Member-only story

It’s A Wonderful Life! (Until Trump Slashes the FDIC)

The grim history of bank runs will make you appreciate this movie even more.

Carlyn Beccia
9 min readDec 24, 2024
Bank run scene from It’s a Wonderful Life

Happy Holidays, everyone.

First, a huge thank you to my paid subscribers who supported the recent launch of The Grim Historian on Substack. Without your support, I can’t ruin everyone’s day with the most depressing and darkest tales in history. I have found my people.

I had hoped to keep my history publication on Medium, but after applying multiple times to get into the nomination program and getting denied, denied, denied, it’s time to admit defeat. I will still post on Medium, but The Grim Historian has officially moved to Substack.

Of course, many might ask — Why dwell on the “poor, nasty, brutish, and short” chapters of history? There’s no need to poke at humanity’s lesser angels when there’s a perfectly good stream of feel-good cat videos out there.

Well, here’s the thing: a little pessimism goes a long way in keeping us grounded.

Pessimism gets a bad rap these days. But I’d argue that gloom is precisely what America needs right now. For a long time, Americans have taken for granted basic protections and freedoms. Now, another Trump presidency has waltzed in like the Grim Reaper, reminding us that…

--

--

Carlyn Beccia
Carlyn Beccia

Written by Carlyn Beccia

Award-winning author of 13 books. My latest: 10 AT 10: The Surprising Childhoods of 10 Remarkable People, MONSTROUS: The Lore, Gore, & Science. CarlynBeccia.com

Responses (11)