Behind the Bastards

It Could Happen Here Weekly 218

February 7, 2026

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  • The hosts of *Behind the Bastards*, in this compilation episode of *It Could Happen Here Weekly 218*, argue that focusing on decoding secret Nazi numerical codes (like 1488) in government communications is a distraction from the literal, openly stated fascist policies and actions being enacted by agencies like the DHS. 
  • The reliance on 'code hunting' and conspiratorial thinking, fueled by the 'paranoid style' of American politics, risks empowering the state by promoting a narrative of an all-powerful, irresistible apparatus, which is itself a form of fascist propaganda. 
  • The aestheticization of politics, where opposition focuses on the style of fascist actions (like military-style deportations) rather than the inhumane act itself, reflects a trap of capitalist realism, preventing totalizing opposition to systems like deportation. 
  • U.S. control over Panama, established through the 1903 treaty, resulted in the country becoming an effective protectorate where U.S. interests superseded Panamanian sovereignty, exemplified by land seizures, military policing, and the racially stratified 'gold roll' and 'silver roll' system during canal construction. 
  • U.S. interventions in Panama, including the 1989 invasion to depose Manuel Noriega, were consistently justified by narratives like protecting U.S. interests and fighting drugs, despite the U.S. having previously collaborated with Noriega and the invasions causing devastating civilian harm. 
  • The historical pattern of U.S. interventionism in Panama, characterized by regime change for convenience and the prioritization of American interests (like the canal or oil) over local populations, serves as a direct parallel for understanding contemporary U.S. foreign policy actions, such as those discussed regarding Venezuela. 
  • The segment concludes by noting that domestic authoritarianism in the U.S. is mirroring historical imperial tactics, evidenced by the state's violent response to peaceful resistance and the failure of mainstream liberal politics to offer meaningful resistance to armed state power. 
  • The speaker argues that meaningful resistance against the current regime requires escalating beyond peaceful protest, citing a Minneapolis general strike effort as a necessary, though risky, starting point, contrasting this with the perceived inaction of the liberal intelligentsia. 
  • Drawing from Milton Meyer's *They Thought They Were Free*, the segment emphasizes that the world is lost not by the actions of 'big Nazis,' but by the rationalized compliance of 'little anti-fascists' who choose accommodation over immediate moral risk, even if they intend to help later. 
  • Accountability after the crisis should lean toward Nuremberg-style justice for political architects and social media executives complicit in the authoritarian slide, rather than a purely restorative Truth and Reconciliation process lacking restitution. 
  • Claims of 2020 election fraud in Georgia, despite Republican Governor Brian Kemp's confirmation of no fraud, are being used by figures like Mike Johnson to push for nationalizing elections, which the hosts view as deeply concerning election interference. 
  • Newly unsealed State Department documents reveal that the visa revocation and deportation efforts against Tufts student Rameza Oz Turk were based on unsubstantiated claims, as DHS found no evidence of anti-Semitic activity or support for terrorism, contradicting public statements by officials like Secretary Rubio. 
  • The Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES/Rojava) reached a settlement with the Syrian Transitional Government (STG) involving troop withdrawals and integration into the Syrian Ministry of the Interior, which the hosts view as a bleak loss for the principles of the Rojava revolution despite preventing further immediate bloodshed. 

Segments

Ad Reads and Compilation Intro
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(00:00:00)
  • Key Takeaway: The episode of It Could Happen Here Weekly 218 is a compilation of the week’s episodes, featuring less advertising.
  • Summary: The initial segment contains advertisements for Century, The Red Weather podcast, PC Richard and Son, and Calchi. Robert Evans announces that this episode is a convenient, ad-light compilation of the week’s It Could Happen Here shows.
DHS Tweet and Nazi Code Hunting
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(00:02:49)
  • Key Takeaway: The DHS posted an image of ‘American Progress’ with a caption containing exactly 14 words, which some online users interpreted as a ‘14 Words’ Nazi dog whistle, despite the agency’s overtly fascist policy actions.
  • Summary: The discussion begins by analyzing a DHS tweet featuring the painting ‘American Progress’ captioned ‘a heritage to be proud of, a homeland worth defending.’ The hosts mock the attempt to find a hidden Nazi code (14 words, 1488 numerology) when the agency’s actions, like ICE rounding people up, are explicitly fascist.
