Carole Levine January 22, 2026
I am a fan and follower of the political columnist and pundit Rachel Bitecofer. I find her writing to be smart, cogent and almost always on point. Her column (The Cycle – on Substack) today was particularly compelling and caught my attention as she wove the song “Bad Moon Rising” by John Fogerty (and his band, Creedence Clearwater Revival) throughout. It came out in 1969 when I was a protesting college student and brought back memories both of the song (a great one – listen to it here: https://www.facebook.com/reel/9119572974770119) and of being a student leader in the midst of protests. So many things have changed, and yet so much remains the same. The question that keeps coming to me is, what did we do wrong some 57 years ago to find ourselves at a similar place?
Bitecofer writes that she is feeling fear. I share that feeling. I do not feel that we are helpless, but as I have watched the events in this nation – the actions of ICE and the response (or rather the lack of response) from our federal leaders – I am more and more concerned about just who is in control and what kind of goals do these leaders have. Does it truly require federal troops to manage largely peaceful protests? Are immigrants truly a dangerous presence? Are our states so divided that we cannot move comfortably from one state to another? Do we all need to carry with us the “papers” that verify our citizenship? This is not the nation I taught about in my early social studies teaching career.
Like Bitecofer, I listened to President Trump’s speech at Davos. And like her, I was appalled. She wrote:
I watched coverage of Trump’s Davos speech with my jaw clenched. The arrogance. The ignorance. The casual erasure of allied sacrifice. Countries like the Netherlands — which lost a far greater share of their population in Iraq and Afghanistan than we did — being treated like freeloaders.
I kept thinking: every American alive inherited something without earning it. We inherited the moral authority of the postwar order. We inherited the benefit of alliances forged in blood and famine and rubble. We inherited a world where the U.S. passport meant stability.
And yet, as I listened to Trump’s speech at Davos, aggrandizing all that he had done, not just for the United States, but for the world, I was embarrassed. There pronoun “I” permeated what was said. I cannot recall the use of the word “we” or “together” at any point in this speech. It was a speech by Trump, about Trump, and from my perspective, for Trump. Yes, he acknowledged his Secretary of State and Chief of Staff, knowing that they will be following up for him. But he also publicly attacked Joe Biden, his predecessor. This was not the speech of a gracious or kind man. It was the speech of a self-centered, war-mongering, egocentric person. This is not a person looking to build partnerships. This is a person who seems to care little for how he is perceived as long as he holds power and can dominate.
Some other things should signal to us the “rising of a bad moon.” An ICE memo (a secret one revealed by a whistleblower – thank goodness for whistleblowers) authorizes agents to forcibly enter homes without judicial warrants. This is unconstitutional under the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) own rules. In reading up on this (legal junkie that I am), this memo marks a sharp reversal of longstanding guidance meant to respect constitutional limits on government searches. The requirement of a judicial warrant, signed by a judge, seems to have been replaced by an administrative warrant, signed only by an ICE or DHS official. This memo was written in May 2025 but has only surfaced begun being used recently. Apparently it is being passed on verbally, with people not being allowed to retain copies and instructors punished for objecting. For those of us who value the constitution and the law, this is quite unsettling.
While all of this would seem like bad news, I find myself thinking that the more I know, the better equipped I am to join with others and take action. Simple things like phone calls to legislators, conversations with groups and organizations, meetings with friends and colleagues, and continued participation in protests, phone banks and building public awareness can make a difference in what happens and in how we feel. More complex actions, like organizing groups, participating in general strikes and intervening in ICE actions take a bit more commitment. We all have a part to play and it can fit whatever works for each of us. There may be a “bad moon rising,” but let’s not let it dominate the future.
I will be humming that song for the rest of this week (maybe longer)… and so, with thanks to Rachel Bitecofer, John Fogerty and Creedence Clearwater Revival, I will end by sharing with you all the words…
Bad Moon Rising
I see the bad moon a-risin’
I see trouble on the way
I see earthquakes and lightnin’
I see bad times today
I hear hurricanes a-blowin’
I know the end is comin’ soon
I fear rivers over flowin’
I hear the voice of rage and ruin
Hope you got your things together
Hope you are quite prepared to die
Looks like we’re in for nasty weather
One eye is taken for an eye
Well don’t go around tonight
Well it’s bound to take your life
There’s a bad moon on the rise
