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Jeff Sharlet has spent the past few years embedded in the deepest corners of the growing far-right movement in the United States. He's come to think of it as a black hole, something that can pull people in with ever-shifting grievances and a desire for power. He chronicles the movement and the characters in it in his book The Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War and joins us to discuss the book and how he's thinking about its thesis in the context of the new Trump administration. We also discuss some of Sharlet's more recent reporting on war churches in Idaho and Washington, and how things that were on the fringes of the movement five years ago are now squarely in the mainstream.Sharlet is the Frederick Sessions Beebe '35 Professor in the Art of Writing and Director of Creative Writing at Dartmouth College. He is also the author of The Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power, which was adapted into a Netflix documentary series, and This Brilliant Darkness: A Book of Strangers.His reporting on LGBTQI+ rights around the world has received the National Magazine Award, the Molly Ivins Prize, and Outright International's Outspoken Award. His writing and photography have appeared in many publications, including Vanity Fair, for which he is a contributing editor; The New York Times Magazine; GQ; Esquire; Harper's Weekly; and VQR, for which he is an editor at large.
Jeff Sharlet spends a lot of time going where most people fear to tread: into the heart of militant right-wing movements, where he comes back with unforgettable stories and personal insights about conspiracy theorists and people who want to shatter modern society and remake it in a Christian nationalist image.Sharlet is a professor of writing at Dartmouth College, a contributing editor to Vanity Fair, and the New York Times bestselling author or editor of eight books. His 2023 book, “The Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War,” was a National Book Critics Circle Award Finalist for Nonfiction, and his book, “The Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power,” was the basis for a 2019 Netflix documentary series, for which he was narrator and executive producer. Sharlet's writing on current politics can be found on his Substack, Scenes from a Slow Civil War.Sharlet describes his work as “reporting on the intersection of religion and politics.”He no longer characterizes the current state of politics and polarization as a “slow civil war.”“When I talk to young trans people, they're not paranoid when they say their state wants them not to exist. They are correct. That's sped up. The removal of books, the erasure of history, the threat to the universities, which is a hallmark (of) authoritarianism — this is textbook.”“Everything Trump has said he was going to do, he has attempted to do. It's time to lay aside the ‘this is just negotiating tactics.' He's going to negotiate us right down into full fascism.”Sharlet has written about the carefully crafted imagery of authoritarianism that is on display right now. He singled out Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem's visit to a notorious prison in El Salvador, where she posed "in tight athleisure" outfit while wearing a $50,000 Rolex watch in front of a backdrop of caged shirtless men who had allegedly been deported from the U.S. "It's very powerful theater," he said. "Authoritarian movements do not make policy recommendations. They put on theatrical productions. They do not persuade with arguments. They bludgeon with images." Sharlet recently returned from reporting trips to Idaho and upstate New York, in Rep. Elise Stefanik's district. I asked how MAGA supporters whom he encountered were feeling about Trump's performance, including the predicted economic impact on red states of tariffs, social security and Medicaid cuts, inflation, government layoffs, and the price of eggs – up 60% compared to a year ago.“There's a lot of people who are pleased with this and there is an increasing radicalization,” he said.“There used to be a Q-Anon slogan called ‘trust the plan,' and that's the ethos of the politics: trust the plan.”MAGA supporters told him that “they're pleased about crackdowns on trans people. A lot of people are really, really happy about crackdowns on colleges.” He described how a member of a church that he visited in Spokane, Washington, “were thrilled. They feel like religious freedom is finally being established.”"I think people are taking false reassurance of saying, 'Well, he's hurting his own base'. Of course, he's hurting his own base. Fascism is not a good deal. It's not a good deal for anybody. But you break government, and then you have your complete control over it. The goal is power, and with power comes the ability to enrich those who are close to you. It comes with the power to satisfy both your own ideological projects and those of your allies."On the left, Sharlet said “there's much more tuning out than the first Trump administration.” He said that people opposed to Trump “have to build coalitions that are not just the people who have the right political ideas. We have to have coalitions with people who don't normally think about politics, who don't even have an opinion on it.”“Whatever we're doing, it's not enough. So good. Let's do more.”
in this episode I read "Bodies Will Swing" by Jeff Sharlet originally written on his substack blog Scenes from a Slow Civil War on February 15, 2025.
Nonfiction writer Jeff Sharlet joins co-hosts V.V. Ganeshananthan and Whitney Terrell to discuss how mainstream media outlets sanitize Donald Trump's rhetoric in their reporting rather than straightforwardly describing his words and behavior, an approach recently dubbed “sanewashing” by The New Republic's Parker Molloy. Sharlet analyzes the term's usefulness and also its limitations; talks about the need to describe fascism using the word itself; and reflects on who is now at the center of political discourse and who is at the fringe. He also considers whether popular new media influencers like the MeidasTouch Network and YouTuber Brian Tyler Cohen are really filling the need to describe Trump as he is. He reads from his book, The Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War. To hear the full episode, subscribe through iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app (include the forward slashes when searching). You can also listen by streaming from the player below. Check out video versions of our interviews on the Fiction/Non/Fiction Instagram account, the Fiction/Non/Fiction YouTube Channel, and our show website: https://www.fnfpodcast.net/ This episode of the podcast was produced by Anne Kniggendorf. Jeff Sharlet The Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War This Brilliant Darkness: A Book of Strangers Sweet Heaven When I Die C Street: The Fundamentalist Threat to American Democracy The Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power Others: "This genius website captures Trump's weirdest debate quotes," by Grace Snelling | Fast Company Lenny Bruce The White Album by Joan Didion The Anatomy of Fascism by Robert O. Paxton Rick Perlstein Brian Tyler Cohen MeidasTouch Network Jeffrey Ruoff Susan Faludi Lane Kirkland Dietrich Bonhoeffer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Take a listen to our coverage of Day 3 of the Republican National Convention from Riverwest Radio in Milwaukee. The Pacifica Radio Network's national coverage is supported by sustaining sponsorships from unions representing close to two million rank and file members. Yesterday on the second night of the RNC the theme of the night was "Make America Safe Once Again," where Republican speakers took to the stage to paint a picture of the country plagued by violent crime. They linked crime with immigration, driving home some of the GOP's top priorities in their party platform, to seal the border and to deport undocumented immigrants in record numbers.Meanwhile, more details have emerged about the fatal police shooting of Samuel Sharpe, Jr, an unhoused Black veteran who was killed yesterday, at the hands of five out-of-state police officers. They are five of roughly 4,000 who are in Milwaukee to provide security for the RNC. Samuel Sharpe, Jr was shot and killed by officers from Columbus, Ohio, at the intersection of 14th and Vliet streets in western downtown Milwaukee, about a mile from the RNC perimeter.Community members held a vigil for Sharpe yesterday evening, where they condemned the city of Milwaukee for hosting the RNC and providing the circumstances that led to Sharpe's death. A mile away, in central downtown Milwaukee's Deer District, Republican Party officials and elected leaders continued their third day of sessions and networking surrounded by thousands of law enforcement officials.The RNC was promised to bring approximately $200 million in direct and indirect economic benefit to the city of Milwaukee. Russ Klisch, owner of Lakefront Brewery here in Milwaukee, hosted the Washington State delegation for the RNC earlier today and joins us on the phone.Then we speak with Peter Rickman, president of the Milwaukee Area Service Workers Organization, which represents 1,100 service workers. MASH, an independent union, successfully secured a landmark union contract in 2019 for service workers at the Fiserv Forum, the site of the RNC gathering.Then we dive more into the history of Milwaukee and its "Sewer Socialist" history. We're joined by journalist John Nichols, national affairs correspondent for The Nation where he's just published a new article titled “Welcome Republicans, to America's Great Socialist City.” To talk about the potential for alternative, non-corporate parties in America we bring into the conversation Howie Hawkins, 2020 Green Party candidate for President and retired Teamster.Yesterday on the second night of the RNC the theme of the night was "Make America Safe Once Again," where Republican speakers took to the stage to paint a picture of the country plagued by violent crime. They linked crime with immigration, driving home some of the GOP's top themes in their platform, to seal the border and to deport undocumented immigrants in record numbers. The party offered a lineup of Senate candidates and Americans who said President Joe Biden's immigration policy fueled has fueled the infusion of fentanyl, offering narratives of drug cartels, human trafficking and criminal gangs threatening the safety of people in the US. Anne Fundner of Southern California, whose 15-year-old son Weston died from fentanyl poisoning in 2022, blamed the Biden administration for her son's overdose death from fentanyl. For more, we're joined by Armando Ibarra, Distinguished Achievement Professor in the School for Workers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he holds a joint appointment in Chican@ and Latin@ Studies. His research has focused on, among other things, life narratives of low-wage workers in Milwaukee. He's the co-author of The Latino Question: Politics, Labouring Classes and the Next Left.Then we turn to WXRW reporter Keith Gaustad, who yesterday attended an event held by the Black Republican Mayors Association, hearing from a veritable who's who of Black Republicans. We catch up with Minnesota State Representative Walter Hudson, who joins us in the studio.Turning back to economic justice, one of the more surreal moments of the first night of the RNC was Teamster President Sean O'Brien's blasting Amazon, which is valued at over $2 trillion, for being the 14th largest economy in the world, adding that it was sickening that Amazon had abandoned any national allegiance.With us to talk about the status of global multinationals and the impact on workers and the environment is James Henry, lawyer, economist, investigative journalist, and a Yale Global Justice Fellow.Lastly, as JD Vance prepares to deliver his keynote remarks, we're joined by Jeff Sharlet, an award-winning journalist and professor of English and creative writing at Dartmouth College. His recent book is The Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War.
