Rodger Payne
@rodgerp.bsky.social
890 followers 510 following 670 posts
Prof of intern'l relations at U of Louisville. SABR member, Jayhawk hoops fan, film buff, & beer snob. Sabbatical Spring 26: Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development (U Utrecht). Pictured: Blue Water Bridge linking Michigan to Ontario.
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rodgerp.bsky.social
Some of the neighbors disagree with the fearful woman.

"Mr Boyd...US Air Force veteran says Trump's plan to send in the troops is a blatant violation of the US constitution.

'I don't understand why law enforcement can't handle it. Like why do you need to send the troops-combat trained and ready?'"
rodgerp.bsky.social
The linked BBC story quotes a woman using the phrase that it's like a war zone. But the next sentence says that the clash is confined to "just one city block."

The story notes that many residents of the apartment complex blame ICE &/or Trump for provoking protesters

www.bbc.com/news/article...
How Portland is wrestling with Trump protests, National Guard threat
As Trump threatens military action, residents in Portland tell the BBC about life amid the protests.
www.bbc.com
rodgerp.bsky.social
The 1 death mentioned (from 2020) is basically a left-wing version of the Kyle Rittenhouse story. A guy went to protests armed & ended up killing a person that seemed threatening.

The right has made Rittenhouse a martyr. The Portland man was shot by law enforcement.

www.npr.org/2020/09/04/9...
Suspect In Fatal Shooting Of Portland Right-Wing Protester Killed By Law Enforcement
Michael Reinoehl's death came as VICE News aired an interview in which he said he shot a Patriot Prayer supporter in what he believed was self-defense.
www.npr.org
rodgerp.bsky.social
It links to an article listing all crimes, ending here:

"Sept. 8: The U.S. Attorney’s Office says 26 people have been charged with federal offenses at the ICE building since June 13."

It mentions a misleading Sept 4 Fox News story that used 5-year old footage.

www.oregonlive.com/portland/202....
How ICE protests have unfolded in Portland, from June until now
Here's what Portlanders need to know as President Donald Trump weighs whether to send the National Guard.
www.oregonlive.com
rodgerp.bsky.social
The list of crimes (terrorism?) include some of the lesser actions taken by Trump supporters on January 6: carrying knives & poles as weapons, toppling statues, wheeling in a guillotine, vandalism, etc. But again, back to 2017.

Even violent J6 convicts were pardoned.
rodgerp.bsky.social
What is she saying? They're going to kill political opponents & accuse them of being Antifa? Is that term more than a slogan they use to describe their political opponents? Have they arrested even one person purported to be part of Antifa?
premthakker.bsky.social
My gosh. After the US bombed multiple boats in the middle of the ocean, murdering people on grounds that they were allegedly "carrying drugs," the US Attorney General says "Just like we did with cartels, we're going to take the same approach, President Trump, with Antifa."
Reposted by Rodger Payne
bookshop.org
You made it halfway through the week *and* we still have free shipping? Sounds like the perfect time to treat yourself to a new book and support indie bookstores in the process. 📚
Reposted by Rodger Payne
volts.wtf
"Energy dominance," you say?

As of this year, *China is exporting more clean-energy technology than the US is exporting the dirty stuff*.

The future is green energy & China, not the US, is set to dominate it.
China Is Beating the US in the Battle for Energy Export Dominance
China’s exports of clean energy technology hit a record in August, with $20 billion shipped globally.
www.bloomberg.com
Reposted by Rodger Payne
volts.wtf
Solar & wind met 109% of new electricity demand, globally, in the first half of 2025.

Renewables are handling all new demand & are inexorably moving beyond, to chip away at the FF foundation.
Global Electricity Mid-Year Insights 2025 | Ember
Solar and wind outpaced demand growth in the first half of 2025, as renewables overtook coal’s share in the global electricity mix.
ember-energy.org
Reposted by Rodger Payne
jackjenkins.me
Reporter's notebook: I actually began working on this story shortly after footage of the incident showed up last month.

But by the time I finally got ahold of folks, the story grew: 2 *other* faith leaders I spoke with *also* reported being shot w/pepper balls while protesting this ICE facility.
jackjenkins.me
Gonna be thinking about this lede for a minute.
(RNS) — Last month, the Rev. David Black stood in front of a Chicago-area U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility and spread his arms wide. Adorned in all black and wearing a clerical collar, the pastor looked up at a group of masked, heavily armed ICE agents on the roof and began to pray.

“I invited them to repentance,” Black, a minister in the Presbyterian Church (USA), said in an interview. “I basically offered an altar call. I invited them to come and receive that salvation, and be part of the kingdom that is coming.”

