Bette’s Weekly Roundup - Tankies of Scamalot and Other Aging Fascists
Bette’s Weekly Roundup - Tankies of Scamalot and Other Aging Fascists
A wrap up of an amazing week
As I was feverishly tweeting about the psycho circus breaking out in Russia Friday night, I noticed something — it was all quiet on the tankie front. The vatnik reporters who use a lot of big words to try to obfuscate from the fact that all they do is promote pro-Kremlin propaganda were at a loss for words.
With their fearless leader on the run from another old fascist, the US traitors did not know what to do with their hands. By the second day, they started making feeble noise about Hillaray and Biden paying for the ‘coup’ blah blah blah… it was clear that weak sister Putin had survived the night and the vatniks could keep on shilling for Moscow.
I nearly hurled when I saw my podcast partner Jim Stewartson’s recap of the Tankie of Scamalot — RFKJr — lying about Prigo in Africa. These traitors have no bottom. To anyone just tuning in, Prigozhin’s been running the lie factories that helped deliver Brexit, Trump, and conceal Russia’s murderous invasion of Ukraine. To have a ‘democratic presidential candidate’ lying on Prigo’s behalf is disgusting but also very telling. Unlike in 2015, they aren’t trying to hide their fascist fealty.
What a world.
When I find myself in times of trouble, Timmy Snyder comes to me, speaking words of wisdom — and tonight he came to my emotional rescue with two quotes from his latest subtack:
A protection racket is always vulnerable to another protection racket.
The Putin regime is obviously worn out, but there is no one around to say so, and to propose something better than another aging fascist.
Words like blunt instruments, my favorite kind.
Alright, let’s get on with the libretto and dive into the Best of Bette for the week. For new members, this offers a summary of my essential reporting from the previous week, so if you only have time to read one email each week, this is it — although I do recommend all of them. We are entering 18 months of stormy weather, and my aim is true.
What Impact will Robert F Kennedy Jr have on the 2024 US Presidential Race
Speaking of Tankies of Scamalot, I reached out to my friend Dr. Charles Kriel on behalf of the Byline Supplement team to have him write up his clear-eyed take on RFKJr. Kriel, who directed the vital film ‘Dis/Informed’ — which featured Jr’s dangerous anti-vaxx rhetoric in it — wrote this important examination of his career.
I have a personal connection to Jr and have seen the alarming change from someone whose work in the area of environmentalism and civil rights I respected, to watching him morph into what appears to be a full-blown disinformation agent supported by the worst traitors in US history.
As the media covers the upcoming presidential election like a horse race — which it is not — I encourage you to read Kriel’s thoughtful piece.
MEMBERS SALE - ‘Fox Undercover - Four Lovers, One Husband, and a Really Bad Break Up’
As I wrote in this post, for the next 18 months, it’s going to be all politics all the time, so for those needing a temporary reprieve from the gnarly sturm und drang, I am offering members and subscriber discount pricing for my roman à clef ‘Fox Undercover - Four Lovers, One Husband, and a Really Bad Break Up’.
What people are saying about ‘Fox Undercover’:
“If Raymond Chandler was a punk rock chick moonlighting as a TV news producer who maintained four passionate love affairs to supplement a stressful work life—and wrote a steamier-than-a-hot-shower roman à clef about the experience—you’d get FOX UNDERCOVER, the delightful new novel by Heidi Siegmund Cuda. I’d say it’s The Big Sleep 2.0, except that, despite the many bedroom scenes, there’s not much sleep.—Greg Olear
Indebted to Greg for his kind works, and a big thank you to everyone buying my ebooks. You are keeping the lights on.
The Psycho Circus of Mad Men
This report erupted out of me today, as I spent sleepless nights trying to follow the events out of Russia. My main concern is for Ukraine — when Putin talks of nukes, I think of the words of Dr. Maya Angelou, ‘When people show you who they are, believe them the first time.’ Putin has shown us he is over and over again — a war criminal who steals children and has his opponents poisoned, defenestrated, prisoned, and assassinated. His soldiers are torturing people in Ukraine.
I reached out to Zarina Zabrisky for this report, and she said:
Do not try to use logic. Do not project American democracy onto Russia. I keep hearing people say, ‘How is Putin going to explain it to the Russian people?’ He’s a dictator. That’s why they are called dictators — they don’t have to explain anything. They can kill half of the country, and they won’t have to explain anything, as Stalin did.
In addition, I cited the words of ‘Strongmen’ author Ruth Ben-Ghiat, who also tweeted this tonight: “Autocrats don't pardon people who have staged uprisings against them, esp. autocrats who have been killing dozens of elites since war started for one or two critical remarks.” Below are her words from my report:
Ruth Ben-Ghiat on Twitter:
All autocrats care about is staying in power to have the ability to oppress and steal. The Russian govt. is a kleptocracy, it is a criminal operation and Putin will do whatever it takes to keep that going.
I also cited Michael MacKay from Twitter:
From the Bolshevik coup of 1917 to the Wagner coup of 2023, Western policy about Russia has been guided by charlatans, imbeciles and bullshit artists. It’s time for them to shut up. It’s time to accept the wisdom and leadership of Ukrainians and other Eastern Europeans.
Have a read as we watch the fall of mad men.
Most of the reports below, I also recorded podcast versions available to paid members. If you are not yet a paid member, join us a great annual rate and receive invites to our ‘Speakeasy’ zoom salons, our weekly wellness checkins, and access to all archives. All my reports are locked after two weeks but are available to paying members.
‘We Are the Frontline’ - An Afternoon with David Pepper
Please read this recap of our Father’s Day visit with David, and please start teaching everyone you know who is interested in saving democracy how to go on offense.
We just have to see that the battle for democracy is broader. It's deeper.—David Pepper
Last four to review when you have time:
‘Birds Still Sing Under Fascism’ - A Year Since the Fall of Roe
‘The Inconvenience of Truth’ — Dr. Bandy Lee Loses Case Against Yale
Gradually, then suddenly… we once took our freedoms for granted. Not anymore. As I wrote this week, let’s not hope on the side of the grave, as Seamus Heaney once noted, but let’s take action against fascism in this one life.
Stay kind, stay focused, stay loud.
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Our next Bette Dangerous ‘Speakeasy’ Zoom for paid members is Sunday, July 2, 4 pm PT with Martin Sheil, whose words appear often on these pages in our ‘Follow the Money’ series. Marty is a retired IRS criminal investigator, and he will update us on Trump’s legal entanglements and the recent federal indictment; Paid members also receive invites to our weekly Bette’s Happy Hour, a wellness checkin every Tuesday. This Tuesday, our checkin is at 5 pm PT.
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(Image of Russian tank stuck between circus signs, courtesy of Zarina Zabrisky’s daily report for Euromaidan Press)
