A personal reflection on the chances and pitfalls of publicly engaging with the political conflict from a precarious academic position – and what the future might hold for this newsletter
I am new to the Substack world as I swore off any type of social media after 2016, but after reading you and others I’ve been brought back into the fold so I would gladly subscribe and pay. I’m nobody special, only a school bus driver but I get to interact with children every day when they are developing their brains. I see kids who come from poverty and homelessness that live in hotels. I’m sure as a professor you’ve seen your share of students in tough situations. Keep doing your thing. I try to stay informed and am very skeptical by nature but I know we need more people like you out there.
Thomas, wow - that's quite a post ... and it prompts many thoughts in me. Some of which I'd like to discuss with you one on one, if you were interested and we could make time. We've interacted on Twitter (back when Twitter existed) as well as here. You might recall in particular that South Africa is a touchstone for me - that's one thing on my mind. You write - always - with remarkable insight as well as forthrightness about the current American situation, particularly given (perhaps partly because of) the fact that you're not American - and that is invaluable.
I have some thoughts on your writing, as well as on the business side of this newsletter and related ideas, that I'd like to continue thinking about as well as run past you. What I don't want to do is impose on your time unnecessarily. But if you would like to make time, please reach out to me ecasey@blueearbooks.com - we could schedule an hour after the holidays. Also, I live in Seattle but am hoping to include DC on an East Coast trip sometime in 2024 and would make a point of doing so if it meant I could take you to lunch.
I can't remember exactly when I started following you on Twitter, but I distinctly remember copy-pasting one of your threads into a document because I wanted to reflect more deeply on it (I think it was related to how a sense of identity is extremely potent for many people, and presuming that someone who doesn't prioritize economic prosperity at election time is "voting against their own interests" misses that really critical point). Since then, I've made a point of reading every thread and every essay ... your insights are truly invaluable (and you're an excellent writer as well). I will be very happy to support your work if/when you offer paid subscriptions!
First, good luck professionally. From what you describe, your academic journey has been a grind. If you land somewhere good with a stable position, great. There’s nothing quite like teaching young minds and engaging deeply in research. But failing that, be well assured that life outside the academy can be both very fulfilling and certainly much more remunerative.
Second, I agree we face perilous times for freedom and self-government throughout the world. Things may go very badly indeed. But Americans have a knack of doing the right thing now and then quite unexpectedly. As Otto von Bismarck is reported to have said: “God has a special providence for fools, drunkards, and the United States of America.”
I appreciate your writing. Thank you. I understand your writings are free; I offer a dissent that democracy is free, in this country or anywhere. For democracy to work, there has to be a core of citizens willing to give time, energy, if not their lives. We may not pay directly for free press, but I bet many of your readers support or work at one of the needed and various First Amendment groups. The rest of us benefit from their upfront payments to preserve democracy.
I would be proud to support your work financially if/when it becomes possible/necessary. I won't be able to give much, as I'm a student, but I'll be able to give something.
I read all of your newsletters, and have listened to the podcast fairly regularly (although less so since Perry Bacon left). Have you thought about teaching history at the jr./sr. high level as an alternative career path? If your lecture style is similar to your podcasting I think you would be good at it and there is an ongoing perennial teacher shortage.
I value your work and would not hesitate to contribute financially to this substack. I would look forward to the shorter pieces you mention above, but will always value your long form work as well.
Yours is one of the most important voices on democracy, our moment in time, its historical context, and our possible futures. If I see a piece from you (or hear you on Jen Rubin like last week), I engage just as eagerly as with e.g. Heather Cox Richardson, Thom Hartmann, or Anne Nelson. Given what you shared, I believe this could be turned into an exciting opportunity for you.
Just as the model in academia is broken (otherwise, you would be thriving), so are the models in media and tech. There is an opportunity to web together important voices like yours to discuss and explain (with a community aspect) the "story of our times" and to point a way forward using new forms of media. I've been a tech entrepreneur and programmer for over 20 years and have been working toward this as part of a non-profit.
