Welcome to hell
I'm Nai, and I'll be your guide.
This is a radical newsletter about some of the most urgent crises of our time, all of which are either intertwined with eachother or are actually part of the same thing—hence my use of the term "polycrisis". From the rise (and arrival) of fascism to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the widespread embrace of eugenics (both vis-a-vis the virus and more broadly), from the number of new or dramatically escalating genocides in progress to climate change, from AI to H5N1, there's a fresh hell every day. We desperately need to properly understand—or acknowledge—what's fuelling the people behind these developments and/or their acceleration so that we can stop them or at least slow them down. Same goes for the members of the public who assist them and whose participation is crucial for the continuation of these immensely destructive projects/processes. I find that most do not understand or acknowledge this—radicals included—despite the fact that we've had years to figure this out and face it head-on.
Above all else, I've spent a great deal of time thinking about what makes Nazi politicians and their supporters tick. I've been able to accurately predict various events as a result. So you'll see some informed speculation here, as well as other types of analysis. Other than that, writing-wise, my top priority will be to reframe stories that are being framed inaccurately by most, name what others won't name, and draw attention to underdiscussed—or wholly undiscussed—stories. Sometimes I'll also get into the realm of what I suppose you could call theory.
I will probably be focusing primarily on the US for now, as the dire situation demands it, and I can provide more valuable commentary on the US compared to Canada or anywhere else, since I have only lived in Canada for four years. I aim to gradually discuss Canadian politics more, however. I'll also write about Palestine and other places, but there are limits to my knowledge there.
Facts and context are important to me, and I don't make ideological exceptions. I won't mislead you, even in minor ways, unless I myself have been misled somehow. I will generally aim to write comprehensively on any given subject, though I will write under the assumption that readers possess at least a basic level of knowledge on what I'm talking about in most cases.
Principles and what to expect
The rise of fascism has poisoned the culture and twisted nearly everyone's politics into something grotesque (or in some cases, fully revealed what had previously laid just under the surface), radicals included. In this house, we wholeheartedly reject every corrosive trend that has emerged or dramatically worsened over the last decade in this community, essentially transforming it into an aesthetic social club for abled people, abusers, and fashy pieces of shit rather than anything remotely liberatory. This is something I will be discussing in more detail, as well.
My principles have become stronger over the past ten years rather than deliquescing. Everything I write will be deeply rooted in and animated by anti-fascism, radical disability politics, and feminism. I will never use AI to write anything, and I won't engage with bad faith arguments. Accessibility is my #1 priority, and I've taken colourblindness, blindness, low vision, dyslexia, and mental health issues into account in the making of this blog/newsletter. The only thing I'm aware of that may be an issue for some is my writing style, which is hard for me to change, as it's reflective of my own disabilities.
Speaking of which, as a result of said disabilities, I don't know how often I'll be able to write. I'm going to see if I can write something at least once a week, but I might not always be able to. And I won't compromise my standards in order to post more often. Trust that my posts will be worth the wait.
Who am I?
I've concluded that partial anonymity is the ideal compromise to make here. I am not going to reveal much about myself beyond my first name (which I will be changing once I figure out what I want to change it to anyway) and a limited number of relevant personal details, although changing conditions may warrant a shift at some point. Aside from the obvious, since my country of origin has now branded me a "terrorist" and says it may investigate US citizens who live in other countries if it deems them to be "antifa", and because my first real post will be about a topic that could result in threats of litigation and other assorted threats, I think this is the best course of action for my safety.
I will say that I've been an anarchist for longer than some of you have been alive. I am non-binary and use the pronouns they/them. I am biromantic and ace (I also identify as queer or just bi). I'm disabled, and PASC—also known as long COVID—is among my disabilities. I was featured in a New York Times article on PASC. I immigrated to Canada largely because of Trump—Biden was president by the time I arrived, but I knew Trump would return to power and become an autocrat. Or if not, some other Nazi would.
Subscription options
You can get full access to my posts with a free subscription to my newsletter, Free Hell, since the entire point of Fresh Hell is to further public understanding—or to force the open acknowledgement of realities that many already understand.
However, if you have the funds and want to support a queer/trans disabled writer with no family, you can subscribe monthly for $8 CAD—or about $5.69 USD as of this writing. For a 15% discount, you can get a yearly subscription for $82 CAD/around $58.32 USD. The paid tier, Fresh Howl, includes an additional newsletter (sent every Tuesday) that consists of cute/cool animal photos, as my blog posts will be exceedingly bleak, so you may want a break from that. Alternatively, you can tip me.
If you live in the US or are a US citizen and you're interested in subscribing to the paid tier or tipping me, I acknowledge paying through the website could be risky. As I am not yet sure if I'll be able to manually add people to the paid tier if they use another payment method, email me at displeasedalien@keemail.me for suggestions on how to reduce the risk of being targeted by the Trump regime (not everyone will be able to do these things, but a decent number of people will). The suggestions will also apply to tips.