← Feed

Posts

• View post

  The German version of my latest essay is out: A Far-Right International Is Assaulting Democracy MAGA and the AfD are united in a struggle against democratic pluralism that transcends national borders. It is an alliance of extremists defined by aggrieved revanchism. https://steady.page/de/demokratie-americana/posts/fbba55cf-328e-48eb-bcd1-35aba27ae280

• View post

  A Far-Right International Is Assaulting Democracy MAGA and the AfD are united in a struggle against democratic pluralism that transcends national borders. It is an alliance of extremists defined by aggrieved revanchism. Some thoughts from my new piece: 🧵 https://steady.page/en/democracyamericana/posts/3a16237c-484a-4d5e-8f15-2ea94fd8f4d2

• View post

  Sunday reading - on a day that could mark a caesura in German post-war history: Warnings and Lessons from the Struggle Against Trumpism In the fight against the far-right AfD, Germany must avoid the mistakes that have sabotaged the democratic response to rightwing extremism in the United States. 🧵 https://steady.page/en/democracyamericana/posts/01654b70-1319-4395-8191-0c6da2ae195b

• View post

  The German version of my latest essay is out: I wrote about cowardice and conviction, the complicity of conservative elites, and the permission structure that governs the Right. Power, Opportunism, and Ideology in Republican Politics: https://steady.page/de/demokratie-americana/posts/138c09f0-6ddd-464c-a15f-ac77e904b93b

• View post

  Ich habe über Lindsay Graham geschrieben – und über die Republikanischen Eliten wie ihn. Über Feiglinge und Überzeugungstäter, die Komplizenschaft konservativer Anführer - und wie diese sich selbst die Erlaubnis zur Radikalität erteilen. Mein neuer Essay: https://steady.page/de/demokratie-americana/posts/138c09f0-6ddd-464c-a15f-ac77e904b93b

• View post

  RE: https://mastodon.social/@tzimmer_history/116986417530346600 The first part of this piece is free – the rest exclusively for paid members. Being an independent writer offers a lot of autonomy, which is a privilege. But it is also consistently precarious and comes with lots of financial uncertainty. If you can become a paid member, please do.

• View post

  Power, Opportunism, and Ideology in Republican Politics About cowardice and conviction, the complicity of conservative elites, and the permission structure that governs the Right. My new piece: https://steady.page/en/democracyamericana/posts/da2ea08b-e35c-427b-b190-66a2fc097abb

• View post

  This week’s piece: The glass is half-full. Or at least this is my attempt to argue it might be. We are confronted with a world-historic chance. I am taking down the paywall for this one, as I believe it remains relevant as a potential antidote to cynicism and declinism. https://steady.page/en/democracyamericana/posts/812a42b1-dc13-4e26-b659-736ce7c146b9

• View post

  I am taking down the paywall for this one, as I believe it remains relevant as a potential antidote to cynicism and declinism. The glass is half-full. Or at least this is my attempt to argue it might be. We are confronted with a world-historic chance. The German version of this week’s piece: https://steady.page/de/demokratie-americana/posts/3ca0c464-1c7a-4af5-b7eb-e393101bc6d4

• View post

  The German version of my latest essay is out - a glass-half-full interpretation of our moment: The Right is freaking out because they know we could be on the brink of proving that egalitarian, pluralistic democracy is possible. We are facing a world-historic chance: https://steady.page/de/demokratie-americana/posts/3ca0c464-1c7a-4af5-b7eb-e393101bc6d4

• View post

  My new piece - a glass-half-full interpretation of our moment: The Right is freaking out because they know we could be on the brink of proving that egalitarian, pluralistic democracy is possible. We are confronted with a world-historic chance: 🧵 https://steady.page/en/democracyamericana/posts/812a42b1-dc13-4e26-b659-736ce7c146b9

• View post

  A World-Historic Chance The Right is freaking out because we could be on the brink of proving that egalitarian, pluralistic democracy is possible. My new piece - a glass-half-full interpretation of our moment: https://steady.page/en/democracyamericana/posts/812a42b1-dc13-4e26-b659-736ce7c146b9

• View post

  From the Declaration to Donald Trump Wrestling with a history that is complicated, inspiring, frustrating, uplifting, and horrifying. A continuity of conflict, 1776-2026 My new piece: (no paywall, free to read) https://steady.page/en/democracyamericana/posts/3ed79187-f4a3-4d02-98ed-cd49f1762756

• View post

  Ich habe über diesen Moment welthistorischer Umwälzungen geschrieben - und was er von uns erfordert.   Die alte Welt geht unter. Die Rechte hat eine revolutionäre Theorie, die Erneuerung verspricht. Um ihr zu begegnen, brauchen wir eine Vision grundlegender Veränderung.   Neuer Essay, auf Deutsch: 🧵   https://steady.page/de/demokratie-americana/posts/61a827ea-a4d9-48fd-9851-5c5cfe16f2b6

• View post

  Was dieser Moment welthistorischer Umwälzungen von uns erfordert Die alte Welt geht unter. Die Rechte verfügt über eine revolutionäre Theorie, die Erneuerung verspricht. Um ihr zu begegnen, brauchen wir eine Vision grundlegender Veränderung. Neuer Essay für die deutsche Version von Democracy Americana: https://steady.page/de/demokratie-americana/posts/61a827ea-a4d9-48fd-9851-5c5cfe16f2b6