The New Abnormal's Andy Levy and Danielle Moodie place their bets for Donald Trump's vice presidential pick. Then Antonieta Cadiz, the deputy executive director of Climate power En Acción, joins the program to discuss how climate change is disproportionately affecting Latino communities. Plus! A conversation with New York Times bestselling author and Dartmouth professor Jeff Sharlet about his new book “The Undertow: Scenes From a Slow Civil War.” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Stand Up is a daily podcast. I book,host,edit, post and promote new episodes with brilliant guests every day. This show is Ad free and fully supported by listeners like you! Please subscribe now for as little as 5$ and gain access to a community of over 700 awesome, curious, kind, funny, brilliant, generous souls Subscribe to Jeff Sharlet's Substack Order Jeff's new book The Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War 30 mins Jeff Sharlet is a journalist and bestselling author or editor of seven books, including The Family, the basis for a 2019 Netflix documentary series, The Family, of which he is executive producer. His most recent book, combining image and text, is This Brilliant Darkness: A Book of Strangers. "Gorgeous," says The New York Times, "[t]he book ingeniously reminds us that all of our lives — our struggles, desires, grief — happen concurrently with everyone else's, and this awareness helps dissolve the boundaries between us." Sharlet's other books include Sweet Heaven When I Die, C Street, and, with Peter Manseau, Killing the Buddha, and two edited volumes, Radiant Truths, and (with Manseau) Believer, Beware. His writing on Russia's anti-LGBTQ crusade earned the National Magazine Award for Reporting, and his writing on anti-LGBT campaigns in Uganda earned the Molly Ivins Prize and the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission's Outspoken Award, among others. He has also been the recipient of numerous fellowships from the MacDowell Colony. Sharlet is an editor-at-large for VQR, a contributing editor for Harper's and Rolling Stone, and a contributor to publications including The New York Times Magazine, Vanity Fair, GQ, Esquire, Mother Jones, Bookforum, and others. At Dartmouth College, he is the publisher of 40 Towns and a member of the Society of Fellows. Pete on Threads Pete on Tik Tok Pete on YouTube Pete on Twitter Pete On Instagram Pete Personal FB page Stand Up with Pete FB page All things Jon Carroll Follow and Support Pete Coe Buy Ava's Art
In general terms, I believe Christian nationalism is bad history, bad politics, and bad religion. In prior episodes, I have concentrated on the bad history. In this segment and the next, I focus mainly on the bad politics. Around the world, religious nationalism is associated with state sponsored violence against citizens, use of force to take political control, erosion of the separation of church and state, degrading of democratic principles and attacks on minority rights. I believe Christian nationalism is also bad for Christianity which I will examine in the next episode.Note: I did not mention that long time Fellowship leader Doug Coe passed away in 2017. I believe that explains some of the shifting within the Fellowship. Having said that, there always was an element within that group which didn't make a strong commitment to human rights. Resources mentioned:The Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War by Jeff Sharlet. The Family, Netflix documentary, by Jeff Sharlet. Charismatic Revival Fury, podcast by Matthew Taylor, produced by Brad OnishiExpert guests this segment: Dartmouth College historian and author Randall Balmer, Communications director at Americans United for the Separation of Church and State Rob Boston, Louisville pastor and social worker Joel Bowman, Mount St Mary's University philosophy instructor Scott Coley, Grove City College social work associate professor Jennifer Hollenberger, historian Troy Jackson, journalist Jonathan Larsen, author and journalist Katherine Stewart, religion scholar with the Institute for Islamic, Christian and Jewish Studies Matthew Taylor, and historian and author Jemar Tisby. SHOW NOTES:Telling Jefferson Lies is written, produced, and hosted by Warren Throckmorton. For more information about the podcast or the book Getting Jefferson Right, go to gettingjeffersonright.com. Today's closing song is Debris by Roman Candle. Telling Jefferson Lies Theme song is The World Awaits Us All also by Roman Candle. See the show notes for more credits. Just two more episodes to go. Please like the podcast and spread the word on social media. Thanks for listening.
For decades in its war on terror following 9/11 the U.S. government poured resources, including its own terror tactics, in combating Islamic radicalism during the rise of ISIS. Meanwhile, white domestic terrorism, fueled by extreme religious groups like white evangelicals, increasingly went unchecked, leading to Trump and his violent January 6 insurrection. Can those same far-right Chrstian extremists help Trump win the Electoral College? This week's bonus show, based on a listener's question and exclusively for our subscribers at the Truth-teller level and higher on Patreon, looks at the potential impact of the far-right Christian vote and ways to counteract it. The episode answers other questions from our listeners at the Democracy Defender-level and higher on Steve Bannon's terror tactics, exposing white women slaveholders in American history, and more! To submit your questions and comments for a future Q&A, be sure to subscribe to the show at the Democracy Defender level or higher only on Patreon! Fight for your mind! To get inspired to make art and bring your projects across the finish line, join us for the Gaslit Nation LIVE Make Art Workshop on April 11 at 7pm EST – be sure to be subscribed at the Truth-teller level or higher to get your ticket to the event! Be sure to check out this really cool art initiative out of Michigan from Gaslit Nation listeners!: Breaking down walls through art and expression: https://umdearborn.edu/news/breaking-down-walls-through-art-and-expression There's also this important work from another Gaslit Nation listener in our community that's part of the long overdue solution for modernizing America's rail service: Fed plan contains more passenger trains for Utah https://buildingsaltlake.com/fed-plan-contains-more-passenger-trains-for-utah/ More info here: Federal Railroad Administration's Amtrak Daily Long-Distance Service Study fralongdistancerailstudy.org Thank you to everyone who supports the show – we could not make Gaslit Nation without you! Join the conversation with a community of listeners at Patreon.com/Gaslit and get bonus shows, all episodes ad free, submit questions to our regular Q&As, get exclusive invites to live events, and more! Check out our new merch! Get your “F*ck Putin” t-shirt or mug today! https://www.teepublic.com/t-shirt/57796740-f-ck-putin?store_id=3129329 Submit your song for the Gaslit Nation song feature! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1-d_DWNnDQFYUMXueYcX5ZVsA5t2RN09N8PYUQQ8koq0/edit?ts=5fee07f6&gxids=7628 Show Notes: They Were Her Property: White Women as Slave Owners in the American South https://bookshop.org/p/books/they-were-her-property-white-women-as-slave-owners-in-the-american-south-stephanie-e-jones-rogers/8493268?ean=9780300251838 How Evangelicals Became a Voting Bloc Evangelical voters' focus on policy over character came much earlier than you think. https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2024/march-web-only/evangelicals-voting-bloc-super-tuesday-donald-trump-charact.html Religious Group Voting and the 2020 Election https://news.gallup.com/opinion/polling-matters/324410/religious-group-voting-2020-election.aspx It's Time to Talk About Violent Christian Extremism There's a “strong authoritarian streak” that runs through parts of American evangelicalism, warns Elizabeth Neumann. What should be done about it? https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2021/02/04/qanon-christian-extremism-nationalism-violence-466034 Why QAnon Has Attracted So Many White Evangelicals https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/why-qanon-has-attracted-so-many-white-evangelicals/ The Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-undertow-scenes-from-a-slow-civil-war-jeff-sharlet/18515351?ean=9781324006497 The Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-family-the-secret-fundamentalism-at-the-heart-of-american-power-jeff-sharlet/7918950?ean=9780060560058 Is America Headed Towards a Civil War? Andrea's interview with Jeff Sharlet (April 2023) https://www.gaslitnationpod.com/episodes-transcripts-20/2023/05/03/jeff-sharlet-undertow-america-civil-war Democrat wins Alabama special election in early test for IVF as a campaign issue https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/elections/democrat-marilyn-lands-wins-alabama-special-election-ivf-abortion-righ-rcna145210 Federal Railroad Administration's Amtrak Daily Long-Distance Service Study fralongdistancerailstudy.org Fed plan contains more passenger trains for Utah https://buildingsaltlake.com/fed-plan-contains-more-passenger-trains-for-utah/ Breaking down walls through art and expression: A new program inspired by the Inside Out Program and funded by a U-M Arts + the Curriculum grant offers art-focused workshops and discussions that are free and open to the public. https://umdearborn.edu/news/breaking-down-walls-through-art-and-expression The Great Rupture in American Jewish Life https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/22/opinion/israel-american-jews-zionism.html?searchResultPosition=1
Meet Dr. Jeff Sharlet, Professor in the Art of Writing at Dartmouth College and author of the recently released The Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War. In it, he journeys into the corners of our national psyche in an attempt to understand how, over the last decade, reaction has morphed into delusion, social division into distrust, distrust into paranoia, and hatred into fantasies—sometimes realities—of violence.In this conversation, George and Jeff discuss the religious dimensions of American politics, and the role of grief and uncertainty in the midst of plague and rising fascism. Sharlet offers insight into both the human condition and into our country today, bringing to light a decade of American failures as well as a vision for American possibility.Jeff Sharlet is the New York Times bestselling author or editor of eight books. His latest is The Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War (2023), a National Book Critics Circle Award Finalist for Nonfiction, one of The New York Times 100 Books of the Year, and a New Republic book of the year.
The line between political discourse and religious fervor is getting thinner all the time. Jeff Sharlet is Frederick Sessions Beebe '35 Professor in the Art of Writing at Dartmouth College, and he joins host Krys Boyd to discuss how American political leanings are taking the form of religious devotion – and how Ashli Babbitt, who was killed during the January 6 insurrection, has become a martyr for many on the far right. His book is “The Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War.”
On this edition of Parallax Views, last month I spoke to journalist Jeffrey Sharlet, known for his books on the Christian Nationalist movement (The Family and C Street; the former has been made into hit Netflix documentary miniseries), to discuss his latest work The Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War. The book is a series of essays exploring the chaotic moment that Sharlet calls the "Trumpocene" and delves into everything from the January 6th insurrection and death of Ashli Babbitt to the Men's Rights Movement. Given he New Hampshire primary on January 23rd, I felt that now was the perfect time to release this prescient conversation. In this conversation we cover a number of topics including: - The "F Word"; or fascism - The rise of the far-right in the U.S. and its global ascendancy - Trump and Gnosticism; Jeff's citing of the Gnostic poem "Thunder Perfect Mind" in relation to the Trump/MAGA movement phenomena - Jan 6th and the death of Ashli Babbit; what drove Ashli Babbit into Trumpism and the MAGA movement? - QAnon and the power of narratives in mobilizing the American right-wing - Revisiting Jeff's groundbreaking journalism on The Family, C Street, the Council for National Policy (CNP), and Christian Nationalism - Christian Nationalism and Trumpism as radical reinterpretations of Christianity; the Church itself as not being the be-all-end-all of Christian Nationalism (it's much bigger than that) - Jeff's experiences reporting on the MRA movement and the ways in which they start with some true observations (men have high suicide rates, custody issues, etc.) that are chucked away in favor of misogny and all-out attacks on feminism (even though some of their initial observations can also be found amongst feminist works such as Susan Faludi's Stiffed: The Betrayal of the American Man) - And more!
