Bette’s Weekly Roundup - Joe Strummer Would Protest
Bette’s Weekly Roundup - Joe Strummer Would Protest
This is the only email you need to read all week, although I recommend you real all the others, too
I had lunch today with one of Joe Strummer’s best friends, Harry the Dog. We sat quiet for a moment as we pondered what Joe would think about the times in which we are living.
I broke the silence and said, “He’d be with us - writing protest music, performing benefit concerts. He wouldn’t have his head buried in the sand, like so many others. He’d be fighting and marching beside us.”
And then we realized the date - the 46th anniversary of the British release of The Clash’s first album - filled with commentary on the political and economic crises of the time.
Where is today’s protest music? Where are our artists?
I am thankful to Neil Young for standing up to Spotify over Joe Rogan platforming anti-science bullshittery. More of that please.
These are the days we need our artists. Throughout history, artistic subversion has changed hearts and minds, and awoken sleeping masses. Are we going to let Kremlin trolls who created evil memes about Hillary in 2016 do our thinking for us… again? I’m sure as f**k not.
Yes, for our new members, pleased to meet me - this is salty Heidi. I try to keep her contained but today is one of those days.
If you are just tuning in, I am glad you are here. This is the one email a week that matters to the busy members of our tribe. I try to summarize the Best of Bette for the week, so you can catch up on all in one post. Bette Dangerous is an online magazine, with multiple posts a day.
Without further adieu…
Reversing History: The US Authoritarian Right’s War on LGBTQ+ People
My investigation is a comprehensive view of the strategic assault on the gay population and its historic links to fascism. This Byline Supplement report is paywalled, but I have the okayal to share with Bette’s audience so those who do not have a subscription to Byline Supplement, please email me: bettedangerous@gmail.com to request a copy.
HiFi and I went live from the Tallahassee jail where leaders of the Democratic party were being held after DeSantis-allied goons had them arrested for peacefully protesting Florida’s six-week abortion ban. We were joined by Florida State Representative Anna Eskamani, who was present during the arrests and who said quite pointedly: “Florida is where freedom goes to die.”
Please watch the 15-minute breaker, which occurred because a Bette community member called me, and together we mobilized to inform our audience. Eskamani lists a number of organizations in Florida that need your help, so please reach out to her office for more: annaforflorida.com.
RadPod Cyberwar Inoculation with Jackie Singh
Cybersecurity expert Jackie Singh - who worked as a lead cyber threat analyst for Joe Biden’s campaign - explained to our viewers how to inoculate yourself from active measures - both physically and mentally.
Since America is unwilling to get out ahead of online hate terrorism, forcing each of us who are targeted to have to cope in our own silos, Jackie’s tips are invaluable.
The Return of ‘Jim Crow’ Backlash to a Diverse America
In January, I interviewed our ‘Speakeasy’ guest for Sunday, David Pepper, about the many ways voter suppression is occurring in our states and how so many of the tactics are rooted in Jim Crow-era racism. Please read this article to see where it’s happening, and how you can help. Tomorrow, David will have an update on how you can help in Ohio, which is suppressing black voters and young voters with a new oppressive ID law, which functions like a modern poll tax.
The goal of Russian active measures is to make us hate each other - and on these pages we have identified many people in America also contributing to that goal. So what is the solution to bring us back to the middle where we find community, family, and societal togetherness? A transfusion of love.
The scare tactics and the tactical brainwashing videos that have lured people into believing unreality - first stage fascism - are designed to make those under undue influence behave ugly. It is not easy to retain grace and double down on love, but that is our duty.
Dead Russians Tell No Tales - An Oligarch Body Count
Ex-fed Martin Sheil speculates on what could be causing the untimely deaths of so many Russian petro execs and oligarchs - 40 at latest count.
Meat Is Murdoch - All My Fox Reports
We have so many new members that I am trying to make it as easy as possible to access information.
We are going to be encouraged to forget the critical news of the day, but I for one, will not forget that Rupert and his creep show were outed for knowingly lying to the American people about the 2020 election. Thank you for not smoking Fox. Please watch the Tess Rafferty link I include in this roundup. She knew in 2016 what we would face.
Additional reports for the week:
Regarding Claims Made Against Jim Stewartson
Dozens of internet terrorists have been ruthlessly attacking my friend and podcast partner, Jim Stewartson, the filmmaker who made ‘American Mindf*ck’ for 33 months. In January, Brent Allpress wrote a letter in Jim’s defense. Allpress testified to the January 6 Committee and his research exposing both the CNP and Cambridge Analytica was included in the film, ‘People You May Know’. His letter is vital to understanding the why of Jim and our team’s ongoing hate terrorism attacks.
Martin Sheil on Clarence Thomas’ grift, and other breakers
#DayOldMcDonald - Single-Digit Grifter
Corporate media is reluctant to give up their cash cow, so I use data to show Trump’s increasing irrelevancy
Many of you have offered to gift subscriptions to friends of Bette, so I created a post that shows the various ways you can give. Thank you to everyone who is helping grow our community.
Registration for David Pepper ‘Speakeasy’ Zoom
Tomorrow, we have an incredible opportunity to learn how to play offense from David Pepper, whose book ‘Laboratories of Autocracy’ is vital to understanding why we need to focus our fight in statehouses. He lowered the price to his book to $3.99 so please buy it if you haven’t already and speed read before our ‘Speakeasy’ tomorrow.
As I remind our community regularly, every day will bring a new ugly from the authoritarian right and tankie left. These chaos and destabilization events are occurring from a place of weakness - they do not have the numbers to thwart the majority, which means it is up to us to wake everyone up who is passively watching fascism unfold and activate them.
They no longer have the option to sit on the sidelines. We have to light a fire under the arses of the silent and get them motivated to join us as we defend our imperfect democracy from monsters.
Crank The Clash up to 11, and join me as we beat back monsters.
The future is unwritten - we are writing it together.
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Bette Dangerous is a reader-funded magazine. Thank you to all monthly, annual, and founding members. Thank you as well to all those who support my work with your generous coffee tips and who buy my ebooks. A private link to group activist discounts available upon request.
More info about Bette Dangerous - This magazine is written by Heidi Siegmund Cuda, an Emmy-award winning investigative reporter, author, and veteran music and nightlife columnist. She is the cohost of RADICALIZED Truth Survives, an investigative show about disinformation and is part of the Byline Media team. Thank you for your support of independent investigative journalism.
Save the date! The next Bette Dangerous ‘Speakeasy’ Zoom for paid members is Sunday, April 9, 4 pm PT, featuring ‘Laboratories of Autocracy - A Wake Up Call from Behind the Lines’ author David Pepper. Registration link here.
Pepper is a brilliant democracy coach, and no one will get you more excited about how you can pitch in to save ours. Please consider subscribing to join the community. Looking forward to meeting new members and seeing Bette’s core group. 🤍
(A quote I wrote when I resigned from Fox in 2013 - later I found out Joe Strummer said it, too.)
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“Something Sacred never dies in almost all of us, that can hear the invitation of Truth…”-words written by a Bette community member