It’s January 6th all over again.

I don’t know about you, but I found out about the storming of the Capitol online, on some news site, whereupon I immediately switched to video and watched the riot play out. That’s what it was, right? A riot?

Everyone agreed. Trump was kicked off of social media platforms, the media testified as to the dark day in America, and Donald was impeached, for the second time.

But not convicted.

All right… But they were going to get him, right, make him pay for his sins?

Well, the spin years later became that 1/6 was a peaceful protest. That if Mike Pence had just done the right thing, none of this would have happened. As for the perps… Trump had nothing to do with it and weren’t they just patriots? Why should they be denigrated, incarcerated for their belief in this great nation of ours? Trump let them out of the jails immediately, wiped the slate clean, and Ashli Babbitt, like Charlie Kirk, has been elevated to the level of a deity.

As for all those elected officials who decried Trump’s behavior? They all fell in line behind the man when he was elected president once again. As for the investigation into his so-called crimes…asking for more votes in Georgia, the classified documents in Mar-a-Lago… Let’s not go tit for tat. It’s unjust for Trump to be prosecuted, because the Democrats do the exact same thing. And if Trump were somehow held liable, it would be open season for the Democrats when they get back into power. Jovial John Kennedy said exactly this on Bill Maher’s “Real Time” on Friday night…as if you say it folksily enough, people will believe it. And when asked if Trump lost the election, Kennedy obfuscated, because if you go against Trump the clock starts to tick, it’s only a matter of time before you become a pariah, before you’re excommunicated. And it’s not only politicos, Jamie Dimon now too. Never mind law firms and news networks.

So now we watch video of  a man who was a nurse whose efforts were to aid a downed protester, who was waving a phone, not a gun, whose hands were on the ground, shot in cold blood. Video, just like 1/6.

And Trump and his cronies are telling us not to believe what we see And even the Fox News website referenced the difference between the government’s viewpoint and the people’s…but that’s gone now, replaced by a headline about an ICEman being maimed by a violent mob.

That’s right, the narrative is already changing. The sides are lining up. And it’s them against us, the government against the people.

However, those who are frustrated with the government’s actions have been told to vote, just wait to the coming election, when wrongs will be righted, never mind the big election in 2028. The only people who believe this are the elected politicians and the media that reports upon them. Nobody I know has faith in coming elections to right the ship.

So, there have been protests in Minnesota. And this ain’t L.A., it’s been below zero, but people have been coming out.

Now in the sixties, protests like this ultimately turned the screw. We got the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and ultimately the winding down and ending of the Vietnam War. As for the Voting Rights Act of 1965…that’s been undercut by the Supreme Court, since we supposedly no longer live in a racist society, never mind Citizens United. Meaning the deck is stacked even if you are not stricken from the voting rolls, the odds are against you.

So what happens now.

As we all know, it’s Pretti’s fault. He should have just stayed home, like a good American, a heritage American (but with that last name, I’m not sure he qualifies…). And while he’s at it, if he leaves his home he should carry I.D. Because this is the way it goes in America…

Only it doesn’t. You don’t need papers and you have a right to assemble. As for leaving your house… Trump is winning here. Nobody with money will stand up to Trump for fear of losing it, now the hoi polloi won’t stand up to Trump because they’re afraid of losing their life. Really, are you going to go to a protest now?

The crisis has reached a boiling point.

What do we know? TACO. Trump always chickens out. If he doesn’t let one of his minions take the blame, he squirms and equivocates, because after all there are good people on both sides. Trump may bend a bit here, as he distances himself from the ICEmen responsible for Pretti’s death… Like Marjorie Taylor Greene talking about having her eyes opened once she got out of the right wing bubble and read the rest of the press, Trump will say he had no idea.

But shortly thereafter it will be just like that Talking Heads song, same as it ever was.

So…

This is not an Arab Spring moment. Because not enough Americans feel oppressed. However they’re doing it, many still believe in the ICE mission…never mind the racist beliefs underpinning many of these beliefs.

As for military in the streets… And whether we call them this or not, that’s what ICE is, they can enter at will, and seemingly shoot at will… Don’t you know that those northern cities are hellholes of crime and if the mayors just did their jobs, which they’re not, no one would be shot, peace would reign?

Yeah, right.

So there are some who still believe in Trump. Although that edifice is being chipped away. Because of what’s happening in Minneapolis. However, if you think this will change the course of Trump’s behavior…

What do we know… Trump does what he says he will and he never truly backs down. Hell, he never sleeps…he’s up posting on Truth Social in the wee hours of the morning.

