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Virginia Heffernan

@virginiaheffernan.bsky.social

31K followers 1.1K following 1.2K posts

The New Republic, The Guardian, WIRED, Politico, LA Times, NY Times, The Atlantic, &c WHAT ROUGH BEAST https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/what-rough-beast/id1787176282 MAGIC + LOSS https://virginiaheffernan.substack.com/

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Virginia Heffernan @virginiaheffernan.bsky.social · Apr 12

If you were a Trumpcast listener, this may be what you need now: my new show w/Stephen Metcalf. It's designed to be adrenaline for a better future.

We look straight at the catastrophe. And we ask what can be built from the rubble. It's also free & ad-free.

podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/w...

What Rough Beast

Politics Podcast · What Rough Beast, hosted by Virginia Heffernan (Wired, Trumpcast) and Stephen Metcalf (Slate, Culture Gabfest) is a podcast where we bear witness to America’s demise, and ask what m...

podcasts.apple.com

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Virginia Heffernan @virginiaheffernan.bsky.social · 2d

It's time for everyone trying to fathom this broken world to turn to TikTok. There are answers there.

Tide is high, holding on.
virginiaheffernan.substack.com/p/tide-is-hi...

Tide is high, holding on.

What's up on TikTok? A very drifty Purple Revolution coalesces in a cloud of gunsmoke, perfume, and the Klein-Coates schism.

virginiaheffernan.substack.com

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Reposted by Virginia Heffernan

Kirk McElhearn @kirkville.com · 4d

Incredibly interesting discussion. This brings together a lot of what goes on in fringe movements across the Internet and shows how their influence can be far greater than their numbers.

Virginia Heffernan @virginiaheffernan.bsky.social · 6d

One of my favorite episodes of What Rough Beast so far.
@cybelecanterel.bsky.social on The Edgelord Apocalypse.

virginiaheffernan.substack.com/p/the-edgelo...

The Edgelord Apocalypse

Cy Canterel brings us deep into black-pill doom

virginiaheffernan.substack.com

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Reposted by Virginia Heffernan

Glenn Shepard @tweettropiques.bsky.social · 4d

"Edgelord Apocalypse": razor-sharp new episode of What Rough Beast podcast by @virginiaheffernan.bsky.social with feral scholar and Tik-Tok philosopher @cybelecanterel.bsky.social on #BlackPill nihilism and Charlie Kirk's assassination virginiaheffernan.substack.com/p/the-edgelo...

The Edgelord Apocalypse

Cy Canterel brings us deep into black-pill doom

virginiaheffernan.substack.com

1 3

Virginia Heffernan @virginiaheffernan.bsky.social · 6d

Political assassinations stalemate movements. Lincoln's assassination crushed Reconstruction. King's led to Nixon. And if Rabin hadn't been assassinated, peace might have been achieved in Israel.

CK's assassination is draining the life out of MAGA.

virginiaheffernan.substack.com/p/a-note-on-...

Charlie Kirk is not martyred. He's just dead.

Chilling but increasingly clear: History takes the assassin's side.

virginiaheffernan.substack.com

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Virginia Heffernan @virginiaheffernan.bsky.social · 6d

One of my favorite episodes of What Rough Beast so far.
@cybelecanterel.bsky.social on The Edgelord Apocalypse.

virginiaheffernan.substack.com/p/the-edgelo...

The Edgelord Apocalypse

Cy Canterel brings us deep into black-pill doom

virginiaheffernan.substack.com

1 3 12

Virginia Heffernan @virginiaheffernan.bsky.social · 6d

Post-assassination, America is unhappy and restless and scared. And 30 percent of us seem to be gunning for violence.

open.substack.com/pub/virginia...

Charlie Kirk is not martyred. He's just dead.

Chilling but increasingly clear: History takes the assassin's side.

open.substack.com

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Virginia Heffernan @virginiaheffernan.bsky.social · 8d

Fascism's Aesthetic

We're living it right now.

virginiaheffernan.substack.com/p/fascisms-a...

Fascism's Aesthetic

It's not an ideology. It's a style.

virginiaheffernan.substack.com

2 9 31

Virginia Heffernan @virginiaheffernan.bsky.social · 12d

MAGA is officially pro-doping.
I wrote about the Enhanced Games:

newrepublic.com/article/2008... via @newrepublic.com

Guess What’s Not Outlawed in Peter Thiel and Don Jr.’s New Olympics?

That’s right. For the Enhanced Games, athletes are encouraged to dope it up to their hearts’ content. Look out, here comes the master race.

newrepublic.com

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Virginia Heffernan @virginiaheffernan.bsky.social · 13d

No one should debate.

open.substack.com/pub/virginia...

Against Debate

We take for granted that debate is vital to an open society. But is it? And who debated better: Charlie Kirk or Ben Franklin?

open.substack.com

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Virginia Heffernan @virginiaheffernan.bsky.social · 13d

Charlie Kirk held tent revivals. He didn't debate.

But maybe it doesn't matter. After reading Ben Franklin on debate, I'm not sure liberal societies even need stylized tests of wits.

Against Debate
virginiaheffernan.substack.com/p/against-de...

Against Debate

We take for granted that debate is vital to an open society. But is it? And who debated better: Charlie Kirk or Ben Franklin?

virginiaheffernan.substack.com

1 5 19

Virginia Heffernan @virginiaheffernan.bsky.social · 17d

The panicked response has made it clear that MAGA lost a top general in Charlie Kirk.

What is to become of MAGA?
virginiaheffernan.substack.com/p/when-a-mov...

What is to become of MAGA?

MAGA lost a top general in Charlie Kirk.

virginiaheffernan.substack.com

2 3 19

Virginia Heffernan @virginiaheffernan.bsky.social · 18d

I spoke to the peerless @mollymckew.bsky.social about Ukraine. Yes, it’s still happening, that terrible war. It’s spreading and intensifying, with Trump’s help.

open.substack.com/pub/virginia...

The Mitochondria Conspiracy

Molly McKew says Putin is catfishing us.

open.substack.com

5 8

Virginia Heffernan @virginiaheffernan.bsky.social · 19d

I just reported a piece out on the Big Ten and when asked about MAGA the students replied with their thoughts about Kirk.

I have more to say about his influence but doesn’t really matter. I’m comparing him to King, who had middling and declining pull w/LBJ at the time of his assassination.

Virginia Heffernan @virginiaheffernan.bsky.social · 19d

Did you read the piece?

Virginia Heffernan @virginiaheffernan.bsky.social · 19d

I think his martyrdom/legacy is secured, as King’s was. Streets will be named for him. But I don’t think MAGA is materially helped by losing a general.

Virginia Heffernan @virginiaheffernan.bsky.social · 19d

I mean MAGA.

Virginia Heffernan @virginiaheffernan.bsky.social · 19d

When a movement leader is assassinated, does it help or hurt the movement?

Or: What’s to become of MAGA after Charlie Kirk?

open.substack.com/pub/virginia...

What is to become of MAGA?

What might happen after Charlie Kirk's assassination. History is a guide.

open.substack.com

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Virginia Heffernan @virginiaheffernan.bsky.social · 20d

Ben?

Virginia Heffernan @virginiaheffernan.bsky.social · 21d

An explainer. And you won't believe the other sex cult Tyler Robinson grew up in.

you weren't the one who did it right????
virginiaheffernan.substack.com/p/you-werent...