Gen-X: We Know a Coup When We See One
Calling bullshit on the Trump Administration and ICE
Say what you will about Gen-X. We’ve been called cynical, apathetic, detached, sarcastic — and sure, a lot of that’s true. But we’ve also got finely tuned bullshit detectors. And right now, they’re all blaring at maximum volume.
Because if what’s happening in America right now were happening literally anywhere else on earth, we wouldn’t be debating whether it’s dangerous. We wouldn’t be bickering on social media about whether it’s “really that bad.” We’d be watching it unfold on CNN International while the U.S. military deployed a carrier group to the region "to defend freedom and democracy."
You know how the press briefings would go. We’ve seen them our whole lives:
"The United States strongly condemns the political repression, unlawful detentions, and state-sponsored intimidation taking place in [INSERT COUNTRY]. The President has authorized humanitarian aid, sanctions against the regime, and is prepared to take further action to protect the rights of the people."
Sound familiar? Because if Americans were outside looking in at America right now, we’d be on that list.
Let’s review the tape, shall we?
- Government agents raiding communities.
- Families hiding from federal officers.
- Peaceful protestors attacked and arrested.
- Political leaders openly calling for mass deportations and "purges."
- Journalists demonized as enemies of the state.
- Judges vilified for enforcing the law instead of party loyalty.
- Elected officials sowing conspiracy theories to justify eroding democratic norms.
- Political violence either ignored, encouraged, or minimized.
- Voter suppression tactics dressed up as "election integrity."
- Legislatures openly stripping power from opposing parties.
Now imagine this wasn’t happening in Texas or California. Imagine it was happening in Venezuela. Or Myanmar. Or Hungary. Or Russia. You think we’d be sitting around arguing about “both sides”? Hell no! We’d have UN resolutions flying, emergency sessions at the Security Council, op-eds warning of democratic collapse, and some four-star general explaining why the Marines just landed “to restore order.”
But because the flag on the building says “United States of America,” we’re supposed to pretend it’s all part of the normal political process. A little spicy, maybe, but nothing to worry about. A “difference of opinion.” Business as usual.
Bullshit!
This isn’t about left or right. It’s about right and wrong.
We grew up watching the United States lecture the world about freedom, democracy, and human rights. We watched American presidents speak grandly about the moral obligation to stand up against oppression, no matter where it occurs. We watched regimes fall and dictators get toppled — sometimes by sanctions, sometimes by troops, but always with speeches about the sacred responsibility to protect the oppressed.
We fought wars — some noble, some disastrous — on that principle.
And yet now, with authoritarian behavior metastasizing right here at home, we’re told to sit down and shut up? To stop "overreacting"? To pretend that militarized federal agents dragging people from their homes is just an aggressive policy difference? That political violence is just passionate supporters? That dismantling checks and balances is simply good governance?
Uh...no.
Gen-X may not have invented resistance, but we damn sure recognize authoritarianism when we see it. We grew up with Tiananmen Square on one channel and Desert Storm on another. We watched the Berlin Wall fall and strongmen rise. We know this playbook. We’ve seen this movie before, and we know how it ends.
If this were happening in another country, America would already be calling it a crisis of democracy. We'd be sending aid packages, holding press conferences, and debating military intervention "to protect the rights of the people."
And that’s the ultimate irony: the country that once deployed its power to defend freedom abroad now exports the playbook of repression. The tools we once claimed were meant to liberate others are being turned inward — against journalists, against immigrants, against political opponents, against ordinary Americans—people who dared to believe in the founding ideals written on paper but rarely delivered in practice.
America isn’t special because of its power. America is, or was at least, special because of its ideals. And every time we fail to stand up against creeping authoritarianism at home, we make a mockery of the very values we once claimed to champion abroad.
History will judge us for how we responded to this moment. And Gen-X, for all our alleged apathy, knows damn well: the side of history you stand on isn’t decided by hashtags or hot takes. It’s decided by what you tolerate, and what you refuse to accept.
If this were happening somewhere else, we’d already be fighting to stop it.