So if you’re expecting change…

What did we learn in the wake of the protests against the killing of George Floyd? That today Blacks are even worse off. The prevailing narrative is the demonstrations disrupted the nation…nothing was ultimately gained. So I ask you, will something ultimately be gained by the protests in Minneapolis?

Not much. After all, Trump had mention of his impeachments removed from the Smithsonian, he has no problem rewriting history. And when the dust settles, he and his flock will say whatever happened in Minneapolis, it was ultimately the public’s fault. Probably incited by outside agitators. Because no American in their right mind would stand up against the mission of ICE, right?

Having said that, at least those protesters are taking action. But it gets worse, it seems that the only thing that will cower Trump is violence. Unless Congress wakes up, which I doubt it will. As for NATO coming to rescue the citizens of America…good luck with that. As for the 2nd Amendment, those guns are for Republicans, Democrats can’t be trusted with them, as Pretti proves.

If your head isn’t spinning now…

This is authoritarianism, this is fascism, this is a dictatorship. The Republicans say to stop using the H-word, but the truth is America today resembles Nazi Germany, even down to the detention camps that cannot be investigated.

It’s a slippery slope. And never forget, Hitler had supporters too.

And I beg of you to read David French’s piece in the “New York Times.” For the record, French comes from the right:

“An Old Theory Helps Explain What Happened to Renee Good”

Free link: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/18/opinion/renee-good-ice-immunity.html?unlocked_article_code=1.HVA.TRLI.qL4NRc5PToME&smid=url-share

People felt life was pretty good in Nazi Germany, as long as they didn’t come up against the forces of the government… Read this, it might be from the “New York Times,” but like I said, French is from the right.

So the bottom line is whatever happens here if you expect Trump to change, if you expect major change in our country, you’re dreaming, that’s never going to happen. It’s not like if ICE even backs off a bit Trump is going to let up on the rest of his heinous policies that negatively impact the populace. Why should he? He’s in control. And the military is on his side. As for legislative power… They have the equivalent of Congress in Russia and Hungary too, doesn’t make a difference.

So if you’re all riled-up about the death of Alex Pretti…I’m with you. But if you think it’s going to foment major change, you’re dreaming.

For that more people have to be pissed off and more people need to take action.

Even Robert Reich is now calling for a national strike. Which I believe is appropriate before there are guns in the street, before more citizens are cut down in cold blood.

This is just the start, the true resistance to Trump. Forget the kumbaya pussy hats and No Kings rallies, they were parties that Trump ignored when he wasn’t laughing at them.

No, to evoke change you have to hit them where it hurts, financially.

Now if you’re a Boomer, you remember that in the sixties if a TV network got calls about “controversial” programming, they killed it. Oftentimes, in a nation of hundreds of millions, there were fewer than twenty phone calls. But the networks were afraid.

Corporations live in fear. All those overpaid CEOs kissing Trump’s butt, they’ve got to see their businesses challenged, their stocks drop, that’s the only thing that will get them to change course, the only thing they care about is money.

It’s what runs America, which is why Trump wants total control of the  Fed.

I’m not advocating violence, not at all. But I am saying that when people are up against the wall and are pissed enough, it happens, like with the Arab Spring. But life in that area of the world was much worse in terms of standard of living and opportunity than it is over here. So what will get the public to turn?

Let’s be clear, what is happening in Minneapolis has not only gained people’s attention, it has peeled Trump supporters away from him. So that’s a start. But if the public doesn’t take further action Trump will circle the wagons, declare victory and march forward, tightening the rope on your rights all the while.

Yup, you’re losing them as I write this. You can watch Netflix and say it doesn’t affect you, or you can realize if it doesn’t already, it ultimately will, and it then may be too late.

This is just the beginning.

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This is the most rock and roll thing Rod the Mod has done before his work with Clive Davis on those execrable American Songbook albums turned him into a wanker who’d do anything for a buck, anything to maintain his visibility in the entertainment firmament. Then again, aren’t you supposed to get mellower as you get older? Seems like all those acts from the past have lost their backbone and are totally into lifestyle, and they stand for nothing. Who’da thunk it would be Rod who stood up to Trump? Then again, Stewart committed right away to Fire Aid and flew over from the U.K. to do it, he knows the power of Los Angeles and the power of music to make a difference.

So…

I must admit the script has flipped. In the sixties and early seventies the military was the enemy, didn’t Graham Nash pen “Military Madness”? But this is not about an unjust war, rather about the men who put their lives on the line, and sometimes lose them. Something that silver spoon Donald Trump has never done. And Rod Stewart calls Donald a draft dodger and castigates him for talking smack about the British military. Funny how the EU crapped its pants when Trump said he wanted Greenland, whereas Stewart is going right for the gut, with gusto! He’s not pussyfooting, he’s speaking from the heart, and when you do it resonates, unlike the Spotify Top 50 crap that is about as fulfilling as cotton candy.