I invite you to check out whosum dot com (start with the 40-second homepage video) and/or type "scafaria human centric" into Google. Phase one of our work is complete: We built a "DVR for social media" that can be used to capture, tag, and rate the most important "democracy narratives" found on Twitter and Mastodon (substack to come). We've also captured the "following" lists for 300 key democracy accounts (i.e. representing tens of thousands of people who are followed by people like you and HCR) and we have the legacy blue check list. We also have a way of linking up social accounts across media properties (see the link in my signature below for an example). Phase two involves weaving these raw materials into a new form of online media.
Rather than focus on "sugar rush" stories like polls and gaffes, our intent is to help people curate and share "democracy narratives". These will combine threads, video clips, links and footnotes, podcasts, community discussion, long-form essays, etc. So for example, the "border" topic might highlight Schwarzenegger's excellent video. Or "history of fascism" might sample clips from Maddow's Ultra alongside your writings. Unlike other social media, this works on a "pull" model where each individual controls their media diet (with a default sampling from the primary trust-network).
One feature of this endeavor is that it provides value (via syndication) even before "everyone is there". It's also not trying to compete on every single thing tweeted in the world. The goal is curation of knowledge and narratives in support of preserving liberal democracy. Furthermore, it's decentralized using a "local-first" approach (which Cory Dotorow prescribes as a way to break the Big Tech stranglehold). If we hurry, I believe there's time to make an impact before Nov. 2024.
Although the main effort is via a non-profit, there are several planned economic models to enable individual content creators and curators to generate revenue. First, and most obvious, of course, is sharing content that leads one back to e.g. a premium Substack. If you search "scafaria prosocial capitalism" you'll see others described.
All this background is to say this: I believe (a) there is a major opportunity for new media, (b) tech is in place and/or on its way, and (c) curating narratives and building discussion and community around them is a critical piece with various economic models. At the least, we can amplify your premium content when it's available. At best, you might help curate an interactive, multimedia "story of our times" that invites participation and engagement - and with accompanying personal economics.
Thank you, Dr Zimmer, for freely sharing your knowledge and insights with all of us. As a recent (graduated) grad student, I have cited from your pages in my class papers. I have introduced your work to professors and classmates.
I have no doubt you'll find a solid future home. You're simply too talented.
I'm ready to subscribe when you decide it is legally safe to do so.
This breaks my heart. I am a Georgetown alum and a recently retired academic ((after 40 years in the classroom.). I retired in part after I couldn’t get my grad students tenure track positions any longer and watched the willful destruction of public higher education in this country. (I taught my last 30 years at the University of North Carolina.). When we offer no way forward for bright young scholars and persist in antiquated notions of what “counts” as academic work, we are as a society slitting our own throats, destroying an educational infrastructure that was the envy of the world and a source of cultural as well as economic vitality.
Having participated in an Educational Exchange program to then West Germany in 1984, i know how shocked my friends from my grandfathers homeland view the frightening downward spiral towards authoritarian fascism this nation has descended. My father would be horrified, having been awarded a Purple Heart & Bronze Star on Iwo Jima; my grandfather even objected to my Boy Scouts involvement as it reminded him of the Hitler youth corps.
Thank you, most humbly, for bringing that unique perspective, from horrific history, to a voice crying in the wilderness, of political disinformation.
Thank you for your insights into our troubled democracy. I enjoy your writing and learn much from your work and hope you and your family can find a forever home here.
Nothing much to say except that I value your commentary, and I hope you find / create work conditions that are freer and more secure than you have at present.
I am new to the Substack world as I swore off any type of social media after 2016, but after reading you and others I’ve been brought back into the fold so I would gladly subscribe and pay. I’m nobody special, only a school bus driver but I get to interact with children every day when they are developing their brains. I see kids who come from poverty and homelessness that live in hotels. I’m sure as a professor you’ve seen your share of students in tough situations. Keep doing your thing. I try to stay informed and am very skeptical by nature but I know we need more people like you out there.
