I’m frightened by how well you captured just how desperately stupid a regime like this is. I laughed, I cringed, I laughed some more, I said ‘fuck’ out loud.
Very interesting Orwellian-style satire, more or less in line with how authoritarian regimes worked in the past. Your grandfather's totalitarianism, but not really in the 21st century fascist groove.
Actually in the real-world Utterly Shat-upon-and-goonfucked Amerikkaa there's no real need for this kind of verbally-demanding bureaucratic pedantry. Since the decision has been taken to act completely outside and disregarding the law, there's no need to make up obscure new regs and argue the toss...
Just haul someone off for processing without all the time-wasting brouhaha. They've been doing it in client states for many years now with the name of rendition. Don't forget, dear fascist, to get people well used to it by starting with those whom the American public have already been programmed to regard as inhuman, and work slowly from there.
As Andy Futuro said just today: "I’ll be sure to wave my copy of the constitution at the thugs dragging me into an unmarked van and say, Tsk, tsk, tsk, no siree bob."
The subversive Art of eco ideology!! Great writing, where anything at all might be called tyranny or terrorism!! Not so unimaginable in today’s atmosphere!
So scary. This should be mandatory reading for all, if the act of distributing this wasn’t an act of terrorism.
Can we really call this fiction when it’s straight from the Project 2025 playbook?
Jk. Great story catching the fear and chaos of life in America today
who said it was fiction?
I’m frightened by how well you captured just how desperately stupid a regime like this is. I laughed, I cringed, I laughed some more, I said ‘fuck’ out loud.
Very interesting Orwellian-style satire, more or less in line with how authoritarian regimes worked in the past. Your grandfather's totalitarianism, but not really in the 21st century fascist groove.
Actually in the real-world Utterly Shat-upon-and-goonfucked Amerikkaa there's no real need for this kind of verbally-demanding bureaucratic pedantry. Since the decision has been taken to act completely outside and disregarding the law, there's no need to make up obscure new regs and argue the toss...
Just haul someone off for processing without all the time-wasting brouhaha. They've been doing it in client states for many years now with the name of rendition. Don't forget, dear fascist, to get people well used to it by starting with those whom the American public have already been programmed to regard as inhuman, and work slowly from there.
As Andy Futuro said just today: "I’ll be sure to wave my copy of the constitution at the thugs dragging me into an unmarked van and say, Tsk, tsk, tsk, no siree bob."
The scariest story EJ has ever written
glad to see you branching out into nonfiction!
This was masterful because it very well could be a thing in a year or two. Brava
Yup: who said it was fiction? Chilling. Perfect choice of format, EJ, and a killer last line. You're on fire!
thank you 🙏 always good to see you around the stacks
Been holding on by my fingernails for a week or two. But it's getting better!
EJ, that was a harrowing story and, in many levels, absolutely in keeping with the time we are living in. Poor Caroline.
EJ! You're nonfiction writer now?
working on my dissertation
Disturbing. Well done.
Kafkaesque and getting closer to reality every day. Really good.
Depressing in its accuracy. Can we confirm where here is anymore?
The subversive Art of eco ideology!! Great writing, where anything at all might be called tyranny or terrorism!! Not so unimaginable in today’s atmosphere!
A true horror story.
This is brilliant! Kafka meets Idiocracy. Beautifully done.