You can’t get anybody with anything to risk to take a stand. Sure, my inbox is inundated with people sans traction writing anti-establishment songs, wanting me to promote them, but it’s ultimately a career move, they want to break through, whereas those who already have are silent. Even worse, you get nincompoops like Jason Aldean doubling-down in support of the Orange Man. The tide is turning. Homey don’t play that anymore. With ICE out of control, the winds have changed, have woken up the somnambulant public. Knee-jerk MAGA don’t look that good anymore. Trump is out of control, unless we blow the whistle on him…

In one fell swoop, this guy has alienated the entire EU and UK. And Canada too. There’s no going back…once bitten, twice shy. Twice bitten… Sure, Biden got back on the climate change bandwagon, he played nice with others, he healed the wounds, sewed together the ruptures that Trump created, however Trump has now done irreparable damage to the status and image of America. It’s kind of like Billy Squier in that video…it killed his credibility overnight, and whatever credibility the United States still possesses is undercut by Mr. Trump’s actions.

Now I’m not saying we’re going to have a kumbaya anti-Trump song run up the chart. Those days have sailed. Even the “Wall Street Journal” wrote that we no longer live in a monoculture:

“The Rise and Fall of the American Monoculture – For most of the 20th century, pop culture was the glue that held the U.S. together. But what will it mean now that everything has splintered?”

Free link: https://www.wsj.com/business/media/american-pop-culture-history-ce8672f1?st=2mJmRF&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink

Then again, the power of music has been abdicated. If you’re of the younger generation you don’t expect your musicians to take stands, never mind risky ones. You look to them for fashion advice, where to party, these acts are empty vessels. They don’t sing about being born in Gasoline Alley, they’ve forgotten their roots.

Music still has power. But you’ve got to exercise it. Rod Stewart has shown the way, and burnished his image in the process. God, this statement almost makes up for all those crappy Clive Davis albums. Because it’s not about commerce, how much money you make, but the statement you make. That’s what made music blow up. There was an entire culture.

Rod just turned 81 and doesn’t give a f*ck. But didn’t the rockers of yore not give a f*ck, that was the essence of their career! Standing up to the man. Today musicians are the man!

Stewart makes it clear. Trump was way out of line and needs to apologize. Something that Donald never does. But Stewart may be able to bring Trump to his knees. Because being shamed by a music legend is different from the blowback of the politicos and the media, which is just part of the game, grist for the mill.

So who else is going to put their career on the line? There’s a benefit to being first. Adding your name at the end is the action of a Trump. And we don’t need newspaper ads, we need statements. And then action. Not only can musicians do benefits, they can weiled their power in many other ways. They can refuse to play not only the Kennedy Center, but all of D.C. And Miami too. Make these people hurt. Make Trump capitulate, because he’s completely out of line.

I mean they’re protesting in -20 degree weather in Minneapolis, and they’re doing it for you. You think you’re immune, but you’re not.

As we said back in the sixties, it’s time to reclaim our nation, to take the power back.

As for all the Trumpers… I want you to defend what Trump said here, I want you to defend the killing of Renee Goode. Keep doing it. You’re on the wrong side of history.

As for Trump’s sycophants… Do you know what happened after France took back power, squeezed out the Germans during World War II? They killed the collaborators. Yup, that’s just what they did, read “The Postcard,” never mind reams of history. Being silent is being complacent. All you corporate titans, all you Republicans in Congress who are kissing this man’s butt, you think you’re gonna get away scot-free. I wouldn’t be so sure.

Because money is no competition for art and those who make it. Art can win each and every time, as long as it speaks from the heart, has soul, is unfiltered and true. That’s what the public yearns for, truth. And tonight Rod Stewart delivered it.

Where do you get it?

Tune in Saturday January 24th to Faction Talk, channel 103, at 4 PM East, 1 PM West.

Phone #: 844-686-5863

If you miss the episode, you can hear it on demand on the SiriusXM app. Search: Lefsetz

We’re watching this BritBox show “Save Me” that Mike Mettler recommended. It stars Lennie James, who you might know from “The Walking Dead,” but I never saw that series. However, I did recognize him from “Line of Duty,” whose team is responsible for this show.

Lennie plays “Nelly,” a charismatic man living in a council flat. Well, a number of council flats (which in this case are in a tower), because he’s a Lothario, a womanizer, he’s having relationships with four women at the same time…and then he gets busted.

