Renee Nicole Good: Is fascism prevailing?

Image - Swinxy

“Leave Minnesota alone,” were not the words of a state leader grieving the death of one of their citizens, but of a scared, helpless governor of Minnesota Tim Waltz, the former running mate of democrat nominee Kamala Harris.

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His warnings and pleas of peaceful protests following the death of Renee Nicole Good were words of warning against the Trump administration. “Don’t take the bait,” warned Minneapolis Governor Jacob Frey. This is not a normal response to the shooting of a citizen. This is the response of a state backed into a corner. The probability of the national guard being deployed into Minneapolis looms over the city, with Waltz and Frey worried that any aggravation would give Trump precedent to give the go-ahead.

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Renee Nicole Good, 37 year old mother of 3, was fatally shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE) agent, following a protest during an ICE operation on January the 7th.

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Good was in her Honda Pilot when she was shot. A video surfaced by ABC and New York Times appeared to show the ICE agent stepping in front of the car, before Good attempts to drive off. She is then shot by the agent, identified as Jonathan E. Ross, as he steps to the side of the Honda. Not even a mile from where this shooting occurred, George Floyd was killed by a police officer back in 2020 which provoked the Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests. Trump was fiercely against the BLM protests, proclaiming them as a ‘symbol of hate.’ In the BLM protests, the sentiment was of solidarity and resistance. In this case, the sentiment is fear of repercussions.

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The Department of Justice, led by attorney general Pam Bondi, has blocked any state investigation into the shooting, a highly unprecedented move.

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Many worry that the events following the shooting have demonstrated that the administration has already made up their mind. Minnesota attorney general, Keith Ellison, has questioned whether federal authorities understand the “true damage to justice and the perception of justice that a closed off investigation would mean.” He added: “Maybe they won’t care.”

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Following the shooting, Trump’s administration appeared to be singing from the same hymn sheet. Immediately branded as a terrorist by Kristi Noem, the homeland security secretary, Trump and Vance have repeated the claim that she was a part of a “Left-wing Network.” Vance blamed Good for her death, saying it was “a tragedy in her own making,” and claimed she was a “violent rioter.” Trump attempted to make Ross, the shooter, the victim, stating that he spent the night in hospital after she ‘drove into him.’ Trump supporting Fox News presenter, Jesse Waters, thought it was necessary to highlight that she was a lesbian mother and poet in a show on Fox news about the shooting.

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This is a recurring pattern in the Trump administration

The personal attacks of the murdered Good and a crackdown on proper investigation is not a standard procedure within federal governments. This is the procedure of an authoritarian, fascist regime.

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JD Vance promised that Ross would have full immunity from prosecution against any action taken against him. This escalation of ICE not needing to abide by the law, mirrors the actions of other authoritarians. Stalin’s NKVD and Hitler’s Gestapo operated in a fashion that is mirrored in ICE. Public distrust, disappearances, and brazen lack of justice are common themes throughout all these organisations. The Conversation concluded that ICE has met almost all the criteria for being classified as a secret police organisation. “The worst is yet to come,” they claim.

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Waltz’s and Frey’s warnings against provoking Trump demonstrates the fear that he will take military action against the city. This occurred in California and in Washington DC. Deploying the national guard can help quash the protests and silence the outraged. Trump said in 2016: “Real power is … I even don’t like to use the word … but real power is fear."

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The pleas from The Democrats to keep the protests civil demonstrates that the fear is working. Protests are being stopped before they even occur. The opposition can do nothing but hope that they will not over-step his line.

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The Democrats have launched a series of videos with a quote from George Orwell’s 1984: “The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.” The videos that have surfaced following the shooting have been material for debate. Some claim that she attempted to drive away, some say she attempted to drive into the agent. But what is not up for debate is that a woman died a preventable death at the hands of a Trump agent.

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The overanalysing of fractions of a second around the death of Good is not the main news story. The events surrounding it are what demonstrates the intent of the regime. There is a clear attempt to control the narrative without clear evidence. There is a clear attempt to scare the opposition into submission.

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Under Donald Trump, the republican party is “100% Fascist” claimed journalist Mehdi Hasan. Heather Cox Richardson, a political historian and professor at Boston College, said: “Recognising this administration as fascist is now imperative, not least because of the shooting yesterday.”

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What will the reaction be?

On the weekend of the 10th of January, over a 1000 different demonstrations were planned across the United States. Public outrage has been vast. Global reaction has been of concern. But this is nothing out of the ordinary for Trump. With the current news frenzy around the future of Greenland, a perfect distraction is provided.

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“Flood the zone,” is a strategy that many experts have attributed to Trump's regime. Highlighted in Project 2025, a far-right authoritarian plan made by Trump supporters, the strategy looks to flood the airwaves with so many news stories that it is difficult to keep on top of everything that is going on.

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It produces a worrying consequence, that this event, and others like it, could very easily be forgotten in a week or two. Failure in holding the regime account to this murder would normalise the event. Allowing for this to occur gives Trump more power. It allows him to get away with more.

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“That's fine dude, I am not mad at you,” were the final words of Renee Nicole Good. Lies, personal attacks, and zero accountability has surrounded her death. Any yet the only question that can be asked is; will this just be another story?