Substack Writers Against Nazis

A collective letter to Substack leadership

I wish the world would change, in tremendous ways. Some days, I almost can’t get out of bed from the weight of that desire. One person whose words always push me forward, not over or around that discomfort but through it, is Garrett Bucks (you can pre-order his forthcoming book here if you also feel inspired).

Garrett helped me get over myself and my fear of not being colossally important long enough to start this little organization with my friend Jeremy Gormley, where we didn’t change the world at all but maybe helped a small handful of people make a different choice about where they send their child to school, or at least consider the implications of that choice.

Garrett has helped me think about whether my small, insignificant protests matter (the answer is, yes!).

And today, Garrett re-posted the letter below, a kind of collective protest being shared by many Substack writers, with his own beautiful pre-amble, which made the utmost sense to me and inspired me to do the same. He will be pretty embarrassed to read this ode, but he’ll let ut slide because it’s for the greater good.

Being myself a Jew, invoking the term “Nazi” should have its own significance. But to me it’s not about “my people” being targeted, it’s about violence, hatred, the thirst for power and dominance as a solution to fear, being given a platform. Being opposed to that is a no-brainer for me. Thank you for opening yet another email in your inbox in support of that cause.

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Dear Chris, Hamish & Jairaj:

We’re asking a very simple question that has somehow been made complicated: Why are you platforming and monetizing Nazis? 

According to a piece written by Substack publisher Jonathan M. Katzand published by The Atlantic on November 28, this platform has a Nazi problem: 

“Some Substack newsletters by Nazis and white nationalists have thousands or tens of thousands of subscribers, making the platform a new and valuable tool for creating mailing lists for the far right. And many accept paid subscriptions through Substack, seemingly flouting terms of service that ban attempts to ‘publish content or fund initiatives that incite violence based on protected classes’...Substack, which takes a 10 percent cut of subscription revenue, makes money when readers pay for Nazi newsletters.”

As Patrick Casey, a leader of a now-defunct neo-Nazi group who is banned on nearly every other social platform except Substack, wrote on here in 2021: “I’m able to live comfortably doing something I find enjoyable and fulfilling. The cause isn’t going anywhere.” Several Nazis and white supremacists including Richard Spencer not only have paid subscriptions turned on but have received Substack “Bestseller” badges, indicating that they are making at a minimum thousands of dollars a year.

From our perspective as Substack publishers, it is unfathomable that someone with a swastika avatar, who writes about “The Jewish question,” or who promotes Great Replacement Theory, could be given the tools to succeed on your platform. And yet you’ve been unable to adequately explain your position. 

In the past you have defended your decision to platform bigotry by saying you “make decisions based on principles not PR” and “will stick to our hands-off approach to content moderation.” But there’s a difference between a hands-off approach and putting your thumb on the scale. We know you moderate some content, including spam sites and newsletters written by sex workers. Why do you choose to promote and allow the monetization of sites that traffic in white nationalism? 

Your unwillingness to play by your own rules on this issue has already led to the announced departures of several prominent Substackers, including Rusty Foster and Helena Fitzgerald. They follow previous exoduses of writers, including Substack Pro recipient Grace Lavery and Jude Ellison S. Doyle, who left with similar concerns. 

As journalist Casey Newton told his more than 166,000 Substack subscribers after Katz’s piece came out: “The correct number of newsletters using Nazi symbols that you host and profit from on your platform is zero.” 

We, your publishers, want to hear from you on the official Substack newsletter. Is platforming Nazis part of your vision of success? Let us know—from there we can each decide if this is still where we want to be.

Signed, 

Substackers Against Nazis