Mastodawn

Dave Lehman 🇨🇦Jan 28

Super piece by Adam Serwer, who reported on the everyday Minnesotans who are observing and protesting ICE's actions, while delivering food to their neighbors who are afraid to leave their houses

His key, bang-on point, is this: All assumptions the White House makes -- about how society works, how culture works, the nature of bravery and identity --- are completely wrong

it's why Trump's attack on Minnesota is foundering

The piece: https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/01/the-neighbors-defending-minnesota-from-ice/685769/

Unpaywalled: https://archive.is/TRsdI

@clive thank you for sharing ✨

Clive Thompson Jan 28

it's good!

Dr. Koala Jan 28

@clive That’s goddamn right! The last paragraph really summarizes the moment.

Clive Thompson Jan 28

Totally

J Lam 👩🏻‍💻👩🏻‍🎨Jan 28

@clive the assumption of insincerity is a confession of character (or perhaps all of these are). I know people who can’t believe that strangers or others can be genuinely kind with no other motives - and that imho tells you everything you need to know about them.

Clive Thompson Jan 28

Precisely!

ProScience 🇪🇺Jan 28

@kangaroo5383 @clive

Another confession is the accusation that those who defend (or protest) are *paid*.

Textbook case of projection.

Paul Cantrell Jan 28

@clive @kangaroo5383

And that last paragraph…!

Clive Thompson Jan 28

@inthehands @kangaroo5383

Right??

Pamela Barroway – Biz Editor Jan 28

@clive A truly outstanding article. Here is a gifted version shared with me:

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/01/the-neighbors-defending-minnesota-from-ice/685769/?gift=hbd4EZmaKoT7RKWgXeS7HkNfzJibi1RnUCvhDuakCgo

Minnesota Proved MAGA Wrong

The pushback against ICE exposed a series of mistaken assumptions.

The Atlantic

Clive Thompson Jan 28

@PamelaBarroway

Cool thank you!

@clive thank you.

Alexander Goeres 𒀯 Jan 28

@Clive Thompson what are "white shoe law firms"??

Hedgewizard 🐈Jan 28

@clive
These excerpts have sent me to bed feeling hopeful and happy, and I have bookmarked the rest for consumption with my morning java. Thank you for sharing!

Konosocio Jan 28

@clive I believe that Project 2025, while wrecking havoc, will meet a similar fate, because it is also very obviously conceived by individuals who don't understand how administrations work or how any kind of structured human cooperation can be successful

mahadevank Jan 28

@clive seems like they formed their opinions from social media posts thinking they were all genuine lol

@clive "social bonds form among people who have something in common" - well, maybe Minnesotans just realized that they have more in common with an immigrant than with a billionaire (or with an ICE thug)

FreediverX Jan 28

@clive
Lefty Twitch steamer and political commentator Hasanabi spent two days amongst the protestors (a Californian in sub-zero weather). One big takeaway was that the closer you got to the cops, the greater the tension and violence, all instigated by the cops. The protestors were peaceful and organized. The gestapo were just brutish pigs.

Guess which perspective the media report from.

Advanced Persistent Teapot Jan 28

@clive it's made me think of the speech by Kennedy

"For, in the final analysis, our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this small planet. We all breathe the same air. We all cherish our children's future. And we are all mortal."

Trump and Vance are incapable of comprehending that kind of shared humanity, they deny it exists. Minnesotans are out there showing that it does.

Clive Thompson Jan 28

@http_error_418

Absolutely