Jeff Sharlet
@jeffsharlet.bsky.social
I wrote a book about now, THE UNDERTOW: Scenes from a Slow Civil War, & 2 about how we got here, THE FAMILY & C ST, also a Netflix series. My fave books sell fewest: THIS BRILLIANT DARKNESS; & SWEET HEAVEN WHEN I DIE. Professing @ Dartmouth. He/Him.
What are your favorite memoirs--as works of art, independent of celebrity, history, or how inspiring the story is--of the last five years?
January 5, 2026 at 3:35 AM
What are your favorite memoirs--as works of art, independent of celebrity, history, or how inspiring the story is--of the last five years?
Reposted by Jeff Sharlet
Catholic “integralist” William Branson Donahue—founder of the College Republicans of America, which has over 300 chapters—says CRA would be “glad” to host Jack Posobiec following Poso’s decision to cozy up to Hitler lover Myron Gaines outside a TPUSA event where Poso also held up a rosary. 1/
January 1, 2026 at 9:03 PM
Catholic “integralist” William Branson Donahue—founder of the College Republicans of America, which has over 300 chapters—says CRA would be “glad” to host Jack Posobiec following Poso’s decision to cozy up to Hitler lover Myron Gaines outside a TPUSA event where Poso also held up a rosary. 1/
This kind of thing used to be a much bigger part of social media in general. Much of it has given away—everywhere—with re-posting popular takes. Much less first-hand.
Recs for on-the-ground reporters/observers/people in Venezuela posting at least part of the time in English?
January 4, 2026 at 8:43 PM
This kind of thing used to be a much bigger part of social media in general. Much of it has given away—everywhere—with re-posting popular takes. Much less first-hand.
Recs for on-the-ground reporters/observers/people in Venezuela posting at least part of the time in English?
January 4, 2026 at 8:38 PM
Recs for on-the-ground reporters/observers/people in Venezuela posting at least part of the time in English?
Reposted by Jeff Sharlet
Screaming "wtf" and waiting for a spontaneous uprising is going to discourage you. There won't be a spontaneous uprising. That's just not where the people are at.
Organize for the long term. Build community. Build resilience. Have a strategy for whatever corner of this thing you're working on.
Organize for the long term. Build community. Build resilience. Have a strategy for whatever corner of this thing you're working on.
January 3, 2026 at 8:46 PM
Screaming "wtf" and waiting for a spontaneous uprising is going to discourage you. There won't be a spontaneous uprising. That's just not where the people are at.
Organize for the long term. Build community. Build resilience. Have a strategy for whatever corner of this thing you're working on.
Organize for the long term. Build community. Build resilience. Have a strategy for whatever corner of this thing you're working on.
Agree or disagree whether Bade counts as a journalist, you can't help but be in awe of her subservience to power. Media critics called out this kind of BS since at least "Shock & Awe" -- loudly & publicly. And yet Bade hears not, sees not, comprehends not -- and still pronounces. Damn.
January 4, 2026 at 7:03 PM
Agree or disagree whether Bade counts as a journalist, you can't help but be in awe of her subservience to power. Media critics called out this kind of BS since at least "Shock & Awe" -- loudly & publicly. And yet Bade hears not, sees not, comprehends not -- and still pronounces. Damn.
More year-end review of old notes, 2011: Syrians anticipate inflatable frogs by "attacking" Assad's house with ping pong balls and setting up a fake "tank wash & shine." Debate over whether lefties cld support Ron Paul. (My guess is that many who decided yes "evolved" into MAGA.)
January 4, 2026 at 5:32 PM
More year-end review of old notes, 2011: Syrians anticipate inflatable frogs by "attacking" Assad's house with ping pong balls and setting up a fake "tank wash & shine." Debate over whether lefties cld support Ron Paul. (My guess is that many who decided yes "evolved" into MAGA.)
Reposted by Jeff Sharlet
grim posthumous scenario i had not previously considered: you post a picture of the missile headed straight for you, and are memorialized by a bunch of random assholes complaining about alt text
![A Bluesky user based in Venezuela posted 'I live near a military air base and five earth-shaking explosions were just heart.'
User @thenordic.bsky.social (a random asshole) replied 'was it too hard for you to to [sic] add a link?' along with a link to an AP piece. Quick, don't look, what do you think the odds are that this user responded gracefully to being told that OP was on the ground and reporting firsthand?](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:ycbmujtxprrwbkiw3x5qsyz4/bafkreieh2ddespqvcqdhpfy4g2higsw4lfiguzpaxs3rdessztcokmww6i@jpeg)
January 3, 2026 at 8:21 AM
grim posthumous scenario i had not previously considered: you post a picture of the missile headed straight for you, and are memorialized by a bunch of random assholes complaining about alt text
Other day I noted thread between 2011's Occupy movements & Mamdani. But as I look on my reporting notes from Sept-Dec of that year, I think there's also a line between (Democratic-led) crackdown & collapse of rule of law of Trumpism. Mix of state anti-media violence + too many media looking away.
