Stephen Downing: Exposing the Con: Defending Democracy

Stephen Downing: Exposing the Con: Defending Democracy

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October 2025

Day 300: The Slow Boil of American Democracy
Former LAPD Deputy Chief Michael P. Downing returns with a field-tested warning: when the heat rises gradually, even strong institutions can go limp.
 • Stephen Downing
From Interdiction to Invasion: How the War on Drugs Lost Its Soul
From lawful interdiction to lawless execution — forty-two dead, no trials, and a war without proof or purpose.
 • Stephen Downing
How Trump’s “Fentanyl Front” Turned Into a Murder Machine in Latin America
U.S. intelligence says Venezuela isn’t producing fentanyl. So why is Trump bombing boats, killing civilians, and calling it victory?
 • Stephen Downing
THE WAR FOR THE MAP — AND THE CONSTITUTION
Why “Yes on Prop 50” Is the Only Real Pro-Democracy Vote Left
 • Stephen Downing
Bang, Bang Bureaucracy: When Washington Sends a Firing Squad to a School Zone
Noise. Confusion. Denial.
 • Stephen Downing
The Ministry of Misinformation (Local Edition)
How DHS spins, ICE sins, and city halls across America shrug — seen up close from Long Beach.
 • Stephen Downing
When the King Lost His Throne — and His Control
Trump’s AI tantrum reveals everything you need to know about his view of the First Amendment, the American people, and his bowels.
 • Stephen Downing
Long Beach Stands Tall on No Kings Day
From laughter on Ocean Boulevard to courage on lonely corners, America’s true patriots showed up — and reminded us that freedom still has a voice, and a…
 • Stephen Downing
When ICE Comes to the 50-Yard Line
Bad Bunny, the NFL, and the Playbook for Patriotic Resistance
 • Stephen Downing
The Day After No Kings Day: Building the Blueprint of Resistance
Trump’s NSPM-7: The Executive Blueprint for Criminalizing Dissent — and How We Defeat It Lawfully
 • Stephen Downing
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