The question is: do we have the guts to fight for our own country?
About the Creator
Jeff Olen
Husband and father living (currently) in California. As a software engineer I spent most of my career in Telecom and Healthcare. Then I found my calling in the video game industry. Still want to write sci-fi but we’ll see.
U.S. Pushes for Faster Action to Cut Reliance on China for Rare Earths
Rare Earths: Small Minerals, Massive Power Rare earth elements may sound obscure, but they sit at the heart of modern life. From smartphones and electric vehicles to fighter jets and missile systems, these minerals are essential to both civilian technology and national defense. That reality is why the United States is now pushing for quicker, more decisive action to reduce its dependence on China for rare earth supplies. For years, Washington talked about diversification. Now, it wants speed. The shift reflects growing concern that reliance on a geopolitical rival for critical materials is no longer sustainable in an era of strategic competition. Why China’s Dominance Worries Washington China controls roughly 60–70% of global rare earth mining and an even larger share of processing and refining. Even when rare earths are mined elsewhere, they are often shipped to China for processing. This gives Beijing enormous leverage over global supply chains. U.S. officials fear that in a moment of heightened tension—over Taiwan, trade disputes, or technology restrictions—China could restrict exports. Beijing has already hinted at this possibility in the past, using export controls as a diplomatic tool. From Washington’s perspective, this is not a hypothetical risk. It is a strategic vulnerability that touches everything from renewable energy goals to military readiness. Rare Earths and National Security Few issues unite Democrats and Republicans as strongly as national security. Rare earths fall squarely into that category. Advanced weapons systems rely on these materials for precision guidance, radar, and communications. A disrupted supply could delay production, weaken deterrence, and raise costs dramatically. Pentagon officials have repeatedly warned that dependence on China for defense-critical materials undermines U.S. security. As a result, rare earth supply chains are increasingly viewed through the same lens as energy independence once was. This framing explains the urgency behind Washington’s push for faster action. Why “Quicker Action” Matters Now The U.S. has discussed rare earth independence for over a decade, yet progress has been slow. Mining projects face environmental reviews, local opposition, and long development timelines. Processing facilities require heavy investment and technical expertise that has largely migrated to China. What has changed is the global context. Rising U.S.-China tensions, supply-chain disruptions during the pandemic, and growing demand for clean energy technologies have compressed timelines. Waiting another decade is no longer acceptable to policymakers. Quicker action now means fast-tracking permits, increasing federal funding, and working more aggressively with allies. The Role of Allies in Diversification The United States does not expect to solve the rare earth challenge alone. Instead, Washington is pushing for a “friend-shoring” strategy—building supply chains with trusted partners rather than relying on geopolitical rivals. Australia, Canada, Japan, and several European countries are key players in this effort. Australia already hosts significant rare earth mining operations, while Japan has invested heavily in reducing its own dependence on China after facing export restrictions in the past. By coordinating investment, sharing technology, and aligning regulations, the U.S. hopes to create an alternative ecosystem that can compete with China’s dominance. Environmental and Economic Tensions Rare earth mining is not clean. It involves toxic waste, radioactive byproducts, and significant environmental risks. Ironically, minerals essential for green technologies come with heavy environmental costs at the extraction stage. This creates a political dilemma. Americans want clean energy, but often oppose mining projects in their own communities. Faster action will require balancing environmental protections with strategic necessity—a challenge that has stalled projects in the past. The Biden administration, like administrations before it, faces pressure to prove that domestic mining can be done responsibly without undermining climate commitments. China’s Likely Response Beijing is watching these developments closely. While China has not yet weaponized rare earth exports on a large scale, it understands the leverage it holds. At the same time, China is moving up the value chain—focusing more on advanced manufacturing and less on raw material exports. If the U.S. accelerates diversification successfully, China may respond by tightening export controls in the short term while investing in higher-end technologies that keep it indispensable in other ways. This dynamic underscores that rare earths are not just a resource issue, but part of a broader strategic competition. Economic Implications