Gal Beckerman
@galbeckerman.bsky.social
Staff writer at The Atlantic, formerly NYTBR, and author, most recently, of "The Quiet Before: On the Unexpected Origins of Radical Ideas."
Reposted by Gal Beckerman
So resonate.. so very awful, too.
The Silence of the Left on Iran
As the Islamic Republic massacres protesters, exiles are dismayed by the lack of sympathy from the American left.
By @galbeckerman.bsky.social
www.theatlantic.com/culture/2026...
The Silence of the Left on Iran
As the Islamic Republic massacres protesters, exiles are dismayed by the lack of sympathy from the American left.
By @galbeckerman.bsky.social
www.theatlantic.com/culture/2026...
The Silence of the Left on Iran
As the Islamic Republic massacres protesters, exiles are dismayed by the lack of sympathy from the American left.
www.theatlantic.com
January 17, 2026 at 5:40 AM
So resonate.. so very awful, too.
The Silence of the Left on Iran
As the Islamic Republic massacres protesters, exiles are dismayed by the lack of sympathy from the American left.
By @galbeckerman.bsky.social
www.theatlantic.com/culture/2026...
The Silence of the Left on Iran
As the Islamic Republic massacres protesters, exiles are dismayed by the lack of sympathy from the American left.
By @galbeckerman.bsky.social
www.theatlantic.com/culture/2026...
Reposted by Gal Beckerman
@galbeckerman.bsky.social: ”In my conversations with these Iranian exiles, I heard deep frustration ... The Iranian protesters stepping fearlessly into the sights of government snipers are being seen by the American left with more suspicion than sympathy.”
The Silence of the Left on Iran
As the Islamic Republic massacres protesters, exiles are dismayed by the lack of sympathy from the American left.
www.theatlantic.com
January 17, 2026 at 10:30 AM
@galbeckerman.bsky.social: ”In my conversations with these Iranian exiles, I heard deep frustration ... The Iranian protesters stepping fearlessly into the sights of government snipers are being seen by the American left with more suspicion than sympathy.”
Reposted by Gal Beckerman
As the Islamic Republic massacres protesters, exiles are dismayed by the lack of sympathy from the American left, @galbeckerman.bsky.social reports. He spoke with the Iranians who feel “betrayed” by their peers:
The Silence of the Left on Iran
As the Islamic Republic massacres protesters, exiles are dismayed by the lack of sympathy from the American left.
bit.ly
January 16, 2026 at 10:15 PM
As the Islamic Republic massacres protesters, exiles are dismayed by the lack of sympathy from the American left, @galbeckerman.bsky.social reports. He spoke with the Iranians who feel “betrayed” by their peers:
I spoke to Iranian exiles who consider themselves progressive and pro-Palestinian, and they describe feeling betrayed by their side. This is a real thing.
The Silence of the Left on Iran
As the Islamic Republic massacres protesters, exiles are dismayed by the lack of sympathy from the American left.
www.theatlantic.com
January 16, 2026 at 5:10 PM
I spoke to Iranian exiles who consider themselves progressive and pro-Palestinian, and they describe feeling betrayed by their side. This is a real thing.
Reposted by Gal Beckerman
Donald Trump’s and Stephen Miller’s assertions about the “real world” sound like something out of the work of Thomas Hobbes—but they deeply misunderstand his philosophy of government, @galbeckerman.bsky.social argues:
What Stephen Miller Gets Wrong About Human Nature
The Trump adviser’s assertions about the “real world” reflect a deep misunderstanding of Thomas Hobbes’s dog-eat-dog worldview.
bit.ly
January 12, 2026 at 6:15 AM
Donald Trump’s and Stephen Miller’s assertions about the “real world” sound like something out of the work of Thomas Hobbes—but they deeply misunderstand his philosophy of government, @galbeckerman.bsky.social argues:
Reposted by Gal Beckerman
The philosopher Rebecca Newberger Goldstein argues in her new book that the often-painful struggle to justify our existence is the very thing that makes us human, John Kaag writes:
A New Understanding of Human Beings’ Most Basic Desire
Rebecca Newberger Goldstein argues that a good life is one that seeks to create order out of a natural state of chaos.
