Steven Beschloss

Writer, journalist, editor, filmmaker, prof. Author of book about Lee Harvey Oswald, "The Gunman & His Mother." Articles/essays seen in Washington Post, New Yorker, Smithsonian, New Republic, New York Times and many others. Writing/publishing America, America: america.substack.com. Opinions here: solely mine.

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Last Notes

2024-02-16 14:47:28

Alexei Navalny, what a tragedy. Vladimir Putin, what a monster.

2023-12-18 20:01:04

“Keep in mind that the enemies within want us to be exhausted. The more exhausted and resigned we may be, the more stripped of resources we are, the more they have the upper hand for the fight ahead.”
https://america.substack.com/p/the-value-of-rejuvenation

2023-12-06 15:13:44

Just posted the latest installment of "Media Misses," the new short video series with Mark Jacob and me. Topic: The growing political power of the mega-wealthy is no accident and bad for democracy--and the Washington Post missed it. america.substack.com/p/med…
https://america.substack.com/p/media-misses-yes-rule-by-billionaire

2023-11-29 16:52:33

Just launched Media Misses, a new video series with Mark Jacob that takes a hard look at this dangerous time for our democracy and the need for journalists to confront this directly. Every episode will look at individual stories that fail the test, including our first one from The NY Times.
https://america.substack.com/p/media-misses-we-need-more-truth-not

2023-11-25 16:28:36

The longer it takes the courts to hold Trump accountable for inciting violence against court staff and refusing to respond to a gag order, the more damage it does to the justice system and undermine the public’s belief in justice and the rule of law.

2023-11-22 15:54:51

It amazes—and alarms—me how much hatred some people express toward Joe Biden. You can disagree with his politics and worldview, but any normal person paying attention can grasp his empathy and decency. That hate is the outgrowth of propaganda.

2023-11-19 20:34:32

Happy to share that Open Road has published the updated edition of my book “The Gunman and His Mother” in time for the 60th anniversary of the JFK assassination this week. Whether or not you believe Lee Harvey Oswald committed the murder, I urge you to understand what it was about his troubled life that explains why he would pursue that tragic act.
https://openroadmedia.com/ebook/the-gunman-and-his-mother/9781504093996

2023-11-10 05:54:27

Do I have something to say about the growing danger of autocracy and even dictatorship? I do. Sign up at https://america.substack.com and I’ll be happy to send you my essay to your inbox first thing in the morning.

2023-11-10 05:54:12

Do I have something to say about the growing danger of autocracy and even dictatorship? I do. Sign up at https://america.substack.com and I’ll be happy to send my essay to your inbox first thing in the morning.

2023-10-25 19:45:20

Mike Johnson as Speaker. Another sad day for democracy. He was a leader in the effort to decertify the election and insert Trump. He opposed funding for Ukraine. He's a MAGA extremist primed to do Trump's bidding now.

2023-10-08 06:44:56

You know the cancer is deep in the body politic when the Republicans exploit murderous Hamas attacks on a major U.S. ally to condemn Pres. Biden. Sickening.

2023-10-02 17:24:18

It's "a tricky dance for Democrats: Take on the extremists with clarity while also seeking to govern effectively. That means pursuing bipartisanship when possible, yet knowing the MAGA Republicans are bent on burning down the house." https://america.substack.com/p/a-choice-between-chaos-and-governance

2023-09-29 15:44:08

"There once was a Republican party that prided itself on its commitment to the American military, loudly professing its respect for national defense….Those days are over."
https://america.substack.com/p/the-demise-of-the-gop

2023-09-26 19:51:21

Three of 21 examples from a sane world:
1. "No elected official, including an ex-president, would use his position to incite violence and increase the ongoing danger of stochastic terrorism."
2. "Citizens who believe in performing their public duty would not have reason to worry about their safety in serving as election workers, jurors or librarians."
3. "Nazism and fascism would not be fashionable in any circle seeking power."
https://america.substack.com/p/in-a-sane-world-take-three