January 4, 2026 at 3:58 PM
Other day I noted thread between 2011's Occupy movements & Mamdani. But as I look on my reporting notes from Sept-Dec of that year, I think there's also a line between (Democratic-led) crackdown & collapse of rule of law of Trumpism. Mix of state anti-media violence + too many media looking away.
Reposted by Jeff Sharlet
It’s sobering to look back on the run-up to the Iraq war—a period of unceasing chattering-class debate, elaborate official lies, media complicity, unavailing global protest, in the end a giant stitch-up—and have it seem like some sort of paradise of public deliberation compared to these gangsters.
January 3, 2026 at 9:51 PM
It’s sobering to look back on the run-up to the Iraq war—a period of unceasing chattering-class debate, elaborate official lies, media complicity, unavailing global protest, in the end a giant stitch-up—and have it seem like some sort of paradise of public deliberation compared to these gangsters.
Reposted by Jeff Sharlet
Folks bypass things like the fact that NYPD activated drones and 30 cop cars for a demonstration of 1000 people in freezing weather today. The levels of surveillance and potential repression are taken as regular order in this country.
January 4, 2026 at 12:36 AM
Folks bypass things like the fact that NYPD activated drones and 30 cop cars for a demonstration of 1000 people in freezing weather today. The levels of surveillance and potential repression are taken as regular order in this country.
Reposted by Jeff Sharlet
(Semafor) - The New York Times and Washington Post learned of a secret US raid on Venezuela soon before it was scheduled to begin Friday night — but held off publishing what they knew to avoid endangering US troops ..
@semafor.com
www.semafor.com/article/01/0...
@semafor.com
www.semafor.com/article/01/0...
January 4, 2026 at 1:45 AM
(Semafor) - The New York Times and Washington Post learned of a secret US raid on Venezuela soon before it was scheduled to begin Friday night — but held off publishing what they knew to avoid endangering US troops ..
@semafor.com
www.semafor.com/article/01/0...
@semafor.com
www.semafor.com/article/01/0...
Reposted by Jeff Sharlet
A CBS News staffer told me this after Tony Dokoupil kicked off his CBS Evening News tenure tonight with a lengthy Pete Hegseth interview:
"If this is what Bari and Tony’s CBS Evening News is going to look like, then the we may as well just call ourselves Trump Administration State TV. Pathetic."
"If this is what Bari and Tony’s CBS Evening News is going to look like, then the we may as well just call ourselves Trump Administration State TV. Pathetic."
January 4, 2026 at 1:52 AM
A CBS News staffer told me this after Tony Dokoupil kicked off his CBS Evening News tenure tonight with a lengthy Pete Hegseth interview:
"If this is what Bari and Tony’s CBS Evening News is going to look like, then the we may as well just call ourselves Trump Administration State TV. Pathetic."
"If this is what Bari and Tony’s CBS Evening News is going to look like, then the we may as well just call ourselves Trump Administration State TV. Pathetic."
Reposted by Jeff Sharlet
I am so fucking tired of being governed by these sadistic freaks
![Katie Miller
SOON
[pic of Greenland as america]](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:gouysuoxatjdb5bjcqe4sfh7/bafkreigktn77dywtpaoz6rdc4mg2ehv56n6u2nab7zzbhfa5wnincau3la@jpeg)
January 4, 2026 at 1:10 AM
I am so fucking tired of being governed by these sadistic freaks
Reposted by Jeff Sharlet
On the "boots on the ground" question and Trump saying that it will mainly be about protecting oil operations.
Given this framing, we should expect a massive payday for politically connected mercenary companies, who will use this to expand their private armies.
Given this framing, we should expect a massive payday for politically connected mercenary companies, who will use this to expand their private armies.
January 3, 2026 at 5:38 PM
On the "boots on the ground" question and Trump saying that it will mainly be about protecting oil operations.
Given this framing, we should expect a massive payday for politically connected mercenary companies, who will use this to expand their private armies.
Given this framing, we should expect a massive payday for politically connected mercenary companies, who will use this to expand their private armies.
Reposted by Jeff Sharlet
Blows my mind that some of the same journalists who see Trump as a want-to-be dictator at home are earnestly discussing the "challenges" for this same man to "bring democracy" to a country it just illegal invaded. Please grow up.