bit.ly
January 11, 2026 at 12:15 AM
The philosopher Rebecca Newberger Goldstein argues in her new book that the often-painful struggle to justify our existence is the very thing that makes us human, John Kaag writes:
Reposted by Gal Beckerman
Donald Trump’s and Stephen Miller’s assertions about the “real world” sound like something out of the work of Thomas Hobbes—but they deeply misunderstand his philosophy of government, @galbeckerman.bsky.social argues:
What Stephen Miller Gets Wrong About Human Nature
The Trump adviser’s assertions about the “real world” reflect a deep misunderstanding of Thomas Hobbes’s dog-eat-dog worldview.
bit.ly
January 10, 2026 at 11:15 PM
Donald Trump’s and Stephen Miller’s assertions about the “real world” sound like something out of the work of Thomas Hobbes—but they deeply misunderstand his philosophy of government, @galbeckerman.bsky.social argues:
Is Stephen Miller's worldview the result of a serious misreading of Hobbes? This is what came to mind when I heard him talk about the "iron laws of the world since the beginning of time.”
What Stephen Miller Gets Wrong About Human Nature
The Trump adviser’s assertions about the “real world” reflect a deep misunderstanding of Thomas Hobbes’s dog-eat-dog worldview.
www.theatlantic.com
January 10, 2026 at 4:06 PM
Is Stephen Miller's worldview the result of a serious misreading of Hobbes? This is what came to mind when I heard him talk about the "iron laws of the world since the beginning of time.”
Reposted by Gal Beckerman
Donald Trump’s and Stephen Miller’s assertions about the “real world” sound like something out of the work of Thomas Hobbes—but they deeply misunderstand his philosophy of government, @galbeckerman.bsky.social argues:
What Stephen Miller Gets Wrong About Human Nature
The Trump adviser’s assertions about the “real world” reflect a deep misunderstanding of Thomas Hobbes’s dog-eat-dog worldview.
bit.ly
January 10, 2026 at 3:30 PM
Donald Trump’s and Stephen Miller’s assertions about the “real world” sound like something out of the work of Thomas Hobbes—but they deeply misunderstand his philosophy of government, @galbeckerman.bsky.social argues:
Reposted by Gal Beckerman
This is smart, by @galbeckerman www.theatlantic.com/books/2026/0...
The 17th-Century Philosopher Who Helps Explain Stephen Miller
The Trump adviser’s assertions about the “real world” reflect a deep misunderstanding of Thomas Hobbes’s dog-eat-dog worldview.
www.theatlantic.com
January 10, 2026 at 2:24 PM
This is smart, by @galbeckerman www.theatlantic.com/books/2026/0...
Reposted by Gal Beckerman
This is well worth reading 👇
A Radical New Approach to Human History
The historians who want to know how our ancestors experienced love, anger, fear, and sorrow #skystorians 🗃️
www.theatlantic.com/magazine/202...
A Radical New Approach to Human History
The historians who want to know how our ancestors experienced love, anger, fear, and sorrow #skystorians 🗃️
www.theatlantic.com/magazine/202...
A Radical New Approach to Human History
The historians who want to know how our ancestors experienced love, anger, fear, and sorrow
www.theatlantic.com
December 5, 2025 at 5:49 PM
This is well worth reading 👇
A Radical New Approach to Human History
The historians who want to know how our ancestors experienced love, anger, fear, and sorrow #skystorians 🗃️
www.theatlantic.com/magazine/202...
A Radical New Approach to Human History
The historians who want to know how our ancestors experienced love, anger, fear, and sorrow #skystorians 🗃️
www.theatlantic.com/magazine/202...
Reposted by Gal Beckerman
Humans have long considered our emotions to be universal. It seems that sadness, for instance, would have felt the same way today as it did 500 years ago.
But an emerging field of history is turning this assumption on its head. @galbeckerman.bsky.social reports:
But an emerging field of history is turning this assumption on its head. @galbeckerman.bsky.social reports:
You Had to Be There
An emerging field of history asks if we can ever really understand how our forebears experienced love, anger, fear, and sorrow.
bit.ly
December 6, 2025 at 5:45 PM
Humans have long considered our emotions to be universal. It seems that sadness, for instance, would have felt the same way today as it did 500 years ago.
