gaming the boundaries based on whatever suits the ruling party.
As if that wasn’t enough already, add election meddling, foreign disinformation, domestic suppression tactics, and the sheer erosion of faith in the vote, and the democratic process looks less like representative government and more like a MAGA hostage situation.
Can we get out of what’s written on the wall? Potentially. But to even have a fighting chance, the fight is now. And as much as I dislike career politicians, those are all we have at our availability to fight the fight. With that, Gavin Newsom is the only one who’s staring Trump in his orange, fighting fire with fire.
5. The First Amendment
The First Amendment will be murdered by the Second Amendment, and only when we realize that bullets are too final a means of argumentation will we realize the importance of the First Amendment.
For the time being, though, like Hitler’s Germany, the First Amendment is kicked around by jackboots. As we’ve begun to understand during both of Trump’s campaigns, and were too arrogant and democracy confident, to learn from his first term, latest since January 2025, this is no longer merely a theory of propaganda and fascism, but it’s practice.
Now, Trump’s power is going unchecked. Anyone speaking out against the regime will face consequences. As always, it starts with legacy media. They are behemoths, well known, not fast to change course, and contractually obligated to meet certain requirements with talents, unions, distributors, and balance all this with the precarious presence in the White House Press/Briefing Room. The latter, if you step out of line, you’ll get kicked out faster as if you’d run around streaking in a convent.
Numerous outlets have lost their press passes, public media have been defunded, journalists silenced or ridiculed, comedians suffocated, teachers turned into propaganda spokespeople, and soon, your content creators will topple, too. They’ll start with the big names, from Brian Tyler Cohen to David Packman, Kyle Kulinski, and then they’ll roll down the credits to the insignificant names. So far, a beacon of hope is the
. In part, this is because they have deep legal expertise and can self-defend, and they have also slowly started to build the bankroll to afford it. However, when push comes to shove, and the platforms from which they broadcast, YouTube, Substack, etc., will pull the plug on them. Not because they want to, but because the regime will hold platforms responsible for the dissemination of content. We’ve already seen this with TikTok, and it’s started to creep in with Substack as well, where certain creators are being throttled or suppressed altogether.
And if this wasn’t enough already, ICE is hiring at breakneck speed, and its presence has already become a household expectation. What can only be described as the USA’s GESTAPO, accountable to no one in the public sphere, violently erases the right to protest, object, peacefully stand your ground (on public ground), etc. The actions of ICE and the public’s inability to object are among the final breaths before the First Amendment will be murdered by the Second Amendment.
If this sounds grim, it’s because it is. On a long enough timeline under growing oppression, it’s only a matter of time until one of the parties escalates to a point of no return. Then, bullets will do the talking, louder than any voice will ever be.
Will it get there? The only thing I know is that we have a lot of time left to find out.
"Gratuitous #6: Testing the Waters for Passport Control
H.R. 5300 failed this time, but its provisions show the regime’s roadmap for controlling dissent through mobility restrictions. The bill would have authorized the State Department to deny or revoke passports for anyone charged with 'crimes against the United States'. What this means is rather vague, as the a category is broad enough to include most forms of political opposition. On that note, the “southern wall” that MAGA is so incredibly proud of? It serves two functions. To keep the “vermin” out and to keep us in.
Disclosure: I built a CustomGPT that evaluates H.Rs for me. Here’s the output: (if you want me to share the GPT so you can use it too, let me know in the comments)
1. Passport revocation for speech / political content
What it does: Earlier drafts gave the Secretary of State power to revoke someone’s U.S. passport for what appears to be speech (e.g., being “designated” a terrorist supporter based on what they say, even without direct action).
Why it’s dangerous: This is chilling. The power to take away a passport over beliefs or speech (even vaguely defined) lets the government punish dissent and limit mobility (a basic freedom) without robust due process. Such power can be used politically — to silence critics, activists, or marginalized communities who speak out.
