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Dispatches From the Culture Wars – July 29, 2025

Monster time

  1. “You Have No Rights”
  2. Managing Stress, Anxiety and Hopelessness
  3. Woke Superman
  4. Deprogramming Neo-Nazis
  5. Trump is Out for Blood
  6. Changing Mood Toward Immigrants
  7. Response to CA Fires: Mutual Aid 
  8. Higher Ed is in Big Trouble
  9. Modi Supporters Against Mamdani
  10. What Would Harvey Milk Say?

 

“You Have No Rights”

By Clare Considine
The Guardian

Video footage captured by Kenny Laynez-Ambrosio, an 18-year-old US citizen, appears to show a group of officers in tactical gear working together to violently detain three men, two of whom are undocumented. They appear to use a stun gun on one man, put another in a chokehold and can be heard telling Laynez-Ambrosio: “You’ve got no rights here. You’re a migo, brother.”

Managing Stress, Anxiety and Hopelessness

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By Scot Nakagawa
The Anti-Authoritarian Playbook

History is full of moments like these, where economies have collapsed, governments have failed, and authoritarian forces have taken hold. Immigrants and refugees who have lived through these crises before carry hard-earned wisdom on how to endure, adapt, and even thrive. Here are 10 strategies for coping.

Woke Superman

By Amanda Marcotte
Salon

The MAGA attacks on “Superman” are part of a larger effort by the right to completely rewrite history, so they can pretend that being a patriotic American means embracing authoritarian values.

Deprogramming Neo-Nazis

By DK Renton
Jacobin

With David Duke as a godfather, perhaps it’s no surprise that Adrianne Black ended up on the far right. Since breaking with this toxic political scene, she’s been speaking to audiences about the potential for winning people back from racism and fascism.

Trump is Out for Blood

By Jacob Knutson
Democracy Docket

From the Department of Justices to the most peripheral federal agencies, Trump and his political appointees are weaponizing the bureaucracy to go after hundreds of the president’s political opponents and public officials who attempt to hold him accountable, obliterating the longstanding firewall protecting the Department of Justice and other agencies from being used for political ends.

Changing Mood Toward Immigrants

By Lydia Saad
Gallup

Americans have grown markedly more positive toward immigration over the past year, with the share wanting immigration reduced dropping from 55% in 2024 to 30% today. A record-high 79% of U.S. adults say immigration is a good thing for the country. These shifts reverse a four-year trend of rising concern about immigration that began in 2021 and reflect changes among all major party groups.

Response to CA Fires: Mutual Aid 

By Margaret Elysia Garcia
Truthout

As fires consumed California, Taylorsville (population 150) residents organized their own defense. Faced with abandonment from the state, they built their own fire lines, shelters, and support systems. For many of the residents it became hard to argue that evacuation is always the best response to a fire disaster.

Higher Ed is in Big Trouble

By Brant Bingamon
Austin Chronicle

Texas Republicans are attacking higher education with renewed ferocity in the just-concluded legislative session, passing Senate Bill 37, a law which will deepen their control over the state’s universities. SB 37 requires the regents to examine each university’s core curriculum, and to remove courses they decide aren’t essential for “civic and professional life.”

Modi Supporters Against Mamdani

By Arun Venugopal
Gothamist

If elected, Democrat Zohran Mamdani would be the first Asian American and Muslim mayor to lead New York City. While his campaign won over many of New York City’s immigrant communities, he’s facing some of his fiercest criticism from South Asian voters who claim he is anti-Hindu, pointing to policy positions and foreign policy statements.

What Would Harvey Milk Say?

By Robin Buller
The Guardian

Emboldened by Trump, the right is trying to chip away the legacy of the trailblazing politician Harvey Milk. Scholars say it’s a sign of a wider assault on the LGBTQ+ community.