Sunday’s Forum
Steven L. Taylor
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Sunday, January 11, 2026
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11 comments
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About Steven L. Taylor
Steven L. Taylor is a Professor Emeritus of Political Science and former College of Arts and Sciences Dean. His main areas of expertise include parties, elections, and the institutional design of democracies. His most recent book is the co-authored
A Different Democracy: American Government in a 31-Country Perspective. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Texas and his BA from the University of California, Irvine. He has been blogging since 2003 (originally at the now defunct Poliblog).
Follow Steven on
Twitter and/or
BlueSky.
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Since El Taco claims to be running Venezuela, and we know he has never ever in his pointless life ever told a lie or exaggerated any claim in any way, then one must ask why he’s sent teams of armed pro-regime militias to set up roadblocks and search vehicles for Americans?
MAGA disgusts me. Regarding Renee Good, by their logic, every single January 6th domestic terrorist should’ve been shot 3 times in the face. And Ashli Babbitt had it coming.
But noooooo. That’s TOTALLY DIFFERENT.
I’ve unfriended/unfollowed so many people on social media the last few days. I just can’t take that level of hate/evil anymore.
I’m afraid the ICE shooting is going to fade into obscurity, as every other scandal does with this administration. Where is the shooter now? What’s the status of any investigation? I’ve seen reports that his buddies cleaned evidence out of his house; is that true?
@reid: There were photos of ICE removing all kinds of stuff from his house, but it appears as though that was more “here, we’ll help you move” rather than removing evidence (not sure what evidence that would even be).
I do not think it will fade into obscurity for the simple fact that Noem is relocating hundreds more ICE officers to Minneapolis. They are hell-bent on terrorizing that city.
@Kathy:
His plans always pan out to be the Greatest Ever!
@Jen: I’m not an investigator and don’t even watch such shows on TV, but I was thinking that any sort of investigation into the shooter might involve more than just things found at the scene of the crime. Like establishing that he was unhinged and unfit for duty. I hope you’re right, though.
I don’t imagine ICE will fade into obscurity, they’re making sure of that. But this shooter? Perhaps.
Bob Weir of The Grateful Dead, 78, has died.
@Jen:
I’ve seen a report he was flying a Gadsen flag at his home, since taken down. I have no idea if ICE or the DOJ was helping him move, collecting evidence, disappearing evidence, or doing nothing. But last I heard they were still barring Minnesota authorities from the investigation. It’s easy to see them sweeping his home for any racist or neo-Nazi materials, or maybe Proud Boys or some such. It’s going to be hard to have faith in an investigation by the feds into a state crime that excludes the state.
@Kathy:
The Trump plan appears to be to not care one whit about governance in Venezuala, and aim to coerce the Chavistas into being clients by continued blockade and threats of a “second decapitation”.
Which probably overlooks how dug in and dependent on looting to live the Chavistas/collectivos now are.
Also possibly (but this would be Rubio, not Trump, Tump being a dimwit) using the cut-off of oil to Cuba to force Cuba to pull out its security enforcement apparatus.
It’s an obvious play.
Meanwhile, the oil companies are trying to get it through Trump’s thick skull that the combination of costs, infrastructure collapse, oil price projections, legalities, and security make Venezuela uninvestable.
Of course, they are trying to avoid saying “NO!” to his face, given his proclivity for revenge for perceived slights.
So they will be framing as “Yes, but…” and requiring investment insurance, upfront funding assistance, tax write-offs etc etc.
Can hardly blame them.
Venezuela is a mess.
Iran is likely to become an even bigger mess.
Regarding Iceland, Bjork has called for them to declare independence, stating “colonialism has repeatedly given me chills up my back” and irritating lots of Danes. Icelander and Danes have a sibling rivaly, or as the Icelandic idiom says, Danes make great rulers…..of Danes.
https://grapevine.is/news/2026/01/08/record-store-in-denmark-boycotts-bjork/
@Richard Gardner:
Icelanders and Danes have a bit of history:
Iceland became fully independent in 1944, due to Denmark being under German occupation, and the consequences of the British, then Canadian, then US, occupation of Iceland.