Images: Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti were shot and killed by ICE in January, 2026. ICE photo by David Guttenfelder/The New York Times/Redux. The cover of The Clash’s 1979 album London Calling.

The Clash song, “Clampdown,” from the 1979 double album Londong Calling, starts with the question: “What are we going to do now?”

I have had this song by The Clash going through my head this past week. Now after the second killing of American Citizens by ICE in the past month, I keep asking myself, asking us, “What are we going to do now?”

The shooting death by masked government agents of Alex Pretti strikes close to home as he was a VA ICU nurse. Having trained and worked in the VA system for close to 20 years, I know the kind of professional dedication and commitment that VA employees bring to caring for Veterans who have served their country.

Renee Nicole Good had just dropped off her 6-year old at school before she was shot by armed masked government agents. Her last words were reportedly, “That’s fine, dude. I’m not mad at you.”

“What are we going to do now?”

I always wondered what “the clampdown” was when I listened to this Clash song as a kid. I wasn’t sure what it was, but I knew I didn’t want to work for it – and I know I don’t want to work for it now.

Taking off his turban, they said, is this man a Jew?
‘Cause they’re working for the clampdown
They put up a poster saying we earn more than you!
When we’re working for the clampdown

I pictured something like Hitler’s paramilitary Brownshirts, or some other loosely organized group that came together to inflict violence on it’s own people. I suppose this queston of those working for the clampdown about “is this man a Jew” made me think of the Nazis.

We will teach our twisted speech
To the young believers
We will train our blue-eyed men
To be young believers

The Clampdown seems to require teaching “twisted,” violent speech to the young of the nation, and invoking “our blue-eyed men” again recalls the Nazis. It continues to confound me how many MAGA and now ICE believers there are, who don’t see how words create worlds. The deaths of Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti are the worlds that have been created by the words of name calling and bullying and “othering” of Americans.

The judge said five to ten, but I say double that again
I’m not working for the clampdown
No man born with a living soul
Can be working for the clampdown

At least some judges are finding for the rule of law, but what happens when the judges are working for the Clampdown? I hesitate to dehumanize others and say they don’t have a “living soul,” but dehumanization, scapegoating, projection, and “othering” are key psychosocial operations that pave the way for violence. I can see questioning the humanity of those working for the Clampdown when the Clampdown dehumanizes others.

Kick over the wall ’cause government’s to fall
How can you refuse it?
Let fury have the hour, anger can be power
D’you know that you can use it?

It does seem like government is falling. We have a crisis between the federal government’s masked paramilitary organization. The Feds are blocking city and state government from investigating these shooting deaths of American citizens. Who holds the power here? Why are there armed masked men kicking down doors and kicking over walls? The seem to encapsulate the fury of the hour, which is how I always heard that line. The current President seems to have a fury of the hour, but The Clash seem to say that those with the fury are carrying the hour. Anger can be power. That is true. Anger can be power. “Do you know that you can use it?” This could be giving permission for paramilitary organizations to channel their fury and anger into anti-democratic activities and violence. But we can also hear this line from the perspective of those asking “What are we going to do now?” We can channel our anger into peaceful protest, into not looking away from abuses of power and tyranny. But again, this line could also be from the hooligans who have risen to power, looking toward their leader, ready to carry out the fury of the hour.

The voices in your head are calling
Stop wasting your time, there’s nothing coming
Only a fool would think someone could save you

Here The Clash tell us that it would be foolish to think that someone is coming to save us, we each have to refuse to work for the Clampdown.

The men at the factory are old and cunning
You don’t owe nothing, so boy get running
It’s the best years of your life they want to steal

Now the Clampdown also takes the form of the “old and cunning” men who want to steal the “best years of your life.” The Clampdown takes away your rights, it takes away your soul, it can steal away the best years of your life, and, apparently, it can even take your life with impunity.

You grow up and you calm down
You’re working for the clampdown
You start wearing the blue and brown
You’re working for the clampdown

I heard this as a warning. It is one thing to be full of a piss and vinegar as a young punk, but there is a risk that you “grow up” and you “calm down” and end up working for the Clampdown, even though you resisted it in your youth. I knew about the Brownshirts, but I didn’t know about the Blueshirts – are The Clash singing about the Irish party of that name? I’m not sure. It is clear though, The Clash are warning you not to work for the Clampdown, no matter whether you are wearing a brown shirt, a blue shirt, or a red white and blue shirt.

So you got someone to boss around
It makes you feel big now
You drift until you brutalize
You made your first kill now

This is always a chilling stanza. I always think of the kids who I had been friends with in elementary school who became thugs and bullies in high school. People who feel small and have listened to the “twisted speech” and become “young believers” that the way to feel big and powerful is to find someone to “boss around.” Once you have given over your power to the fury of the hour, you cease to direct your own actions, you become a puppet who drifts “until you brutalize,” and from there the next step is making “your first kill now.” Words lead to action which leads to creating worlds of violence and when you are working for the Clampdown, you can easily end up killing.

I had to look this line up on The Clash website because Google Lyrics listed it as “Doesn’t make you first kill now,” which really doesn’t make any sense.

In these days of evil presidentes
Working for the clampdown
But lately one or two has fully paid their due
For working for the clampdown

Doesn’t that just capture it! It sure seems like we are living in the “days of evil presidentes/working for the clampdown.” We can only hope that one or two will fully pay their due. Right now it seems like the Clampdown is in charge and unrestrained.

Ha! Gitalong! Gitalong!
Working for the clampdown
Ha! Gitalong! Gitalong!
Working for the clampdown

Not much more to say here – sounds like a cattle drive with masked armed men who have immunity under the Federal government, trying to heard along protesters and killing the occasional one or two.

Yeah I’m working hard in Harrisburg
Working hard in Petersburg
Working for the clampdown
Working for the clampdown

Everyone, no matter they are, they’re working – and either your working hard for the Clampdown, or your working hard against it.

Ha! Gitalong! Gitalong
Begging to be melted down
Gitalong, gitalong
(Work)
(Work)
(Work) And I’ve given away no secrets – ha!
(Work)
(Work)
(More work)
(More work)
(Work)
(Work)
(Work)
(Work)
Who’s barmy now?

The song just tails off with “work” and “more work,” finally asking “who’s barmy now?” Meaning who’s crazy, I suppose. “Clampdown” gives us much to think about in the United States at this moment. It gives us pause and reminds us that the Clampdown could be almost anything and could be almost anywhere, but right now it is here…now.

“What are we going to do now?”

Maybe the answer to that question is: you are either working for the Clampdown – or you are not.

Are you working for the Clampdown?

Clampdown, Live – Fridays 1980: shorturl.at/TdE5A

London Calling album, studio version: rb.gy/kdhzxe