Gal Beckerman
@galbeckerman.bsky.social
📤 15618
📥 132
📝 78
Staff writer at The Atlantic, formerly NYTBR, and author of the forthcoming “How to Be a Dissident.”
pinned post!
I’ve spent the past year on a search. How do we push back against the forces that are crushing us right now? How do we resist the dehumanization of our politics, our technology? The answers came from people who pushed back before us: the dissidents...🧵
about 1 month ago
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reposted by
Gal Beckerman
The Atlantic
9 days ago
The festooning of the president’s name and likeness across Washington, D.C., is consistent with authoritarian tendencies,
@galbeckerman.bsky.social
writes: “Authoritarian leaders want their face in your face.”
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The Strangeness of a Trumpified Capital
The festooning of the president’s name and likeness across Washington, D.C., is consistent with authoritarian tendencies.
https://bit.ly/4sX9PzA
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reposted by
Gal Beckerman
Evan McMurry
9 days ago
@galbeckerman.bsky.social
: “Authoritarian leaders want their face in your face. Their ubiquitous images personalize the state, making it synonymous with one man’s power. And they turn the citizen’s relationship with that leader into an emotional one.”
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The Meaning of Trump’s Ubiquitous Face
The festooning of the president’s name and likeness across Washington, D.C., is consistent with authoritarian tendencies.
http://theatlantic.com/culture/2026/03/trump-face-all-over-washington-dc/686467/
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reposted by
Gal Beckerman
Juli
9 days ago
“He could be scowling, or maybe slyly smiling. His glowering eyes are less enigmatic; they seem to follow the pedestrians scurrying around the city from above… “Authoritarian leaders want their face in your face”
@galbeckerman.bsky.social
www.theatlantic.com/culture/2026...
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reposted by
Gal Beckerman
𝐑𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐭 𝐌𝐨𝐨𝐫
10 days ago
Came home from a long time away to find some amazing-looking books waiting in the mail for me, converging on themes of evolution and revolution.
@galbeckerman.bsky.social
@jasondovemark.bsky.social
@dghaskell.bsky.social
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It's maybe ironic to post about the death of Jürgen Habermas here in one of our many twisted parodies of a public square, but he's the philosopher we very much need right now, a believer in the power of communication and reason. Here's my Times obituary:
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Jürgen Habermas Dies at 96; One of Postwar Germany’s Most Influential Thinkers
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/14/books/jurgen-habermas-dead.html
18 days ago
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reposted by
Gal Beckerman
The Atlantic
21 days ago
Both loyalists and dissidents cried over the death of Ayatollah Khamenei—and this shared reaction to a dictator’s demise is a symptom of the damage those dictators do,
@galbeckerman.bsky.social
argues.
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Why People Shed Tears for Tyrants
Both loyalists and dissidents cried over the death of Ayatollah Khamenei. This common reaction to a dictator’s demise is a symptom of the damage they do.
https://bit.ly/47lY2CA
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reposted by
Gal Beckerman
The Atlantic
21 days ago
The Trump administration has both invoked and avoided the word “war” in ways that seek glory and evade responsibility,
@galbeckerman.bsky.social
argues:
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Just Don’t Say the W-Word
Trump’s administration has both used and avoided the word war in ways that seek glory and evade responsibility.
https://bit.ly/4uoaeN8
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reposted by
Gal Beckerman
The Atlantic
22 days ago
The Trump administration has both invoked and avoided the word “war” in ways that seek glory and evade responsibility,
@galbeckerman.bsky.social
argues:
loading . . .
Just Don’t Say the W-Word
Trump’s administration has both used and avoided the word war in ways that seek glory and evade responsibility.
https://bit.ly/4stHLUm
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reposted by
Gal Beckerman
Kieran Setiya
24 days ago
A book I very much need (and want) to read: HOW TO BE A DISSIDENT, by
@galbeckerman.bsky.social
, coming April 21
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How to Be a Dissident by Gal Beckerman: 9798217089215 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books
An invigorating guide to fighting back—part philosophy, part history, and part manual for living with integrity in an age of conformity and authoritarian drift How do we push back in a world where...
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/816867/how-to-be-a-dissident-by-gal-beckerman/
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reposted by
Gal Beckerman
26 days ago
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reposted by
Gal Beckerman
When spring finally does decide to arrive...check out "How to Be a Dissident."
