Mr. Epshtein, with all due respect, the only people we risk alienating here, is not the common citizen. Calling out truths, calling things by their proper names, is a basic act of moral witness, and offering moral legibility to people who struggle to describe the corruption they feel all around them. The only people this alienates are so-called moderate elites who demand civility in criticism, while the world burns around us.

And for what? Well, I know… There is donor class of conflicted monied interests trying to navigate this moment. One cannot protest too loudly against say, ICE blowing off the fucking doors of homes, with explosives, with American children inside, while one has to maintain influence within powerful circles of competing loyalties. People have to work with the administration on pragmatic matters, after all!

I don’t care if I don’t get invited to the cool parties of the moderate elite anymore. To be clear.