Nothing will stop Republicans from lining up behind Trump. But the left? It's in crisis. Fragmented. Perhaps in times of great flux fascists reflexively double-down while progressives slide into a cloud of self-doubt. There, strange bedfellows are sometimes found in the dark. To help us understand this territory—what it is and how to navigate it—we're joined by journalist, professor, and documentarian, Jeff Sharlet. His books, The Undertow: Scenes From a Slow Civil War and The Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power are field guides for understanding modern America. Show Notes Losing the Plot: The “Leftists” Who Turn Right The Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War The Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power The Family on Netflix Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In this final episode of Pure White analyses how myths of white women's innocence are deployed to demonstrate national innocence. The events of January 6, 2020 included several white women who willfully disobeyed the law. When arrested, many claimed innocence despite evidence of their illegal behavior. Ashli Babbitt became well-known as a martyr to the cause of White Christian Nationalism. Early reports of her death focused on her innocence in an effort to exonerate the insurrectionists. Subscribe to Pure White: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pure-white/id1718974286To purchase Virgin Nation: https://massivebookshop.com/products/9780199987764To Subscribe to Chew On This, A Newsletter from the After Purity Project: https://afterpurity.substack.comAxis Mundi Media: www.axismundi.usThe Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War by Jeff Sharlet https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-undertow-scenes-from-a-slow-civil-war-jeff-sharlet/18515351?ean=9781324006497 Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Paul Street, member of the RefuseFascism.org Editorial Board shares reflections on January 6, three years later. Read his reflections: On January 6 Three Years Later: The Trump Republi-Fascist Menace is Alive and Well. Subscribe to the Paul Street Report to read and hear more from Paul. Then, Sam talks with Ian Millhiser, senior correspondent at Vox, about just some of the Trump trials, some attempts for accountability through the legal system and Trump's strategy to dodge it. He is the author of two books on the Supreme Court: Injustices: The Supreme Court's History of Comforting the Comfortable and Afflicting the Afflicted and The Agenda: How a Republican Supreme Court Is Reshaping America. Follow Ian on Threads at Ian.millhiser and read his articles on Vox here. Mentioned in This Episode: Deja Coup: Donald Trump and the Slow Civil War (Dahlia Lithwick interviews Jeff Sharlet on the latest episode of Amicus) CBS News poll on Jan. 6 attack 3 years later: Though most still condemn, Republican disapproval continues to wane A quarter of Americans believe FBI instigated Jan. 6, Post-UMD poll finds Find out more about Refuse Fascism and get involved at RefuseFascism.org. We're still on Twitter (@RefuseFascism) and other social platforms including Threads, Mastodon and Bluesky. Plus! Sam recently joined TikTok, check out @samgoldmanrf. Send your comments to samanthagoldman@refusefascism.org or @SamBGoldman. Record a voice message for the show here. Connect with the movement at RefuseFascism.org and support: · paypal.me/refusefascism · donate.refusefascism.org · patreon.com/refusefascism Music for this episode: Penny the Snitch by Ikebe Shakedown (Just Some) Related Episodes on the attempted Trump Coup: The Fantasy of the Reasonable Republican With Fred Wellman Jeff Sharlet- The Undertow: Scenes From a Slow Civil War The Continuing January 6 Coup Proud Boys and The New Era of American Fascism Bradley Onishi: The Extremist History of White Christian Nationalism and What Comes Next Elie Honig: The January 6th Insurrection Isn't Over Ruth Ben-Ghiat: The GOP is Now the Party of Autocracy Henry Giroux: Trump is not Trumpism and Trumpism is not Dead Sunsara Taylor Hosts Roundtable Discussion With Rosie O'Donnell, Jason Stanley, and Andy Zee: "Trump & the Whole Fascist Cabal Must Go Now!" Why Is Accountability Important? What Just Happened? "Trump Will Not Concede - Americans Need to be Vigilant" The First Few Days After A Coup Are Critical --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/refuse-fascism/message
On January 6, 2021, supporters of Donald J Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol building hoping to stop Joe Biden from becoming president. Three years later, a quarter of Americans believe the FBI instigated the events of that day. This week on Amicus, we're trying to understand the myth-making that helped foment the riot, and the religious fervor that binds and buoys Trump's supporters today. Dahlia Lithwick is joined by Jeff Sharlet, author of “The Undertow: Scenes From a Slow Civil War” to explore the stories and symbols that are shaping Trump's march toward fascism, and to figure out what place the rule of law has in this struggle. In this week's Amicus Plus segment, Slate's dynamic legal duo of Mark Joseph Stern and Jeremy Stahl break down the latest in Trump's cascading court cases, and the Texas abortion case that's on a fast track to the Supreme Court. Sign up for Slate Plus now to listen and support our show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On January 6, 2021, supporters of Donald J Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol building hoping to stop Joe Biden from becoming president.Three years later, a quarter of Americans believe the FBI instigated the events of that day. This week on Amicus, we're trying to understand the myth-making that helped foment the riot, and the religious fervor that binds and buoys Trump's supporters today. Dahlia Lithwick is joined by Jeff Sharlet, author of “The Undertow: Scenes From a Slow Civil War” to explore the stories and symbols that are shaping Trump's march toward fascism, and to figure out what place the rule of law has in this struggle. In this week's Amicus Plus segment, Slate's dynamic legal duo of Mark Joseph Stern and Jeremy Stahl break down the latest in Trump's cascading court cases, and the Texas abortion case that's on a fast track to the Supreme Court. Sign up for Slate Plus now to listen and support our show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On January 6, 2021, supporters of Donald J Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol building hoping to stop Joe Biden from becoming president. Three years later, a quarter of Americans believe the FBI instigated the events of that day. This week on Amicus, we're trying to understand the myth-making that helped foment the riot, and the religious fervor that binds and buoys Trump's supporters today. Dahlia Lithwick is joined by Jeff Sharlet, author of “The Undertow: Scenes From a Slow Civil War” to explore the stories and symbols that are shaping Trump's march toward fascism, and to figure out what place the rule of law has in this struggle. In this week's Amicus Plus segment, Slate's dynamic legal duo of Mark Joseph Stern and Jeremy Stahl break down the latest in Trump's cascading court cases, and the Texas abortion case that's on a fast track to the Supreme Court. Sign up for Slate Plus now to listen and support our show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Air Date 1/2/2024 Trump's greatest impact has been to bring the fringes of the conservative movement into the center and, by strongly courting the Evangelical Christian vote, helped accelerate the Christian Nationalist movement to merge religion with patriotism Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Clips and Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: A Threat to Church and State - Confronting Christian Nationalism - Air Date 9-9-23 In this episode, we'll hear from experts, authors, and theologians who will help articulate what Christian Nationalism is, what it's not, and why it's a a threat to both the church and democracy. Ch. 2: How Trump Is Dividing The Evangelical Church - Fresh Air - Air Date 11-29-23 Journalist Tim Alberta grew up in a conservative, republican, evangelical church, where his father was the pastor. He wanted to know why so many evangelical Christians had become extremists, and ardent supporters of Trump. Ch. 3: How Trump Has Transformed Evangelicals - Radio Atlantic - Air Date 12-14-23 How did evangelical Christians shift from being reluctant supporters of Trump to among his most passionate defenders? How did some evangelicals, historically suspicious of politicians, develop a “fanatical cult-like attachment” to Donald Trump? Ch. 4: Will MAGA Mike Inflict a Religious Crusade on America? - The Hartmann Report - Air Date 11-2-23 Speaker of the House Mike Johnson is closely tied to Christian groups that want to make America a theocracy. So why does he support policies that are so contrary to Christ's teachings? Plus - Handmaiden Tale Alert! Ch. 5: Trump's "personal shortcomings" have become a bonus for evangelical Christians, says Tim Alberta - Meet the Press - Air Date 12-24-23 In an interview with Kristen Welker on Meet the Press, author and writer Tim Alberta discusses the role of white evangelical Christians in building support for Donald Trump's presidency and the “uneasy alliance” the community established with him. Ch. 6: The Trump movement is turning America fascist w/ Jeff Sharlet - The Chris Hedges Report - Air Date 10-27-23 Jeff Sharlet has spent two decades covering the intersection of extreme Christian nationalism and the far-right. In his new book, Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War, he gives snapshots of a country rapidly devolving into a Christian fascist state. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 7: Interview with Author Elle Hardy on Christian Nationalism - The Benjamin Dixon Show - Air Date 1-19-23 Ch. 8: Trump's Escalating Racist Rhetoric & the Far-Right's Plan for a Slow Civil War - Democracy Now! - Air Date 12-21-23 As the 2024 presidential election campaign heats up, Republican front-runner Donald Trump is escalating his racist rhetoric, repeatedly saying in recent days that immigrants are “poisoning the blood of our country,” drawing comparisons to Hitler. FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 9: Final comments on the idolatry at the heart of Christian Nationalism MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) SHOW IMAGE: Description: The image of a cross leans into the frame over a representation of the American flag. Credit: "Cross banner USA flag cross sign" by Kalhh, Pixabay | License: Creative Commons (CC0) Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Headlines for December 21, 2023; “The Hostages Weren’t Our Top Priority”: Israel’s “Bombing Frenzy” Endangered Hostages Held in Gaza; “The U.S. and Israel Stand Alone”: World Demands Ceasefire as Gaza Death Toll Tops 20,000; Colorado Disqualifies Trump from Ballot, Triggering Battle over Constitution’s Insurrection Clause; “Fascism Out Loud”: Trump’s Escalating Racist Rhetoric & the Far Right’s Plan for a Slow Civil War
Headlines for December 21, 2023; “The Hostages Weren’t Our Top Priority”: Israel’s “Bombing Frenzy” Endangered Hostages Held in Gaza; “The U.S. and Israel Stand Alone”: World Demands Ceasefire as Gaza Death Toll Tops 20,000; Colorado Disqualifies Trump from Ballot, Triggering Battle over Constitution’s Insurrection Clause; “Fascism Out Loud”: Trump’s Escalating Racist Rhetoric & the Far Right’s Plan for a Slow Civil War
Notes and Links to Jeff Sharlet's Work For Episode 217, Pete welcomes Jeff Sharlet, and the two discuss, among other topics, his father and uncle's outsized influence on Jeff's reading and activism, allegory and worldbuilding and their roles in right -wing movements and propagandizing, incredibly-bleak and bright indications of the future, his reasoning in bookending the book with stalwarts in justice movements, the slow, creeping fascism that he charts through the book, and examples of and reason for steadfast activism. Jeffrey Sharlet is New York Times/national bestselling author of THE FAMILY and C STREET. He is also executive producer of the 2019 Netflix documentary series based on the work, with the documentary also called, THE FAMILY. His newest book is THE UNDERTOW: Scenes from a Slow Civil War. Sharlet is the Frederick Sessions Beebe '35 Professor in the Art of Writing at Dartmouth College.] Buy The Undertow Jeff's Website at Dartmouth College Jeff's Wikipedia Page Review of The Undertow by Joseph O'Neill for The New York Times At about 2:30, Jeff drops some about the history of his endowed chair and the origins of his workplace, Dartmouth College, including Samson Occom's role At about 5:10, Jeff talks about his early reading and fascinations and how the worldbuilding he loved and now informs his interests in the world building of the Far Right At about 7:50, Jeff traces some of his family history, and how his father and Uncle Jeff's amazing lives inform his own At about 11:00, Jeff notes the mass-scale mutiny of US soldiers that ended the Vietnam War and connects to today's fascist movements; he calls attention to underground movements of today and yesterday At about 14:30, Jeff responds to Pete's questions about his interest in and history with literature and films dealing with the Vietnam War At about 17:20, Jeff responds to Pete's questions about the ways in which The Vietnam War has been covered and propagandized in the resultant decades, “redefining the Vietnam story” and being embraced by many on the Far Right At about 22:00, Jeff connects common tropes regarding veterans to