The conversation was about the transformation of ICE into a "death squad" and its implications on democracy. The speaker, Spencer, mentioned that the current trajectory of this is really ominous and that it might not be long before we see a drone strike in an American city.
To turn this imperial boomerang around, Spencer suggested organizing to force politicians in an abolitionist direction, ousting them when they won't go in that direction. He also mentioned efforts such as Larry Krasner's work in prosecuting ICE and CBP agents for violating relevant local laws, which could potentially act as a deterrent.
The speaker also emphasized the importance of press freedom in defending democracy, citing The Intercept's long history of covering authoritarian governments, billionaire oligarchs, and backsliding democracies around the world.
In terms of what people can hope for or work towards, Spencer noted that reformist politics under two Democratic administrations got us to where we are now. Accommodationist politics have led to this point, and it will take a significant shift in approach to address the issue.
The conversation also touched on the theme of The Intercept's independence from corporate interests and the need for growth to effectively cover the issues facing democracy.
To turn this imperial boomerang around, Spencer suggested organizing to force politicians in an abolitionist direction, ousting them when they won't go in that direction. He also mentioned efforts such as Larry Krasner's work in prosecuting ICE and CBP agents for violating relevant local laws, which could potentially act as a deterrent.
The speaker also emphasized the importance of press freedom in defending democracy, citing The Intercept's long history of covering authoritarian governments, billionaire oligarchs, and backsliding democracies around the world.
In terms of what people can hope for or work towards, Spencer noted that reformist politics under two Democratic administrations got us to where we are now. Accommodationist politics have led to this point, and it will take a significant shift in approach to address the issue.
The conversation also touched on the theme of The Intercept's independence from corporate interests and the need for growth to effectively cover the issues facing democracy.
. It's crazy that politicians are just going along with it, I mean what if we were in their shoes? We'd be protesting nonstop for justice, right? 
We need to get some new faces in power who actually care about stopping this kind of abuse. And can you imagine having a drone strike in an American city? 
That's just too much.
The US is at a crossroads and it's scary how far things have devolved. We gotta keep pushing for that abolitionist direction, but it's also crucial we support independent journalism outlets like The Intercept who are willing to take on powerful interests 
. Can't just rely on politicians; we need fearless journalists holding them accountable 
they sound like an actual death squad now idk how much more messed up this country can get. but you know what might just shake things up? if we start holding our politicians accountable for their actions like Spencer said... maybe we can actually push them towards doing the right thing instead of just toeing the line.
... I mean, can you imagine a drone strike in an American city? It's like something out of a horror movie 
. We need to take action and hold our politicians accountable for their actions. Spencer is right on point with his idea of organizing abolitionist movements and ousting them when they won't listen 
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. They're not afraid to speak truth to power, and that takes courage 
... we need a shift in approach. And it's interesting that Spencer mentions reformist politics, because under two Democratic administrations, we did see some progress 
. But now, we're at a point where radical change is needed 
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. We need a more independent media landscape too, so that they can keep us informed without corporate influence 
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. And let's be real, press freedom is super important in defending democracy - we can't have a free society without a free press 
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. We can't just sit back and hope politicians do something about it, we need to take matters into our own hands, organize and push for change 
like Larry Krasner taking on these agents and holding them accountable it shows that there are people out there who care and aren't afraid to take a stand. we need more of that kind of courage and conviction in our politics. and I think Spencer's idea about forcing politicians into an abolitionist direction is actually super interesting - like if we can organize around this issue and get enough momentum behind it, maybe we can start to see some real change happen 