WEDNESDAY. 21 October 2026. Noon eastern.
Substack Live with ’s Shannon Vavich.
Vavich is a victim of military marital abandonment while overseas. (She calls this practice “the Dirty Discard.”) Since she began sharing her story, she has been inundated with former military wives who’ve suffered similarly. She is trying to raise awareness about this issue: in the military; in Congress; and in the greater US.
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Throughout the course of this Substack, but especially since the 2024 election, I have repeatedly begged people to leave platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Gmail, TikTok, and X/Twitter.
Why?
F-Elon bought Twitter and turned it into a Nazi porn site. He also throttled Ukraine’s access to Starlink last week.
As documented by Accountable Tech, Meta has been throttling progressive information since 2024. This applies to both Facebook and Instagram. Meta recently interfered in Brazil’s presidential election by throttling the pro-democracy President’s accounts, which will lead to a runoff with the son of jailed strongman former President Bolsonaro. Meta has also banned political ads in Europe, restricting the reach of progressive groups and contributing to the rise of Nazi parties like Germany’s AfD.
YouTube (owned by the same parent company as Google) banned over his book * The Nerd Reich.* When you use Chrome, Google controls your search results. With Gmail, Google controls what lands in your inbox. An algorithm that filters out progressive email messages is kindergarten-level coding; most people never realize they didn’t get emails they signed up for.
One of my most-read newsletters ever is We Need to Talk About Gmail.
Today, I filtered my email subscribers for “Email address contains gmail.com.” Over half my subscribers still use a Gmail address (and at least once a week, a paid subscriber with a Gmail address tells me they’re not getting my emails.)
People constantly say things like:
But I’ve been on Gmail forever. It would take months to move everything.
But everybody else uses these platforms.
But this is one of the only ways I can keep in touch with far-flung people.
But this is where my group organizes. We’ve spent years building these lists and tools.
Everyone who cares about democracy and freedom should leave Facebook and Instagram. RIGHT NOW. TODAY. (I’m trying to come up with a way to quit WhatsApp myself. It’s the only Meta service I still sporadically use, because it’s the backbone of most immigrant communities. AND IT SHOULD NOT BE.)
No serious person of any standing should still be on X/Twitter. Or TikTok.
I no longer have a Google account. The only reason I have a YouTube presence is down to my partnership with Lincoln Square.
BlueSky
BlueSky is a progressive alternative to X/Twitter. GO HERE to find me.
Mastodon
Mastodon is a decentralized social media platform. It isn’t owned or controlled by billionaires and doesn’t use algorithms or allow ads. GO HERE. (I had a Mastodon account almost a decade ago and deactivated it because I couldn’t handle another social media thing. I’m considering a return.)
Alternatives to Gmail and other US-based tech
European Alternatives has a solution for almost every US-based tech headache. Type in the US-based product you want to replace, and the site lists EU-based options. I used them to replace Gmail, Chrome, Google Maps, Google Drive, Zoom, my email host, my web host, and more. GO HERE.
Tools for Private Communication, Organizing, and Democracy Support
Go to the video at the start of this newsletter and learn more about MAKEITFAST.ORG and MAKEITPRIVATE.ORG. These tools operate like a radio station and use your device’s operating system to deliver messages. No downloading an app. No ceding your contact information or identity. No algorithms. No throttling.
To subscribe to my MakeItFast/Fast Alert channel, GO HERE.
Learn how to build and use Ham Radios
Ham operators use specific frequencies to communicate via radio. It bypasses cell towers and can be fueled by solar power rather than electricity.
Handheld two-way radios
Formerly knowns as walkie-talkies, these devices can now operate in ranges up to fifty miles. They could be vital for local community organizing for - as an example - when a group’s Instagram account is taken offline. Certain organizers could have these devices on hand to deploy like an old-school phone tree.
Alternatives to WhatsApp/Signal
WhatsApp is an instant messaging app owned by Meta. (I discussed it earlier.) Signal is a US-based secure instant messaging app. Personally, I don’t think it’s very secure. I have been looking at Swiss-based Threema, but I am holding out for an option from Proton.
FULL DISCLOSURE: Substack is also a problem. Marc Andreessen is a fascist and owns a hefty minority share of Substack. Which is why progressive creators (including me) are being throttled here. I’ve written about this several times. Here’s an installment from last week:
These companies do not respect your privacy.
They want to control every morsel of information you are fed.
They will turn over your information to a predatory government without a warrant.
They will prevent you from receiving emails and notifications related to democracy and progressive causes.
They will either not allow or remove ads for pro-democracy and other left-leaning groups.
They will disrupt and break your connections with freedom-loving people.
They will serve you a steady diet of rage and fear that is designed to grind you down to the nub.
STOP USING THESE PLATFORMS. JUST STOP.
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