Welcome to Rant! with Alex Finley.
I’ve spent the last several years screaming from the rooftops about the corrosive effects of foreign influence operations on democratic societies. Now, I’ve decided to put all that information into a newsletter so that maybe you will start screaming from the rooftops, too. The more we understand how these influence operations tie into national security and corruption, the better we can arm ourselves against them. The world is a pretty absurd place. We all need to let off some steam. Come rant with me.
Rant! has two main features:
· A newsletter, delivered to your inbox (usually) every Friday (free content)
· A course about foreign influence operations and other essays and analysis related to foreign influence operations (paid content)
The Newsletter (Free)
Free Finley rants, delivered to your inbox!
The newsletter will have two parts:
· Original content, usually an analysis of a current news event that ties into the main themes of national security, democracy, and corruption, but with a funny spin. Otherwise, we’d all be wishing for a Russian window installation to come end our misery. I’ll also include any updates about my latest projects (including Book Number 4!), along with the occasional unique history lesson (like my past series on Iran and Dictators).
· The Week’s Links, a roundup of interesting stories related to the same themes (with a few off-topic stories just because I find them amusing).
The Course and Other Analysis (Paid)
With the course, I aim to cut through the noise, take out the politics, and explore the national security implications of foreign influence operations.
The curriculum is available here.
There is no timeline to complete the course. All the classes are posted; you can access them whenever you want. No pressure! I’m not grading you and there are no deadlines! I’ve also posed a few questions to stimulate discussion, because you will also get access to a chat forum, overseen by me, where we can all have a lively exchange of ideas.
Paid subscribers will also have access to Vespers, scheduled live chats where you can ask me questions directly and we can discuss the topic at hand. The term Vespers comes from my training days at CIA. It’s just a fancy term for Happy Hour, but the idea is that we all get together and chat in a relaxed atmosphere.
The first class is free, so there’s no risk to check it out and see if you find it intriguing! Access to the following classes is for paid subscribers only.
I will also be posting additional content for paid subscribers as current events will inevitably overlap with many of the themes discussed in the course.
If that sounds like your cup of non-polonium-laced tea, smash that subscribe button and join our community!
Alex Finley is a former officer of the CIA’s Directorate of Operations, where she served in West Africa and Europe. She writes and teaches about terrorism, disinformation / covert influence, and oligarch yachts. Her writing has appeared in Slate, Reductress, Funny or Die, POLITICO, The Center for Public Integrity, and other publications. She has spoken to the BBC, MSNBC, CNN, C-SPAN’s Washington Journal, France24, and numerous other media outlets. She was also invited once to speak at Harvard, which she now tells everyone within the first ten seconds of meeting them. She is the author of the Victor Caro series, satirical novels about the CIA. Before joining the CIA, Alex was a journalist, covering Capitol Hill, the Pentagon, and the Department of Energy. She reported on issues related to national security, intelligence, and homeland security. Did she mention she was invited to speak at Harvard?
