The hottest Activism Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top World Politics Topics

The Right to Vote

Campaign Trails • 4426 implied HN points • 29 Oct 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Activism
  1. Voting is really important, and it has a long history of struggle. Many people fought hard to secure the right to vote for everyone.
  2. Some activists even lost their lives while fighting for voting rights. This shows just how much they believed voting mattered.
  3. If voting wasn't important, people wouldn't have had to sacrifice so much to protect it. Everyone should remember the value of their vote.

Doomscroll: Amber A'Lee Frost

Joshua Citarella's Newsletter • 457 implied HN points • 29 Oct 24
🎙 Podcasts Activism
  1. Young people are often seen as the future of social change. But we need to think about whether they really will lead the revolution.
  2. There are new efforts by the Republican party to support workers. It's important to consider if these changes are genuine or not.
  3. A lot of educated people are struggling to find jobs, which raises questions about what happens next in our society.

Beware The Yard Sign Thieves!

Vicky Ward Investigates • 119 implied HN points • 31 Oct 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Activism
  1. Yard sign theft is becoming a problem as election day approaches, especially in some communities. People are stealing signs for various political candidates, causing frustration for those trying to show their support.
  2. In a town where many liberal artists live, the focus is on the missing Harris/Walz signs, which keep getting stolen. This makes it harder for those wanting to display their political views.
  3. Replacing these stolen signs can be costly for residents, as they often have to buy new ones multiple times. The ongoing thefts are creating tension between different political views in the area.

The Foreign Money Behind America’s Anti-War Protests

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 746 implied HN points • 17 Mar 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Activism
  1. Leftist activists quickly mobilized large anti-war protests after U.S. strikes on Iran, using the same slogans and tactics seen in recent anti‑ICE and anti‑Israel rallies.
  2. The ANSWER Coalition functions as an umbrella for far‑left groups, coordinating a demonstration‑industrial ecosystem where organizations share infrastructure, messaging, and reach to produce disruptive rallies.
  3. Many of these organizations are tied to hostile foreign actors, including Chinese‑backed networks, which raises concerns about outside funding, coordination, and possible legal or ethical problems.

The Bear Cave #315

The Bear Cave • 1492 implied HN points • 01 Mar 26
💰 Finance Activism
  1. Multiple activist and short-seller reports this week accuse several companies of overvaluation, accounting tricks, regulatory or safety issues, and overstated asset quality.
  2. A string of high-profile departures — especially CFOs — at smaller public companies suggests notable leadership turnover and potential instability in those businesses.
  3. The newsletter highlights a flurry of social media posts and screenshots, showing that tweets and public reports are driving market narratives and investor attention.
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Activism, Uncensored: The War In Iran

TK News by Matt Taibbi • 1634 implied HN points • 04 Mar 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Activism
  1. The U.S.-Israeli strikes sparked immediate, opposing public reactions with both protests and celebrations happening within hours.
  2. Left-wing groups quickly organized emergency protests in multiple cities, with demonstrators directing anger at Israel and President Trump.
  3. The announcement that Iran’s supreme leader had been killed intensified the response, leading to on-the-ground celebrations and follow-up rallies.

The Bear Cave #314

The Bear Cave • 1796 implied HN points • 22 Feb 26
💰 Finance Activism
  1. Activist and research reports claim some companies are overstating businesses or data, pointing to possible accounting issues, overvaluation, and opaque loan-sale practices.
  2. A wave of recent executive departures highlights governance and operational stress across industries, from crypto firms and manufacturers to a major hotel board member stepping down after scandal-linked revelations.
  3. Market dynamics are shifting fast: AI hype and record-fast startup growth are changing how investors act, while new trading venues and strains in private credit liquidity are adding fresh risks and opportunities.

Lessons From Michigan's DEI Failure

Erick Erickson's Confessions of a Political Junkie • 1099 implied HN points • 17 Oct 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Activism
  1. The University of Michigan spent a lot of money and time on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) efforts, but many people felt frustrated and saw it as a failure.
  2. Students from different backgrounds thought that the DEI programs were well-intentioned but didn't achieve their goals.
  3. Research suggests that people who are religious report being happier compared to those heavily focused on DEI principles.