2. Weak or vague definitions + risk of abuse
What it does: There are sections about “designating” foreign countries or individuals based on “malign influence operations,” “transnational repression of speech,” or “support for terrorism.” Terms are broad and enforceable by executive branch actors.
Why it’s dangerous: When laws use vague or overly broad terms, they give enormous discretion to officials. That leads to arbitrary enforcement. People speaking on sensitive issues (race, foreign policy criticism, etc.) may fear being targeted, even if they’re doing nothing illegal. It undermines predictability and tends to hurt dissenting voices, journalists, or minority viewpoints disproportionally.
3. Threat to due process and civil liberties
What it does: Some powers in the bill allow for designations and sanctions (e.g., wrongful detention designations, foreign country designations, etc.) without robust judicial oversight, or before a hearing. Also, in the case of passport revocation, earlier versions lacked clear judicial checks.
Why it’s dangerous: Free speech isn’t just about what you can say; it's about what the state is allowed to do to you for saying it. If you can lose your passport, face restrictions, or be designated (with associated stigma or penalties) without due process, that threatens constitutional protections. Historically, legal due process has served as a guardrail against political abuse; undermining it risks serious injustice.
4. Discouragement of dissent, especially among marginalized populations
What it does: The combination of vague “malign influence” definitions, potential penalties for speech, and empowerment of executive discretion creates an environment where people may self-censor. Communities already under pressure (racial and ethnic minorities, immigrants, political dissidents, LGBTQ+, etc.) are especially vulnerable.
Why it’s dangerous: For free speech and social justice advocacy, dissent is essential. If people believe speaking out may attract government retaliation (loss of passport, being designated “terrorist supporter,” etc.), fewer will risk it. That means less public debate, less accountability, and less pressure to redress inequality. Institutional voices — journalism, academia, activism — may be muted.
5. Concentration of power in the executive branch; threats to accountability
What it does: The bill gives the Secretary of State and related executive agencies more expansive powers over foreign affairs-designations, passports, visa policies, and surveillance/reporting duties — with relatively limited checks from Congress or courts.
Why it’s dangerous: Power without checks tends to be abused. When major decisions about individuals’ rights (e.g. ability to travel, being designated in official registries) rest mostly in the hands of bureaucrats without transparent oversight, there's a risk of politically motivated targeting. Free speech and social justice depend not just on laws but also on how they are enforced; these risks tilt that enforcement in favor of incumbents or powerful interests.
Why This Week Matters
These five (+1) points aren't random; they intersect and are synchronized, although the synchronization may not be deliberate. The exploitation of simultaneous events, however, is certainly intentional.
Kirk's assassination provides the justification, media suppression eliminates public information, visa restrictions silence critics, tariffs control economic leverage, redistricting locks in power, and passport controls prepare to incarcerate you inside your own country. If you’re not free to roam, you’re effectively in jail.
The pattern is repeating and picking up speed: create crisis -> demand compliance -> punish resistance. And with each institution that capitulates, from ABC bending to the FCC’s threats, to tech companies scrambling over visa policies and not paying the regime $100k per foreign worker, it makes the next capitulation easier.
We can expect similar tactics to get the remaining entertainers, hosts, comedians, and critics off the air. We can expect expanded visa restrictions targeting specific industries, and it’s virtually guaranteed that they’ll try again to come after passports. There was a point when the regime tested which institutions would resist and which would fold. Now, they’ve advanced to forcing you to fold - or else.
The red thread through all this isn't just confined to destabilization, but to condition us. Every ounce that’s taken away without massive objection sets up the next grab, until they’ll reach for your jugular and you have no hands left to prevent them from suffocating you.
The issue is that if we react to “small losses” with vehement responses, it feels as if we’re asymmetrically reacting (overreacting). This is the treacherous part. We're watching democracy die like “death by papercuts”. Each one seemingly inconsequential in isolation, but devastating when it becomes a thousand papercuts.
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~Z.
It IS grim
Sleepers wake!
The gas chambers now await your precious Republic.
This festering boil of American politics is going to pop...