Michael, thank you so much - so kind of you to say. It means a lot to me!
Thomas, wow - that's quite a post ... and it prompts many thoughts in me. Some of which I'd like to discuss with you one on one, if you were interested and we could make time. We've interacted on Twitter (back when Twitter existed) as well as here. You might recall in particular that South Africa is a touchstone for me - that's one thing on my mind. You write - always - with remarkable insight as well as forthrightness about the current American situation, particularly given (perhaps partly because of) the fact that you're not American - and that is invaluable.
I have some thoughts on your writing, as well as on the business side of this newsletter and related ideas, that I'd like to continue thinking about as well as run past you. What I don't want to do is impose on your time unnecessarily. But if you would like to make time, please reach out to me ecasey@blueearbooks.com - we could schedule an hour after the holidays. Also, I live in Seattle but am hoping to include DC on an East Coast trip sometime in 2024 and would make a point of doing so if it meant I could take you to lunch.
Could you discuss what you may see as parallels between the end of Weimar Germany and the current state of the United States?
I can't remember exactly when I started following you on Twitter, but I distinctly remember copy-pasting one of your threads into a document because I wanted to reflect more deeply on it (I think it was related to how a sense of identity is extremely potent for many people, and presuming that someone who doesn't prioritize economic prosperity at election time is "voting against their own interests" misses that really critical point). Since then, I've made a point of reading every thread and every essay ... your insights are truly invaluable (and you're an excellent writer as well). I will be very happy to support your work if/when you offer paid subscriptions!
This really means a lot to me - thank you!
First, good luck professionally. From what you describe, your academic journey has been a grind. If you land somewhere good with a stable position, great. There’s nothing quite like teaching young minds and engaging deeply in research. But failing that, be well assured that life outside the academy can be both very fulfilling and certainly much more remunerative.
Second, I agree we face perilous times for freedom and self-government throughout the world. Things may go very badly indeed. But Americans have a knack of doing the right thing now and then quite unexpectedly. As Otto von Bismarck is reported to have said: “God has a special providence for fools, drunkards, and the United States of America.”
I appreciate your writing. Thank you. I understand your writings are free; I offer a dissent that democracy is free, in this country or anywhere. For democracy to work, there has to be a core of citizens willing to give time, energy, if not their lives. We may not pay directly for free press, but I bet many of your readers support or work at one of the needed and various First Amendment groups. The rest of us benefit from their upfront payments to preserve democracy.
I would be proud to support your work financially if/when it becomes possible/necessary. I won't be able to give much, as I'm a student, but I'll be able to give something.
Very kind - thank you!
I read all of your newsletters, and have listened to the podcast fairly regularly (although less so since Perry Bacon left). Have you thought about teaching history at the jr./sr. high level as an alternative career path? If your lecture style is similar to your podcasting I think you would be good at it and there is an ongoing perennial teacher shortage.
I value your work and would not hesitate to contribute financially to this substack. I would look forward to the shorter pieces you mention above, but will always value your long form work as well.
I was wondering about your Georgetown position but then I remembered (and confirmed at the Georgetown website) that you have a DAAD position there.
If you’re back in Germany and Europe while you’re working in the US with that visa, are you allowed to do paid work here?
As long as I’m on the visa, everything requires special authorization.
Hi Dr. Zimmer,
Yours is one of the most important voices on democracy, our moment in time, its historical context, and our possible futures. If I see a piece from you (or hear you on Jen Rubin like last week), I engage just as eagerly as with e.g. Heather Cox Richardson, Thom Hartmann, or Anne Nelson. Given what you shared, I believe this could be turned into an exciting opportunity for you.
