the attitude with arnie arnesen the thurs edition Jan 22

[Arnie Arnesen]

The Attitude with Arnie Arnesen
opening thoughts: on the role of the police vrs the actions of Trump ...on what is driving the world away from the US not Trump it is our failed democracy

producers: Dave Scott and Stephanie Collins
Chloé LaCasse (the best of the attitude)
streaming live at wnhnfm.org noon EST on the dial-94.7FM Concord NH
podcasts available at
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/attitude-with-arnie-arnesen/id1634055179

opening thoughts:

 

This is message from a former police officer friend that I admire and respect, Jim Shepard. He is speaking truth.

He writes:

These aren’t my words but they capture my feelings on the Renee Goode situation pretty well

“I wore a badge long enough to know the difference between a dangerous situation and a manufactured one.

What happened in Minneapolis wasn’t split-second chaos. It wasn’t a tragic accident. And it sure as hell wasn’t “necessary force.”

It was escalation. Illegal, reckless escalation—and any law enforcement official who tells you otherwise is lying, or hasn’t done the job.

From what we’ve seen so far, the encounter didn’t begin with a threat that justified lethal force.

There was no imminent danger to officers or the public that required bullets. There was time. There were options. There were off-ramps.

And they weren’t taken.

One of the first things you’re taught as a police officer is that force is not a punishment. It’s not a tool to assert dominance. It’s not something you use because someone doesn’t comply fast enough or says the wrong thing.

Force is a last resort governed by law. Period.

The standard is simple: Is there an immediate threat of serious bodily harm or death? If the answer is no, deadly force is unlawful. Full stop.

What we’re being fed now—by Trump officials, right-wing media, and the same law-and-order grifters who never hesitate to excuse police violence—is a familiar script.

They cherry-pick moments. They speculate about “what could have happened.” They inflate fear after the fact to justify an outcome that was already decided before any real threat existed.

That’s not analysis. That’s propaganda.

I’ve watched this play out too many times. A civilian is killed. The facts are inconvenient. So the story gets rewritten—fast. Suddenly the victim is on trial. Suddenly we’re told the officer “felt threatened.” Suddenly every rule of policing bends to accommodate the result.

But feelings don’t determine legality. The Constitution does.

If a cop “feels” scared but the objective facts don’t support deadly force, the shooting is still illegal.

Law enforcement isn’t vibes-based. It’s rule-based. Or at least it’s supposed to be.

The Trump administration knows this. They also know that if they repeat the lie often enough—if they shout “violent suspect” and “split-second decision” and “officer safety” into every camera—they can muddy the water long enough for accountability to disappear.

That’s the real pattern here. Not law enforcement. Not justice.

Covering your ass cause you just did something morally abhorrent and don’t want to admit it.

As someone who has been in violent confrontations, who has had to make real decisions under real pressure, I’m telling you this plainly: restraint is part of the job. De-escalation is part of the job. Walking away alive with everyone still breathing is the job.

When officers abandon that responsibility—and when the federal government rushes to excuse it—we don’t get safety. We get impunity.

And when the state lies to protect unlawful killing, it doesn’t just dishonor the person who died. It poisons the legitimacy of every officer who still believes the badge means something.

This wasn’t a tragedy without cause. It was a choice.

And no amount of propaganda can change that.”

Stream of consciousness...would love your thoughts.

Even if we remove Trump, Europe and the rest of the world will never trust us again. Why?

Because it is now clear to them that it is not Trump that has brought us to this democratic collapse...it is how we have methodically bastardized democracy over the last 40 years.

Let me share a list of the democracy destroying practices we have embraced

-unleashing bottomless vats of money, especially dark money, into politics with no limits

- legalizing partisan gerrymandering ensuring politicians can pick their voters,

- packing a US Supreme court with lifetime appointments and allowing them to operated under no ethical code of behavior,

- refusing to implement term limits on members of congress

- legalizing voting systems that intentionally establish creative barriers to exercising the franchise,

- passing laws that have aided and abetted a grotesque level of inequality

- failing to break up the power of monopolies

- shredding workers rights...

The EU and NATO are now facing their come to Jesus moment...America's democracy is not reliable, frankly it is no longer a democracy but a fascist aligned system masquerading as a democracy.

In the end nations would rather deal with a reliable authoritarian one party dictatorship like China than a chaotic malignant narcissist leader like Trump emerging from a system that is incapable of exercising checks on power.

part one:Anders Croy Communications Director for Florida Watch and the DeSantis Watch accountability project.

Anders Croy has been working in the Florida political process for a decade, amassing extensive experience in both campaigns and legislative policy. A sixth-generation Floridian, Anders lives in his hometown of Tallahassee

topics:

Desantis leaves office

Entering final year as governor, DeSantis takes victory lap on education https://www.axios.com/local/miami/2026/01/21/governor-desantis-claims-victory-on-public-education-in-florida

Property taxes vrs property insurance

Poll: Florida Voters by Nearly 2 to 1 Margin Favor Property Insurance Relief Over Property Tax Relief


https://www.chronicleonline.com/weeklies/riverland_news/poll-florida-voters-by-nearly-2-to-1-margin-favor-property-insurance-relief-over-property/article_868b2bed-aac7-57a5-b493-fddd53d47c44.html

Florida voters could decide major property tax cuts on the 2026 ballot https://www.wftv.com/news/local/florida-voters-could-decide-major-property-tax-cuts-2026-ballot/B23CKCMW6RBOHIO63Z25HTVOTM/

Part two:   Harold Meyerson editor at large of The American Prospect.

statement of the Pres of Poland

25th Amendment Time for Mad King Donald

Today on TAP: His narcissism has become psychotically megalomaniacal. https://prospect.org/2026/01/20/25th-amendment-time-mad-king-donald/

A New Low for American Workers

The share of American income going to labor is at its lowest level since measurements began. https://prospect.org/2026/01/19/american-workers-labor-bureau-labor-statistics-gdp-redistribution-wealth/

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KEEPING THE POT STIRRED SO SCUM DOESN'T RISE TO THE TOP -  Anonymous 

D. ARNIE ARNESEN
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