Not that Nelly seems to have any means of support. Then again, everybody in this show except for Suranne Jones as Claire McGory is living on the bottom. Which is a reason Felice at times expressed exasperation… If you want someone to root for, if you want people you can relate to, if you want shiny happy people, “Save Me” is not the show for you.

So the lives of the characters revolve around the pub the Palm Tree, run by Stace (Susan Lynch…you’ll recognize her if you’re a fan of British TV)…they were all buddies growing up. And on one hand, I’m envious that they’ve got a clubhouse, that the relationships have been maintained, then again alcohol-fueled establishments ultimately lead to heated arguments.

Not that the more monied classes are doing so much better, Claire and her husband are living in an upscale modern house, she drives a Range Rover, but the underlying economics are sketchy…how many are living a life of illusion? If you pierce the veil there are very rickety underpinnings.

So this is one of these shows that’s basically a search for a missing girl. And it’s dark and intense and at the end of episode four of “Save Me Too,” the second season, there’s an intense, ultimately poignant moment and this song starts to play and it fits exactly, I’m mesmerized. I pause it and run for my phone to Shazam it.

I expected some modern English number, I was getting ready to be turned on to someone new. But the song was “Into Dust” by Mazzy Star. From 1993.

I’ve got that CD, somewhere in my garage. I’ve played a bit of Mazzy Star, I’m certainly familiar with the act’s career arc, but I did not know this song. But it’s far from obscure, turns out that “Save Me Too” was not the only sync. There’s been a plethora of them. Not that I’d heard “Into Dust”  before, or remember I’d heard it before.

And “Into Dust” had the feel of a toned-down version of Sinéad O’Connor’s “You Made Me the Thief of Your Heart” from “In the Name of the Father”…as if it was cut in a sealed room distant from the rest of society. And “Into Dust” also sounded like the ethereal album rock from the U.K. and San Francisco in the late sixties…before everybody switched to FM and bombastic rock took precedence. Even “Disraeli Gears,” which is known for its riff-rock “Sunshine of Your Love,” had some of this feel. Then again, it was a different era. England was going from black and white to color, with those born during the war jumping off from the blues records they were influenced by. And in the U.S…you had a middle class of musicians who could make ends meet on almost nothing experimenting.

As for Mazzy Star…

You could categorize them, Wikipedia says they’re part of the Paisley Underground, a descriptor I never quite cottoned to. These were acts that had a presence in Los Angeles, their albums would get reviewed in the “Times,” be featured in “L.A. Weekly,” but they didn’t break through nationally, one can question whether they even truly broke through locally. But unlike most of those acts, Mazzy Star had a major label deal and major label press… But their music was not broken by the radio, you had to purchase it to get into it. And then they stopped making music but their legend continued and…here I am thirty five years after its release listening to “Into Dust.”

Now no one is listening to the ethereal second side of Country Joe and the Fish’s “I-Feel-Like-I’m Fixin’-To-Die.” As for the hits of 1992, when was the last time you heard Kriss Kross’s “Jump”? But “Into Dust” lives on. With a sound so foreign to the Spotify Top 50 that it’s akin to essentially nothing with traction today…it’s not country, it’s not EDM, it’s not alternative, it’s not improvisational jam band, it’s just…music.

Now when done right there’s a chemistry between image and song that transcends the underlying number, never mind the images themselves.

Now if there was ever promise that this would be a feature of music videos, that was quickly quashed…well, there’s the “Father Figure” video…but most music videos are not narrative works, touching part of your soul that everybody has that cannot be verbalized.

So it’s an important moment when “Into Dust” plays in “Save Me Too.” At times the music is playing and nothing is being said and nothing is happening, it’s the music that sets the mood, it runs shotgun with the images…it’s not background, it’s equal.

“I could possibly be fading

Or have something more to gain”

Now unlike the second side of that Country Joe and the Fish album, none of whose tracks break seven figures, “Into Dust” has 78,908,103 streams on Spotify. And it’s track #11, of 12. Which means people have found it.

That’s the power of the modern era. For all the people bitching they can’t get listens, that they can’t get paid by streaming services, everything from the past is up for grabs, a land mine ready to be stepped on. Hiding in plain sight, ready to be discovered or pointed to.

“It was you breathless and tall

I could feel my eyes turning into dust”

That was what was happening. The meeting, the connection in “Save Me Too.” But even though the words fit perfectly, it was more about the feel of “Into Dust” that resonated.

This is the essence of music. From the classical tradition on to today. It doesn’t have to be in your face, you don’t have to be able to dance to it, it’s the mood it puts you into, it sets your mind free and envelops you in a cocoon of warmth all at the same time.