Skip to content

Writing

Tactics, strategy, and field notes for confronting power. Get Subvrt by email.

Dangerous ideas

Dangerous ideas

On Alex’s War, and why you should expose yourself to views and people you dislike.

Managing for meltdowns

Managing for meltdowns

Leading US activist groups are collapsing inwards. Don’t make their mistakes.

Choose left

Choose left

A therapeutic diatribe on the failures of progressive activism.

The tug of the tribe

The tug of the tribe

The valuable skill of separating a person from what they create. And getting the vortex of tribalism to work for you.

The right tools for the job

The right tools for the job

Habits, hardware and software that work for work.

Beneath the surface of things

Beneath the surface of things

Reflections from the wild.

Do it yourself?

Do it yourself?

On the tension between providing services to people directly, and confronting power with your campaigns.

Providing hope in the dark

Providing hope in the dark

Highlights of an inspiring interview I did with Miguel Duarte, the migrants rights activist who helped save 14,000 people... and faced 20 years in prison for it.

To see clearly, close your eyes

To see clearly, close your eyes

Immersing yourself in war footage is making you less effective, not more.

Busting my own jargon

Busting my own jargon

An explainer of the terms I use in this newsletter. With pictures.

When campaigns implode

When campaigns implode

And how to ensure it doesn’t happen to yours.

How to disagree better

How to disagree better

Make your clashes more productive.

Rage co-opted by the machine

Rage co-opted by the machine

Today we have tools that make everyone an activist. It’s revolutionary. And disempowering.

Pick a side

Pick a side

On taking a stand in polarised times.

Anti-war protests that work

Anti-war protests that work

For Ukraine: Resources on how to protest war in a way that might have an impact.


I’m Mehran Khalili, a political consultant and photographer based in Athens. Get Subvrt — strategy and tactics for movements.