Ashli Babbitt's story, which is traced in much of his book The Undertow At about 26:15, Jeff describes the ways in which interview subjects view the idea and possibilities for “civil war” At about 28:15, Jeff discusses places to buy book and shouts out the library as a great place to rebel against impending book bans At about 31:15, Jeff notes polls and surveys and how a Trump victory has informed his book and how to “tell stories about fascism” At about 34:50, Jeff talks about the term “Trumpism” and how there were “parameters of Reaganism” from 1980-2016 that gave way to the “Trumpocene” from 2016 to present At about 36:20, Jeff references ugly examples of Trumpism enabled and supported in policy At about 38:10, Jeff shares information from protests in Sacramento that informed his book At about 39:30, Pete and Jeff discuss the way in which Jeff's book is bookended by stories involving Harry Bellafonte and Lee Hays, and Jeff discusses why he started and ended the book with the songs and histories that he did At about 44:10, Jeff recounts the anecdote from the book about a dynamic and legendary hour program that Harry Bellafonte produced in 1959 At about 48:55, Pete notes his piqued interest in Lead Belly and his connection to Kurt Cobain At about 50:55, Jeff talks about “challenging” American figures who have often been “smoothed out,” such as Leadbelly At about 52:10, Jeff gives background on how the last line of the book came about At about 54:10, Jeff describes “safe spaces” in connection to an anecdote about activist Suzanne Pharr At about 56:05, Pete notes a dynamic photo in the book, and Jeff traces the story and his travels in Wisconsin that led to the photo At about 1:02:05, Pete asks a question that has mystified him for years, re: MAGA “Merch” At about 1:04:30, Pete compliments Jeff's nuanced writing regarding young and not-so-young who are on the frontlines At about 1:05:40, Pete notes the teaching of Things Fall Apart in his classes and Jeff shares his experience with the book You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I'm @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I'm @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch this and other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you're checking out this episode. Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content! NEW MERCH! You can browse and buy here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ChillsatWillPodcast This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I'd love for your help in promoting what I'm convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form. The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com. Please tune in for Episode 218 with Melissa Rivero. She is the author of The Affairs of the Falcons and the recently-published novel, Flores and Miss Paula. Melissa won the 2019 New American Voices Award, a 2020 International Latino Book Award, and was longlisted for PEN/Hemingway Award for Debut Novel. The episode will air on January 2.
For our final episode of 2023, we revisit some of our episodes from throughout the year and reflect on what's in store for democracy in 2024. We talk about:Mental health and media consumptionBureaucracy and the prospect of Project 2025The Republican party and threats to democracyPlus, we share some recommendations of the books and TV shows we loved in 2023. Recommendations include:TV: For All Mankind, Fargo, The Gilded Age, and Slow HorsesBooks: The Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War by Jeff Sharlet; Coming of Age in Mississippi by Anne Moody, Why We Did It by Tim MillerThank you to all of our listeners for another great year. We'll see you in 2024!
Notes and Links to Kate Maruyama's Work For Episode 216, Pete welcomes Kate Maruyama, and the two discuss, among other topics, her early reading and writing and love of diverse works from that of James Baldwin to Stephen King's work, connections between Catholicism and writing horror, the ways in which teaching and writing commingle, writing allegory and its connection to plot, the ways in which she wrote convincingly of the COVID quarantine, and key themes in her novellas, including race and racism, class, generational traumas and family cycles, and privilege and family culpability. Kate Maruyama was raised on books and weaned on movies in a small college town in New England. She writes, teaches, cooks, and eats in Los Angeles, where she lives with her family. Her novel, Harrowgate was published by 47North in 2013 and her novella Family Solstice named Best Fiction Book of 2021 by Rue Morgue Magazine was published by Omnium Gatherum. Her novella Halloween Beyond: a Gentleman's Suit appears in Halloween Beyond: Piercing the Veil is out now from Crystal Lake Publishing and Bleak Houses is available from Raw Dog Screaming Press, released in August 2023. Her short work has appeared in Asimov's Magazine, Analog SF among other journals and in numerous anthologies including Winter Horror Days, Halloween Carnival Three, and December Tales. Buy Bleak Houses Kate's Website at CA State LA A Review from The Skiffy and Fanty Show for Bleak Houses At about 2:15, Kate talks about her reading and writing life as a child, and the town where she grew up At about 4:00, Kate cites the Oz series and other fantasy/imaginative/horror books that shaped her literary tastes, including “formative” works by Stephen King At about 6:40, The two discuss the connections between Catholicism and horror writing At about 8:45, Kate discusses works and authors, especially James Baldwin and Another Country, which have inspired and influenced her At about 10:00, The two discuss a real-life example from her life/background which made it into Kate's fiction At about 11:15, Kate traces the ways in which her teaching informs her writing, and vice versa At about 13:40, Kate gives background on the publishing journey and seeds for Bleak Houses At about 15:00, Kate responds to Pete's questions about the genre(s) for her work At about 17:00, Pete lays out the book's exposition and compliments Kate on writing about the early COVID days, asking her how she handled perspective in writing about the time At about 19:40, Kate provides background on seeds for the book's first novella, especially Wolf's Lair and Beechwood Canyon At about 20:20, Kate and Pete discuss some of the important characters in “Safer”, and Kate describes how working within Hollywood for years gave her inspiration for Celine At about 23:00, Celine's son Story and his haunted friends are connected to Mr. Wolf's real-life story At about 26:15, Kate discusses a chilling scene from the book that Pete compliments for its tension At about 29:10, The two discuss themes from “Safer,” including power dynamics based on class and race; Kate talks about twisted ways in which those needing a job were often exploited during the early days of quarantine At about 33:20, Pete compliments the thrilling action scenes written by Kate in “Safer” At about 34:05, Pete asks about the history of the real-life house that inspired “Family Solstice,” and Kate talks about the importance of the solstice in general, and the seeds for the novella At about 37:00, Pete sets out some of the novella's exposition and highlights key characters and key character traits At about 39:00, Kate discusses the mother's passivity and possible reasons for it At about 40:25, Kate responds to Pete's questions about “sitting in judgment” of her characters At about 41:30, The two discuss generational traumas and cycles and questions of culpability in connection to Shea and her sister as differing narrators in the novella At about 42:50, Pete wonders about how Kate balanced plot and allegory At about 44:50, Kate discusses writing symbolism and politically and At about 46:20, Kate shares exciting new projects At about 49:10, Kate shares contact information You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I'm @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I'm @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch this and other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you're checking out this episode. Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content! NEW MERCH! You can browse and buy here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ChillsatWillPodcast This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I'd love for your help in promoting what I'm convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form. The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com. Please tune in for Episode 217 with Jeffrey Sharlet. He is the New York Times and national bestselling author of THE FAMILY and C STREET. He was an executive producer of the five-part Netflix series The Family (2019), based on two of his books. His newest book is THE UNDERTOW: Scenes from a Slow Civil War. The episode will air on December 19.
Air Date 12/8/2023 Neoliberalism has created a lot of economic suffering and insecurity in addition to weakened social ties over the past few decades. And now, in what may be the most devastating result of the ideology yet, neoliberalism may be leading much of the world toward fascism bolstered by legitimate grievances about economic precarity which are coopted by the false promises of right-wing populism. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Transcript WINTER SALE! 20% Off Memberships (including Gifts) in December! Join our Discord community! Related Episodes: #1491 Mismanaging Capitalism Can Lead to Fascism (Inflation and the Working Class) #1519 International Fascist Movement on the Move OUR AFFILIATE LINKS: BestOfTheLeft.com/Libro SUPPORT INDIE BOOKSHOPS, GET YOUR AUDIOBOOK FROM LIBRO! BestOfTheLeft.com/Store BotL MERCHANDISE! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Far-right extremism on the rise around the globe - The ReidOut with Joy Reid - Air Day 11-28-23 A troubling sign of the rise of far-right extremists being elected around the world, as anti-Islamic populist Geert Wilders is newly elected in the Netherlands. Ch. 2: How Can Democracy Survive in an Age of Discontent Rachel Navarre and Matthew Rhodes-Purdy on Populism and Political Extremism - Democracy Paradox - Air Date 11-28-23 Populism is rather a specific form of discontent. Discontent is the umbrella term. It's this vague sense that the way things are being done is not working. That democracy is not effective. Ch. 3: Argentina's Trump? Far-Right Javier Milei Wins Presidency with Echoes of Past Dictatorship - Democracy Now! - Air Date 11-21-23 Far-right libertarian Javier Milei has been elected president of Argentina. Franco Metaza, the director of international relations for the Argentine Senate, joins to discuss. Ch. 4: How Can Democracy Survive in an Age of Discontent Rachel Navarre and Matthew Rhodes-Purdy on Populism and Political Extremism Part 2 - Democracy Paradox - Air Date 11-28-23 Ch. 5: Media Coverage of the Trump Movement is Missing Vital Context - On the Media - Air Date 11-29-23 Jeff Sharlet, author of The Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War, argues that Trump's narratives of martyrdom, a persecuted in-group, a mysterious out-group, and a rhetoric of violence are all hallmarks of fascism. Ch. 6: 'Democracy on a Knife's Edge' Far-right electoral victories in Argentina, Holland; Trump threatens Insurrection Act - The Bradcast - Air Date 11-28-23 Ultra-conservative former federal Judge Michael Luttig warns: 'American democracy [is] on a knife's edge...in greater peril today than it's ever been in American history. Ch. 7: How Can Democracy Survive in an Age of Discontent Rachel Navarre and Matthew Rhodes-Purdy on Populism and Political Extremism Part 3 - Democracy Paradox - Air Date 11-28-23 MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 8: Media Coverage of the Trump Movement is Missing Vital Context Part 2 - On the Media - Air Date 11-29-23 Ch. 9: How Can Democracy Survive in an Age of Discontent Rachel Navarre and Matthew Rhodes-Purdy on Populism and Political Extremism Part 4 - Democracy Paradox - Air Date 11-28-23 FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 12: Final comments on preparing for the 2024 election SHOW IMAGE: Description: A photo triptych of Donald Trump, Geert Wilders president-elect of The Netherlands, and Javier Milei president-elect of Argentina. Trump is smiling and looking toward Wilders and Milei. Credits: “Trump at CPAC” by Kingofthedead, Wikimedia Commons; License: CC BY SA 2.0; Changes: Cropped | “Geert Wilders during a political campaign” by Peter van der Sluijs, Wikimedia Commons; License: CC BY SA 2.0; Changes: Cropped | “Javier Milei in VIVA22” by Vox España, Wikimedia Commons; License: Public Domain; Changes: Cropped Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com
In his Veteran's day speech a couple of weeks ago former President Donald Trump said this about his political enemies; TRUMP: the threat from outside forces is far less sinister, dangerous and grave than the threat from within. We pledge to you that we will root out the communists, Marxists, fascists and the radical left thugs that live like vermin within the confines of our country. Jeff Sharlet, author of The Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War, argues that Trump's narratives of martyrdom, a persecuted in-group, a mysterious out-group, and a rhetoric of violence are all hallmarks of fascism. Brooke spoke with Sharlet in June about what the rhetoric, aesthetics, and myth-making of Trump and the movement he rode to power can tell us about a rising fascist movement in the United States, and why Sharlet argues we're in the midst of a slow civil war. This is a segment from our June 16, 2023 show, Indicted (Again).
