The 300 Year Fire
Contingency in American History
Our Thursday newsletter looks at the concept of “contingency” in history, and how it relates to our present moment.
If you enjoy our writing, please give us a “like”, “share”, or “restack”.
You might even consider becoming a paid supporter!
beforewewerewhite.substack.com/p/the-300-ye...
13.11.2025 15:18 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
13.11.2025 11:17 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Immigration
The Sickness and Lies at the Heart of White Nationalism
Big Business has always exploited cheap labor - which has traditionally meant "immigrant labor".
When the "white" underclasses complain, Big Business and the politicians they own have always pointed the finger at the immigrants themselves...
beforewewerewhite.substack.com/p/immigratio...
10.11.2025 23:40 — 👍 2 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Power to the [Right] People
The USA's Brief Flirtation with Actual Democracy
How long has the USA actually been a “democracy”?
Today’s newsletter “Power to the [Right] People” available now to both free and paid subscribers!
beforewewerewhite.substack.com/p/power-to-t...
07.11.2025 00:09 — 👍 2 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 1
The Mechanics of Colonialism
How Modern Israel is a Mirror of American History
A short side-by-side comparison of USA and Israeli methods of ethnic cleansing.
New podcast episode out later this week!
Don’t forget to subscribe (free or paid) to not miss our twice-weekly newsletter!
beforewewerewhite.substack.com/p/the-mechan...
06.11.2025 14:49 — 👍 4 🔁 1 💬 1 📌 0
J. D. Vance, the Fake "Scots-Irish" Hillbilly
Why White Nationalists Lie About Their Ethnic Background
Monday's essay examines the lies behind White Nationalist self-identity, with a focus on Christo-Fascist J. D. Vance.
He calls himself "Scots-Irish" with no Scots-Irish ancestry.
He never mentions the Black ancestors he shares with Barack Obama.
beforewewerewhite.substack.com/p/j-d-vance-...
28.10.2025 00:22 — 👍 4 🔁 2 💬 0 📌 0
No One Gets Out of Here With Clean Hands
How colonialism soils everything it touches...
History is nuance.
There are rarely just saints and sinners.
Colonialist violence soils all of us.
beforewewerewhite.substack.com/p/no-one-get...
23.10.2025 22:34 — 👍 5 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0
Hallowe'en Special:
The Wild Hunt in America?
BWWW Hallowe'en Special.
We look at the possible survival of pre-Christian folk traditions in American country-western music.
Do consider subscribing!
beforewewerewhite.substack.com/p/halloween-...
20.10.2025 17:25 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
A Trip to the Badlands
Kristi Noem and Performative Identity
US American conservative or MAGA self-identity is a confection assembled from the Western film genre, state propaganda, and a host of other populist sources.
Most of all, White Nationalist Christo-Fascism is performance.
Subscribe to keep us going...
beforewewerewhite.substack.com/p/a-trip-to-...
16.10.2025 22:13 — 👍 2 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0
Columbus, scoundrel
And why understanding his ethnic background matters...
The greed, preening self-importance, and brutality of Cristoffa Corombo, aka Columbus, is well-documented.
His elevation onto a pedestal, as a man worthy of celebrating with a national holiday, says more about America than about Columbus himself.
beforewewerewhite.substack.com/p/columbus-s...
13.10.2025 08:13 — 👍 3 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0
Malagasy Mountain Folks?
Forgotten Stories from the Melting Pot
White Nationalist Christo-Fascism as per Project 2025 will fail.
Some of us will fight to keep real history alive, however hard they try to propagate their mythological vision of America’s past.
Support us over on Substack if you can.
beforewewerewhite.substack.com/p/malagasy-m...
11.10.2025 09:56 — 👍 2 🔁 2 💬 0 📌 0
Before We Were White
Deconstructing the Construct
As the US descends into dystopian madness, I'm reposting my maiden blog explaining why the USA can never be a healthy democracy as long as human exploitation and social truths remain buried under a pile of self-praising lies and mythological hokum.
beforewewerewhite.substack.com/p/before-we-...
08.10.2025 13:01 — 👍 3 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0
No nation on earth fetishizes its military in the way the USA does.
Do the lofty words of praise from US politicians match how veterans are treated?
And if not, why not?
In our new episode of BWWW, we explore who actually fights America’s wars, and on whose behalf.
beforewewerewhite.com/episodes
06.10.2025 09:57 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 1
Brian Halpin (@beforewewerewhitepodcast)
Sorry for posting late this week!
A family emergency has taken me far from home, and BWWW is being written and prepared on a laptop on someone’s kitchen table in a small, sparsely furnished apartmen...
Posting late this week!
Family emergency has taken me far from home - BWWW being written and prepared on a laptop on someone’s kitchen table in a small, sparsely furnished apartment in an unfamiliar city.
Hope you enjoy the piece, however belated.
beforewewerewhite.substack.com/p/remorse-83...
04.10.2025 13:16 — 👍 2 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Ahab on a Surfboard
The Birth of Surfin' USA?
Did American surf culture (outside of Hawai’i) begin on the east coast?
beforewewerewhite.substack.com/p/ahab-on-a-...
