Louisiana Voice

“I do give perspective to the precedent. But it should — the precedent should be respectful of our legal tradition, and our country, and our laws, and be based on something, not just something somebody dreamt up and others went along with.”

–Clarence Thomas, questioning legal precedents at an appearance Thursday at the Catholic University’s Columbus School of Law (A precursor to more fealty to Trump by the court?)

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“I have seen my entire career destroyed by Trump in six months. I always felt the placement of the immigration court in the Department of Justice was wrong. The boss of the prosecutor should not be the boss of the judge. I feel like the immigration courts are the canaries in the coal mine, and what’s happening to them is an illustration of what might happen to other court systems if we don’t stop it.”

– Immigration Jude Dana Leigh Marks (ret.)

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(Editor’s note: I am taking the liberty of re-posting Kirk Bangstad’s essay from his own newsletter in hopes of helping him in recruiting more members of the resistance. I hope you will read this in its entirety and get a paid subscription to his newsletter. What he is attempting to do is vital to our continued freedom from this monster Trump and his followers – and trust me, if something happens to Trump, there are plenty more to follow in his authoritarian footsteps.)

First, They Hunted Immigrants; Now They’re Hunting Teachers.

The history of the Chinese Cultural Revolution tells us that we must stand up for our truth-tellers now–or risk persecution, violence, and even death–later.

Minocqua Brewing Company

When I was at Harvard from 1995-1999 majoring in Government, it was a foregone conclusion that I would take Professor Roderick McFahrquhar’s class on China’s Cultural Revolution. He was one of the world’s top scholars on Maoist China and his reputation as a master lecturer was renowned. His course shed a light on all the horrible things that happened after China rejected science, education, history, and their own culture at the behest of their cult leader, Mao Zedong.

In short, China’s 10 year Cultural Revolution from 1966-76 resulted in the death and persecution of millions of Chinese, left an entire generation of China’s population undereducated, and in the Communist Party’s own words (written later in 1981) was responsible for “the most severe setback” since the People’s Republic’s founding.

Mao Zedung’s failed agriculture policies that caused mass starvation, as well as his persecution of China’s intelligentsia that led to mass violence, torture, and displacement, should be a warning to us all.

Why?

Because the political and cultural underpinnings of China’s barbaric Cultural Revolution exist today in Trump’s America.

1. The capitulation of mainstream media to Trump means at worst, we’re not getting real news—or at best, we’re only getting pieces of real news.
2. America’s dependence on social media platforms inundated by bots and AI means that much of what we see online is propaganda meant to keep us in fear.
3. The cult of personality among the undereducated and easily-manipulated surrounding Trump is as strong today as it was under Mao in the 1960’s.
4. Anti-education, anti-science, and anti-expert/elite propaganda in America is stronger than it’s ever been in my lifetime. Just look at the current war on Tylenol.
5. Our federal government is outwardly lying to us (‘there’s nothing in the Epstein Files.’)
6. Trump is occupying progressive cities under the guise of immigration control and crime prevention, but the goal is to keep us in fear and control us/our ballot boxes before the 2026 election. (much like the “Red Guard” and “People’s Liberation Army” was sent to control the Chinese people during the Cultural Revolution.)
7. Trump’s regime is starting to persecute anyone who dares tell the truth—like comedians, journalists, and teachers (similar to what happened in China)—so that society will be too afraid to hold a mirror up to his corrupt regime and capitulate to dictatorial rule.

Des Moines Superintendent and Olympian Ian Roberts, , Iowa Teacher Matt Kargol, and Wisconsin Teacher Krista Lesiecki have all been persecuted in the last week by ICE and online cult mobs

Just a few days ago, we learned that ICE detained Des Moines’ popular School Superintendent, Ian Roberts. While Robert’s immigration status is still under investigation—even though he’s lived most of his life in the U.S. and was a celebrated olympic athlete—ICE said he was a “danger to society.”