Paranoid Style and Conspiracy Traps
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(00:11:19)
  • Key Takeaway: The eagerness to decode hidden messages reflects the ‘paranoid style’ of American politics, where people seek informational exclusivity rather than confronting the literal, obvious fascist reality.
  • Summary: The hosts reference Richard Hofstadter’s essay on the ‘paranoid style,’ noting that this mindset leads to focusing on esoteric evidence rather than the blatant fascist policies of the government. This focus on hidden codes is described as a form of ‘blue-anon’ conspiracy theorizing, which mirrors right-wing QAnon tactics.
Fascism’s Literalism vs. Aesthetics
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(00:30:16)
  • Key Takeaway: Contemporary fascism operates on both irony (trolling through mock Nazi salutes) and literalism (explicitly stating ethno-nationalist goals), leaving opponents unprepared for the lack of subtlety.
  • Summary: The conversation notes that fascism is no longer purely ironic; figures are now openly using symbols like the Nazi salute as a joke to troll liberals, proving predictions made by commentators like Rat Limit. The focus on aesthetics, like the style of deportation videos, distracts from the core issue of the state’s stripped-down police and military functions, as described by Mark Fisher.
US Intervention in Panama History
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(00:46:01)
  • Key Takeaway: The US engineered Panama’s 1903 secession from Colombia, using the threat of military intervention to secure permanent control over the Canal Zone under the guise of protecting American interests.
  • Summary: The segment introduces the history of US involvement in Panama, noting that the US had intervened militarily 11 times before Panamanian independence. The US leveraged the Colombian Civil War (1899-1902) and blocked Colombian forces to ensure Panamanian elites, who negotiated the Canal Treaty, remained dependent on US protection.
US Control Post-1903 Treaty
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(01:05:09)
  • Key Takeaway: The initial treaty gave the US permanent control over a 10-mile-wide Canal Zone and the right to seize Panamanian land for defense, leading to 19 seizures between 1908 and 1931.
  • Summary: The US secured permanent control over the 10-mile-wide Canal Zone, inheriting French works and securing rights to seize land for canal defense, which occurred 19 times between 1908 and 1931. The Canal Zone was removed from Panamanian courts, and Panama’s constitution made it an effective US protectorate, allowing US military intervention to restore peace. Construction began in 1904, following the US recognition of the new Panamanian government.
Racial Hierarchy in Canal Construction
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(01:07:49)
  • Key Takeaway: US construction of the Panama Canal enforced a racial hierarchy via the ‘gold roll’ and ‘silver roll,’ where Caribbean laborers faced dangerous work and poor conditions, resulting in approximately 5,600 worker deaths during the US construction phase alone.
  • Summary: The canal workforce was heavily composed of black laborers, descendants of emancipated slaves or Caribbean migrants, who were placed on the ‘silver roll.’ This system determined pay, housing, and medical care, forcing Caribbean laborers into the most dangerous work. The overwhelming majority of the 5,600 workers who died from disease and accidents during the US construction phase were these Caribbean laborers.
US Military Interventions and Control
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(01:10:33)
  • Key Takeaway: Panama experienced eight further US military interventions after independence, often justified by protecting US capital, which included supervising elections and vetoing public spending to maintain US strategic interests.
  • Summary: Following independence, Panama faced eight more US military interventions, typically justified by protecting US citizens, property, and strategic interests. The US supervised elections, oversaw the police force, and dictated public spending, effectively shaping Panama’s 20th-century political history. Specific examples include pressuring the firing of General Huertas and threatening occupation if liberal candidate Carlos Mendoza won the presidency in 1910.
Imperial Testing Ground and Nuclear Plans
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(01:12:34)
  • Key Takeaway: Panama served as an imperial laboratory where the US tested chemical weapons during WWII and seriously considered using nuclear explosions to carve out a new sea-level canal, disregarding catastrophic environmental and human consequences for local indigenous populations.
  • Summary: Panama was used as a launchpad for US Marines and an imperial laboratory for testing weapons, including chemical agents during WWII, often with minimal disclosure. In the 1950s and 60s, US officials proposed using nuclear explosions to create a sea-level canal, ignoring the severe irradiation risks to local populations like the Embera and Nguna people. Resistance from Panamanians and global movements eventually halted the nuclear excavation proposal.