Fight Song

Magic + Loss • 636 implied HN points • 19 Oct 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Activism
  1. Being active in democracy means accepting conflict and standing up to your opponents. It’s important to be ready to fight for what you believe in.
  2. Donald Trump uses intimidation to get support, and he has made it clear he won't accept losing another election. This creates fear and uncertainty among his opponents.
  3. Past experiences show that when Trump doesn't get his way, it can lead to chaos. It's crucial to stand firm against his tactics to protect democratic values.

"Defund the Police" Failed Because We Have No History

Freddie deBoer • 7116 implied HN points • 09 Jan 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Activism
  1. The idea that abolishing the police was the historic default of left politics is wrong. Treating it as settled history made the debate confused and ahistorical.
  2. The movement grew largely through online networks that produced many loose, ungrounded supporters who lacked political theory and organizing skills. That made it hard to form strategy, resolve disagreements, or sustain pressure.
  3. Nobody agreed on what “defund the police” actually meant, from modest budget reallocation to full abolition, and there were no concrete plans or strategic discipline. Without clear, actionable goals the 2020 energy couldn’t be translated into durable political change.

Political Maturity Is Realizing The Commies Were Correct

Caitlin’s Newsletter • 3036 implied HN points • 05 Feb 26
🌍 World Politics Activism
  1. The most outspoken communists often diagnose capitalism, imperialism, and systemic oppression more clearly than other groups, and many of their critiques keep being proven right.
  2. Political maturity means learning, staying humble, and accepting cognitive dissonance when you realize your previous views masked widespread exploitation and injustice.
  3. Agreeing with their analysis doesn't solve how to get their vision; building a different world is untested, often suppressed, and activists themselves can be imperfect.

The Bear Cave #313

The Bear Cave • 933 implied HN points • 15 Feb 26
💰 Finance Activism
  1. Activist and short-seller reports accuse companies such as Super Group, BigBear AI, Archer Aviation, and Syntec Optics of accounting problems, misleading disclosures, or governance failures, and claim these issues could materially overstate profitability or render companies uninvestable.
  2. A spate of sudden C‑suite and senior departures — including at GEO Group, Ecarx, Radian, Kyndryl, and Goldman Sachs — points to turnover and potential governance or operational stress, with some departures coinciding with filing delays and other red flags.
  3. Market chatter and data show new structural threats: prediction markets are pressuring incumbent sportsbooks like DraftKings, AI product moves and acquisitions invite skepticism about execution, and shifts like GLP‑1 weight‑loss drugs are changing consumer demand while SEC FOIA logs hint at possible regulatory scrutiny.

Memory-Hole Archive: Sex and (Trans)Gender Wars

American Dreaming • 5936 implied HN points • 22 Dec 25
🎭️ Culture Activism
  1. Trans activism grew rapidly and increasingly embraced self-identification, prompting institutions, media, and medical bodies to redefine gender and minimize the role of biological sex.
  2. Those changes produced sharp real-world conflicts over women-only spaces, fairness in female sports, and medical treatments for minors, while critics, detransitioners, and concerned parents were often marginalized or silenced.
  3. The movement’s perceived overreach generated a powerful backlash: public support for some trans policies declined, legislatures and courts tightened rules on youth care and sports, and broader support for LGBT causes eroded.

Little Echo

Don't Worry About the Vase • 7437 implied HN points • 08 Dec 25
🕹 Technology Activism
  1. Even though the future with advanced AI looks grim and the odds feel against us, it's important to hold a defiant belief that we can still win. That belief fuels continued effort.
  2. You can fully love life and its everyday joys while still dedicating yourself to hard, urgent work to influence the outcome. Both living well and fighting for the future are worth doing at once.
  3. Persisting means doing the messy daily work: triaging, arguing, changing your mind, and moving pieces where you can, even when overwhelmed. Shared rituals and communities help sustain courage and focus.

