I cannot be alone in thinking that 2026 is already proving to be a very long year. The killing of Renee Good by ICE operatives in Minneapolis has only intensified the sense that this year began badly and threatens to become worse.
This was murder
I use the word murder advisedly. We do not need a court, a hearing, or the verdict of a jury to understand what happened. The evidence is in the public domain. A woman, plainly frightened, attempted to leave a situation in which she did not wish to remain. She posed no threat. She was shot dead by an ICE agent as she tried to drive away. That this was murder is, to my mind, beyond serious doubt.
The shock is compounded by the location. It is only a few years since George Floyd was killed, barely a mile from where Renee Good died. If there was any lesson to be learned from that atrocity, it appears to have been ignored by elements of far-right law enforcement in the United States. Worse still, the administration's response made an already appalling event still more disturbing.
Falsehood after falsehood was advanced about Renee Good's actions, despite video evidence being available for all to see. Those claims were repeated by the president, the vice-president, the president's spokesperson, and others. Every one of them was contradicted by the evidence we all could see.
From murder to political execution
Then came what was presented as justification. J. D. Vance asserted that Renee Good was part of the far left and an organised opponent of what Donald Trump seeks to achieve. No evidence was offered. No legal framework was invoked, but the implication was unmistakable: her political opposition was, in his view, sufficient reason for her death. What was already a murder was reframed, by his words, as a political execution.
In doing so, Vance made explicit where he and the Trump administration now stand on democratic rights in the United States. Opposition is no longer something to be tolerated. It is something to be eradicated.
I very much doubt that J. D. Vance knows what Renee Good's political opinions actually were. I am not claiming I do. I suspect she was categorised on the basis that she was a poet, and therefore assumed to be dangerous, an agitator, a threat. I have not read her poetry and cannot comment on it. But what is implicit in Vance's remark is deeply troubling nonetheless: the suggestion is that thought itself is an act of opposition, and that thinking differently from the administration is sufficient to justify summary killing.
What legitimacy looks like when it is lost
I am shocked, saddened, and appalled. I feel a genuine sense of grief for someone I never knew, alongside deep sympathy for her children, her family, her friends, and her community. There was no justification for what happened. There never could be.
When a government believes it can kill members of its own population and then lie about it as if this were its right, it forfeits any claim to legitimacy. A government that behaves in this way ceases to be an agent of the public good and becomes a public enemy. That is now the position of the Trump administration. There can be no excuse for its conduct, no exoneration for those who committed or excused this act, and no tolerance for the continuation of such rule.
There is, of course, little that most of us can do directly to change outcomes in the United States. Boycotting US goods may offer a form of protest, but in a globalised economy, it is difficult to do so meaningfully. Economic pressure alone is insufficient in any case. What is required is moral leadership against a government that has gone profoundly wrong.
This is where there is something I can do. I can write to my MP and, through them, press the Prime Minister to condemn what has happened, to denounce a government that has permitted and excused this killing, and to reconsider the UK's relationship with the United States. That relationship is still described as “special”, but in practice, it has become deeply toxic because of what it now embodies.
There can be no special relationship with a government that endorses violence against its own people, justifies murder for political reasons, and shows careless indifference to democratic representation. It is clear that the Trump administration is actively seeking to undermine democracy itself. Unless and until Keir Starmer says this plainly, through his words and actions, he will be aligning the UK with oppression and tyranny.
That alignment can be challenged. I would urge readers to write to their MP, asking them to share their concerns with the Prime Minister and to request a response. There is a ChatGPT prompt reproduced below to assist in doing so. Copy and paste this post into ChatGPT as a start, or, of course, start from scratch with your own thoughts and keyboard.
The wholly unnecessary and unwarranted death of Renee Good demands nothing less. Even as we fear the consequences of the actions that led to her killing, and the rhetoric that has followed, we must recognise that what is at stake is not only the well-being of people in the United States, but the safety of all people and the supposed security of democratic societies everywhere.
Renee Good should not have died. We can say "never again" and work toward that goal. It is the least we can do.
Taking further action
If you want to write a letter to your MP on the issues raised in this blog post, there is a ChatGPT prompt to assist you in doing so, with full instructions, here.