1964 Flag Riots and Treaty Renewal
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(01:18:25)
  • Key Takeaway: The 1964 flag riot, sparked by a dispute over flying the Panamanian flag at Balboa High School, resulted in 24 Panamanian civilian deaths and forced the US to negotiate a new treaty to replace the coercive 1903 agreement.
  • Summary: Tensions over the 1903 treaty flared in January 1964 when American students raised only the US flag, leading to a scuffle when Panamanian students attempted to raise their flag, resulting in a riot. The fighting killed 24 Panamanian civilians and four US soldiers, leading the Panamanian president to cut diplomatic ties and demand treaty renegotiation. This pressure eventually led to the Torrijos-Carter treaties promising canal return by 1999.
Military Coups and Torrijos-Carter Treaties
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(01:24:53)
  • Key Takeaway: Following the rejection of a 1967 treaty attempt, a 1968 military coup installed Omar Torrijos, who, despite being a former US informant, successfully negotiated the Torrijos-Carter treaties returning the canal to Panama by 1999.
  • Summary: After the 1967 treaty failed ratification, a military coup in 1968 ousted President Arias, eventually leading to Omar Torrijos Herrera taking power in 1969. Torrijos, who had spied for the US, leveraged international pressure to negotiate the Torrijos-Carter treaties with Jimmy Carter in 1977. Torrijos’s sudden death in a 1981 plane crash paved the way for his intelligence chief, Manuel Noriega, to seize control.
Noriega Dictatorship and US Invasion
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(01:31:03)
  • Key Takeaway: The US invaded Panama in 1989, ostensibly to stop drug trafficking and restore democracy, after Noriega became inconvenient by refusing to cooperate with Contra operations and maintaining ties with Cuba, resulting in devastating civilian casualties.
  • Summary: Manuel Noriega, a former CIA asset, became dictator after Torrijos’s death, deepening his involvement in drug trafficking while the US suppressed evidence to secure the canal treaties. Indictments in 1988 led to sanctions that caused suffering but failed to remove him, and the 1989 invasion was motivated by political pressure on President Bush and Noriega’s refusal to support US regional goals. The invasion caused destruction, killing up to 1,000 Panamanians, while the names of the 25 US soldiers killed were publicized, but no register of Panamanian dead was ever published.
Panama/Venezuela Parallels and US Hypocrisy
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(01:46:29)
  • Key Takeaway: The justifications used for the Panama invasion—stopping drugs and restoring democracy—mirror early justifications for action against Venezuela, highlighting the US tendency to depose inconvenient leaders while ignoring atrocities committed by allied regimes.
  • Summary: The primary parallel between Panama and Venezuela is the US deposition of an inconvenient leader without carrying water for that leader’s past actions, demonstrating that US interests supersede moral concerns. In Panama, the US invaded after years of collaboration, and in Venezuela, the pretext of drug war hysteria was dropped for an explicit desire for oil. In both cases, the actual people on the ground and their self-determination were disregarded.
Domestic Authoritarianism and Resistance
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(01:56:55)
  • Key Takeaway: The failure of the rules-based international order is reflected domestically as US citizens face state violence, forcing grassroots resistance networks to form because elected Democrats lack the spine to confront armed state actors like ICE.
  • Summary: The speaker argues that the US is failing to maintain a rules-based order, evidenced by armed police violence against civilians, such as the gassing of families in Minneapolis. Resistance is evolving locally through mutual aid networks like Rectangle Pizza and ICEWatch, despite the government labeling any impedance of law enforcement as terrorism. The lack of commitment from elected Democrats contrasts sharply with the willingness of activists to risk life and limb against armed state forces.
Minneapolis General Strike Hope
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(02:11:17)
  • Key Takeaway: A coalition of labor unions and community organizations in Minneapolis initiated a limited one-day general strike on January 23rd, 2026, as a demonstrative act against the regime.
  • Summary: The general strike aims to be a flexing of muscle, recognized as having the potential to force concessions, even if one day is insufficient. Activists in cities like Minneapolis share a grim but accurate assessment of the high personal cost of resistance, including injury, arrest, and imprisonment. The speaker notes a lack of comparable commitment from the liberal intelligentsia or elected Democratic officials.