January 3, 2026 at 6:16 PM
Blows my mind that some of the same journalists who see Trump as a want-to-be dictator at home are earnestly discussing the "challenges" for this same man to "bring democracy" to a country it just illegal invaded. Please grow up.
“We shld impeach him” or “world shld sanction US” amount to saying “I don’t want to do—or don’t think I can—do anything.” Impeachment shld happen; it won’t; so what’s next? All the world powers are drifting same fascist direction or well ahead; so what’s next? Local action is what we have.
January 3, 2026 at 6:18 PM
“We shld impeach him” or “world shld sanction US” amount to saying “I don’t want to do—or don’t think I can—do anything.” Impeachment shld happen; it won’t; so what’s next? All the world powers are drifting same fascist direction or well ahead; so what’s next? Local action is what we have.
Reposted by Jeff Sharlet
Very important in these media times to distinguish between independent journalists who do real reporting, and newsfluencers who repackage others’ work. It’s right to direct people to seek reporters with frontline sources, and wrong to smear independent journalists ly lumping us in with pretenders
Believe it or not, independent journalists can get our own frontline sources.
It’s old-fashioned to defend mainstream journalism these days but some of the most reliable reporting from people actually on the ground will be the AP and Reuters the next 24 hours. Your Substack journalist writing takes will be using frontline reporting from them.
January 3, 2026 at 6:01 PM
Very important in these media times to distinguish between independent journalists who do real reporting, and newsfluencers who repackage others’ work. It’s right to direct people to seek reporters with frontline sources, and wrong to smear independent journalists ly lumping us in with pretenders
Hakeem Jeffries takes a bold stand for Trump asking first next time so Dems can exercise their rubber stamp. This is the kind of statement official Russian “opposition” parties run by Putin make.
January 3, 2026 at 6:01 PM
Hakeem Jeffries takes a bold stand for Trump asking first next time so Dems can exercise their rubber stamp. This is the kind of statement official Russian “opposition” parties run by Putin make.
Reposted by Jeff Sharlet
why would you even bother getting into elected office to watch democracy go quietly into the night. christ
January 3, 2026 at 5:38 PM
why would you even bother getting into elected office to watch democracy go quietly into the night. christ
Reposted by Jeff Sharlet
"The [Iraq] occupation was a...glimpse into the acceptable role of government in a corporatist state—to act as a conveyer belt for getting public money into private hands, a job for wick ideological commitment is fast more relevant than elaborate field experience."
January 3, 2026 at 5:33 PM
"The [Iraq] occupation was a...glimpse into the acceptable role of government in a corporatist state—to act as a conveyer belt for getting public money into private hands, a job for wick ideological commitment is fast more relevant than elaborate field experience."
Enshittification.
January 3, 2026 at 5:53 PM
Enshittification.
Important not just to name media fails but to specify how. Asking Q’s now about operational details is waste of time: the immediate questions are about Trump’s occupation plans. The investigative questions about Trump business allies remain the same.
January 3, 2026 at 5:24 PM
Important not just to name media fails but to specify how. Asking Q’s now about operational details is waste of time: the immediate questions are about Trump’s occupation plans. The investigative questions about Trump business allies remain the same.
Reposted by Jeff Sharlet
Members of Congress: stop posting online and APPEAR, PHYSICALLY on the steps of the Capitol to decry this unconstitutional violation of domestic & international law. SHOW THE PEOPLE the level of danger we are facing as a country.
@housedemocrats.bsky.social
@senatedemocrats.bsky.social
@housedemocrats.bsky.social
@senatedemocrats.bsky.social
January 3, 2026 at 5:17 PM
Members of Congress: stop posting online and APPEAR, PHYSICALLY on the steps of the Capitol to decry this unconstitutional violation of domestic & international law. SHOW THE PEOPLE the level of danger we are facing as a country.
@housedemocrats.bsky.social
@senatedemocrats.bsky.social
@housedemocrats.bsky.social
@senatedemocrats.bsky.social
Reposted by Jeff Sharlet
I’m thinking this morning about all the people I spoke to last year who were absolutely convinced, and tried to convince me, that Trump would be antiwar compared to Biden and Harris.
In the past week alone he has attacked Nigeria and then Venezuela and also threatened to attack Iran (again).
In the past week alone he has attacked Nigeria and then Venezuela and also threatened to attack Iran (again).
January 3, 2026 at 1:18 PM
I’m thinking this morning about all the people I spoke to last year who were absolutely convinced, and tried to convince me, that Trump would be antiwar compared to Biden and Harris.
In the past week alone he has attacked Nigeria and then Venezuela and also threatened to attack Iran (again).
In the past week alone he has attacked Nigeria and then Venezuela and also threatened to attack Iran (again).