One word of warning, though: please ensure you have the correct MP. ChatGPT can get it wrong.
Comments
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It should be noted that firstly the ICE agents were in Minnesota against the wishes of the Minnesotan leaders and secondly why were they shooting to kill? Surely armed officers should seek to at most disable rather than kill a suspect?
It has already been a long year, but I hope Minnesota continues to stand up to it’s right to govern itself without interference from invited external forces. Maybe the killing of a white, middle class, unarmed woman will finally expose the thuggery of ICE and put a stop to this awful brutality. Sadly had it been a non-white the outrage would not be the same,now would it be getting the work attention it is. The idea that this woman was a left wing domestic terrorist is so ridiculous. From the videos she was just a scared woman wanting to escape an escalating situation. May she RIP.
Heads need to roll and criminal charges pressed.
Thanks
Sorry to jump in at the top, but reading Peter Oborne’s Gaza horror ‘Complicit’ (2025) it seems that ‘disproportionate’ means of action are the new ‘in thing’ for existing/newly made authoritarian state agencies dealing with anyone who is considered to be ‘not one of us’ or a threat/just a different POV – from shooting people dead to arresting people meeting at a Quaker House, and killing Palestinians in Gaza to a huge ratio to that of your own losses (and that goes way back in Israel).
I can only describe this as a misappropriation of the basic laws of humanity.
Correct
Murder most foul.
Starmer is in something of a bind wrt the USA.
a) 44 UK-onwed F35s which depend on the USA for their software – no software & the plane is scrap metal
b) the Trident missiles are leased from the USA, no missiles – no nuke deterrent.
Speak out & condemn the murder &… Trump decides to teach the UK a lesson (see above) – thus we are in “yess massa” territory.
(by contrast, the French are most definitely not & the Swedes now have a fighter aircraft (Gripen) that is almost equal to the F35 – mostly due to work by Rolls-Royce on the GE-supplied engines – begs the question: how come Sweden can develop somthing like the Gripen and the Uk can’t?). Apologies for off-topic.
I see that more US citizens have been shot by ICE. I assume this is intentional and aims to get a reaction which will lead to further repression and eventually the cancelling of mid-term elections.
All noted.
And re F35s and nukes, so what? What are we defending?
Your conclusion: agreed
I have read that Canada supplied vital parts to the F35 fighter, and has now stopped doing so. Instead, they are working with Sweden on the Gripen fighter. Hope this is true.
It might be difficult but we should be beginning to dump any US-backed arms anyway and move towards more reliable allies. Maybe it would be best to start ripping off the plaster sooner than later.
How come we can’t ?
Actually we are, Mike.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BAE_Systems_Tempest
My view remains that the so called independent nuclear deterrent is actually arms paid for by us for use by the Americans. Call me cynical, but I don’t believe we should have nuclear weapons or that they make us more safe.
Agreed
Here, we need to voice support for those political parties and leadwrs that are willing to support international law, human rights, and common decency.
Labour and Starmer haven’t been willing to condemn how Maduro was seized and have seemed unwilling to comment on ICE attacks. The most they’ve been willing to do has been to co-sign a letter voicing opposition to military invasion of Greenland.
Meanwhile the Greens and Lib Dems have been willing to voice clear support for international rules and condemn lawless actions.
What we can do here is voice support for those who share our sense of right and wrong with sufficient conviction to declare it.
I agree, but it’s also fair to say it’s always easier to say what you really think when you’re not in power and it’s unlikely to affect your ability to get in power.
I don’t want to discourage anyone from writing to their MP, especially if you have one of those rare ones who listens, but I can’t find the energy. I campaigned for my MP in 2019, putting up with remarks about Corbyn from campaigners, & the knowledge that the main opposition was from Labour HQ. My MP was in LFI, so no response writing about war crimes or genocide. She is a Minister, so no joy on child poverty. Her boss is Wes Streeting so no joy on NHS.
I challenged her last week about why she entered politics in 2015, our government’s complicity in war crimes, authoritarian repression of protest, the moral case for calling out the USA’s action in Venezuela, about her complicity if she didn’t stand up for the rule of law, about the danger for her grandchildren if we continued to abuse our planet. I’ve been writing to her for 7 years. In opposition she was a good MP. In government, she appears to have suffered from a moral hijack like most of her colleagues.