That statement about Roberts is an absurd lie meant to push the false narrative that our public schools are filled with left-wing extremists, but that lie was still published by mainstream media because it came from our federal government.

Matt Kargol is a teacher in Oskaloosa, Iowa, and Krista Lesiecki is a teacher in Ellsworth, Wisconsin. Both were fired from their jobs after posting negative comments about Charlie Kirk’s legacy. These two teachers were among many others also targeted by online mobs of Trump/Kirk followers or bots posing as Trump/Kirk followers.

Teachers don’t make enough money to defend themselves from online mobs and sue their school districts to protect their jobs. Their unions are supposed to do that for them, but teachers unions—especially in Wisconsin—have been decimated by Republicans.

So what does that mean?

Our teachers are VERY VULNERABLE right now across America, and we as a society must protect them at all costs. Our kids’ future freedom depends on them being able to learn media literacy in school, which teaches them how to understand the difference between truth and lies.

So what do we do when migrants, minorities, government bureaucrats, law firms, universities, comedians, and now TEACHERS are getting attacked by Trump?

We strike, of course. That’s the only way.

And we can look to Italy for guidance, because they just pulled off a massive General Strike in protest against Israel’s Palestinian genocide.

This show of force, organized by Italy’s trade unions, is gaining momentum. Strike organizers met this weekend to bring in unions from other European countries to block shipments to Israel. People across the world are realizing that the only way for their voices to be heard in an era of authoritarianism is through strikes that hurt national economies and the oligarchs behind those economies.

Last June, I laid out a scenario that outlined how resistance groups across America could start engaging in monthly organizational stress tests to gather momentum for a real General Strike in the fall of 2026—when it seems like Trump will probably attempt to cancel our elections and further consolidate power.

I had a meeting scheduled with organizers at the nationwide level of Indivisible, which I believe is currently the largest organized resistance group in America. Unfortunately, right around the time i was supposed to meet with Indivisible, I was arrested at my own taproom, along with 6 of my customers, for simply giving a political speech against the right-wing ringleader of corruption in Oneida County, Gregg Walker.

After spending a harrowing 24 hours in a tiny cell with hardly any human contact (much like solitary confinement), I decided to pull back from activism at the statewide level and focus on protecting my company from the local goons in Oneida County while continuing to build what I believe will be a major tool for the Resistance.

This tool is an e-commerce site called the Minocqua Marketplace, which I hope will become an “Amazon for Progressives,” and allow the left to boycott any company that bends the knee to Trump and easily purchase substitute goods from companies that are part of the resistance movement. Go to this link https://minocquamarketplace.com/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email and scroll all the way to the bottom to get a free subscription to his newsletter.

I hope that, once large enough, we can divert a portion of the proceeds from the sale of goods on this site to a “General Strike Fund” that helps ensure that those striking have food/shelter/health care, etc.

My mental health after being jailed demanded that I consolidate my efforts and not spread myself too thin, but the summer is now over, the Minocqua Marketplace has been built, and my taproom has made it successfully through yet another summer tourism season.

It’s now time that the Minocqua Brewing Company rejoin the conversation about how to bring Trump, Musk, Zuckerberg, Bezos, Thiel, Ellison (father and son) to their knees through a General Strike, which will hopefully pit Oligarch against Dictator, and will hopefully allow America to come out on the other side with a winning Democratic coalition.

Folks, this is the way.

We must take to the streets and take to our social media platforms to stop ICE from disappearing school superintendents and stop propaganda bots from cancelling teachers. But we can’t stop there.

We must organize with a purpose to strike and crush the U.S. economy until we get our rights back, and we must demand that all 3 branches of our Federal Government start listening to us again.

In my mind, the upcoming “No Kings Rally on October 18th” is yet another crucial organizing stress test that will lead to the ultimate goal of striking, which is the obvious and most effective tactic to fight against tyranny. I hope to see many of you after the protest at our taproom in Madison.