Beyond Security Reducing reliance on China is not only about defense. It is also about economic resilience. Supply disruptions during the pandemic exposed how fragile global supply chains can be. Rare earth shortages could slow electric vehicle adoption, raise consumer prices, and delay infrastructure projects. By pushing for faster action, Washington hopes to stabilize future growth and protect key industries. Domestic production and allied partnerships could also create jobs and spur innovation, particularly in rural and industrial regions. However, building new supply chains will not be cheap. Consumers and taxpayers may face higher costs in the short term as alternatives to Chinese supplies come online. Challenges That Could Slow Progress Despite political momentum, obstacles remain. Mining projects take years to develop. Processing facilities require specialized knowledge. Workforce shortages, local resistance, and regulatory complexity all pose risks to rapid progress. There is also the danger of overpromising. Policymakers must manage expectations, making clear that reducing reliance on China is a long-term effort, even if action accelerates now. Failure to deliver tangible results could weaken public support and give critics ammunition. Final Thoughts The U.S. push for quicker action in reducing reliance on China for rare earths marks a turning point. What was once a niche policy issue has become a strategic priority at the highest levels of government. This is not about cutting China out of the global economy entirely. It is about ensuring that no single country can control materials essential to modern life and national defense. Speed, coordination, and political will will determine whether Washington succeeds. As competition intensifies, rare earths will remain a quiet but powerful force shaping the future of technology, security, and global influence. The race is no longer just about who has the minerals—but who controls the supply chains that define the 21st centur
By Muhammad Hassanabout 10 hours ago in The Swamp
Comments (5)
Hi we are featuring your excellent Top Story in our Community Adventure Thread in The Vocal Social Society on Facebook and would love for you to join us there
The thing with Gen X is, we also know it's already too late. We were little kids when Watergate happened, or it happened right before we were born, and we remember how people still were outraged years later. Nothing could be worse than Nixon. We remember the hostage crisis being on our TV every night. The count of the days by Dan Rather, Tom Brokaw, and Walter Cronkite. We remember gas lines, and the president telling us, in an bitterly cold winter with record blizzards, telling us to just turn the heat low and put on extra sweaters, hoping he sounded more like FDR than a tone-deaf imbecile with no solutions. We remember Reagan staring down the Russians, but then also testifying about the Iran-Contra affair, mainly saying he didn't remember. With little if any fallout. We remember essentially every president afterward striking countries like Libya (multiple times), Grenada, and Panama for...reasons. But no full-scale wars, because no one wants another Vietnam. Kill a few people here and there with bombs or drones, no biggie. Just got to keep the peace now and then, or keep investors happy. We remember Clinton being mired in scandals even before he got elected, and then more scandals all the way through, from selling out the Lincoln bedroom to Whitewater, culminating in impeachment over the Lewinsky situation, which was really the least of his offenses. And he stayed in office. 20 years later, so did Trump. Essentially our entire lives have been an illustration of the feckless nature of our government, and how the media will cover any story for ratings, and expose all sorts of things, but the players rarely if ever leave the game. The corrupt CEOs go to white collar jail for a few years, but they keep the untold millions they stole, which is always the plan. And the politicians who do finally leave the stage go to private sector jobs and cable commentator jobs. No penalties really. We can protest the way our parents did, the way some of us did during Desert Storm, and for other things, either because we were actually outraged, or because it looked cool when our parents did it. But will anything really change? Probably not. The game was already rigged before the Boomers got in there, and once they did, they locked it down. They're going to drain or control every dollar and do as they please, like it or not.
Congratulations on your Top Story 🎉🥳
The mad king….good thing hes 78. https://shopping-feedback.today/theSwamp/trump-declares-national-emergency-to-tackle-5-year-old-s-mexican-flag%3C/span%3E%3C/span%3E%3C/span%3E%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E%3C/div%3E%3C/div%3E%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv class="css-w4qknv-Replies">
As a fellow GenXer, I applaud this piece. The US has rarely done the real soul-searching necessary to cure its ills. The current situation is nothing that really surprises this Canadian who also grew up with the Berlin Wall and Tiananmen Square.