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Culture War Roundup for the week of November 3, 2025

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ICE is deporting lots of people. Other people are recording it, opposing it, even offering bounties on ICE officers.

I have noticed a pattern where there is a horrible story that comes out. Blue tribe passes around the horrible story. There was the "black babies zip tied" story. The "deported US citizen with cancer" story. So on and so forth.

The Red Tribe waits for the Department of Homeland Security X account to post a rebuttal, and then that becomes the Red Tribe story. See for example:

https://x.com/DHSgov/status/1986198635466358989

https://x.com/DHSgov/status/1986438229373944199

https://x.com/DHSgov/status/1986086507271106982

My question is mostly, is it normal for the Red Tribe to believe the "official story" over their "lying eyes?" In the past I had seen the reverse. Official government accounts were scrutinized, eye witness accounts and video evidence were taken in higher regard.

For example, the Rittenhouse affair had Red Tribe internet sleuths piecing together video evidence of Rittenhouse's activities and movements for the hours leading up to the shootings. Within 48 hours they knew more than the prosecution's attorneys knew over a year later.

I'm not casting doubt on the DHS Official X Intern's ability to give it to us straight. I'm just trying to understand the epistemology that makes this all work. Is it Red Tribe to actually trust the government now? Just certain parts of the government?

My question is mostly, is it normal for the Red Tribe to believe the "official story" over their "lying eyes?"

These stories are all the worst sort of fake news. Man detained at airport for having a JD Vance meme on his phone. Fake. Black baby zip tied. Fake. ICE kidnaps 13 year-old. Fake. Over and over again.

It’s rational to doubt the press when they’re lying. It would be irrational to believe the press stories over the trivial refutations.

Having not seen all (most?) of these before, would you mind providing links to the media claims and the evidence that they're incorrect for these cases?

Man detained at airport for having a JD Vance meme on his phone

It's another one where no one can prove anything. DHS claims the tourist was denied entry for admitting drug use in the US, which he did, but there's no way to determine if that was a pretext for having the JD Vance meme or not.

I know someone whose ESTA application was denied because she had told them, by accidentally checking the wrong box on a form, that she was a terrorist. This happened 15 years ago at this point.

They ask you, "Are you a terrorist?" You can check "Yes", and if you do so, you will be denied. Makes sense, wouldn't want to let a terrorist in after all.

By that standard, I'd say it is ridiculous to pretend that someone who said "Yes, I use illegal drugs" was rejected for any other reason.