In his Veteran's day speech a couple of weeks ago former President Donald Trump said this about his political enemies; TRUMP: the threat from outside forces is far less sinister, dangerous and grave than the threat from within. We pledge to you that we will root out the communists, Marxists, fascists and the radical left thugs that live like vermin within the confines of our country. Jeff Sharlet, author of The Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War, argues that Trump's narratives of martyrdom, a persecuted in-group, a mysterious out-group, and a rhetoric of violence are all hallmarks of fascism. Brooke spoke with Sharlet in June about what the rhetoric, aesthetics, and myth-making of Trump and the movement he rode to power can tell us about a rising fascist movement in the United States, and why Sharlet argues we're in the midst of a slow civil war. This is a segment from our June 16, 2023 show, Indicted (Again).
We start with a reflection on the results in Tuesday's elections, and how they relate to polls that indicate Joe Biden is not just unpopular, but actually trailing Donald Trump in key swing states. What can and can't we take away from such polling, one year out from the presidential election? We then dive deep into a very different kind of polling and survey data: the 2023 American Values Survey – arguably the most in-depth attempt to capture the values, ideas, and attitudes that shape American society and politics. What do American think of democracy, political violence, authoritarianism, and all the many issues – from abortion and history education to trans rights and QAnon – that define the political conflict? On the basis of this major survey, we try to take the temperature on where things currently stand in America. The results is… mostly not very encouraging. Show notes: The complete 2023 American Values Survey can be found here: https://www.prri.org/research/threats-to-american-democracy-ahead-of-an-unprecedented-presidential-election/ “What Do Americans Think About the Health of Our Democracy and the Upcoming Presidential Election?” Panel discussion on the findings of the 2023 American Values Survey, with Lily Mason and others: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbeuG-lGiyU “Trump Leads in 5 Critical States as Voters Blast Biden, Times/Siena Poll Finds,” New York Times, November 5, 2023 https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/05/us/politics/biden-trump-2024-poll.html Jeff Sharlet, The Undertow: Scenes From a Slow Civil War, W.W. Norton & Company 2023 https://wwnorton.com/books/9781324006497
Sam talks with writer Sarah Posner about Mike Johnson, the new Speaker of the House, third in line to the presidency and Christian Nationalist who spent around a decade as a lawyer with Alliance Defending Freedom (sic), the organization behind the recent wave of state level anti-abortion legislation, the 303 Creative SCOTUS case, and on the wrong side of many other battles. Read Sarah's book UNHOLY: How White Christian Nationalists Powered the Trump Presidency, And the Devastating Legacy They Left Behind, get her latest commentary on MSNBC, and follow her on sarahposner.com. Mentioned in this episode: Mike Johnson's Christian nationalist track record isn't a mystery — it's a tragedy by Sarah Posner on MSNBC Mike Johnson, theocrat: the House speaker and a plot against America by Marci A. Hamilton in The Guardian White Christian Nationalism, Now with a Gavel in a Tailored Suit by Robert P. Jones How to help the show? Rate and review wherever you get your podcasts; share with your friends! Get involved at RefuseFascism.org. We're still on Twitter (@RefuseFascism) and other social platforms including Threads, Mastodon and Bluesky. Plus! Sam just joined TikTok, check out @samgoldmanrf. Send your comments to samanthagoldman@refusefascism.org or @SamBGoldman. Record a voice message for the show here. Connect with the movement at RefuseFascism.org and support: · paypal.me/refusefascism · donate.refusefascism.org · patreon.com/refusefascism Music for this episode: Penny the Snitch by Ikebe Shakedown Related episodes: The Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War with Jeff Sharlet The Insurrectionist House of Representatives with Thomas Zimmer The Extremist History of White Christian Nationalism --And What Comes Next with Bradley Onishi American Crusades & the Supreme Court with Andrew Seidel --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/refuse-fascism/message
[Explicit Language] Jeff Sharlet's must-read new book The Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War is one of the most important volumes of our time, documenting Trumpism and the rise of fascism throughout the Trump Country. Jeff literally put himself in harm's way, visiting some of these megachurches and Trump rallies – on the ground – while engaging with many of the disciples along the way. Please follow Jeff on Twitter and don't forget to buy a copy of the book, especially since it's exactly the sort of thing we've been covering on the podcast. Meantime, don't forget to support this podcast by subscribing us on Patreon – bobcescashow.com. Music by Matt Jaffe. (This post contains promotional links to Amazon.)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
This episode was originally released on April 12, 2023. In this encore presentation, host Reed Galen is joined by journalist and New York Times bestselling author, Jeff Sharlet. Jeff shares scenes from his travels across the United States which exemplify the convergence of MAGA, religion, militias, and fascism. The aftermath of Ashli Babbitt's death, the “jokes'' from a men's rights hotel room, a church's Game of Thrones inspired altar, etc…this is what makes up the condition our nation now faces. Plus, America is now in a new era…the Trumpocene. Be sure to pick up Jeff Sharlet's new book, The Undertow: Scenes From a Slow Civil War, wherever fine books are sold. If you'd like to connect with The Lincoln Project, send an email to podcast@lincolnproject.us. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On Tuesday, former president Trump was arraigned following his federal indictment. On this week's On the Media, debunking claims that the former president is being targeted for his politics. Plus, one reporter's cross-country examination of fascism in the United States. 1. Eric Levitz, [@EricLevitz], features writer covering politics and economics for New York Magazine, on the political narratives around Trump's federal indictment. Listen. 2. Jeff Sharlet [@JeffSharlet], journalist and author of The Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War, on the rhetoric, aesthetics, and myth-making of Trump and a rising fascist movement in the United States. Listen. 3. Jim Fallows [@JamesFallows], this week's co-host and writer of the “Breaking the News” newsletter on Substack, speaks with OTM host Brooke Gladstone [@OTMBrooke] about the journalistic portrayal of middle America and how not to cover presidential elections. Listen.
On Tuesday, former president Trump was arraigned following his federal indictment. On this week's On the Media, debunking claims that the former president is being targeted for his politics. Plus, one reporter's cross-country examination of fascism in the United States. 1. Eric Levitz, [@EricLevitz], features writer covering politics and economics for New York Magazine, on the political narratives around Trump's federal indictment. Listen. 2. Jeff Sharlet [@JeffSharlet], journalist and author of The Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War, on the rhetoric, aesthetics, and myth-making of Trump and a rising fascist movement in the United States. Listen. 3. Jim Fallows [@JamesFallows], this week's co-host and writer of the “Breaking the News” newsletter on Substack, speaks with OTM host Brooke Gladstone [@OTMBrooke] about the journalistic portrayal of middle America and how not to cover presidential elections. Listen.