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26 Nonfiction Books We’re Excited About This Spring
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/06/books/review/26-nonfiction-books-were-excited-about-this-spring.html
26 days ago
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When spring finally does decide to arrive...check out "How to Be a Dissident."
loading . . .
26 Nonfiction Books We’re Excited About This Spring
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/06/books/review/26-nonfiction-books-were-excited-about-this-spring.html
26 days ago
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reposted by
Gal Beckerman
The Atlantic
28 days ago
Both loyalists and dissidents cried over the death of Ayatollah Khamenei—and this shared reaction to a dictator’s demise is a symptom of the damage those dictators do,
@galbeckerman.bsky.social
argues.
loading . . .
Why People Shed Tears for Tyrants
Both loyalists and dissidents cried over the death of Ayatollah Khamenei. This common reaction to a dictator’s demise is a symptom of the damage they do.
https://bit.ly/4cruXJq
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reposted by
Gal Beckerman
The Atlantic
28 days ago
Both loyalists and dissidents cried over the death of Ayatollah Khamenei—and this shared reaction to a dictator’s demise is a symptom of the damage those dictators do,
@galbeckerman.bsky.social
argues.
loading . . .
Why People Shed Tears for Tyrants
Both loyalists and dissidents cried over the death of Ayatollah Khamenei. This common reaction to a dictator’s demise is a symptom of the damage they do.
https://bit.ly/3N1Nq4X
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reposted by
Gal Beckerman
I wrote about all the tears that followed the death of Khamenei...they seemed drawn from a deeper well than just happiness or sadness.
loading . . .
Why People Shed Tears for Tyrants
Both loyalists and dissidents cried over the death of Ayatollah Khamenei. This common reaction to a dictator’s demise is a symptom of the damage they do.
https://www.theatlantic.com/books/2026/03/why-iranians-cried-over-ayatollah-khamenei/686218/?gift=36xIZW1dWh1PIKcC10tbq68URq5RaLRcut2WnluuyZY&utm_source=copy-link&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=share
29 days ago
0
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reposted by
Gal Beckerman
The Atlantic
29 days ago
Both loyalists and dissidents cried over the death of Ayatollah Khamenei—and this shared reaction to a dictator’s demise is a symptom of the damage those dictators do,
@galbeckerman.bsky.social
argues.
loading . . .
Why People Shed Tears for Tyrants
Both loyalists and dissidents cried over the death of Ayatollah Khamenei. This common reaction to a dictator’s demise is a symptom of the damage they do.
https://bit.ly/4b6enMU
1
20
4
I wrote about all the tears that followed the death of Khamenei...they seemed drawn from a deeper well than just happiness or sadness.
loading . . .
Why People Shed Tears for Tyrants
Both loyalists and dissidents cried over the death of Ayatollah Khamenei. This common reaction to a dictator’s demise is a symptom of the damage they do.
https://www.theatlantic.com/books/2026/03/why-iranians-cried-over-ayatollah-khamenei/686218/?gift=36xIZW1dWh1PIKcC10tbq68URq5RaLRcut2WnluuyZY&utm_source=copy-link&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=share
29 days ago
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A needed and brilliant defense of the subscription model from
@johnwilliams.bsky.social
"I expect publications I support to attempt growth without radically changing the focus or quality of the work or pivoting to some get-traffic-quick scheme every time readership dips over a holiday weekend."
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The Washington Post’s Books Section Worked
Why the editor of the scuttled review pages believes that the paper’s subscribers know better than its leaders
https://www.theatlantic.com/books/2026/02/the-washington-posts-books-section-worked/686070/
about 1 month ago
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reposted by
Gal Beckerman
I’ve spent the past year on a search. How do we push back against the forces that are crushing us right now? How do we resist the dehumanization of our politics, our technology? The answers came from people who pushed back before us: the dissidents...🧵
about 1 month ago
1
7
4
I’ve spent the past year on a search. How do we push back against the forces that are crushing us right now? How do we resist the dehumanization of our politics, our technology? The answers came from people who pushed back before us: the dissidents...🧵
about 1 month ago
1
7
4
reposted by
Gal Beckerman
glykosymoritis
about 1 month ago
Is anything morally obvious anymore? The public reaction to the violence in Minneapolis suggests that we have held on to our sense of universal truths.
www.theatlantic.com/books/2026/0...