But when Black began to lower his arms a few seconds later, the agents responded to his spiritual plea by firing pepper balls, or chemical agents that cause eye irritation and respiratory distress, video footage shows. One struck Black in the head, exploding into a puff of white pepper smoke and forcing him to his knees. Fellow demonstrators rushed to his aid, and as the pastor rubbed his face in pain, the agents continued to fire.

“We could hear them laughing,” Black said.
rodgerp.bsky.social
mlbbot.bsky.social
The Cubs have a footlong Korean corn dog for the Postseason 👀

Made with a crunchy Korean corn dog, sweet hot mustard, bacon, aioli and chives
A corn dog topped with mustard, bacon, aioli and chives. It's sitting in a wrapper with the Cubs logo on it and being held out over the field at Wrigley.
Reposted by Rodger Payne
tusk81.bsky.social
“Every time we have been attacked with pepper bullets or tear gas or pepper spray that I have been present, it has felt like it came from anger that we were there, and not from any determined safety need or protocol,” said Rev. Hannah Kardon, a United Methodist pastor. “They are unhinged.”
tusk81.bsky.social
“Fellow demonstrators rushed to his aid, and as the pastor rubbed his face in pain, the agents continued to fire,” @jackjenkins.me reports.

“We could hear them laughing,” Rev. Black said: religionnews.com/2025/10/07/i...
Reposted by Rodger Payne
en.afp.com
"It is going to be disastrous if this continues"

Nobel Prize physics laureate John Clarke says Trump cuts will 'cripple' US scientific research

u.afp.com/SmAy
Reposted by Rodger Payne
unbuildingwalls.bsky.social
Pritzker on Consider This earlier:

"There's some sort of dementia going on, and he just keeps repeating things from years gone by."
kevinmkruse.bsky.social
"Look, the President clearly has some kind of dementia" should be how Democrats begin every single comment to reporters these days.
ericmgarcia.bsky.social
Ruben Gallego on whether Trump is talking to Democrats:

“Look, the President clearly has some kind of dementia, so I think there's a he's probably talking to himself, or think he's talking to a Democrat, but I sincerely doubt that that's actually he's actually physically talking to a Democrat.“
rodgerp.bsky.social
The Trump administration is not just picking fights with blue states, the President is (again) threatening democracy.

The leaders Trump wants to jail were elected democratically -- and unlike Trump, both easily exceeded support from over 50% of the electorate.
rodgerp.bsky.social
ICE is using non-lethal violence against clergy who are protesting non-violently.

It's very worrisome that the police and National Guard members (and ultimately the US Army?) deployed to these areas will carry lethal weapons.
jackjenkins.me
NEW: I spoke to clergy and faith leaders who've joined protests at the Chicago-area ICE facility.

Three say they've been shot with pepper balls, sometimes while praying.

All say ICE is also violating their religious freedom, and one is arguing it in court. religionnews.com/2025/10/07/i...
Religious protesters say ICE threatens religious freedom in Chicago
(RNS) — Despite potential danger, religious leaders and faith activists have been a visible presence at Chicago-area ICE protests, some waving signs with slogans such as ‘Love thy neighbor’ and ‘Who w...
religionnews.com
rodgerp.bsky.social
My blog post yesterday readily fits within this interpretation of ongoing developments. I too pondered the appropriate response, even at the level of activists and individuals: Resistance Strategy When the Government is Itching for Violence

rpayne.blogspot.com/2025/10/resi...
Reposted by Rodger Payne
vermontgmg.bsky.social
If appropriations bills are not seen as enforceable contracts, why should any Member of Congress vote to fund any part of the federal government under Donald Trump? You're voting to provide money for lawlessness. www.doomsdayscenario.co/p/there-is-n...
There is no budget "deal" to be made
President Trump has so broken the constitutional framework as to make joint normal, responsible government impossible.
www.doomsdayscenario.co
rodgerp.bsky.social
Maybe he was going to use lines he learned regarding Washington DC, where the federal government does have plenary authority. A Trump-appointed judge & legal scholars are skeptical about deploying troops in states when the alleged threat is "untethered to the facts":

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/07/o...
Opinion | No, Trump Can’t Deploy Troops to Wherever He Wants
www.nytimes.com
rodgerp.bsky.social
For non-scholars, work of @chenoweth.bsky.social and @mariajstephan.bsky.social demonstrated that non-violent civil resistance works better than violence to achieve policy goals. Their book is great, but here's an article they wrote:

www.belfercenter.org/sites/defaul...
www.belfercenter.org
rodgerp.bsky.social
At the same time, with Trump-Miller et al seemingly itching for street combat, blue state activists perhaps need to make it clear they are borrowing from Gandhi & MLK and counting on the power of non-violence.

Gene Sharp compiled a huge array of options.

commonslibrary.org/198-methods-...
198 Methods of Nonviolent Action by Gene Sharp
The Commons is an online library for the change makers of the world and for those interested in social change, activism, organising, advocacy and justice.
commonslibrary.org