But an emerging field of history is turning this assumption on its head. @galbeckerman.bsky.social reports:
But an emerging field of history is turning this assumption on its head. @galbeckerman.bsky.social reports:
Reposted by Gal Beckerman
Modern vocabulary for describing emotions can be limited and vague. An emerging field of history that investigates how our forebears experienced feelings could allow people to better understand the emotions of the past—and present. @galbeckerman.bsky.social reports:
You Had to Be There
An emerging field of history asks if we can ever really understand how our forebears experienced love, anger, fear, and sorrow.
bit.ly
December 6, 2025 at 1:15 AM
Modern vocabulary for describing emotions can be limited and vague. An emerging field of history that investigates how our forebears experienced feelings could allow people to better understand the emotions of the past—and present. @galbeckerman.bsky.social reports:
Reposted by Gal Beckerman
Answer today’s trivia question from Gal Beckerman’s story about the historians who think our ancestors might have experienced emotion in ways we wouldn’t now recognize.
Check your response and sign up for Atlantic Trivia in your inbox every day: theatln.tc/8i1shY8r
Check your response and sign up for Atlantic Trivia in your inbox every day: theatln.tc/8i1shY8r
December 6, 2025 at 12:00 AM
Answer today’s trivia question from Gal Beckerman’s story about the historians who think our ancestors might have experienced emotion in ways we wouldn’t now recognize.
Check your response and sign up for Atlantic Trivia in your inbox every day: theatln.tc/8i1shY8r
Check your response and sign up for Atlantic Trivia in your inbox every day: theatln.tc/8i1shY8r
Reposted by Gal Beckerman
This was a long time in the making and I'm delighted it's now out. Huge thanks to @galbeckerman.bsky.social for his perseverance and diligence. Please check it out. Print edition will be out soon. www.theatlantic.com/magazine/202...
A Radical New Approach to Human History
The historians who want to know how our ancestors experienced love, anger, fear, and sorrow
www.theatlantic.com
December 5, 2025 at 4:36 PM
This was a long time in the making and I'm delighted it's now out. Huge thanks to @galbeckerman.bsky.social for his perseverance and diligence. Please check it out. Print edition will be out soon. www.theatlantic.com/magazine/202...
This one started for me with an almost childish question: Can we take it for granted that people in the past experienced reality the same way we do? It turns out a whole field of study and an important scholar were asking the same...down into this fascinating rabbit hole I went.
A radical new field of history asks if we can ever really understand how our forebears experienced love, anger, fear, and sorrow, Gal Beckerman writes.
You Had to Be There
An emerging field of history asks if we can ever really understand how our forebears experienced love, anger, fear, and sorrow.
bit.ly
December 5, 2025 at 3:38 PM
This one started for me with an almost childish question: Can we take it for granted that people in the past experienced reality the same way we do? It turns out a whole field of study and an important scholar were asking the same...down into this fascinating rabbit hole I went.
Reposted by Gal Beckerman
A radical new field of history asks if we can ever really understand how our forebears experienced love, anger, fear, and sorrow, Gal Beckerman writes.
You Had to Be There
An emerging field of history asks if we can ever really understand how our forebears experienced love, anger, fear, and sorrow.
bit.ly
December 5, 2025 at 1:30 PM
A radical new field of history asks if we can ever really understand how our forebears experienced love, anger, fear, and sorrow, Gal Beckerman writes.
Reposted by Gal Beckerman
The Atlantic’s editors pick their favorite books of the year—10 titles that distinguish themselves as worth reading and remembering. See the full list:
The Atlantic 10: The Best Books of 2025
The books that made us think the most this year
bit.ly
December 4, 2025 at 1:30 PM
The Atlantic’s editors pick their favorite books of the year—10 titles that distinguish themselves as worth reading and remembering. See the full list:
Reposted by Gal Beckerman
Review: When They Come for Us We’ll Be Gone: The Epic Struggle to Save Soviet Jewry, by Gal Beckerman
https://www.booksns.com/157259/
This is not going to be an easy book to summarize… The subtitle isn't kidding when it says "epic" – this is an account of decades of activism and the oppression …
https://www.booksns.com/157259/
This is not going to be an easy book to summarize… The subtitle isn't kidding when it says "epic" – this is an account of decades of activism and the oppression …
Review: When They Come for Us We'll Be Gone: The Epic Struggle to Save Soviet Jewry, by Gal Beckerman - Trending Books
This is not going to be an easy book to summarize...