By
@galbeckerman.bsky.social
#RadicalUniversalism
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reposted by
Gal Beckerman
The Atlantic
about 1 month ago
The public reaction to the violence in Minneapolis suggests that Americans have held on to our sense of universal morality,
@galbeckerman.bsky.social
argues. He considers a timely new book about “radical universalism”:
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America Needs ‘Self-Evident’ Truths
The public reaction to the violence in Minneapolis suggests that we have held on to our sense of universal morality.
https://bit.ly/4rTl6Ao
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I tried to think through whether there were any "self-evident truths" for Americans today...it wasn't so hard. Which makes our busted political life all that more distressing.
about 1 month ago
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reposted by
Gal Beckerman
The Atlantic
about 1 month ago
The public reaction to the violence in Minneapolis suggests that Americans have held on to our sense of universal morality,
@galbeckerman.bsky.social
argues. He considers a timely new book about “radical universalism”:
loading . . .
America Needs ‘Self-Evident’ Truths
The public reaction to the violence in Minneapolis suggests that we have held on to our sense of universal morality.
https://bit.ly/4tFUwMK
4
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reposted by
Gal Beckerman
I struggle still to understand what happened in Minneapolis, the actions and risks ordinary citizens took, and are continuing to to take. Reading Omri Boehm's recent book, "Radical Universalism," gave me some helpful American language for it.
loading . . .
America Needs ‘Self-Evident’ Truths
The public reaction to the violence in Minneapolis suggests that we have held on to our sense of universal morality.
https://www.theatlantic.com/books/2026/02/omri-boehm-radical-universalism-book-review/686016/?gift=36xIZW1dWh1PIKcC10tbqzfpxyEDIjE5QUHMibfIrZc&utm_source=copy-link&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=share
about 1 month ago
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I struggle still to understand what happened in Minneapolis, the actions and risks ordinary citizens took, and are continuing to to take. Reading Omri Boehm's recent book, "Radical Universalism," gave me some helpful American language for it.
loading . . .
America Needs ‘Self-Evident’ Truths
The public reaction to the violence in Minneapolis suggests that we have held on to our sense of universal morality.
https://www.theatlantic.com/books/2026/02/omri-boehm-radical-universalism-book-review/686016/?gift=36xIZW1dWh1PIKcC10tbqzfpxyEDIjE5QUHMibfIrZc&utm_source=copy-link&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=share
about 1 month ago
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reposted by
Gal Beckerman
Spencer Kornhaber
about 2 months ago
You can call Bad Bunny's halftime show many things—fun, meaningful, staggeringly detailed, wholesomely hot, surprisingly Gagatastic—but not divisive.
www.theatlantic.com/culture/2026...
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‘Together, We Are America’
Bad Bunny’s critics said his Super Bowl halftime show would be divisive. They were totally wrong.
https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/2026/02/bad-bunny-super-bowl-halftime-show/685929/
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reposted by
Gal Beckerman
The Atlantic
about 2 months ago
Let President Trump keep building monuments to himself,
@galbeckerman.bsky.social
argues: It may be “the most effective way to highlight the unprecedentedly self-serving nature of Trump’s presidency.”
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Let Trump Keep Building Monuments to Himself
The president’s penchant for gilded statues and self-glorification might at least help clarify the nature of his leadership.
https://bit.ly/4raScfe
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A 15-foot golden statue of Trump is about to be erected. I look at the bright side...
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Let Trump Keep Building Monuments to Himself
The president’s penchant for gilded statues and self-glorification might at least help clarify the nature of his leadership.
https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/2026/02/let-trump-keep-building-monuments-to-himself/685903/?gift=36xIZW1dWh1PIKcC10tbqyFfOKcDa1bQHNAILD-tDI4&utm_source=copy-link&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=share
about 2 months ago
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reposted by
Gal Beckerman
Alissa Wilkinson
about 2 months ago
Shutting down (the stellar) books coverage at WaPo is a real telling move when your owner is literally Jeff Bezos
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reposted by
Gal Beckerman
The Atlantic
about 2 months ago
Those who oppose ICE in Minnesota are battling not for a political agenda but for the goal of dissidents throughout history: a normal life,
@galbeckerman.bsky.social
argues.
loading . . .