If the murder of Hind Rajab in Gaza didnt stir her to action, then I’m not sure the murder of Renee Good in Minneapolis by ICE will move her either. Our government’s loyalty to their foreign “allies” and their dependence on patronage to fund their campaigns, is far more important than the welfare of constituents, or any overarching morality or human rights.
I’m ashamed to say, I am not shocked or appalled any more. Very very angry, yes, but not shocked. We’ve chosen Folly, Mammon, & Beelzebul, and we made that choice long ago. In July 2024 we filled Parliament (with a few exceptions) with those who had already made that choice.
The work of FTF IS vital, a better tomorrow will come, and we have to prepare. But I lost faith in our current institutions long ago. Tact and diplomacy aren’t working any more. Decency, care, and compassion never go out of fashion and are more powerful than we realise. But nowadays, I share my moral outrage + evidence to shock those who have for so long, been consuming too much “soma” (Aldous Huxley, Brave New World).
Noted
Let’s hope that the majority of the American people who have watched the videos of this uncontrolled killing will see it is unjustifiable murder and thoroughly reject the Republican party at the next elections.
Those pronouncements by Trump, Vance and their minions more or less justifying political executions make the utterances of the Ayatollahs in Iran look almost statesmanlike.
We need to put all this into a wider context of how human beings behave.
We can start by recognising that the politics of caring consists of two types; caring for self and caring for others, that this is how life is set up in the universe.
Secondly, we should see that finding a balance between these two types of caring behaviour requires democracy, an institutional system which generates adherence to the Rule of Law.
Thirdly, all human beings should work together to apply a coherent and effective international Rule of Law.
Fourthly, Rule of Law is useless unless there’s a recognition nations are capable of creating two types of money private and public with the latter having a primary authority.
Fifthly, a recognition is needed global trade must be structured to benefit all not just capital controlling elites or specific racist and/or militarily dominant nations.
Finally, all the above must take place within the context of an over-arching caring for the planet without which any other type of caring will eventually become null and void.
All the MPs around where I live (near Lichfield) are either Israel-complicit, having worked to get rid of Corbyn (e.g. Robertson, Snell) or simply wet (Ingham). Writing to my MP, who I loath on a personal basis having worked with him when in Labour, is a waste of time.
Fair comment.
I read that Trump now considers himself to be not constrained by international laws but only by “my own morality, my own mind”.“It’s the only thing that can stop me,”
He goes on to assert however that… “Ownership is very important,”….“Because that’s what I feel is psychologically needed for success. I think that ownership gives you a thing that you can’t do with, you’re talking about a lease or a treaty. Ownership gives you things and elements that you can’t get from just signing a document.”
His moronic mind does not extend to the understanding that the concept of ownership can only exist when underwritten by law.
What Trump really means is that he intends, at any one time, to brutally take possession….a far different thing.
Much to agree with.
I have emailed my SNP MP. I used ChatGPT to create the email. ChatGPT changed the word murder to unjustified killing! My MP has always written back before and Richard if you’re curious about his response let me know. Starmer cannot stay silent on this.
Please share…
Some thoughts about the US Presidency today and early Nazi Germany.
1. Personalisation of power.
Fascism grows when political legitimacy shifts from institutions to a single figure. In Weimar Germany, loyalty migrated from parliament to Hitler personally. In the US, the presidency has become increasingly centralised, with personal loyalty to the president often treated as more important than constitutional norms.
2. Normalisation of political violence.
In early Nazi Germany, violence by sympathisers was minimised, excused, or justified rhetorically as “necessary” or “provoked.” When killings or threats are reframed as understandable reactions rather than crimes, the moral boundary protecting civil politics weakens.
3. Dehumanisation of opponents.
Fascism relies on dividing society into “real” citizens and internal enemies. Nazis used language of contamination and betrayal. Contemporary US rhetoric increasingly casts political opponents as traitors, vermin, or existential threats – language that makes violence psychologically easier to justify.
