America Explained is now enjoyed by over 1,200 people, and I’m not going to lie to you - it’s thrilling. I love having a way to speak directly to an audience without editors or publishers acting as a filter. What I write here isn’t determined by what generates the maximum eyeballs - which traditional publishing needs to make ad revenue - but instead by what a smaller, more select audience is interested in hearing about. That’s a writer’s dream.
Now that I know that America Explained is viable, I have the confidence to grow it. From today, there’s going to be more content, but with some of it only for paying subscribers. You can sign up now at our introductory price of $5 per month or $50 per year. That’s probably below what will make America Explained viable in the long haul, but I’m offering it to everyone on this list in gratitude for being here from the beginning.
I’m a historian, a pundit, a former government official, and a former instructor in international politics at a military academy. I weave these different perspectives together into posts which fall into four, often overlapping, categories. If you purchase a paid subscription, you’ll never miss a post in any category. The categories are:
The Pundit. Longish posts which take a step back from the news cycle to join the dots and increase your understanding of American politics. Recent examples include “DeSantis is blowing it” and “The end of American optimism”.
Worldly Wise. Longish posts which do the same thing but for American foreign policy. A recent example is “No, America shouldn’t invade Mexico”.
History Corner. Longish posts that explore some aspect of American history in a way which makes it relevant to today. A recent example is “Is Bolsonaro in American exile?”
News Cycle. Shorter posts which analyze a topic in the news, bringing to bear the different perspectives described above. Recent examples include “Who will be Tucker’s great replacement?” and “What Kevin McCarthy wrought”.
I can only produce this diverse array of content with your help. Unlike some big names, I didn’t receive any help or income guarantees from Substack when I started this newsletter. America Explained can only thrive with reader support. Please help me keep this unfiltered space alive and to shape how it develops by purchasing a subscription. Above a certain size I’ll start subscriber-only comments and Q&As, with the goal of making this a community that we can all be a part of and which can make the world of digital discourse a better place.
Thanks for joining me on this journey. I’m excited to see what we can build. Click below to subscribe or upgrade to paid.