In the days after the latest indictment of former President Trump, violent rhetoric has been escalating in online forums and far-right militia groups. This, coupled with heated and combative messaging from Trump and his Republican allies, has extremism watchers on high alert. Amna Nawaz discussed that with Jeff Sharlet, writer of "The Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War." PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
Jeff Sharlet has been studying and reporting on far-right movements in the US for decades, but something feels different now. From Waco and Ruby Ridge in the ‘90s to the 2014 Bundy family standoff with the federal government in Nevada, from the rise of Donald Trump to the “martyrdom” of Ashli Babbitt, who was shot and killed raiding the Capitol on Jan. 6, from the overturning of Roe v. Wade to COVID-19, from the Q-Anon conspiracy to the veneration of vigilantes like Kyle Rittenhouse, new and long-brewing currents of rightwing rage and resentment are converging to change the American political landscape in ways that we will have to contend with for years, if not decades, to come. In the latest installment of our ongoing “Rise of the Right” series on The Marc Steiner Show, Marc speaks with Sharlet about his new book The Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War, the volatile moment America is in right now, and what we need to do to confront the far right today. Jeff Sharlet is the New York Times best-selling author and editor of eight books, including The Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power, adapted into a Netflix documentary series, and This Brilliant Darkness. His reporting on LGBTIQ+ rights around the world has received the National Magazine Award, the Molly Ivins Prize, and Outright International's Outspoken Award. His writing and photography have appeared in many publications, including Vanity Fair, for which he is a contributing editor; the New York Times Magazine; GQ; Esquire; Harper's; and VQR, for which he is an editor at large. He is the Frederick Sessions Beebe '35 Professor in the Art of Writing at Dartmouth College, where he lives in the woods with many animals.Studio / Post-Production: David HebdenHelp us continue producing The Marc Steiner Show by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer:Donate: https://therealnews.com/donate-pod-mssSign up for our newsletter: https://therealnews.com/nl-pod-stLike us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/therealnewsFollow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/therealnews
Jeff Sharlet has been studying and reporting on far-right movements in the US for decades, but something feels different now. From Waco and Ruby Ridge in the ‘90s to the 2014 Bundy family standoff with the federal government in Nevada, from the rise of Donald Trump to the “martyrdom” of Ashli Babbitt, who was shot and killed raiding the Capitol on Jan. 6, from the overturning of Roe v. Wade to COVID-19, from the Q-Anon conspiracy to the veneration of vigilantes like Kyle Rittenhouse, new and long-brewing currents of rightwing rage and resentment are converging to change the American political landscape in ways that we will have to contend with for years, if not decades, to come. In the latest installment of our ongoing “Rise of the Right” series on The Marc Steiner Show, Marc speaks with Sharlet about his new book The Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War, the volatile moment America is in right now, and what we need to do to confront the far right today.Jeff Sharlet is the New York Times best-selling author and editor of eight books, including The Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power, adapted into a Netflix documentary series, and This Brilliant Darkness. His reporting on LGBTIQ+ rights around the world has received the National Magazine Award, the Molly Ivins Prize, and Outright International's Outspoken Award. His writing and photography have appeared in many publications, including Vanity Fair, for which he is a contributing editor; the New York Times Magazine; GQ; Esquire; Harper's; and VQR, for which he is an editor at large. He is the Frederick Sessions Beebe '35 Professor in the Art of Writing at Dartmouth College, where he lives in the woods with many animals.Studio Production/Post-Production: David HebdenHelp us continue producing The Marc Steiner Show by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer:Donate: https://therealnews.com/donate-pod-mssSign up for our newsletter: https://therealnews.com/nl-pod-stGet The Marc Steiner Show updates: https://therealnews.com/up-pod-stLike us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/therealnewsFollow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/therealnews
When Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene proposed the United States would benefit from a “national divorce,” many scoffed and labeled her statements as incendiary pot-stirring. Journalist Jeff Sharlet was not one of them. After traveling the country for more than a dozen years, reporting on the intersection between religion and far-right politics, he believes remarks like Rep. Greene's should be taken seriously and at face value. His latest book, “The Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War,” details what he found as he traveled through states like Wisconsin and Nebraska, talking to ordinary people who love fishing and their neighbors — and also believe another civil war is inevitable and even necessary to correct decades of “immoral decadence.” MPR News host Kerri Miller talks with Sharlet about his reporting on this week's Big Books and Bold Ideas. It's a sobering conversation about the people Sharlet met and the undercurrent of fascism he sees rippling across the country. Guest: Jeff Sharlet is a journalist and the New York Times best-selling author or editor of eight books, including “The Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power,” and “This Brilliant Darkness.” His latest book is “The Undertow.” Use the audio player above to listen to the conversation. Subscribe to the MPR News with Kerri Miller podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts or RSS. Subscribe to the Thread newsletter for the latest book and author news and must-read recommendations.
Jeff Sharlet talks about his new book, The Undertow, essays on the increasingly violent and authoritarian politics on the right unleashed by Trump. Claire Dunning, author of Nonprofit Neighborhoods, discusses urban governance by philanthropists.Behind the News, hosted by Doug Henwood, covers the worlds of economics and politics and their complex interactions, from the local to the global. Find the archive here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Frank Schaeffer In Conversation with Jeff Sharlet, Author of The Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power, exploring the themes of his forthcoming book, The Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War._____LINKShttps://wwnorton.com/author/SHARLETJEFF/jeffsharlet_____BOOKSThe Undertow: Scenes From A Slow Civil WarThe Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power_____Jeff Sharlet is the New York Times best-selling author or editor of eight books, including The Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power, adapted into a Netflix documentary series, and This Brilliant Darkness. His reporting on LGBTIQ+ rights around the world has received the National Magazine Award, the Molly Ivins Prize, and Outright International's Outspoken Award. His writing and photography have appeared in many publications, including Vanity Fair, for which he is a contributing editor; the New York Times Magazine; GQ; Esquire; Harper's; and VQR, for which he is an editor at large. He is the Frederick Sessions Beebe '35 Professor in the Art of Writing at Dartmouth College, where he lives in the woods with many animals.An ex-evangelical boomer, a middle-aged gay artist, and a frazzled stay-at-home mom walk into a bar, share a table, and go deep about some of life's big questions.Join Frank, Ernie, and Erin as they share stories of love, sex, grief, religion and so much more. This is “Love in Common.”Visit LoveInCommon.org to Subscribe on your favorite Podcast platform. Support the show_____In Conversation… with Frank Schaeffer is a production of the George Bailey Morality in Public Life Fellowship. It is hosted by Frank Schaeffer, author of Fall In Love, Have Children, Stay Put, Save the Planet, Be Happy. Learn more at https://www.lovechildrenplanet.comFollow Frank on Substack, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. https://frankschaeffer.substack.comhttps://www.facebook.com/frank.schaeffer.16https://twitter.com/Frank_Schaefferhttps://www.youtube.com/c/FrankSchaefferYouTube In Conversation… with Frank Schaeffer PodcastApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/in-conversation-with-frank-schaeffer/id1570357787NEW: Love In Common Podcast with Frank Schaeffer, Ernie Gregg, and Erin BagwellApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/love-in-common/id1665307674
Jeff Sharlet is a journalist, best-selling author, and longtime observer and investigator of the Christian right. His latest book is The Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War. We discuss America's democratic bankruptcy, the martyrdom of Ashli Babbit, and the rightward shift of the mainstream. The notion of civil war was a fringe idea, but in recent years it has become mainstream. It was just a question of time and for some, it was already happening. Fascism does not respond to logic but relies heavily on myths. Fascist movements need martyrs like Ashli Babbitt. Along those lines, the MAGA movement can be understood as an innocence cult, wishing for a return to a time that never was. Follow Jeff on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JeffSharletFollow Mila on Twitter: https://twitter.com/milaatmosAdditional InformationThe Democracy Group listener surveyFuture Hindsight PodcastMore shows from The Democracy Group
Jeff Sharlet is the author of the new book Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War, and the New York Times best-selling author or editor of eight books, including The Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power, which led to the must-watch Netflix docuseries The Family. His writing and photography have appeared in many publications, including Vanity Fair, for which he is a contributing editor; the New York Times Magazine; GQ; Esquire; Harper's; and VQR, for which he is an editor at large. He currently teaches the art of writing as a professor at Dartmouth College. In this week's bonus episode, Sharlet takes the Gaslit Nation Self-Care Q&A to share what art, music, books, and documentaries and other things he recommends to help process the times we live in. We will be back with an all new bonus episode Q&A next week. For subscribers at the Democracy Defender level and higher, submit your questions to be answered in an upcoming episode! Thank you so much for your support of the show -- we could not make Gaslit Nation without you! To join our community on Patreon and help keep the show going, sign up here: Patreon.com/Gaslit
A weekly podcast exploring stories at the intersection of faith and culture through an inclusive Christian lens. This week: Mitch and Missy highlight last week's Civil Rights Experience with Good Faith Media. Guest: Best-selling author Jeff Sharlet, author of the new book "Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War." "Good Faith Weekly" is produced out of Norman, Oklahoma. Music is by Pond5. Learn more at www.GoodFaithMedia.org and @GFMediaOrg Links: "Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War" ~ https://www.amazon.com/dp/1324006498 Jeff Sharlet on Twitter ~ @JeffSharlet
With political violence on the rise in America, along with disinformation, mainstream propaganda and the consolidation of media under conservative ownership, the scapegoating of LGBTQ+ people, women, and nonwhite people, and the weaponization of government in several Republican-led states, are we headed towards a civil war? In this week's episode, Andrea interviews Jeff Sharlet, the author of the new book Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War. Sharlet is also the author of The Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power, that launched the must-watch Netflix series of the same name, that takes viewers into the dark heart of corruption known as the National Prayer Breakfast, and how it's used as a tool for the extreme religious right to consolidate power. In Undertow, Sharlet takes readers on a cross-country roadtrip to show how we're in a slow-motion civil war, and provides ways to confront this dangerous crossroads, including lessons from Civil Rights leader and artist Harry Belafonte. Sharlet is the New York Times best-selling author or editor of eight books. His writing and photography have appeared in many publications, including Vanity Fair, for which he is a contributing editor; the New York Times Magazine; GQ; Esquire; Harper's; and VQR, for which he is an editor at large. He currently teaches the art of writing as a professor at Dartmouth College. In our bonus episode, out later this week for Patreon subscribers at the Truth-teller level or higher, Sharlet takes the Gaslit Nation Self-Care Q&A to share what art, music, books, and documentaries and other cultural resources that he recommends to help process the times we live in. We will share a free excerpt of that for all listeners wherever you get your podcasts. We'll be back with an all new Gaslit Nation episode next week, along with our regular Q&A bonus episode for Patreon subscribers. For supporters at the Democracy Defender level and higher, submit your questions to be answered in an upcoming bonus episode. Thank you to everyone who supports Gaslit Nation and keeps our show going! To join our community of listeners, sign up at Patreon.com/Gaslit
Brad speaks with Jeff Sharlet about his NYT bestseller The Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War. Jeff talks about everything from his long conversations about MLK Jr. with Harry Belafonte, to the lustful feeling of the first Trump rallies in 2015, to the desire for vengeance felt among MAGA nation in the wake of 2020, to following the ghost of Ashli Babbitt all over the country. In all, he paints a picture of a cracked nation filled with fear - and a longing for hope. Merch: BUY OUR NEW Come and Take It and Election Affirmer ! https://straight-white-american-jesus.creator-spring.com/ Linktree: https://linktr.ee/StraightWhiteJC Order Brad's new book: https://www.amazon.com/Preparing-War-Extremist-Christian-Nationalism/dp/1506482163 For access to the full Orange Wave series, click here: https://irreverent.supportingcast.fm/products/the-orange-wave-a-history-of-the-religious-right-since-1960 To Donate: venmo - @straightwhitejc https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/BradleyOnishi Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/straightwhiteamericanjesus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://swaj.supportingcast.fm
Next week we're running an interview with Jeff Sharlet, the author or editor of several best-selling books, including The Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power, which led to the must-watch Netflix docuseries The Family. Sharlet is out with a new book The Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War. This weeek's Q&A discussion includes updates on wannabe mass-shooter Discord Traitor Bro, otherwise known as Jack Teixeira; springtime for Putin -- all the things currently going wrong in Russia's ongoing genocidal invasion of Ukraine and what to look out for next; the consolidation of media under far-right ownership, and preserving our free speech in the digital sphere, and more! If you didn't hear your question answered this week, look out for it soon as the Gaslit Nation Q&A continues. And for our listeners at the Democracy Defender level or higher, keep your questions coming. We always enjoy hearing from you. Thank you all for your support of the show -- we could not make Gaslit Nation without you! To join our community on Patreon, sign up at Patreon.com/Gaslit
Thursday, April 27th, 2023 Jeff Sharlet is a journalist, best-selling author, and longtime observer and investigator of the Christian right. His latest book is The Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War. We discuss America's democratic bankruptcy, the martyrdom of Ashli Babbit, and the rightward shift of the mainstream. The notion of civil war was a fringe idea, but in recent years it has become mainstream. It was just a question of time and for some, it was already happening. Fascism does not respond to logic but relies heavily on myths. Fascist movements need martyrs like Ashli Babbitt. Along those lines, the MAGA movement can be understood as an innocence cult, wishing for a return to a time that never was. Follow Jeff on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JeffSharlet Follow Mila on Twitter: https://twitter.com/milaatmos Follow Future Hindsight on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/futurehindsightpod/ Love Future Hindsight? Take our Listener Survey! http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=6tI0Zi1e78vq&ver=standard Want to support the show and get it early? https://patreon.com/futurehindsight Check out the Future Hindsight website! www.futurehindsight.com Read the transcript here: https://www.futurehindsight.com/episodes/a-slow-civil-war-jeff-sharlet Credits: Host: Mila Atmos Guests: Jeff Sharlet Executive Producer: Mila Atmos Producers: Zack Travis and Sara Burningham
In his latest book, The Undertow: Scenes From a Slow Civil War, Journalist Jeff Sharlet outlines a new era of martyrs and civil war.