It's Okay If You Didn't Bring Down Any Fascist Regimes Today

OK Doomer • 293 implied HN points • 05 Mar 26
🎭️ Culture Activism
  1. You can’t single‑handedly overthrow oppressive systems or stop every injustice, so feeling powerless doesn’t mean you’ve failed.
  2. It’s okay to just live and take care of yourself; small acts of kindness and survival still matter and can help others.
  3. Big change usually needs mass collective risk most people can’t take, so set boundaries, do what you can, and don’t shoulder unrealistic expectations.

Oppose Israel's Abuses While You Still Can

Caitlin’s Newsletter • 2007 implied HN points • 22 Jan 26
🌍 World Politics Activism
  1. It is still legal in Australia to criticize Israel, join pro‑Palestine groups, and attend most pro‑Palestine marches, so people should keep speaking out while those rights remain intact.
  2. New hate‑speech/speech‑suppression laws create a real risk that pro‑Palestine groups could be labeled and banned, chilling activism, so those laws need to be opposed and repealed before they’re abused.
  3. This fight is about defending civil rights and free speech as much as it is about Gaza, so urgent, persistent, and defiant activism is needed to protect those freedoms from lobby efforts that aim to suppress dissent.

Open Thread 410

Astral Codex Ten • 5161 implied HN points • 01 Dec 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Activism
  1. There are fundraisers happening for both shrimp and human welfare, and they each have matching donations until the end of the month. So, you can support either cause you care about.
  2. If you prefer social gatherings, there are upcoming rationalist community meetups on the West Coast and East Coast, along with a Solstice celebration you can join.
  3. For those who like reading, there's a new post discussing the arguments around trans athletes in sports, touching on how biological advantages are treated in general sports discussions.

The Bear Cave #310

The Bear Cave • 1049 implied HN points • 25 Jan 26
💰 Finance Activism
  1. Short-seller and activist reports are piling up, accusing companies of accounting problems, customer disputes, and regulatory compliance risks.
  2. Several high-level executives have recently resigned, suggesting growing management turnover and possible governance or performance issues at those firms.
  3. Regulatory and legal enforcement is active, with SEC and DOJ actions underscoring increased legal risk for public companies.

The nature of mass demonstrations

Maybe Baby • 975 implied HN points • 30 Jan 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Activism
  1. Joining a general strike is a way people show solidarity with a specific cause or place and use collective action to draw attention.
  2. Skipping usual posts or links can be a deliberate choice to avoid driving traffic to ad-funded sites and to make actions match principles.
  3. Mass demonstrations often get criticized for being underprepared or unrealistic, even when participants believe the action is the right thing to do.

“Don’t put ‘gender’ into law - it’s a terrible idea”, the Women’s Rights Party & Mana Wāhine Kōrero tell NZ’s Law Commission.

A B’Old Woman • 1119 implied HN points • 17 Aug 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Activism
  1. Adding 'gender' to the law could harm women's rights. Many believe it could create confusion about sex-based rights.
  2. The process to submit opinions on this issue isn't fair. Not everyone has equal access to technology or the ability to express their views clearly.
  3. There's a call for more attention to the negative impacts of letting men identify as women in women's spaces, and a need for women's voices to be heard.

The Bear Cave #312

The Bear Cave • 466 implied HN points • 08 Feb 26
💰 Finance Activism
  1. Activist and short-seller reports are increasingly targeting public companies, alleging overstated assets, insider enrichment, sham contracts, and hidden credit or revenue risks.
  2. A notable string of abrupt CFO and CEO departures across big firms points to rising management turnover and potential governance or operational problems.
  3. Markets and investors are increasingly worried about AI disruption hitting data, legal, finance, and outsourcing businesses, triggering stock selloffs and talk of shorting vulnerable incumbents.

Perhaps Your Credibility is Somewhat Dimmed by Trying to Panhandle Off of a "Nazi Problem"

Freddie deBoer • 12778 implied HN points • 11 Aug 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Activism
  1. Trying to fight extremism online with strict rules isn't a good solution. You can't just ban bad ideas; they exist because many people believe in them.
  2. Paid newsletters may not be the answer to fix the media world. Some people are only promoting their subscriptions while claiming to stand against extremism.
  3. Anger over platforms like Substack may be more about nostalgia for the old media days. We need to focus on meaningful ways to improve media instead of just blaming the platform.