Until then, thanks for reading, and thanks for sticking with the Minocqua Brewing Company.

Together, while fighting ICE and the bots, and by staying clear-eyed about what has to be done to save Democracy, we will get our country back—One Beer At A Time.

Kirk Bangstad

Owner, Minocqua Brewing Company/Minocqua Marketplace

Publisher, Minocqua Brewing Company Times

Founder, Minocqua Brewing Company Super PAC

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In the dystopian world in which we find ourselves today, there are plenty of candidates for the title of political whore right here in Louisiana. But despite the back alley skirt-hiking maneuvers of our two U.S. senators, there is no more prevalent practitioner of sycophantic whoredom than that paragon of virtue Mike Johnson.

Let’s face it, the House Speaker runs a full-service House of ill repute for the exclusive pleasure of TACO Donald Trump. Jeffrey Epstein? Who needs pedophilia when you have your very own personal political prostitute who is willing and eager to perform any service you desire?

Too harsh? Well, let’s look at the record and you can decide for yourself (except, of course, the diehard MAGHATS who still haven’t comprehended the insult directed their way when Trump said the well-educated don’t like him)

First, let’s go back to Jan. 26, 2024, a full year before Cadet Bone Spurs re-entered the Oval Office. The Senate, in a rare case of bipartisanship, had reached an agreement on a border deal, a deal that was tied to aid to Ukraine. But Trump sent word to Johnson that he did not want Biden to receive any credit on immigration so, Johnson, obediently chimed in that the legislation would be “DEAD ON ARRIVAL” in the House. How’s that for putting interests of the nation over political considerations?

Not convinced yet? Fast forward to March 4, 2025. As the Trump administration was slashing budgets, firing personnel and abolishing agencies indiscriminately through his surrogate at the time, Elon Musk, it was Johnson who cautioned – no, instructed – House members to avoid at all costs holding any TOWN HALL MEETINGS back home during a legislative recess. His explanation, echoing his puppet master Don the Con in claiming demonstrations back home against the cuts was fueled by “professional protesters” without an ounce of evidence to that assertion.

“Why would we give them a forum to do that (protest) right now?” Mikey asked, not necessarily rhetorically. Because, by God, it’s your damned job to listen to your constituents, you mealy-mouthed double-deal Charlatan. Of course, el Trumpo decreed it, so Johnson, the flaccid sycophant that he is, complied.

Still not enough? (My, you really are wearing blinders.) Follow me to July 23 of this year. That’s when Johnson RECESSED THE HOUSE early to avoid a vote on the Epstein files. Clever, right? Some of his own party didn’t think so. They were pissed. Here’s Johnson’s less-than-convincing explanation: “We have a moral responsibility to expose the evil of Epstein and everybody who was involved in that, absolutely. And we’re resolved to do it. But we also have an equal moral responsibility to protect the innocent.” Protecting the guilty, including the hand moving his mouth, is more like it.

If that’s still not sufficient, there’s this story that posted just yesterday (Sept. 27). You see, there is this discharge petition pending that, if approved, could force a vote on the House floor on the release of the Epstein files. You want a clear-cut example of Johnson’s inconsistency? Try this.

When Democrat Adelita Grijalva won her race for Arizona’s 7^th House District last week, she became the 218^th – and final – signature needed to force that vote. But wait. Johnson said he WANTS TO WAIT until her election results are official before she is sworn in. That’s despite:

• Her winning the seat by 40 points (a bigly landslide)
• Two weeks ago, when Democrat James Walkinshaw won his race in Virginia, Johnson swore him in immediately (because his vote didn’t put the discharge petition over the top) and
• Johnson’s practice of seating Republican members the very day after their race was called.

There you have it, folks. Whoredom at its best. Johnson is literally the best politician money – or corruption – can buy.

Got a request of Mikey? Give a bundle of money to his pimp, El Presidente, and stand back and watch the Speaker turn tricks.

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