ICYMI — REFLECTIONS — My Favorite Work of 2023
ICYMI — REFLECTIONS — My Favorite Work of 2023
Of monsters, heroes, sunrises, tech bros, and wings, I write on…
***Originally published on December 27, 2023, rebooting for those who were on holiday. Please take out a membership to access all reports.***
2023 was an endurance test of pain, much like 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, and the last third of 2016. Each of those years, I dedicated myself to defending the US from fascism. I never called it anything but fascism. I saw the signs, I am German-American, we don’t quibble about such things. We know the darkness that lurks in the hearts of men trying to hide their corruption and soul sickness.
I write about monsters. I also write about heroes — both the living and the dead. I meet so many democracy heroes along the way and am honored by the people I now call my friends. We are on the frontline, defending democracies from disinformation and reporting on wars, risking everything, but never abandoning our posts. Indeed, I am guided by ghosts and things with wings.
To not defend democracy during this grave time is to obey in advance, and that is simply not in my DNA.
Here are some of my personal favorites — investigations, features, and interviews from Bette Dangerous, RadPod, Byline Supplement, and Los Angeles Magazine. To access all Bette links, please become a member. Thank you for supporting my work.
The Cult of the Genius Tech Bro — the report that got me banned from Twitter
Leaving MAGA — a hopeful interview with a two-time Trump voter who has seen the light
Confessions of a Fox Blonde — the backstory
American Monsters — US criminals accelerating global fascism
Wash Our Spirits Clean — desert reflections
Boris Nemtsov — the man who warned us
Heroes — reporters who came before
More Heroes
Meat is Murdoch — Fox is a shithole ‘country’
Jackie Singh Pod — dissecting disinformation
Fight Fascism — part of my ‘Fight Fascism’ series
Keir Giles Interview — Russia’s War on Everybody
Timothy Snyder and the Executed Renaissance
Women Who Take Down Russian Spies
The Invisible War is a War Nonetheless
To Ukraine, With Love
Project 2025 — cold facts
Dead Clown Walking — we are being targeted by a mafia state
Lessons from Ruth Ben-Ghiat’s ‘Strongmen’ — Losing Sleep and Plagued By An Ulcer
Wisdom from Dr. Hassan
Inspiration from David Pepper — Our frequent Bette guest
The Jason Stanley Files
More Jason Stanley
Spotting Russian Active Measures
Olear’s Review of Fox Undercover
The Salvation — Things with Wings
There are hundreds more. I encourage new subscribers to plow through the archives searching for “Bette’s Weekly Roundup” reports — that’s the fastest way to get up to speed.
In addition, my Best of 2022 fills in a lot of reporting gaps for those just making the decision to face the music.
I also encourage those who are new to RADICALIZED Truth Survives podcast on YouTube to look for our interviews with Jason Stanley, Ruth Ben-Ghiat, David Pepper, Zarina Zabriksy, Paul Conroy, Aquilino Gonell, Craig Unger, Alex Winter, Keir Giles, Monique Camarra, Alex Alvarova, Jen Senko, Julie DeLaurier, Nadine Smith, Paul Mason, Paul Niland, and dozens more. Our podcast more than any other relentlessly exposes the disinformation warping our world. My podcast partners Jim Stewartson and High Fidelity are brilliant and brave — what we need in this moment.
Having the support of such incredible minds as Martin Sheil — whose words can often be found in Bette’s stellar Follow the Money series, Jim and HiFi, Jackie Singh, and the Byline team make this work tolerable and often a joy.
I owe everything to those of you who pay for my words.
2024 is going to be the most challenging year we have faced so far, and we will face it together as a community.
I’ll leave you with my favorite piece of writing this year — may you reach across the canyons of loneliness with me, and know that together, we are never alone.
My Viper Room Memoir
❤️🔥🤘🏼
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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. Some of you prefer making subsidizing donations via venmo, and it’s always greatly appreciated.
A private link to an annual membership discount for older adults, those on fixed incomes or drawing disability, as well as activists and members of the media is available upon request at bettedangerous/gmail. 🥹
Save the date: Rich Logis of Leaving MAGA will be our guest for our Founder’s Day/Speakeasy hybrid meeting on January 7, 4 pm PT. Paid members will receive a registration link as the date approaches.
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.
“We just have to see that the battle for democracy is broader. It's deeper.”—David Pepper
“I need people to see they're on the frontline. Wherever you live, if you’re doing this work, you are the frontline.”—David Pepper
“The message should be a fair deal… fairness everywhere.”—Martin Sheil
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“I say a silent prayer of thanksgiving as I walk upon the earth.”-Audrey Peterman.
“May the viral hope for truth and humanity wash away the chaos of these years.”-S.C., Bette community member
“Something Sacred never dies in almost all of us, who can hear the invitation of Truth…”-words from a Bette Dangerous community member
“Nothing but blue skies from now on…”-Irving Berlin