The Little Nazis’ Moral Failure
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(02:13:21)
  • Key Takeaway: The world was lost when educated, influential individuals chose compliance (taking an oath) over immediate resistance, rationalizing it as a means to help others later, which ultimately proved to be a failure of faith.
  • Summary: Milton Meyer interviewed ’little anti-fascists’ in post-WWII Germany who regretted taking oaths of fidelity to the Nazi Party, believing their compliance lost the world in 1935. The chemical engineer friend felt shame because his certain evil (taking the oath) was chosen over the uncertain good of future resistance. He argued that his refusal, if mirrored by thousands like him, could have overthrown the Reich, making his individual compliance a catalyst for mass failure.
Defining Acceptable Resistance
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(02:20:15)
  • Key Takeaway: Resistance efforts must abandon old ideas of acceptable protest and embrace increased personal risk, as the boundaries between legal and illegal actions will shift daily.
  • Summary: The speaker challenges listeners to support those struggling in cities like Los Angeles and Portland by going further than current acceptable protest norms. Bishop Rob Hirschfeld advised clergy to prepare their wills, suggesting the time calls for using bodies to stand between the vulnerable and the powers of the world. The transition from accommodation to moral risk is often triggered when people feel they have nothing left to lose.
Leverage and Escalation of Fighting Back
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(02:25:08)
  • Key Takeaway: The most viable leverage against the entrenched security state is a general strike, which requires significant, often illegal, infrastructure planning to sustain participants.
  • Summary: A general strike is identified as the only tactic with serious weight to uproot the security state, necessitating union backing and systems for providing necessities during extended work stoppages. Such action involves necessary illegalism, like shoplifting for survival, as the regime will declare the strike illegal and crack down on leaders. The greatest fear is crossing the line into mass conflict where armed factions seek to kill the opposition, which risks global system collapse.
Post-Crisis Accountability Models
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(02:31:38)
  • Key Takeaway: The speaker advocates for Nuremberg-style criminal justice and retribution against the architects of the current authoritarian movement, rather than a South African-style Truth and Reconciliation without restitution.
  • Summary: Likely accountability will be a half-hearted Truth and Reconciliation commission without criminal restitution, mirroring past failures. True justice requires criminal consequences for those committing illegal acts now, including political figures. Furthermore, accountability must extend to major social media corporations whose complicity in spreading propaganda and enabling violence is as illegal as ICE raids.
Portland ICE Protest and Gas Attack
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(02:40:00)
  • Key Takeaway: A massive union march in Portland, Oregon, against ICE on January 31st was met with extensive tear gas deployment, affecting thousands, including children and the elderly.
  • Summary: The march, involving 5,000 to 10,000 people, was gassed despite being a liberal union demonstration, allegedly after water bottles were thrown near the ICE building. The gas created a thick cloud in the street canyon, causing significant distress to children and older participants. This galvanized local anger, leading the Mayor to call for ICE agents to resign, though the agency’s physical presence there is largely symbolic.
Tear Gas Health Risks
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(02:45:21)
  • Key Takeaway: Tear gas exposure carries documented risks to reproductive health, including potential miscarriages and delayed or painful periods, necessitating protective gear like respirators for protesters.
  • Summary: Data from places like Gaza suggests tear gas can cause miscarriages, and studies indicate it can delay or cause painful menstrual cycles and potentially induce early menopause. The lack of comprehensive study on women is attributed to historical military training priorities ignoring female health effects. Protesters, especially those with uteruses, are advised to wear at least a half-face respirator for protection.
DHS Funding and ICE Oversight Failures
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(02:57:01)
  • Key Takeaway: The DHS funding bill negotiations reveal a spectrum of Democratic demands (warrants, no masked agents) versus Republican concessions (body cameras), while ICE’s own body camera implementation has been inconsistent and rolled back.
  • Summary: ICE agents in Minnesota were ordered to wear body cameras, but this follows a 2022 mandate that was later partially rolled back by the administration, and the Trump administration sought to cut camera funding by 75%. The agents involved in the Alex Pretty shooting had body cameras, but the footage has not been released, demonstrating that cameras do not inherently prevent lethal force when agents believe their actions are justified. A recent poll shows 79% of Democrats support abolishing ICE.