26.09.2025 16:05 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Of course they would love to see a Western supporter of Zionism, and a co-architect of the murderous imperialist war in Iraq in charge of Gaza. Blair belongs nowhere near Gaza. He belongs in The Hague.
25.09.2025 20:53 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Longing and Belonging
The Strange Case of Buffy Sainte-Marie
Long read for Monday, showing how identity based on "blood" and skin color instead of culture is a poison in the body politic of the USA.
Here we look at the strange case of Buffy Ste. Marie, the folk singer claiming Cree ancestry for decades.
beforewewerewhite.substack.com/p/longing-an...
23.09.2025 14:19 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
So yes, we do need to learn history.
"So we can learn from our past triumphs and know that change for the better is possible."
Please make sure to subscribe to our newsletter!
(4 of 4)
17.09.2025 18:18 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Learning history from different perspectives - like the Black perspective, women's perspective, the labor movement or via critical theory - teaches people that the status quo was and is often unjust - and what's more important, the status quo CAN BE CHALLENGED AND CHANGED.
(3 of 4)
17.09.2025 18:18 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
While this is true, it misses the bigger reason that authoritarian and fascist regimes work so hard to control the historical narrative.
History is also replete with stories of hope, and the social changes and triumphs achieved by the underdogs.
(2 of 4)
17.09.2025 18:17 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
When I try to explain the importance of history, people who are sympathetic to the idea usually say:
"Yes, we need to learn history, so we learn from our mistakes and do not repeat the past."
(1 of 4)
17.09.2025 18:16 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
The Other 9/11
Mayhem, Mass Murder, and Mormons
The forgotten 9/11.
Don’t forget to subscribe (free or paid), in order to never miss our BWWW newsletter!
For people who prefer American history to American mythology.
beforewewerewhite.substack.com/p/the-other-...
10.09.2025 16:43 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Who The Hell Do You Think You Are?
The Foolishness at the Heart of "White" American Identity
The resurgence of white supremacy and racialist eugenics in the USA is shocking.
Americans are among the most ethnically-mixed people in world history.
beforewewerewhite.substack.com/p/who-the-he...
06.09.2025 21:48 — 👍 1 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0
From Haiti to the Holler?
The History Which Will Never Be Taught In Post-Trump America
Thanks to all my readers for bearing with me while I took time out to help my young son settle into a new life studying music far from home. Tons of things lined-up as we head into autumn. If you find BWWW of value, please consider subscribing.
beforewewerewhite.substack.com/p/from-haiti...
04.09.2025 19:15 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
"Stop talking about it!"
Why US Educational Institutions Are Under Attack
I'm heading away until the 1st or 2nd of Sep. on family business.
No posts for a few days.
Here is this weekend's long read.
Hope you enjoy it!
beforewewerewhite.substack.com/p/stop-talki...
24.08.2025 13:52 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
When the Morality Police Fail
Did "Louie, Louie" drop the first ever F-bomb on US radio?
Just a reminder to followers and subscribers that I will be away from my desk 24 Aug 2025 - 2 Sep 2025, helping my son to move country as he begins his college studies.
In the meantime, here's something for a laugh and a bop around the kitchen...
beforewewerewhite.substack.com/p/when-the-m...
21.08.2025 22:42 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
A Topographic Anomaly
When the Cleansing of History Fails
We are witnessing in real time “How the West was won” in American history.
The mass graves in the USA are just buried a little deeper.
beforewewerewhite.substack.com/p/a-topograp...
17.08.2025 23:21 — 👍 2 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
In the belly of the beast, doing my best to give it indigestion.
Founding member of Talking Heads and Tom Tom Club. Keeping it real out here in the field.
SFF writer, hardingfele player, tracker, librarian. Longer writings and book reviews at welltemperedwriter.wordpress.com. masto: welltemperedwriter@wandering.shop, insta: datamuse. SFWA, Codexian. Back Shakespeare Adjacent on Kickstarter!
Passionate progressive writer and advocate. Exploring politics, social justice, and the intersection of history and modern issues. Amateur chef, and media critic. Always seeking bold ideas and honest conversations.
New here.
Doppelganger. This Changes Everything. The Shock Doctrine. No Logo. On Fire.
UBC Professor of Climate Justice.
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Professor at ICTA-UAB and Visiting Senior Fellow at LSE • Author of THE DIVIDE and LESS IS MORE • Global inequality, political economy and ecological economics
Exploring my kind of ever-evolving among all there is
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Waitress turned Congresswoman for the Bronx and Queens. Grassroots elected, small-dollar supported. A better world is possible.
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I make movies. I watch movies. I love movies.
Research, news, and commentary from Nature, the international science journal. For daily science news, get Nature Briefing: https://go.nature.com/get-Nature-Briefing
Director of Bullard Center Texas Southern University, professor, author of 18 books, NBEJN #HBCU Climate Change Consortium, #ClimateReality Board, AAAS, National Academy of Medicine, TIME Earth Award, Father of Environmental Justice, US Marine Corps Vet.
Nieman Fellow @Harvard ('26) & chairman Netzwerk Recherche
previously: head of investigative cooperations NDR, WDR, SZ; EIC BuzzFeed News DE; co-founder Correctiv; alum Columbia Journalism School
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