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Culture War Roundup for the week of October 5, 2026

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I think the federal government does not want more Ruby Ridge and Waco style debacles. It's a PR disaster when they burn down the home of defiant people*. Some gun control advocates like to use feds death-squadding or bombing people who don't comply with gun laws as a trump card. Something about fighter jets being used to enforce compliance in a way an AR15 can't stop. They act like it is a mic drop debate ender to point out the feds have armored vehicles and fighter jets. But the fantasy of feds burning and bombing their political opponents is just not going to happen in the modern era. A century ago a little bit of that could happen but the feds are just softer now. Photos of federal agents standing over charred ruins mixed with dead children will prevent this†. Not that they have any moral issues with murdering their fellow Americans, but the terrible PR would harm their supporters in elections and they can't stand that.

*Branch Davidians actually burned down their own compound. But it looked like the feds did it and FBI agents perjured themselves denying that they used incendiary tear gas canisters.

† Like all those photos from Waco.

I think the federal government does not want more Ruby Ridge and Waco style debacles.

Nobody would even know about Ruby Ridge if it weren't for Waco. And the kitten-stomping and "nothing found" raids are 2nd amendment lore that normies know nothing about. The Feds (in a Democratic administration) know they can shoot whoever they want as long as they can claim whoever they were shooting was a criminal.

How’s Malinowski’s widow’s lawsuit going?