The Way to Beat Back Trump Was Just Revealed
There is a word for what ICE’s opponents in Minneapolis represent, and it has a long, successful history: dissidence.
https://bit.ly/3ZsEQip
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reposted by
Gal Beckerman
The Atlantic
about 2 months ago
Those who oppose ICE in Minnesota are battling not for a political agenda but for the goal of dissidents throughout history: a normal life,
@galbeckerman.bsky.social
argues.
loading . . .
The Way to Beat Back Trump Was Just Revealed
There is a word for what ICE’s opponents in Minneapolis represent, and it has a long, successful history: dissidence.
https://bit.ly/3ZsEQip
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reposted by
Gal Beckerman
Nancy Friedman
2 months ago
"Dissidence is not revolution; it is not even political opposition. It’s something much more elemental. It emerges in environments where power—usually government power—tramples on the basic conditions of life as people know &value them."-
@galbeckerman.bsky.social
www.theatlantic.com/books/2026/0...
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There Is a Word for What Is Happening in Minneapolis
What ICE’s opponents are doing in Minnesota is part of a long and successful historical tradition: dissidence.
https://www.theatlantic.com/books/2026/01/antidote-trump-look-to-the-dissidents/685822/?gift=h5ssLVeyARshEXLqfVq5Y4KU6GzK26t3MUwFtce_cmQ&utm_source=copy-link&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=share
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reposted by
Gal Beckerman
The Atlantic
2 months ago
Those who oppose ICE in Minnesota are battling not for a political agenda but for the goal of dissidents throughout history: a normal life, Gal Beckerman argues.
theatln.tc/XkX62TXA
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reposted by
Gal Beckerman
Sarah Hoppe
2 months ago
www.theatlantic.com/books/2026/0...
I am a humanist. I am a dissident.
loading . . .
The Way to Beat Back Trump Was Just Revealed
There is a word for what ICE’s opponents in Minneapolis represent, and it has a long, successful history: dissidence.
https://www.theatlantic.com/books/2026/01/antidote-trump-look-to-the-dissidents/685822/
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reposted by
Gal Beckerman
Evan McMurry
2 months ago
@galbeckerman.bsky.social
: “To be a dissident in this moment means moving beyond scoring points and underscoring differences, and on to recognizing what we are all losing—and blowing a whistle in order to prevent that loss.”
loading . . .
The Way to Beat Back Trump Was Just Revealed
There is a word for what ICE’s opponents in Minneapolis represent, and it has a long, successful history: dissidence.
https://www.theatlantic.com/books/2026/01/antidote-trump-look-to-the-dissidents/685822/
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reposted by
Gal Beckerman
The Atlantic
2 months ago
Those who oppose ICE in Minnesota are battling not for a political agenda but for the goal of dissidents throughout history: a normal life,
@galbeckerman.bsky.social
argues.
loading . . .
The Way to Beat Back Trump Was Just Revealed
There is a word for what ICE’s opponents in Minneapolis represent, and it has a long, successful history: dissidence.
https://bit.ly/3ZsEQip
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66
When I look at what is happening in Minneapolis, I see people practicing dissidence, acting out of a human instinct to defend what feels most normal. The practice comes out of a tradition, it has a history, one that also points the way forward.
loading . . .
The Way to Beat Back Trump Was Just Revealed
There is a word for what ICE’s opponents in Minneapolis represent, and it has a long, successful history: dissidence.
https://www.theatlantic.com/books/2026/01/antidote-trump-look-to-the-dissidents/685822/?gift=36xIZW1dWh1PIKcC10tbq_3Fixn6zR_Tvx4vZc2jJmE&utm_source=copy-link&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=share
2 months ago
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reposted by
Gal Beckerman
John Patrick Pullen
2 months ago
Hat tip to you,
@galbeckerman.bsky.social
, on a great, must-read reminder of this truth in
@theatlantic.com
today. Gift link:
loading . . .
The Way to Beat Back Trump Was Just Revealed
There is a word for what ICE’s opponents in Minneapolis represent, and it has a long, successful history: dissidence.
https://www.theatlantic.com/books/2026/01/antidote-trump-look-to-the-dissidents/685822/?gift=5154kVWdv2DI2o6XlxlpE7AyxGaeIX2orqUAJn_BHJo
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reposted by
Gal Beckerman
The Atlantic
2 months ago
Josh Shapiro’s memoir presents his Jewishness, which is widely considered a barrier to his presidential prospects, as a unifying brand of faith—and in this morally fraught moment, it might just work,
@galbeckerman.bsky.social
argues.
loading . . .
