The hottest Empire Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top U.S. Politics Topics

If it wasn't for us you'd all be speaking German

Wrong Side of History • 745 implied HN points • 10 Mar 26
🎭️ Culture Empire
  1. English's global spread helped English-speaking nations gain political and cultural dominance, displacing older centres of influence.
  2. Language (and historically religion) has been the main marker of national identity, but because English is so widespread people now often fold into a shared Anglo-American culture rather than distinct national cultures.
  3. Sharing a language creates sympathy and easier cooperation, especially in military and intelligence matters, but it can also mask real differences and cause misunderstandings.

Seeing Like Google

Archedelia • 2201 implied HN points • 18 May 23
🕹 Technology Empire
  1. The post discusses how technology is adding unnecessary layers of control, making simple tasks more complicated.
  2. It touches on the idea of these additional layers acting as a tax enforced by private commercial entities.
  3. The post invites readers to subscribe for a 7-day free trial to continue reading and access the full post archives.

A Dementia Patient Is President Because It Doesn't Matter Who The President Is

Caitlin’s Newsletter • 2612 implied HN points • 09 Feb 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Empire
  1. A dementia patient holding the office of the US president demonstrates that the person in power doesn't significantly impact the functioning of the US empire.
  2. The reality is that the US government is largely controlled by unelected empire managers who have consistent influence across different administrations.
  3. Voting might not lead to meaningful changes in crucial aspects of US government behavior, suggesting the need for alternative methods to bring about real change.

Welcome To The Empire

Caitlin’s Newsletter • 1913 implied HN points • 20 Jan 24
🌍 World Politics Empire
  1. The Empire manipulates language and perceptions to maintain power and control.
  2. It highlights the hypocrisy and double standards often seen in political systems.
  3. The Empire is symbolized as a force that enforces its dominance through various means.
Get a weekly roundup of the best Substack posts, by hacker news affinity:

The Empire Depends On Our Unwillingness To Look At Its Crimes

Caitlin’s Newsletter • 1732 implied HN points • 07 Feb 24
🌍 World Politics Empire
  1. The empire relies on people's unwillingness to face its crimes, as looking directly at the unpleasant truth can shatter their worldview.
  2. Mass media propaganda aims to build a worldview loyal to establishment power structures and trap individuals in power-serving echo chambers.
  3. Creating awareness about the empire's atrocities and encouraging people to critically examine the status quo can help break the cycle of indoctrination and bring about change.

The New Issue Of JOHNSTONE Is Available To Order Or Download

Caitlin’s Newsletter • 512 implied HN points • 27 Nov 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Empire
  1. The new edition of JOHNSTONE magazine is out, and you can get it in print or as a digital copy for whatever price you want.
  2. The magazine discusses the current political climate, highlighting Trump's role in representing a harsh reality about the U.S. empire.
  3. It also touches on issues like the situation in Gaza and critiques the mainstream narrative surrounding global conflicts.

America's fatal addiction to militarism

History's Parrot • 98 implied HN points • 10 Jul 23
🌍 World Politics Empire
  1. Acknowledge the self-destructive nature of militarism and work to contain it.
  2. Recognize the need for atonement for peace to prevail in relationships between nations.
  3. Understand the emergence of a multipolar world, and the necessity for humility and clear-eyed leadership in international affairs.

The rise and fall of the ‘good’ British Empire

Wrong Side of History • 417 implied HN points • 31 Mar 23
🌍 World Politics Empire
  1. The British Empire has undergone a transformation into a multicultural society since the Second World War.
  2. British identity is shifting towards inclusivity in a multicultural society, leading to a decline in identification as British in favor of English.
  3. There is a correlation between identifying as English and holding negative views towards diversity in a multicultural imperial society.

The Fallacy of Non-Violence

Black Lodges • 58 implied HN points • 24 Feb 23
📖 Philosophy Empire
  1. The importance of addressing violent oppression and seeking freedom from it
  2. Questioning the effectiveness of non-violence as a response to oppressive realities
  3. The need for logical consequences and strategies in facing violent dictatorships

When the British Empire almost went bankrupt

Terra Nullius, by Ned Donovan • 137 implied HN points • 21 Apr 23
💾 History Empire
  1. In 1804, the British Empire faced near bankruptcy when the China Fleet carrying over  £8 million in goods was threatened by French warships.
  2. The East India Company, though powerful, was arrogant in its naval defense, using dummy cannons instead of proper armaments.
  3. Through clever tactics by Commodore Dance, the China Fleet was able to trick the French warships into retreating, avoiding bankruptcy and collapse for the East India Company and Lloyds of London.

Was the British empire evil?

CIEO • 4 HN points • 20 Jun 23
🌍 World Politics Empire
  1. The dominant view of the British empire as evil is being challenged by a new book that examines historical facts and moral judgments.
  2. Nigel Biggar's book explores accusations against the empire like greed, slavery, racism, violence, and exploitation in a measured and informed way.
  3. The rise and fall of the British empire over 300 years was diverse and nuanced, with the book dispelling the myth of a brutal genocidal dictatorship and questioning the political and academic traction of a distorted interpretation of history.

Roman Responses to Christianity

Homo Ludens • 0 implied HN points • 18 Jun 24
💾 History Empire
  1. Christians were initially considered a Jewish sect, but later separated themselves, leading to challenges and persecution
  2. Romans viewed Christians as a new religious sect, treated them as heretics, and saw their beliefs as a threat to the state
  3. The Roman persecution of Christians highlights the clash of new religions with established orders, offering insights for building fantasy worlds