REMINDER: ‘Vigilantes, Inc’ with Greg Palast, Sunday, 4 pm Pacific

Please register for our Sunday Speakeasy event with investigative reporter Greg Palast, whose new film turns a spotlight on Georgia’s voter suppression and the dark history of Brian Kemp

***This event is Sunday, September 15, 4 pm Pacific. Registration for paid members is below the paywall. To join our Speakeasy and Happy Hour community events, please take out a membership.

***And save the date: disinformation analyst Alex Alvarova is joining us for Bette’s Happy Hour on Tuesday, September 17, noon Pacific, to help us better understand how “controlled opposition” works. Look for registration invite Sunday evening.***

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Invite to our Sunday, Speakeasy with Greg Palast, whose new film Vigilantes, Inc. is a must-see — all details below.

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Bette Dangerous

Flying into DC on a GoFundMe supported by punk bands and activists, I was surrounded by women knitting pink hats. It was January 20, 2021, and I’d brought my portable DVD player, which I carried around like a security blanket. I gave myself an advanced degree in cinephelia on a 9” screen.

I was watching Bette Davis’ film Dangerous, the scene where she performs a soliloquy drunk, when the gentleman sitting next to me on the plane slipped me a copy of a film he’d just directed, The Best Democracy Money Can Buy. The director was Dave Ambrose, and I had the opportunity to say hello to him Sunday night, nearly nine years after we’d met on that flight to The Women’s March.

Vigilantes, Inc

On Sunday, I joined Thom Hartmann for the Hollywood premiere of Vigilantes, Inc.: America’s New Vote Suppression Hitmen, investigative reporter Greg Palast’s new film, which Ambrose directed.

The film investigates how thousands of Georgians’ right to vote was challenged by ‘vigilantes’ in the 2020 election, and how people of color were specifically targeted.

Palast goes directly into the homes of the ‘vote suppression vigilantes’ and questions them about their actions, while also introducing us to people who were targeted. He also shows the damage done by 2000 Mules, a propaganda film debunked as ‘bullshit’ by William Barr.

Narrated by Rosario Dawson and produced by Martin Sheen and George DiCaprio, Vigilantes Inc. reveals a targeted attack on American voters by self-appointed ‘vote-fraud hunters, not government officials.’

As I was watching the film, I recalled the shame I felt when I learned in 2022 that I knew nothing about Jim Crow laws, and I immediately set out to interview David Pepper for a vital history lesson.

The Return of the ‘Jim Crow’ Backlash to Diverse America

The film follows Palast through Georgia to Arizona and other 2024 swing states that are seeing threats to voters and to democracy, and it illustrates why we need a real battle plan for this coming election.

Above, Palast confronts Pamela Reardon — who challenged 32,379 voters — with photos of legal voters she is attempting to block.

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The Harris campaign hired voting rights lawyer Mark Elias, and the federal government has for the first time stated that the certification of the presidential vote next year will be handled as a “national special security event” — acknowledging the risk in a post-Insurrection America. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas is giving the January 6 session of Congress the highest level of security.

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Greg Palast and Zach Roberts on Sunday’s Speakeasy

Greg Palast is known for his investigative reports for The Guardian, BBC Television, Rolling Stone, and his collaborations with Ambrose delve into forgotten histories, while linking them to current events. The film’s producer Zach Roberts will also be joining us on Sunday.

Here is the film’s trailer:

Beginning on Friday, September 13th, you can stream the film for free at: SaveYourVote.org.

You can also learn more about the documentary and donate to support Palast’s work at: VigilantesMovie.com.

If you prefer a DVD, you can order one here. 

Lastly, a free download of the film can be found here.

Our Sunday Speakeasy event is open to all levels of paid membership, and if you are not yet a member, please consider subscribing.

Keep scrolling for registration link… hope to see you in the squares.

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Bette Dangerous is a reader-funded magazine. Thank you to all monthly, annual, and founding members.

I expose the corruption of billionaire fascists, while relying on memberships to keep the light on.

Thank you in advance for considering the following:

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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. 🥹

More info about Bette Dangerous - This magazine is written by Heidi Siegmund Cuda, an Emmy-award winning investigative reporter/producer, 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.

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Begin each day with a grateful heart.

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