• View post

  Understanding Our Disruptive Moment in History – and What It Requires The old order is dead. The Right has a revolutionary theory of the moment that promises renewal. Unless we can counter it with a transformative vision, we will lose. Some thoughts from my new piece: 🧵 https://steady.page/en/democracyamericana/posts/59b197fa-1a03-44e5-b155-2c221e2a3c0e

• View post

  RE: https://mastodon.social/@tzimmer_history/116833530000213980 I wrote about how the political, economic, technological, and environmental crises intersect and why they are escalating now – and about the political implications of recognizing the profound disruption we are witnessing. Here are eight propositions about this inflection point in history:

• View post

  Understanding Our Disruptive Moment in History – and What It Requires The old order is dead. The Right has a revolutionary theory of the moment that promises renewal. Unless we can counter it with a transformative vision, we will lose. My new piece: https://steady.page/en/democracyamericana/posts/59b197fa-1a03-44e5-b155-2c221e2a3c0e

• View post

  RE: https://mastodon.social/@tzimmer_history/116527774915147022 Because Louisiana v Callais is, in many ways, the culmination of a “backlash” against multiracial democracy that has been raging for decades, it signifies the end of a distinct phase in U.S. history. The Second Reconstruction is over; we are into the second “Redemption” now.

• View post

  Multiracial Democracy is Young and Fragile A brief history of the struggle to reconstitute a nation built on racial hierarchy around the principle of equality – Part I: Lessons from the rise and fall of Reconstruction. This piece is free to read, no paywall - and some thoughts: 🧵 https://steady.page/en/democracyamericana/posts/b0eafc14-f68d-4499-8108-b440bad1af7f

• View post

  Frisst die rechte „Gegenrevolution“ ihre Anstifter auf? Für Die Zeit habe ich über Chris Rufo geschrieben – und über die lange Tradition „konservativer“ Intellektueller, die sich einbilden, die extremen Energien kontrollieren zu können, nur um selbst zu Steigbügelhaltern des Extremismus werden.   https://www.zeit.de/feuilleton/2026-04/usa-konservative-extremismus-maga-christopher-rufo?freebie=3600b1b0

• View post

  RE: https://mastodon.art/@blnensemble/116487240824572227 What’s next, America? Really excited about this: I’ll be discussing the political situation in the United States, how we got here, and where America might be going, with Robert Habeck and Adam Tooze at the Berliner Ensemble. If you are in or around Berlin, come join us!

• View post

  When the Rightwing Revolution Devours Its Intellectual Enablers For Die Zeit, I wrote about Chris Rufo – and the long tradition of conservative intellectuals who fancy themselves the vanguard of the Right while actually serving as facilitators of extremism. Gift link - and some thoughts in English: https://www.zeit.de/feuilleton/2026-04/usa-konservative-extremismus-maga-christopher-rufo?freebie=ba3a4dac

• View post

  RE: https://mastodon.social/@tzimmer_history/116476841687030324 I must say I’m not super impressed with responses that mock my piece for exploring the tech elite’s radicalizing trajectory because “Duh, they’re all fascist nerds, ‘nuff said!” That sort of reflexive anti-intellectualism is quite toxic to the political discourse (also just an asshole reaction to other people’s work).

• View post

  It’s really hard to overstate how acutely dangerous this is: All strands of the Right - leading Republicans, the media machine, the reactionary intellectual sphere, the conservative base - are openly and aggressively embracing rightwing vigilante violence.

• View post

  Some major personal news:   Things have really changed. Now I need your help.   On why I left academia, why I left America, and why I need your support as I am starting over as a full-time independent writer:   Onward. Forward. Steady:   https://steady.page/en/democracyamericana/posts/ab02af47-9e87-4143-ba51-afa2d1804c1c

• View post

  ICYMI yesterday: I wrote about one of the defining - and most dangerous - stories of our time: America’s tech barons are openly and aggressively siding with authoritarianism. An exploration of what is fueling their radicalization to the right – and why it is happening now: https://steady.page/en/democracyamericana/posts/7b369a88-108e-4535-be65-b0faebebe324

• View post

  Sunday reading: Fueled by profit motives, ideological radicalization, and elite self-victimization, America’s tech barons are aggressively taking the side of authoritarianism. I wrote about why the tech billionaires are aligning with Trump – and why now: 🧵 https://steady.page/en/democracyamericana/posts/7b369a88-108e-4535-be65-b0faebebe324

• View post

  Six big-picture conclusions from Orbán’s smashing defeat – and what it all means for the transnational struggle against rightwing authoritarianism. I wrote about why Hungary matters – and why nothing about rightwing authoritarianism is inevitable. Some thoughts from my new piece: 🧵 https://steady.page/en/democracyamericana/posts/84239935-e835-46fe-b97a-24e551c1658c

• View post

  For something to be “un-American” in the way the term is usually deployed (rather than just wrong, illegal, or immoral), it must violate an essence defined by a set of ideals and values, something that is non-negotiable as a tenet of what “America” is and what it means to be “American.”