2023-09-26 14:36:58

“Sometimes the cascade of news events can be crushing, a surreal expression of a world turned upside down..” That’s why I reflected on these 21 examples of what sanity would look like. Among them: #11. “No elected official, including an ex-president, would use his position to incite violence and increase the ongoing danger of stochastic terrorism.” https://open.substack.com/pub/america/p/in-a-sane-world-take-three?r=bb6o8&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

2023-09-26 14:31:32

Trump is getting worse, more dangerous, more bent on inciting violence. This is not a presidential candidate; this is a criminal defendant seeking to save his own skin no matter how much damage it causes. The media must stop pretending this is in any way a normal presidential horse race.

2023-09-26 14:30:37

2023-09-16 20:34:18

Marjorie Taylor Greene briefing Trump on her “strategy” for Biden’s impeachment. Vladimir Putin condemning America for its “political persecution” of Trump. Mitt Romney admitting most of his Republican colleagues don’t believe in the Constitution. A growing number of young people globally favoring military rule and strongman leadership over democracy.
“Some weeks it seems the world has slipped off its axis and gone mad.”
https://america.substack.com/p/fragments-from-a-fractured-body-politic

2023-09-10 20:19:45

“Over and over, I watched the replay of the commercial airplanes flying straight into the towers…The world would not be the same again.”
What Do You Remember about 9/11? Check out nearly 200 remembrances of that terrible day and join the conversation.
https://america.substack.com/p/what-do-you-remember-about-911/comments

2023-08-25 15:29:59

"The behavior of these public figures makes clear the depth of their arrogance. They act as if the rule of law does not apply to them, that they are above the law, that their treatment is an indignity, an unjust attack, a scandal." https://america.substack.com/p/the-depth-of-arrogance

2023-08-24 02:49:03

Everyone on that stage except for Chris Christie and Ada Hutchinson said they’d vote for trump if he’s the nominee, even if he’s found guilty of the various felony charges. When Christie criticized Trump’s attack on the constitution, the GOP debate crowd booed him. Is there really anything more to discuss?

2023-08-20 15:12:21

“I was the apple of his eye.” (Trump looking at Putin.)
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/110/922/579/175/370/407/original/fcce529c4abd4622.jpeg

2023-08-11 14:21:36

"In the struggle between light and dark, between those who yearn for greater equality and a better America and those driven by grievance and the need to scapegoat the most vulnerable among us, the next year promises more violence fueled by irresponsible leaders determined to exploit peoples’ worst instincts. That may be our treacherous, near-term fate, but it doesn’t mean justice and the rule of law won’t finally prevail." https://america.substack.com/p/the-struggle-between-light-and-dark-7e7

2023-08-09 02:18:38

If the sweaty guy careens further toward narcissistic collapse—refusing to stop putting witnesses, prospective jurors and prosecutors in danger—it’s hard to see how Judge Chutkan will not be forced into imposing a gag order or even consider taking him into custody.

2023-08-02 11:44:52

“The wound can never be fully fixed. All that can be counted on is thoughtful people acting diligently to repair what’s broken…May the latest indictment move the country a little bit further on the path toward repair.”
https://america.substack.com/p/the-indictment-that-matters-most

2023-07-23 18:04:57

Donald Trump is running in 2024 for immunity, impunity and retribution.

2023-07-18 17:38:39

Jack Smith has sent Trump a target letter concerning J6. Trump called him “deranged.” I’d call him a prosecutor committed to serving justice without fear or favor. A good day for America.

2023-06-24 19:18:59

Thank you to the 81M voters who elected Joe Biden president in 2020. It’s hard to overstate how much more precarious this moment would be if Trump was still in office, kowtowing to Putin and condemning Ukraine and Zelensky.