www.booksns.com
August 21, 2025 at 3:50 PM
Review: When They Come for Us We’ll Be Gone: The Epic Struggle to Save Soviet Jewry, by Gal Beckerman
https://www.booksns.com/157259/
This is not going to be an easy book to summarize… The subtitle isn't kidding when it says "epic" – this is an account of decades of activism and the oppression …
https://www.booksns.com/157259/
This is not going to be an easy book to summarize… The subtitle isn't kidding when it says "epic" – this is an account of decades of activism and the oppression …
Reposted by Gal Beckerman
New books arrived and a) I am happy with the accurate picture they give of my nerdy interests, and b) thanks to whoever here I picked up the recommendations from
September 19, 2025 at 7:01 PM
New books arrived and a) I am happy with the accurate picture they give of my nerdy interests, and b) thanks to whoever here I picked up the recommendations from
Reposted by Gal Beckerman
In #BookSky news, delightful to see @susanorlean.bsky.social last night, discussing her new @avidreaderpress.bsky.social memoir JOYRIDE with insightful Qs from @galbeckerman.bsky.social, as part of @theatlantic.com's ongoing festival. Wildly entertaining as always, and debuting a fantastic skirt!
September 20, 2025 at 7:04 PM
In #BookSky news, delightful to see @susanorlean.bsky.social last night, discussing her new @avidreaderpress.bsky.social memoir JOYRIDE with insightful Qs from @galbeckerman.bsky.social, as part of @theatlantic.com's ongoing festival. Wildly entertaining as always, and debuting a fantastic skirt!
I'll be chatting with the incomparable @susanorlean.bsky.social tomorrow evening as part of @theatlantic.com's festival. Join us!
www.mcnallyjackson.com/atlantic-rea...
www.mcnallyjackson.com/atlantic-rea...
www.mcnallyjackson.com
September 18, 2025 at 2:42 PM
I'll be chatting with the incomparable @susanorlean.bsky.social tomorrow evening as part of @theatlantic.com's festival. Join us!
www.mcnallyjackson.com/atlantic-rea...
www.mcnallyjackson.com/atlantic-rea...
Reposted by Gal Beckerman
Join author Maya Arad, translator @jesscohen.bsky.social, and @galbeckerman.bsky.social, staff writer at The Atlantic, next Tuesday, Sept. 9 at 7 p.m. in discussing HAPPY NEW YEARS @barnesandnoble.com on Manhattan's Upper West Side, 2289 Broadway, NYC.
stores.barnesandnoble.com/event/978006...
stores.barnesandnoble.com/event/978006...
September 2, 2025 at 12:52 PM
Join author Maya Arad, translator @jesscohen.bsky.social, and @galbeckerman.bsky.social, staff writer at The Atlantic, next Tuesday, Sept. 9 at 7 p.m. in discussing HAPPY NEW YEARS @barnesandnoble.com on Manhattan's Upper West Side, 2289 Broadway, NYC.
stores.barnesandnoble.com/event/978006...
stores.barnesandnoble.com/event/978006...
Such a smart and important one from @rossandersen.bsky.social
The rapid decline of American science has few precedents in history, argues @rossandersen.bsky.social. We are witnessing an unparalleled act of self-sabotage:
How Scientific Empires End
And what it means for America
bit.ly
July 31, 2025 at 6:48 PM
Such a smart and important one from @rossandersen.bsky.social
I wrote about how overwhelmed Americans have become by choice, and what we can do about it (before Trump solves the problem on his terms).
Americans Are Tired of Choice
How did freedom become synonymous with having lots of options?
www.theatlantic.com
June 23, 2025 at 11:04 PM
I wrote about how overwhelmed Americans have become by choice, and what we can do about it (before Trump solves the problem on his terms).