Just as the model in academia is broken (otherwise, you would be thriving), so are the models in media and tech. There is an opportunity to web together important voices like yours to discuss and explain (with a community aspect) the "story of our times" and to point a way forward using new forms of media. I've been a tech entrepreneur and programmer for over 20 years and have been working toward this as part of a non-profit.
I invite you to check out whosum dot com (start with the 40-second homepage video) and/or type "scafaria human centric" into Google. Phase one of our work is complete: We built a "DVR for social media" that can be used to capture, tag, and rate the most important "democracy narratives" found on Twitter and Mastodon (substack to come). We've also captured the "following" lists for 300 key democracy accounts (i.e. representing tens of thousands of people who are followed by people like you and HCR) and we have the legacy blue check list. We also have a way of linking up social accounts across media properties (see the link in my signature below for an example). Phase two involves weaving these raw materials into a new form of online media.
Rather than focus on "sugar rush" stories like polls and gaffes, our intent is to help people curate and share "democracy narratives". These will combine threads, video clips, links and footnotes, podcasts, community discussion, long-form essays, etc. So for example, the "border" topic might highlight Schwarzenegger's excellent video. Or "history of fascism" might sample clips from Maddow's Ultra alongside your writings. Unlike other social media, this works on a "pull" model where each individual controls their media diet (with a default sampling from the primary trust-network).
One feature of this endeavor is that it provides value (via syndication) even before "everyone is there". It's also not trying to compete on every single thing tweeted in the world. The goal is curation of knowledge and narratives in support of preserving liberal democracy. Furthermore, it's decentralized using a "local-first" approach (which Cory Dotorow prescribes as a way to break the Big Tech stranglehold). If we hurry, I believe there's time to make an impact before Nov. 2024.
Although the main effort is via a non-profit, there are several planned economic models to enable individual content creators and curators to generate revenue. First, and most obvious, of course, is sharing content that leads one back to e.g. a premium Substack. If you search "scafaria prosocial capitalism" you'll see others described.
All this background is to say this: I believe (a) there is a major opportunity for new media, (b) tech is in place and/or on its way, and (c) curating narratives and building discussion and community around them is a critical piece with various economic models. At the least, we can amplify your premium content when it's available. At best, you might help curate an interactive, multimedia "story of our times" that invites participation and engagement - and with accompanying personal economics.
My email is vince at positivesum dot net and my social IDs are via https://whosum.com/gh/scafaria.
Thank you, Dr Zimmer, for freely sharing your knowledge and insights with all of us. As a recent (graduated) grad student, I have cited from your pages in my class papers. I have introduced your work to professors and classmates.
I have no doubt you'll find a solid future home. You're simply too talented.
I'm ready to subscribe when you decide it is legally safe to do so.
Very kind, Pat - thank you!
This breaks my heart. I am a Georgetown alum and a recently retired academic ((after 40 years in the classroom.). I retired in part after I couldn’t get my grad students tenure track positions any longer and watched the willful destruction of public higher education in this country. (I taught my last 30 years at the University of North Carolina.). When we offer no way forward for bright young scholars and persist in antiquated notions of what “counts” as academic work, we are as a society slitting our own throats, destroying an educational infrastructure that was the envy of the world and a source of cultural as well as economic vitality.
Having participated in an Educational Exchange program to then West Germany in 1984, i know how shocked my friends from my grandfathers homeland view the frightening downward spiral towards authoritarian fascism this nation has descended. My father would be horrified, having been awarded a Purple Heart & Bronze Star on Iwo Jima; my grandfather even objected to my Boy Scouts involvement as it reminded him of the Hitler youth corps.
Thank you, most humbly, for bringing that unique perspective, from horrific history, to a voice crying in the wilderness, of political disinformation.
Gratefully Bradley Swinderman
Thank you for your insights into our troubled democracy. I enjoy your writing and learn much from your work and hope you and your family can find a forever home here.
Also, I would financially support your work!
Nothing much to say except that I value your commentary, and I hope you find / create work conditions that are freer and more secure than you have at present.