Josh Shapiro Takes a Gamble on His Faith
The presidential contender’s memoir presents his Jewishness as a unifying force—and in this morally fraught moment, it might just work.
https://bit.ly/4amhiBJ
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reposted by
Gal Beckerman
Evan McMurry
2 months ago
@galbeckerman.bsky.social
on Josh Shapiro’s new memoir:
theatln.tc/greBidiy
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reposted by
Gal Beckerman
The Atlantic
2 months ago
Josh Shapiro’s memoir presents his Jewishness, which is widely considered a barrier to his presidential prospects, as a unifying brand of faith—and in this morally fraught moment, it might just work,
@galbeckerman.bsky.social
argues.
loading . . .
Josh Shapiro Takes a Gamble on His Faith
The presidential contender’s memoir presents his Jewishness as a unifying force—and in this morally fraught moment, it might just work.
https://bit.ly/3M00VS1
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I read Josh Shapiro's memoir and started counting the mentions of "faith" ... there were a lot. Not only is he not hiding his Jewishness. He's placing it at the center of his narrative.
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Josh Shapiro Takes a Gamble on His Faith
The presidential contender’s memoir presents his Jewishness as a unifying force—and in this morally fraught moment, it might just work.
https://www.theatlantic.com/books/2026/01/can-josh-shapiro-turn-his-jewishness-asset/685774/?gift=36xIZW1dWh1PIKcC10tbq7byvFcB5Qir3rk4-6lT9ag&utm_source=copy-link&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=share
2 months ago
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reposted by
Gal Beckerman
glykosymoritis
2 months ago
The Quiet Before: On the Unexpected Origins of Radical Ideas. By
@galbeckerman.bsky.social
#glykoreads
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reposted by
Gal Beckerman
The Atlantic
2 months ago
In “Letter From Birmingham Jail,” Martin Luther King Jr. outlined a strategy to expose the brutality of his opponents. Anti-ICE protesters in Minnesota are following his script—and it’s working,
@galbeckerman.bsky.social
argues:
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Minnesota Had Its Birmingham Moment
In 1963, Martin Luther King, Jr. outlined a strategy to expose official brutality. Anti-ICE protesters are following it—and it’s working.
https://bit.ly/4r3GFOp
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reposted by
Gal Beckerman
Adrienne LaFrance
2 months ago
“In 1963, Martin Luther King, Jr. outlined a strategy to expose official brutality. Anti-ICE protesters are following it…” @galbeckerman’s latest:
www.theatlantic.com/culture/2026...
loading . . .
Minnesota Had Its Birmingham Moment
In 1963, Martin Luther King, Jr. outlined a strategy to expose official brutality. Anti-ICE protesters are following it—and it’s working.
https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/2026/01/martin-luther-king-and-minnesota-protests/685655/
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Agree!
add a skeleton here at some point
2 months ago
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reposted by
Gal Beckerman
The Atlantic
2 months ago
In “Letter From Birmingham Jail,” Martin Luther King Jr. outlined a strategy to expose the brutality of his opponents. Anti-ICE protesters in Minnesota are following his script—and it’s working,
@galbeckerman.bsky.social
argues:
loading . . .
Minnesota Had Its Birmingham Moment
In 1963, Martin Luther King, Jr. outlined a strategy to expose official brutality. Anti-ICE protesters are following it—and it’s working.
https://bit.ly/4t30Sps
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I caught glimpses of MLK's strategy in Minneapolis.
loading . . .
Minnesota Had Its Birmingham Moment
In 1963, Martin Luther King, Jr. outlined a strategy to expose official brutality. Anti-ICE protesters are following it—and it’s working.
https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/2026/01/martin-luther-king-and-minnesota-protests/685655/?gift=36xIZW1dWh1PIKcC10tbq3H33y7Hx8gNJSUXXXqyY5c&utm_source=copy-link&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=share
2 months ago
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reposted by
Gal Beckerman
Rima I Anabtawi
2 months ago
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...
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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.
https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/2026/01/the-iranians-who-feel-betrayed-by-the-left/685644/
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