Sean Illing is joined by reporter Jeff Sharlet, whose new book The Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War takes readers on the ground across America right now, as all kinds of people seem to be preparing for a violent fight with other Americans. They discuss the killing of Ashli Babbitt on Jan. 6 and how the story of her death has evolved, the religious nature of some "fringe" political beliefs, and what life is like living in what Jeff calls "the Trumpocene." Host: Sean Illing (@seanilling), host, The Gray Area Guest: Jeff Sharlet (@JeffSharlet), reporter; author References: The Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War by Jeff Sharlet (W.W. Norton; 2023) The Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power by Jeff Sharlet (Harper Collins; 2008) The Anatomy of Fascism by Robert O. Paxton (Vintage; 2005) A Brief History of Fascist Lies by Federico Finchelstein (University of California; 2020) "Ashli Babbitt a martyr? Her past tells a more complex story" by Michael Biesecker (AP; Jan. 3, 2022) "January 6 Was Only the Beginning" by Jeff Sharlet (Vanity Fair; June 22, 2022) "Man who rested feet on desk in Pelosi's office on Jan. 6 found guilty on 8 counts" by Hannah Rabinowitz and Holms Lybrand (CNN; Jan. 23) "Marjorie Taylor Greene got into a screaming match with Rep. Cheney over 'Jewish space lasers' comment" by Azmi Haroun (Insider; Oct. 21, 2021) "If you see an all-black American flag, what does that mean?" by Matt Gregory and Mia Salenetri (WUSA9; Nov. 12, 2021) "What does the end of Roe mean for IVF?" by Bridgit Bowden (Wisconsin Public Radio; July 6, 2022) "The Blast That Changed Everything" by Preston Schmitt and Doug Erickson (On Wisconsin magazine; Summer 2020) Enjoyed this episode? Rate The Gray Area ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts. Subscribe for free. Be the first to hear the next episode of The Gray Area. Subscribe in your favorite podcast app. Support The Gray Area by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts This episode was made by: Producer: Erikk Geannikis Engineer: Patrick Boyd Editorial Director, Vox Talk: A.M. Hall Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Media Matters CEO Angelo Carusone stops by to talk about the implications of News' settlement with Dominion. The Nation's Jeet Heer explains how the GOP became a party with no policies. Journalist Jeff Sharlet talks about his latest book, The Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War, which explores the real threats of creeping fascism.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Host Reed Galen is joined by journalist and New York Times bestselling author, Jeff Sharlet. Jeff shares scenes from his travels across the United States which exemplify the convergence of MAGA, religion, militias, and fascism. The aftermath of Ashli Babbitt's death, the “jokes'' from a men's rights hotel room, a church's Game of Thrones inspired altar, etc…this is what makes up the condition our nation now faces. Plus, America is now in a new era…the Trumpocene. Be sure to pick up Jeff Sharlet's new book, The Undertow: Scenes From a Slow Civil War, wherever fine books are sold. If you'd like to connect with The Lincoln Project, send an email to podcast@lincolnproject.us.
The title of Jeff Sharlet's must-read new book is THE UNDERTOW, the subtitle is SCENES FROM A SLOW CIVIL WAR. They both work. Jeff has been a favorite author and guest of mine since he gave us THE FAMILY back in 2008, and has been pulling the curtain from around the Christian nationalist movement and the many offshoots of what I call insanity, though Jeff is far more charitable. He gets out among these people and gains insight into what brought them to these points in their lives, so perhaps has a greater understanding of concepts that I believe are impossible to understand. This is the eighth book that Jeff Sharlet has written or edited and he knows the subject better than most of us. His challenge is in sharing all he's learned with the rest of us who resist being pulled under by the very strong undertow that appears to be growing exponentially each year. Strap in... Jeff tells some very uncomfortable stories ... they're stories we all need to hear and understand if we are to put up any kind of defense to the forces that are threatening to undercut life as we know it.
In the parts of the country where Ashli Babbitt is a martyr, pastors glorify guns, and conspiracies thrive, the anticipation of some kind of civil war animates the far right. Author and journalist Jeff Sharlet sees an America that is unraveling. He joins Charlie Sykes today. Show Notes: Jeff's book, "The Undertow" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
In the parts of the country where Ashli Babbitt is a martyr, pastors glorify guns, and conspiracies thrive, the anticipation of some kind of civil war animates the far right. Author and journalist Jeff Sharlet sees an America that is unraveling. He joins Charlie Sykes today. Show Notes: Jeff's book, "The Undertow" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The unprecedented has happened: a former president was arrested and charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records. Though some of Donald Trump's supporters dismiss it as spectacle, others see it as the fulfillment of prophecy. Jeff Sharlet, a contributing editor to Harper's Magazine and the author of the new book The Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War, discusses what this latest development means to Trump's faithful flock, and his years of reporting on the right-wing extremists who have become the new center-right. Read Sharlet's past reporting for Harper's: https://harpers.org/author/jeffsharlet/ Subscribe to Harper's for only $16.97: harpers.org/save
Author and journalist, Jeff Sharlet, joins to talk about his time spent in Wisconsin while researching for his newest book, The Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War. Then Waukesha County Technical College President Richard Barnhouse joins to talk about the 100 year anniversary of the school. Guests: Richard Barnhouse, Jeff Sharlet
In this edition of Madison Book Beat, host Andrew Thomas speaks with Jeff Sharlet about his new collection of essays, The Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War (2023, W.W. Norton).The Undertow is an incisive and at times foreboding collection. It is made up of ten interrelated essays that map the social, cultural and religious geographies of the contemporary United States. The collection takes the killing of Ashli Babbitt as its through line. Babbit was the pro-Trump insurrectionist shot and killed by a capital police officer on January 6 2021 who has since been turned into a far-right martyr.Across these essays, Sharlet tracks the volatile combination of Christian evangelicalism and far-right paranoia that is fueled by conspiracy-laden social media platforms. On top of these trends Sharlet also discusses the eschatological belief in regeneration and redemption through violence. Traveling across the United States–from Sacramento, to Nevada, from Nebraska to Wisconsin, from Trump rallies to fundamentalist, warrior-Jesus megachurches and big tent revivals, to the front porches and kitchens of Confederate and Gadsden flag waving folks–Sharlet's essays have a fever-dream-momentum.A masterful blending of journalistic reporting, essay, and memoir, The Undertow is a book “written from the middle of something, a season of coming apart.” It is a “book of stories of difficult people doing terrible things” that registers “grief and its distortions, how loss sometimes curdles into fury and hate, or denial, or delusion.” Whiteness is the implicit and explicit specter that haunts the essays' proceedings, and Sharlet offers provocative and productive ways of reimagining the roots and routes of White supremacy in the 21st century United States.The opening and closing essays in the collection highlight two radical singers and performers–Harry Belafonte and folk singer Lee Hays–offering modicums of hope against the rising tide of fascism in the mid-twentieth century.Follow Jeff on Twitter @JeffSharlet.Image of author courtesy of W.W. Norton
Thom welcomes Jeff Sharlet, author of "The Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War" and most famously, "The Family". How did the well-armed crazies move from the fringe to the center of conservative politics? And why are Republicans waging a cold war on direct democracy?Plus - an update from the hot war on fascism with Phil Ittner in Kiev.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Guest: Jeff Sharlet has been covering the conservative religious movement for over 2 decades. He is the author of The Family that has been adapted into a Netflix documentary. His latest book is called The Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War. The post A Slow Moving Civil War with Jeff Sharlet appeared first on KPFA.
