Bulwark Takes Tim & JVL: America Used to Know This Was Wrong
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Jan 10, 2026 Tim and JVL dive into the shocking killing of Renee Good by ICE, expressing immediate outrage over state-sanctioned violence. They critique the high standards public servants should adhere to when using deadly force and discuss the conservative double standard regarding government trusts. The impact of video evidence on accountability is examined, alongside America’s growing culture of violence. The hosts debate the implications of policing standards and explore whether the ICE incident will influence political attitudes toward reactionary policies.
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High Bar For State Deadly Force
- Tim Miller argues public servants with guns should face a very high bar before killing someone, because they're replaceable employees, not conscripts.
- He rejects technical legalism and insists deadly force must be justified by clear, life-saving necessity.
Protection, Not Purging, Is The Real Problem
- JVL and Tim say law enforcement often shields its own, creating systemic protection rather than accountability.
- They compare police cover-ups to Catholic Church abuse scandals as the deeper institutional problem.
Cultural Acceptance Of Violence Undermines Liberalism
- The hosts link tolerance for violence to a broader illiberal mindset that treats enemies as non‑human and legitimizes extra‑legal force.
- They warn this erosion of norms mirrors support for violent foreign policy and fascistic impulses domestically.