Minnesota US Attorney Turmoil
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(03:04:13)
  • Key Takeaway: The US Attorney’s Office in Minnesota is operating at less than half capacity due to resignations stemming from concerns over selective prosecution and exclusion from key investigations like the Alex Pretty case.
  • Summary: Eight attorneys have left the office, with one federal prosecutor stating on the record, ‘This system sucks, this job sucks,’ and expressing a wish to be held in contempt just to get sleep. Resignations are linked to frustration over agency non-compliance with court orders and exclusion of state/local investigators from high-profile cases. The workload for remaining staff is described as an inhumane amount of work.
ICE Leadership Conflict
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(03:06:06)
  • Key Takeaway: Leaked emails reveal internal conflict where Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons was corrected by a regional director who claimed allegiance to Corey Lewandowski over Lyons regarding the use of widespread, non-targeted ICE sweeps.
  • Summary: Lyons tried to stop Greg Bovino from conducting roving sweeps, encouraging targeted operations instead, but Bovino asserted his reporting line went to Lewandowski. This highlights internal power struggles within the agency regarding enforcement tactics. Bovino has since been observed taking a road trip home, stopping in Las Vegas, suggesting a demotion or reassignment.
Fulton County Election Investigation
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(03:11:36)
  • Key Takeaway: The investigation into Fulton County elections is framed by one side as necessary for public confidence, while the other asserts that all 2020 election integrity questions have already been answered without evidence of fraud.
  • Summary: The SAVE Act is mentioned as a measure to clean up voter rolls and prevent illegal voting, with the President reportedly focusing on it. An investigation into Fulton County elections is underway to restore public confidence in the system. Republican Governor Brian Kemp has repeatedly stated there was no fraud in Georgia’s 2020 election, contrasting with Trump’s phone call seeking votes, which is cited as transparent election interference.
Mike Johnson on Nationalizing Elections
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(03:13:25)
  • Key Takeaway: Speaker Mike Johnson is accused of manufacturing consent for Trump’s claims by expressing frustration over blue states’ enforcement and suggesting Republicans should ’nationalize elections,’ despite admitting he has no evidence of fraud in California.
  • Summary: Mike Johnson made concerning statements about ’nationalizing elections’ and expressed frustration that some blue states are not enforcing election integrity measures. He specifically cited California, claiming Republican candidates lost leads as new ballots were counted after Election Day, which he characterized as looking fraudulent on its face. The hosts clarify that California counts mail-in ballots postmarked by Election Day, refuting the implication that the election remains open for voting weeks afterward.
Rameza Oz Turk Visa Revocation Update
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(03:16:43)
  • Key Takeaway: A newly unsealed State Department memo confirms Rameza Oz Turk’s visa was revoked without evidence supporting claims of anti-Semitism or support for terrorism, allowing revocation solely based on the ’totality of the circumstances’ after she co-authored an op-ed.
  • Summary: The memo confirms Oz Turk’s F1 visa was revoked, but DHS/ICE found no evidence she engaged in anti-Semitic activity or supported terrorism, despite official claims made by figures like Trisha McLaughlin and Secretary Rubio. Secretary Rubio publicly claimed the visa was revoked because she allegedly lied about intending to participate in disruptive activities like vandalism, which DHS documentation does not support. A federal judge allowed Oz Turk to continue teaching, finding the visa termination likely arbitrary, capricious, and a First Amendment violation, though removal proceedings continue.
Syria/Rojava Settlement Update
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(03:22:16)
  • Key Takeaway: The AANES (Rojava) reached a settlement with the STG that mandates the withdrawal of SDF troops from key cities and the integration of Kurdish forces into the Syrian Ministry of the Interior, resulting in the Syrian government taking over oil fields and borders.
  • Summary: The agreement involves the withdrawal of SDF troops from Kamishlo and Hesaka, with Syrian Ministry of Interior personnel entering those cities, and the integration of SDF forces into Syrian army brigades. The deal includes the integration of the Ashaish into the Ministry of Interior, government takeover of oil fields and borders, and recognition of Kurdish education credentials. The appointment of a security chief by Damascus and the appointment of a deputy defense minister by the SDF are part of the power-sharing structure, though the hosts express sadness over the potential loss of the Rojava revolution’s principles under HTS leadership.