All the Good Stuff You're Missing on Culture Study

Culture Study • 807 implied HN points • 02 Feb 26
🎭️ Culture Activism
  1. Culture Study has moved its main home to Patreon, where you can join as a free or paid subscriber and get help if you need to transfer comp access.
  2. There’s a lot of new Patreon content right now—book club picks, personal essays, podcast and reading recommendations, threads, and a subscriber-only chat—so it’s worth checking out if you’ve been missing the newsletter.
  3. They’re also running weekly fundraisers to help families targeted by ICE, directing donations to rent, meals, and utilities and committing to keep doing that work while the need continues.

Epstein, Chomsky, & The Politics of Betrayal (Chris Hedges w/ Briahna Joy Gray)

The Chris Hedges Report • 177 implied HN points • 25 Feb 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Activism
  1. Liberal incrementalism has quietly eroded protections and pushed politics toward a form of incremental fascism. This warns that small, steady concessions can lead to large, harmful changes.
  2. There is an urgent need for a spirited debate about what actions to take now in response to this shift. People must decide whether to keep making small changes or to mount a stronger, collective response.
  3. The politics of betrayal frames the crisis by showing how trusted institutions or figures can fail the public and worsen political decay. Recognizing that betrayal matters helps focus demands for accountability and new strategies.

On Becoming The First Species To Go Extinct From Politeness

Caitlin’s Newsletter • 2468 implied HN points • 04 Dec 25
🌍 World Politics Activism
  1. Politeness and widespread obedience let powerful elites run dangerous agendas—like environmental destruction, nuclear brinkmanship, and unregulated AI—without accountability, creating an existential threat.
  2. It would be absurd and humiliating if our species went extinct simply because we were too reluctant to confront those causing the harm, especially if we’re among the first intelligent civilizations.
  3. We need to stop prioritizing politeness over survival by confronting and holding the rich and powerful accountable through resistance and collective action before it’s too late.

I Didn’t Ask Jesse Jackson for His Autograph. But I Got One Anyway.

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 292 implied HN points • 18 Feb 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Activism
  1. He was consistently authentic and stayed true to himself throughout his public life.
  2. He showed personal warmth and generosity, often giving signed photos and short messages like "Peace" to people he met.
  3. Even with a complicated career, he was seen as a straight shooter who mixed humor with sharp insights on civil-rights issues like integration and desegregation.

Evolutionary Psychology, Sex Wars, Revolutionary Negation

Rob Henderson's Newsletter • 1212 implied HN points • 13 Jan 26
🎭️ Culture Activism
  1. A public talk and a meetup are scheduled in Austin to discuss a book being adapted into a film, with RSVP links provided.
  2. Curated reading and media recommendations focus on topics like evolutionary psychology, sex politics, revolutionary negation, AI, and medicine/social justice.
  3. Three highlighted findings: climate activists are mostly female, white, and highly educated; eight in ten young Americans are ineligible for military service mainly due to obesity; and a meta-analysis found masculine traits are associated with lower depression.

How to Deradicalize DEI

American Dreaming • 585 implied HN points • 30 Jan 26
🎭️ Culture Activism
  1. Favor a liberal approach that treats people as individuals, defends equal rights under the law, and uses persuasion and open dialogue rather than identity-based coercion and enforced outcome-equality.
  2. Follow practical, inclusive rules: tolerate respectful debate, make pronoun sharing optional, avoid reverse discrimination or speaking for whole groups, and don’t be elitist or morally micromanaging.
  3. Make progress by working within institutions and with science and corporations, building broad coalitions and slow persuasion rather than tearing down institutions or allying with illiberal forces.

How the Sall Grover event went in Christchurch NZ, and how the audience that questions gender ideology has changed in three years.