4. Instrumental use of law enforcement and justice.
In Germany, courts and police were not immediately abolished; they were selectively used. Allies received leniency, opponents faced harshness. Comparable concerns arise when US justice is portrayed as legitimate only when it serves one political faction.
5. Delegitimisation of elections.
Nazis undermined trust in democratic outcomes before abolishing democracy itself. Persistent claims that elections are rigged unless one side wins erode consent to peaceful transfer of power – a core democratic norm.
6. Cultivation of grievance and victimhood.
Fascism thrives on collective resentment: humiliation, loss, and betrayal. The Nazi movement mobilised economic anxiety and national decline. US presidential politics increasingly frames supporters as victims of shadowy elites or conspiracies, requiring a strong leader to restore greatness.
7. Media intimidation and truth relativism.
The Nazis attacked independent media as “lying press.” Today, systematic attacks on journalists, combined with alternative “truth ecosystems,” weaken shared reality – essential for democratic accountability.
8. Emergency logic.
Fascism advances by insisting that normal rules are too slow for existential threats. The more politics is framed as permanent crisis, the easier it becomes to justify extraordinary powers.
Bottom line:
Democracies do not collapse overnight. They erode when violence is excused, institutions hollowed out, and loyalty to a leader supersedes loyalty to law. History shows these patterns are recognisable long before dictatorship arrives.
You’re right that boycotts alone aren’t very effective. But if they become part of a national campaign, they could begin to influence our politicians (who are currently frozen, probably by fear) to take action. Because they must.
Thanks
Trump and his henchmen, along with camp followers, are an affront to any humanity we know.
Firstly, they can be easily identified as meeting most of the criteria for fascism. They are fascists, Mr Starmer, and should be called out as such. Their deeds and words are all recorded and should serve as evidence when they are brought to justice.
Second, they are telling citizens to ignore the evidence of their own eyes and the truth. The truth is what they say it is, echoing the finale of Orwell’s 1984.
I’m heartened that millions of US citizens will not accept this. Nor should we or our own government. We cannot be indifferent toward it because we are part of all mankind.
Remember, when the bell tolls, it tolls for thee.
Respect for Richard, who has been calling fascism out by Trump and others for a long time.
Any apologists for Trump in UK or in UK media should be asked why they support a regime that our forefathers fought against, many giving their lives.
Otherwise, remembering the sacrifices of WW2 becomes a sham for those people, not for the rest of us who still believe in what they fought for.
Thanks
The brazen lies of the Trumpists when video clearly contradicted them is appalling… I was going to say surprising… but no I’m not surprised. Seems they can deny reality just by saying so. Even before the murder ICE agents were being needlessly cruel.. pepper spraying bystanders who were trying to shelter behind an umbrella while trying to retain their footing in a slippery snow bank… getting pushed over… Thank goodness for cell phones, without their evidence we would have to go along with the story; this is what revealed the horrors of Gaza too. Keep your phones handy from now on! BTW Canada has been just as cowardly, I have heard no murmur of contradiction from our worthy politicians, so scared Trump will levy more tariffs! Time to stand up people.
Agreed
While Renee Good was killed on America’s own doorstep, we have to remember that the USA’s incursion in Venezuela resulted in 100-200 deaths. U.S.-backed coups and interventions have resulted in significant loss of life, not necessarily directly by the instigators, but by those whom they back.
Guatemala (1954 Coup): 200,000 deaths and disappearances
Indonesia (1965-66): 500,000 to 1 million deaths
Operation Condor (South America) (1975-1983): 60,000 to 80,000
Chile (1973 Coup): 3,000 people killed or “disappeared”
Plus various wars. Then there is the aftermath. “Everywhere the [neoliberal capitalist] Chicago School crusade has triumphed, it has created a permanent underclass of between 25 and 60 percent of the population.” Quote source: The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism by Naomi Klein
https://amzn.eu/d/fAmspcx
Agreed, and noted.
I have only just read about the murder of Renee Good this evening, in an article by Patrick Cockburn, who also draws attention to the fact that Tom Paine’s ‘ Common Sense’ pamphlet was published 250 years ago this month, 10 January 1776.
Common Sense long depoarted the scene, unfortunately.