As the creep of authoritarianism builds into a global wave — a frontal assault of neo-imperial, techno-authoritarian maneuverings that do not have our common human and earthly interests at heart — the possibilities for resistance must mutate. Traditional media, academe, and institutions of the “rule of law” continue to need our support in order to provide the critical analysis, investigation, and “checks and balances” that would counter the technologically enhanced play of the powerful.
But new forms of communication are playing an increasing role in the current and growing resistance. Here are some of the online voices — many of them long-recognized scholar-activists, who’ve turned to Substack blogs and newsletters to create a more consistent, independent line of delivery — that are essential for understanding the current (2025) moment.
- Heather Cox Richardson, “Letters from an American”: https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com
- Rebecca Solnit, “Meditations in an Emergency”: https://meditations-in-an-emergency.ghost.io
- Olga Lautman: https://substack.com/@olgalautman and https://trumptyrannytracker.substack.com/
- Anand Giridharadas, “The Ink”: https://the.ink and https://substack.com/@anandwrites
- Timothy Snyder, “Thinking about…”: https://snyder.substack.com
- Robert Reich: https://robertreich.substack.com
- Ruth Ben-Ghiat, “Lucid”: https://lucid.substack.com/
- Christina Pagel, “Diving into Data and Decision Making”: https://christinapagel.substack.com/
- Carole Cadwalladr, “How to Survive the Broligarchy”: https://broligarchy.substack.com/
- Robert B. Hubbell https://roberthubbell.substack.com/
- Bill McKibben, “The Crucial Years”: https://billmckibben.substack.com
- Scot Nakagawa, “The Anti-Authoritarian Playbook”: https://antiauthoritarianplaybook.substack.com/
- Corey Robin, https://coreyrobin.com/
- Ezra Klein, https://www.nytimes.com/by/ezra-klein
- Ed Conway, “Material World”: https://edconway.substack.com
- “Musk Watch” (edited by Judd Legum, written by Caleb Ecarma): https://www.muskwatch.com/
- Jared Yates Sexton, “Dispatches from a Collapsing State”: https://jaredyatessexton.substack.com/
- Parker Molloy, “The Present Age”: https://www.readtpa.com/
- Seth Masket, “Tusk”: https://smotus.substack.com/
- Tina Brown, “Fresh Hell”: https://tinabrown.substack.com/
- Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, “What if We Get it Right?”: https://ayanaelizabeth.substack.com/