A B’Old Woman • 1458 implied HN points • 11 Jul 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Activism
  1. Sall Grover's event in Christchurch showed a growing audience that is concerned about gender ideology. People are more aware and ready to take action compared to a similar gathering three years ago.
  2. There has been a noticeable change in attitudes towards gender issues, with attendees at Grover's event feeling frustrated and motivated to fight against gender self-identification practices. The need for clarity and support in women's rights has become a pressing issue.
  3. Different groups are willing to set aside their differences to focus on key goals, like protecting single-sex spaces for women and safeguarding children from harmful gender ideology. There’s a sense of determination to work together for these objectives.

Moms for Liberty activists starting taxpayer-funded charter school

Popular Information • 10082 implied HN points • 16 Jan 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Activism
  1. Moms for Liberty activists are starting a taxpayer-funded charter school with close ties to a right-wing curriculum
  2. The charter school avoids state oversight, raising concerns about accountability and quality of education
  3. Erskine College sponsoring multiple charter schools, including the Moms for Liberty founded academy, for financial support

Democrats need to loudly reject progressive extremism

Noahpinion • 24823 implied HN points • 08 Dec 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Activism
  1. Democrats need to clearly distance themselves from the progressive activist movement. This is important because many voters still see them as too extreme.
  2. Public perception can heavily impact a political candidate's success. Even if a candidate shifts towards the center, voters might still label them based on past associations.
  3. Social media has shifted how people interact with politics, making it easier for extreme views to be noticed. Many people have had firsthand experiences with progressive activism, which shapes their opinions and voting behavior.

A tale of two speeches.

Today's Edition Newsletter • 9276 implied HN points • 08 Jan 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Activism
  1. The vile and alarming behavior of Trump during his recent speeches will push away potential supporters, highlighting the importance of upholding democracy.
  2. The NYTimes Editorial Board warns against a second term of a Trump presidency, emphasizing the dangers Trump poses to the country.
  3. Remember that the anti-Trump majority in America is strong, and it's essential to act based on this fact to work towards a better future.

Don't Let The Empire Gaslight You Into Believing You Are Powerless

Caitlin’s Newsletter • 1941 implied HN points • 27 Nov 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Activism
  1. Don’t accept the lie that you’re powerless; take concrete actions like community organizing, creating dissident media, and having conversations to help wake people up.
  2. Take responsibility for your inner life by doing real trauma healing and spiritual or psychological work, because personal transformation improves your quality of life even under oppressive systems.
  3. Small, consistent daily actions matter — reject learned helplessness and stop waiting for a miracle, since believing you’re helpless only serves the powerful.

Resistance101: Forging a New Movement for Palestine in Italy DOCUMENTARY

The Chris Hedges Report • 144 implied HN points • 21 Feb 26
🌍 World Politics Activism
  1. Italian dockworkers have organized strikes and mass demonstrations to halt arms shipments to Israel in response to the ongoing violence in Gaza.
  2. These actions are a direct challenge to the inaction of governments and international institutions, showing grassroots workers stepping in where authorities refuse to act.
  3. The port disruptions are framed as a model of industrial resistance that could spread to other countries and potentially shape efforts to stop the violence.

I’m Finally Hanging My American Flag

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 8133 implied HN points • 03 Jul 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Activism
  1. The author grew up in an environment that viewed the American flag and patriotism negatively. Their upbringing focused on social justice and activism rather than celebrating the flag.
  2. The author's perspective changed over time, leading them to finally hang the flag outside their home, which signifies a shift in how they relate to their country's symbols.
  3. The flag has personal significance for the author, tied to the memories of their grandparents, yet they struggle with the conflict between national pride and historical injustices.

Health NZ puts the ‘men’ in menstruation.

A B’Old Woman • 759 implied HN points • 31 Jul 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Activism
  1. Health NZ's new policy claims that menstruation is not just for women, stating that people of all genders can menstruate.
  2. Many people are surprised and upset by this policy, feeling it's confusing and not in line with most people's understanding of gender.
  3. There are concerns about how this affects cultural beliefs, especially in Māori culture, which emphasizes the sacredness of women's experiences.