Sam and Emma host Jeff Sharlet, professor of English at Dartmouth College, to discuss his recent book The Undertow: Scenes From a Slow Civil War. First, Emma and Sam run through updates on the Manhattan Grand Jury returning to their Trump deliberations, the LA school strike, the Supreme Court declining to address Kansas' severe racial gerrymandering, UAW's election drama, and an ex-Tucker Carlson producer testifying on behalf of dominion, before diving into Israel's ongoing mass protests of Netanyahu stripping the judiciary's power, and the cognitive dissonance of Israel's “democracy for me and fascism for thee” perspective on the apartheid state. Jeff Sharlet then dives right into how his work reviews the United States' failing relationship with fascism, and how he views his own relationship to it, as a long-time journalist covering the Right Wing, walking through the complete refusal to even use the term “fascist” to describe the right until Trump's rise to power, and how his ascendency saw a marked shift of Christian Nationalism towards a cult of personality. After a brief definition of fascism, Jeff, Sam, and Emma parse through what role the cult of personality plays in fascism, and how the Christian Theocrats see Trump as more of an avatar, a tool of god to unite the right, before stepping back to look at the evolution of fascism over the last 80 years, looking at the global rise of fascism today, and its continued connection to cultures of aggrievement. Next, Sharlet looks to the 2020 election and end of Trump's reign as a particular spark under the far-right, igniting their theocratic attacks on abortion and trans people, also touching on how the far right, and everyone else, view this “slow civil war.” Wrapping up, they explore the concept of the “rabbit hole” of the far right, the absurdity of appealing to a politics of irrationalism with rationalism, and why the strongest measure in the fight against fascism is stepping up and building beautiful things that people want to be a part of. And in the Fun Half: Sam and Emma cover Biden's incredibly mediocre response to criticism over the Willow project, Sam reflects on his appearance on the PBD pod, and Daniel from PA refutes the corporate claim that companies are job creators. Adam from New Jersey dives into non-US coverage suggestions, Donald Trump recycles 2-decade-old GOP talking points, and James Comer thinks Congress should decide local laws. Montana State Senator Daniel Zolnikov goes off on his NIMBY constituents, and Anesh from India argues that the patriarchy was an accident, but feminism is oppression, plus, your calls and IMs! Check out Jeff's book here: https://wwnorton.com/books/9781324006497 Become a member at JoinTheMajorityReport.com: https://fans.fm/majority/join Subscribe to the ESVN YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/esvnshow Subscribe to the AMQuickie newsletter here: https://am-quickie.ghost.io/ Join the Majority Report Discord! http://majoritydiscord.com/ Get all your MR merch at our store: https://shop.majorityreportradio.com/ Get the free Majority Report App!: http://majority.fm/app Check out today's sponsors: ZipRecruiter: Some things in life we like to pick out for ourselves - so we know we've got the one that's best for us - like cuts of steak or mattresses. What if you could do the same for hiring - choose your ideal candidate before they even apply? See for yourself! Just go to this exclusive web address, https://www.ziprecruiter.com/majority to try ZipRecruiter for free! Cozy Earth: One out of three Americans report being sleep deprived, and their sheets could be the problem. Luckily Cozy Earth provides the SOFTEST, MOST LUXURIOUS and BEST-TEMPERATURE REGULATING sheets. Cozy Earth has been featured on Oprah's Most Favorite Things List Four Years in a Row! Made from super soft viscose from bamboo, Cozy Earth Sheets breathe so you sleep at the perfect temperature all year round. And for a limited time, SAVE 35% on Cozy Earth Bedding. Go to https://cozyearth.com/ and enter my special promo code MAJORITY at checkout to SAVE 35% now. Hurry, holiday offer ends soon. Follow the Majority Report crew on Twitter: @SamSeder @EmmaVigeland @MattBinder @MattLech @BF1nn @BradKAlsop Check out Matt's show, Left Reckoning, on Youtube, and subscribe on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/leftreckoning Subscribe to Discourse Blog, a newsletter and website for progressive essays and related fun partly run by AM Quickie writer Jack Crosbie. https://discourseblog.com/ Check out Ava Raiza's music here! https://avaraiza.bandcamp.com/ The Majority Report with Sam Seder - https://majorityreportradio.com/
Next time on State of Belief Radio, a powerful new book taking a deep personal look at the growing divisions in this country, the rising threat of fascism, and the human and spiritual impulses behind its allure. Jeff Sharlet, pioneering author of books like The Family and C Street, has just published his latest, The Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War. The glowing New York Times review describes the book as, quote, “An anguished quest to understand the rise of antidemocratic extremism.” In it, Jeff tells the personal stories of his encounter with the rising violence, as well as deeply felt stories about figures from America's past who can offer hope in our time.
Sam talks to Jeff Sharlet, author and journalist (The Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power, C Street: The Fundamentalist Threat to American Democracy) and now his new book The Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War. It's a must-read for understanding the moment we're in from someone who has closely followed the American fascist movement. Follow Jeff on Twitter at @JeffSharlet and Instagram: jeffsharlet. Refuse Fascism is more than a podcast! You can get involved at RefuseFascism.org. We're still on Twitter (@RefuseFascism) and other social platforms including the newest addition: mastodon.world/@refusefascism Send your comments to samanthagoldman@refusefascism.org or @SamBGoldman. Connect with the movement at RefuseFascism.org and support: · paypal.me/refusefascism · donate.refusefascism.org · patreon.com/refusefascism Music for this episode: Penny the Snitch by Ikebe Shakedown --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/refuse-fascism/message
Donald Trump was the first president in American history to be impeached twice. Now, he may be the first modern president, current or former – to be charged with criminal conduct. The New York investigation into hush money paid to adult entertainment actor Stormy Daniels is just one of several criminal probes currently faced by Donald Trump, And it's the one that is closest to issuing charges. Amid all the legal drama Trump has announced his third bid for the White House. A pending indictment would usually be a golden opportunity for Trump's Republican challengers - some who have declared - like Nikki Haley - and those who are expected to jump in the race - like Mike Pence and Ron DeSantis. But for the field of Republican presidential candidates, taking Trump down while not alienating his base is risky business. Host Scott Detrow talks to NPR congressional correspondent Kelsey Snell. He also talks to Jeff Sharlet, a professor of English at Dartmouth college and the author of the new book "Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War."
MSNBC legal analyst Katie Phang joins the show and gives co-host Danielle Moodie insight into why Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's indictment against Trump for a Stormy Daniels case, and not Jan. 6, is the first one to catch up to him. She also shares why this indictment is the “beginning of the fall” and her prediction for what's next, or in her words, the indictment that will really “break the dam.” Also on this episode, co-host Andy Levy predicts whether or not Trump will have a perp walk and surmises whether House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in love with Trump, or afraid of him. Plus! Jeff Sharlet, author of The Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War, tells Andy what he learned while writing about the post-Trump world—like how right-wing grandmas have nasty things to say about Hillary Clinton—and why he doesn't actually care about Trump like other Trump-era writers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
If there is a conspiracy theory or far right group, Jeff Sharlet has probably hung out with its followers. Sharlet is an investigative journalist and correspondent for Vanity Fair. He is one of the country's leading experts on religion, fundamentalism and American politics. He is the winner of the National Magazine Award for Reporting, and numerous other awards.In 2019, Netflix released "The Family," a five-part series based on Sharlet's reporting about the secretive fundamentalist group that includes among its members a number of the country's leading politicians. He has attended countless Trump rallies around the country, chronicled people preparing for armed insurrection, and attended gatherings of QAnon followers.Sharlet is a professor of English and director of creative writing at Dartmouth College. He has a new book out this week, “The Undertow: Scenes From A Slow Civil War.” Sharlet believes that averting civil war will take concerted and sustained action. "We don't think of democracy as something we have, but as something we do. You get up and you do it every day," he said."We haven't achieved democracy once yet. But we're going to try again tomorrow."
*** This is a special combined episode of The Truth Report and The Chauncey DeVega Show*** Jeff Sharlet is a journalist and bestselling author of The Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power and C Street: The Fundamentalist Threat to American Democracy. His forthcoming book is The Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War. Sharlet reflects on the meaning of the 2022 midterms and how the American people voted to slow down the Republican fascist assault on their democracy and by doing so won an important reprieve in what will be a very long struggle. He also counsels that hope is very important and a source of strength and fuel in the long war for American democracy. Sharlet also highlights how writing and community and other forms of creating social capital will be a bulwark and source of resistance and fuel against the Republican fascists, the larger white right, and other forms of civic evil. Chauncey shares his insights on the 2022 midterms, what the polling data and other evidence really shows about how the American people voted to support “democracy” (or not), and counsels that many countervailing forces were at work on election day. Ultimately, Chauncey warns that the final story about the 2022 midterms is far from being written and that the conventional wisdom will likely be proven wrong again. WHERE CAN YOU FIND ME? On Twitter: https://twitter.com/chaunceydevega On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chauncey.devega My email: chaunceydevega@gmail.com HOW CAN YOU SUPPORT THE CHAUNCEY DEVEGA SHOW? Via Paypal at ChaunceyDeVega.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thechaunceydevegashow
Jeff Sharlet is a journalist and bestselling author of The Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power and C Street: The Fundamentalist Threat to American Democracy. His forthcoming book is The Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War. Sharlet reflects on the meaning of the 2022 midterms and how the American people voted to slow down the Republican fascist assault on their democracy and by doing so won an important reprieve in what will be a very long struggle. He also counsels that hope is very important and a source of strength and fuel in the long war for American democracy. Sharlet also highlights how writing and community and other forms of creating social capital will be a bulwark and source of resistance and fuel against the Republican fascists, the larger white right, and other forms of civic evil. Chauncey shares his insights on the 2022 midterms, what the polling data and other evidence really shows about how the American people voted to support “democracy” (or not), and counsels that many countervailing forces were at work on election day. Ultimately, Chauncey warns that the final story about the 2022 midterms is far from being written and that the conventional wisdom will likely be proven wrong again. WHERE CAN YOU FIND ME? On Twitter: https://twitter.com/chaunceydevega On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chauncey.devega My email: chaunceydevega@gmail.com HOW CAN YOU SUPPORT THE CHAUNCEY DEVEGA SHOW? Via Paypal at ChaunceyDeVega.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thechaunceydevegashow
One of the best parts of this job is that I get to speak with some amazing people. I first met Jeff Sharlet over a decade ago when I interviewed him for his brilliant book, "The Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power." The book, and the one that followed, "C Street" are the basis of a Netflix series. "The Family." They detail the very secretive but omnipresent religious group that somehow straddles the highest levels of DC power. I immediately became a fan, and devoured his subsequent books and compelling magazine articles for which he travels and informs us about people and movements and attitudes that we need to know about but otherwise wouldn't. Jeff has a new book set for release in March, to be titled "THE UNDERTOW: Scenes from a Slow Civil War." All I know is the title, so I'll ask him about it--- but I have a feeling it begins with the same question I'd start out with: Election day is four weeks away. Can we, will we survive?
Author and Dartmouth professor Jeff Sharlet has been reporting on the American right from a religious studies perspective for two decades. He talks with Brian Stelter about his forthcoming book, "The Undertow: Scenes From a Slow Civil War," and the blind spots that some members of the media have. He says it is important to understand the religious "lens" that many Americans see the world through. "If you don't have that lens, you're only telling part of the story," he says. Plus, Sharlet talks about Christian nationalism; Donald Trump's relationship with the religious right; the impact of the January 6 hearings; and how the rural-urban divide is "getting much starker." To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy