Gal Beckerman
@galbeckerman.bsky.social
Staff writer at The Atlantic, formerly NYTBR, and author of the forthcoming “How to Be a Dissident.”
Pinned
Gal Beckerman
@galbeckerman.bsky.social
· Feb 19
I’ve spent the past year on a search. How do we push back against the forces that are crushing us right now? How do we resist the dehumanization of our politics, our technology? The answers came from people who pushed back before us: the dissidents...🧵
Reposted by Gal Beckerman
Is there a right way to rebel? How do we push back when extreme views are becoming commonplace?
Tomorrow, journalist and The Atlantic staff writer @galbeckerman.bsky.social, will attempt to answer these question in @arminiusdebat.bsky.social.
👉 Final tickets: dedependance.eu/events/how-t...
Tomorrow, journalist and The Atlantic staff writer @galbeckerman.bsky.social, will attempt to answer these question in @arminiusdebat.bsky.social.
👉 Final tickets: dedependance.eu/events/how-t...
October 5, 2026 at 1:43 PM
Is there a right way to rebel? How do we push back when extreme views are becoming commonplace?
Tomorrow, journalist and The Atlantic staff writer @galbeckerman.bsky.social, will attempt to answer these question in @arminiusdebat.bsky.social.
👉 Final tickets: dedependance.eu/events/how-t...
Tomorrow, journalist and The Atlantic staff writer @galbeckerman.bsky.social, will attempt to answer these question in @arminiusdebat.bsky.social.
👉 Final tickets: dedependance.eu/events/how-t...
Reposted by Gal Beckerman
NAZA, a provocative Israeli documentary, should make viewers think about their own moral parameters—instead, it distances them from the war in Gaza, @galbeckerman.bsky.social writes.
Nazi Analogies Rarely Help
NAZA, a provocative Israeli documentary, should make viewers think about their own moral parameters. Instead, it distances them from the war.
bit.ly
September 30, 2026 at 1:30 PM
NAZA, a provocative Israeli documentary, should make viewers think about their own moral parameters—instead, it distances them from the war in Gaza, @galbeckerman.bsky.social writes.
Reposted by Gal Beckerman
At The Atlantic Festival, @galbeckerman.bsky.social spoke with the translator Emily Wilson about the pleasures and blind spots of translation, and the backlash to her review of Christopher Nolan’s adaptation of “The Odyssey.”
Emily Wilson Can’t Let ‘The Odyssey’ Go
The translator spoke about her desire to retranslate the epic—and her harsh review of the recent film.
bit.ly
September 20, 2026 at 8:15 AM
At The Atlantic Festival, @galbeckerman.bsky.social spoke with the translator Emily Wilson about the pleasures and blind spots of translation, and the backlash to her review of Christopher Nolan’s adaptation of “The Odyssey.”
Reposted by Gal Beckerman
At The Atlantic Festival, @galbeckerman.bsky.social spoke with the translator Emily Wilson about the pleasures and blind spots of translation, and the backlash to her review of Christopher Nolan’s adaptation of “The Odyssey.”
Emily Wilson Can’t Let ‘The Odyssey’ Go
The translator spoke about her desire to retranslate the epic—and her harsh review of the recent film.
bit.ly
September 19, 2026 at 4:15 PM
At The Atlantic Festival, @galbeckerman.bsky.social spoke with the translator Emily Wilson about the pleasures and blind spots of translation, and the backlash to her review of Christopher Nolan’s adaptation of “The Odyssey.”
Reposted by Gal Beckerman
Play today’s Rabbithole, which begins with this question from @galbeckerman.bsky.social’s article on presidential self-reflection. theatln.tc/hUtzCnw1
September 18, 2026 at 4:45 PM
Play today’s Rabbithole, which begins with this question from @galbeckerman.bsky.social’s article on presidential self-reflection. theatln.tc/hUtzCnw1
Reposted by Gal Beckerman
Trump’s recent Truth Social barrage of fake images reflects the dangers that the AI mirror presents to all of us, @galbeckerman.bsky.social argues.
What Trump’s Bizarre Posts Are Teaching Us About AI
The president’s recent Truth Social barrage of fake images reflects the dangers—for all of us—of virtual self-aggrandizement.
bit.ly
September 15, 2026 at 4:25 PM
Trump’s recent Truth Social barrage of fake images reflects the dangers that the AI mirror presents to all of us, @galbeckerman.bsky.social argues.
Reposted by Gal Beckerman
Francis Fukuyama wants you to know that he was never a naive triumphalist, @galbeckerman.bsky.social writes. Beckerman on Fukuyama’s new memoir and why the end of history is so miserable:
Why the End of History Is So Miserable
Francis Fukuyama has long been considered a naive triumphalist. He now wants to set the record straight.
bit.ly
September 10, 2026 at 6:45 AM
Francis Fukuyama wants you to know that he was never a naive triumphalist, @galbeckerman.bsky.social writes. Beckerman on Fukuyama’s new memoir and why the end of history is so miserable:
Reposted by Gal Beckerman
Francis Fukuyama wants you to know that he was never a naive triumphalist, @galbeckerman.bsky.social writes. Beckerman on Fukuyama’s new memoir and why the end of history is so miserable:
Why the End of History Is So Miserable
Francis Fukuyama has long been considered a naive triumphalist. He now wants to set the record straight.
bit.ly
September 9, 2026 at 3:15 PM
Francis Fukuyama wants you to know that he was never a naive triumphalist, @galbeckerman.bsky.social writes. Beckerman on Fukuyama’s new memoir and why the end of history is so miserable:
Reposted by Gal Beckerman
Many tech billionaires who grew up on science fiction are intent on building dystopian technology, @galbeckerman.bsky.social argues. He writes about a new book by Jill Lepore that explores how they took the wrong lessons from their favorite novels:
We Are Living in the Fantasy World of 13-Year-Old Boys
Many of the tech billionaires who built our world have taken the wrong lessons from their favorite science fiction.
bit.ly
August 31, 2026 at 3:15 PM
Many tech billionaires who grew up on science fiction are intent on building dystopian technology, @galbeckerman.bsky.social argues. He writes about a new book by Jill Lepore that explores how they took the wrong lessons from their favorite novels:
Reposted by Gal Beckerman
"What one gathers from these misreadings is not so much that science fiction itself is nefarious, but that arrested development might be": @galbeckerman.bsky.social on the new Jill Lepore book and the teen-boy mind-set driving the takeover of ... everything: www.theatlantic.com/books/2026/0...
We Are Living in the Fantasy World of 13-Year-Old Boys
Many of the tech billionaires who built our world have taken the wrong lessons from their favorite science fiction.
www.theatlantic.com
August 31, 2026 at 3:16 PM
"What one gathers from these misreadings is not so much that science fiction itself is nefarious, but that arrested development might be": @galbeckerman.bsky.social on the new Jill Lepore book and the teen-boy mind-set driving the takeover of ... everything: www.theatlantic.com/books/2026/0...
Reposted by Gal Beckerman
Born into a period of optimism, “bicentennial babies” such as @galbeckerman.bsky.social have seen life follow “a distinct arc over the past 50 years: one of disillusionment,” he writes.
What a Bicentennial Baby Knows
When I was born, the moniker carried a sheen of optimism. So much feels different now.
bit.ly
August 25, 2026 at 6:45 AM
Born into a period of optimism, “bicentennial babies” such as @galbeckerman.bsky.social have seen life follow “a distinct arc over the past 50 years: one of disillusionment,” he writes.
Reposted by Gal Beckerman
Born into a period of optimism, “bicentennial babies” such as @galbeckerman.bsky.social have seen life follow “a distinct arc over the past 50 years: one of disillusionment,” he writes.
What a Bicentennial Baby Knows
When I was born, the moniker carried a sheen of optimism. So much feels different now.
bit.ly
August 24, 2026 at 2:45 PM
Born into a period of optimism, “bicentennial babies” such as @galbeckerman.bsky.social have seen life follow “a distinct arc over the past 50 years: one of disillusionment,” he writes.
Reposted by Gal Beckerman
Tue 6 Oct: Atlantic staff writer @galbeckerman.bsky.social joins us to discuss his new book, How to Be a Dissident — part philosophy, part history, part manual for living with integrity in an age of authoritarian drift. 🧵
August 24, 2026 at 3:13 PM
Tue 6 Oct: Atlantic staff writer @galbeckerman.bsky.social joins us to discuss his new book, How to Be a Dissident — part philosophy, part history, part manual for living with integrity in an age of authoritarian drift. 🧵
Reposted by Gal Beckerman
This essay by @galbeckerman.bsky.social hit me hard as a fellow "bicentennial baby" (the secret handshake, as he puts it, that opens no doors). www.theatlantic.com/culture/2026...
What a Bicentennial Baby Knows
When I was born, the moniker carried a sheen of optimism. So much feels different now.
www.theatlantic.com
August 24, 2026 at 7:35 PM
This essay by @galbeckerman.bsky.social hit me hard as a fellow "bicentennial baby" (the secret handshake, as he puts it, that opens no doors). www.theatlantic.com/culture/2026...
Reposted by Gal Beckerman
Latest Daily on Monocle Radio. Julie Norman, Mark Earls and Alexis Self on Oman's emergence as a mediation hub and the day's other stuff, plus @galbeckerman.bsky.social on his terrific new book "How To Be A Dissident". monocle.com/radio/shows/...
How Oman has turned mediation into part of its foreign-policy identity
Iran’s foreign ministry is discussing a new Strait of Hormuz shipping route with Oman. Julie Norman and Mark Earls explore...
monocle.com
August 3, 2026 at 6:47 PM
Latest Daily on Monocle Radio. Julie Norman, Mark Earls and Alexis Self on Oman's emergence as a mediation hub and the day's other stuff, plus @galbeckerman.bsky.social on his terrific new book "How To Be A Dissident". monocle.com/radio/shows/...
Reposted by Gal Beckerman
Anthony Fauci's diaries are deeply embarrassing—and surprisingly instructive, @galbeckerman.bsky.social argues. theatln.tc/9A629gho
🎨: Jonelle Afurong / The Atlantic. Source: Peter Dazeley.
🎨: Jonelle Afurong / The Atlantic. Source: Peter Dazeley.
August 1, 2026 at 6:15 PM
Anthony Fauci's diaries are deeply embarrassing—and surprisingly instructive, @galbeckerman.bsky.social argues. theatln.tc/9A629gho
🎨: Jonelle Afurong / The Atlantic. Source: Peter Dazeley.
🎨: Jonelle Afurong / The Atlantic. Source: Peter Dazeley.
Reposted by Gal Beckerman
In the latest episode of #TheContext, author @galbeckerman.bsky.social challenges us to think about the choices we make when something feels wrong.
Tune in and subscribe: https://bit.ly/GetTheContext
Tune in and subscribe: https://bit.ly/GetTheContext
July 31, 2026 at 5:00 PM
In the latest episode of #TheContext, author @galbeckerman.bsky.social challenges us to think about the choices we make when something feels wrong.
Tune in and subscribe: https://bit.ly/GetTheContext
Tune in and subscribe: https://bit.ly/GetTheContext
Reposted by Gal Beckerman
New episode of #TheContext with @galbeckerman.bsky.social "The Making of a Dissident" out now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3G7gYQY0xow
The Making of a Dissident
YouTube video by Kettering Foundation
www.youtube.com
July 28, 2026 at 3:05 PM
New episode of #TheContext with @galbeckerman.bsky.social "The Making of a Dissident" out now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3G7gYQY0xow
Reposted by Gal Beckerman
Essential reading - bookshop.org/p/books/how-...
How to Be a Dissident
An invigorating guide to fighting back—part philosophy, part history, and part manual for living with integrity in an age of conformity and authoritarian driftHow do we push back in a world where poli...
bookshop.org
July 23, 2026 at 7:48 PM
Essential reading - bookshop.org/p/books/how-...
Reposted by Gal Beckerman
Looking for a great read today? I still think about this @galbeckerman.bsky.social essay all the time.
What if our ancestors didn't feel anything like we do? A deep look at the historians who want to know how past humans experienced love, anger, fear, and sorrow.
www.theatlantic.com/magazine/202...
What if our ancestors didn't feel anything like we do? A deep look at the historians who want to know how past humans experienced love, anger, fear, and sorrow.
www.theatlantic.com/magazine/202...
What if Our Ancestors Didn’t Feel Anything Like We Do?
The historians who want to know how our ancestors experienced love, anger, fear, and sorrow
www.theatlantic.com
July 23, 2026 at 1:13 PM
Looking for a great read today? I still think about this @galbeckerman.bsky.social essay all the time.
What if our ancestors didn't feel anything like we do? A deep look at the historians who want to know how past humans experienced love, anger, fear, and sorrow.
www.theatlantic.com/magazine/202...
What if our ancestors didn't feel anything like we do? A deep look at the historians who want to know how past humans experienced love, anger, fear, and sorrow.
www.theatlantic.com/magazine/202...
Reposted by Gal Beckerman
"The randomness and unpredictability of existence, the mindless violence of it, necessitated myth. This early religion was a kind of technology, an attempt to make order out of chaos." @galbeckerman.bsky.social
The Odyssey Was Never About the Gods
Christopher Nolan’s largely deity-free blockbuster adaptation only highlights the humanity of the original.
www.theatlantic.com
July 17, 2026 at 7:13 PM
"The randomness and unpredictability of existence, the mindless violence of it, necessitated myth. This early religion was a kind of technology, an attempt to make order out of chaos." @galbeckerman.bsky.social
Reposted by Gal Beckerman
This week's feature review is of HOW TO BE A DISSIDENT by Gal Beckerman. Read here: https://twp.ai/4hsfjx
July 16, 2026 at 12:43 PM
This week's feature review is of HOW TO BE A DISSIDENT by Gal Beckerman. Read here: https://twp.ai/4hsfjx
Reposted by Gal Beckerman
Christopher Nolan’s largely god-free blockbuster adaptation of "The Odyssey" highlights the humanity of the original, @galbeckerman.bsky.social writes:
The Odyssey Was Never About the Gods
Christopher Nolan’s largely deity-free blockbuster adaptation only highlights the humanity of the original.
bit.ly
July 17, 2026 at 2:45 PM
Christopher Nolan’s largely god-free blockbuster adaptation of "The Odyssey" highlights the humanity of the original, @galbeckerman.bsky.social writes:
I wrote about the Odyssey, and why the absence of gods in the film actually helped capture something essential about the poem.
www.theatlantic.com/books/2026/0...
www.theatlantic.com/books/2026/0...
The Odyssey Was Never About the Gods
Christopher Nolan’s largely deity-free blockbuster adaptation only highlights the humanity of the original.
www.theatlantic.com
July 17, 2026 at 1:22 PM
I wrote about the Odyssey, and why the absence of gods in the film actually helped capture something essential about the poem.
www.theatlantic.com/books/2026/0...
www.theatlantic.com/books/2026/0...