2023-06-19 13:37:43

“Perhaps these stories [of formerly enslaved people in their own words] will inspire you, like they have me, to keep in mind how complicated is the unfolding story of America and how the trajectory toward freedom depends on the understanding, desire and commitment of the individuals engaged in living that history.”
https://open.substack.com/pub/america/p/the-complicated-path-to-freedom?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

2023-06-09 01:23:11

"For all of us who believe in the rule of law, the fundamental principle that no one is above the law and the importance of accountability for the good of democracy, this federal indictment is a seismic event and a reason to rejoice." My new piece: https://open.substack.com/pub/america/p/the-rule-of-law-is-still-intact?r=bb6o8&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email

2023-06-06 03:03:11

Donald J. Trump: “Everything I did was right.” Uh-huh. Indictments are coming. Tick tock, tick tock. https://america.substack.com/p/accountability-is-finally-coming

2023-06-05 15:34:10

"It would be perfect. All Trump’s mouthing off would finally lead to just deserts." https://america.substack.com/p/accountability-is-finally-coming?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share

2023-05-30 01:55:55

“I dare say, Mr. Rhodes—and I never have said this to anyone I have sentenced—you pose an ongoing threat and peril to our democracy and the fabric of this country,” Judge Amit Mehta said.
https://open.substack.com/pub/america/p/stewart-rhodes-crime-against-america?utm_source=direct&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

2023-05-27 00:03:17

Now that Oath Keepers’ Stewart Rhodes got 18 years for seditious conspiracy, how many years will the man who incited that seditious conspiracy get?

2023-05-21 15:06:25

If you don’t assume the Republicans’ refusal to pass the debt ceiling and risk crashing the economy is not part of the same effort to keep the criminal loser in office and reject the peaceful transfer of power, then you’re not paying attention.

2023-05-21 15:04:57

Maybe if some of the leading elected insurrectionists were held accountable for their crimes, the Republicans would be less sure they can get away with anything.

2023-05-19 01:42:16

The thing about this corruption and criminality—George Santos, Clarence Thomas, Rudy Giuliani, Trump—is that it’s so obvious. So brazen. As if there’s no need to hide it.

2023-05-12 20:27:13

“Donald Trump has gotten away with a lifetime of lies and cruelty and criminality because too few people possessed the courage to stand up to him.” And then there’s E. Jean Carroll.
https://america.substack.com/p/courage-and-the-hunger-for-truth

2023-05-10 03:35:34

The courageous E. Jean Carroll rules.

2023-05-08 15:18:30

“Until we throw out the bums in office who rely on thoughts and prayers—and stand in the way of gun laws that can save lives and slow the bloodshed—then we can all continue to decry the horror while the soundtrack of our lives is a drumbeat of mass shootings.”
https://america.substack.com/p/the-sickening-cynicism-of-thoughts

2023-05-05 10:47:53

Ginni and Clarence Thomas have corrupted and degraded the Supreme Court and, in their silence, make clear their arrogant indifference and disdain toward all those who question them.

2023-04-25 16:42:09

On the same day Joe Biden announces he’s running for a second term, reiterating his commitment to “the soul of the nation” and personal freedom, Donald Trump faces the first day of a civil trial for alleged rape.

2023-04-18 16:23:23

It’s hard for Democrats to keep up with the Republicans who’ve turned into a party all about retribution, violence and opposing justice. I think it’s still hard for Democrats to fully accept they’ve abandoned all democratic values and the pretense of making life better.

2023-04-05 05:47:10

“…the real sadness is that he was voted into office in 2016 despite his history of criminality—and that we spent the following four years watching his shameless degradation of American justice, the rule of law and the presidency itself.” https://america.substack.com/p/donald-trump-is-a-criminal-defendant

2023-04-01 19:36:45

Don’t forget the MAGA noisemakers are a minority. Don’t forget when you hear all the Republicans attacking DA Bragg and defending Trump, even before indictments are unsealed, the majority of Americans disagree.

2023-03-22 14:59:19

I’m all for indictment, and recognize we’re going to suffer a non-stop, unavoidable tirade of crazy from the indicted one. But amid the noise & mania, let’s keep in mind we have democracy to save, rule of law to re-establish, and a climate crisis that requires collective focus and effort.