The Word Of Jeff

“On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons From The Twentieth Century” is a book I have wanted to read since the election in November. The title alone should tell most people why. I finally had the opportunity to get into it about a week ago. Even though it is a book you could easily read in one sitting, I wanted to take the time to slowly digest each of the lessons the author lays out.

The author, Timothy Snyder, is a Professor of History at Yale University, as well as a a permanent fellow at the Institute for Human Sciences in Vienna. He understands the historical events he presents.

Most of the lessons he offers in this 127 page book come from actual events that took place during the Soviet Union rise of Communism, the German rise of Naziism and the European rise of Fascism beginning in the early 1920’s.

This is not a deep, dry, philosophical look at those events. It is a short, to the point remembrance of attitudes, words and actions that led to states of tyranny in those countries. And a warning to us that, if we do not guard against such then our fate could be the same.

Written in 2017, those with a will to see will easily observe those self-same attitudes, words and actions in the man who was president at that time and, bafflingly, at this time.

The lessons he lays out are SO important that I simply want to list them with the same small explanation that Professor Snyder uses to accompany each statement. In the book, he typically spends two to six pages offering a deeper, historical look at the reasoning behind the lesson, so please don’t let this abbreviated list make you think that is all there is to the book.

1. Do not obey in advance.
   Most of the power of authoritarianism is freely given. In times like these, individuals think ahead about what a more repressive government will want, and then offer themselves without being asked. A citizen who adapts in this way is teaching power what it can do.
2. Defend institutions.
   It is institutions that help us to preserve decency. They need our help as well. Do not speak of “our institutions” unless you make them yours by acting on their behalf. Institutions do not protect themselves. They fall one after the other unless each is defended from the beginning. So choose an institution you care about—a court, a newspaper, a law, a labor union—and take its side.
3. Beware the one-party state.
   The parties that remade states and suppressed rivals were not omnipotent from the start. They exploited a historic moment to make political life impossible for their opponents. So support the multi-party system and defend the rules of democratic elections. Vote in local and state elections while you can. Consider running for office.
4. Take responsibility for the face of the world.
   The symbols of today enable the reality of tomorrow. Notice the swastikas and the other signs of hate. Do not look away, and do not get used to them. Remove them yourself and set an example for others to do so.
5. Remember professional ethics.
   When political leaders set a negative example, professional commitments to just practice become more important. It is hard to subvert a rule-of-law state without lawyers, or to hold show trials without judges. Authoritarians need obedient civil servants, and concentration camp directors seek businessmen interested in cheap labor.
6. Be wary of paramilitaries.
   When the men with guns who have always claimed to be against the system start wearing uniforms and marching with torches and pictures of a leader, the end is nigh. When the pro-leader paramilitary and the official police and military intermingle, the end has come.
7. Be reflective if you must be armed.
   If you carry a weapon in public service, may God bless you and keep you. But know that evils of the past involved policemen and soldiers finding themselves, one day, doing irregular things. Be ready to say no.
8. Stand out.
   Someone has to. It is easy to follow along. It can feel strange to do or say something different. But without that unease, there is no freedom. Remember Rosa Parks. The moment you set an example, the spell of the status quo is broken, and others will follow.
9. Be kind to our language.
   Avoid pronouncing the phrases everyone else does. Think up your own way of speaking, even if only to convey that thing you think everyone is saying. Make an effort to separate yourself from the internet. Read books.
10. Believe in truth.
    To abandon facts is to abandon freedom. If nothing is true, then no one can criticize power, because there is no basis upon which to do so. If nothing is true, then all is spectacle. The biggest wallet pays for the most blinding lights.
11. Investigate.
    Figure things out for yourself. Spend more time with long articles. Subsidize investigative journalism by subscribing to print media. Realize that some of what is on the internet is there to harm you. Learn about sites that investigate propaganda campaigns (some of which come from abroad). Take responsibility for what you communicate with others.
12. Make eye contact and small talk.
    This is not just polite. It is part of being a citizen and a responsible member of society. It is also a way to stay in touch with your surroundings, break down social barriers, and understand whom you should and should not trust. If we enter a culture of denunciation, you will want to know the psychological landscape of your daily life.
13. Practice corporeal politics.
    Power wants your body softening in your chair and your emotions dissipating on the screen. Get outside. Put your body in unfamiliar places with unfamiliar people. Make new friends and march with them.
14. Establish a private life.
    Nastier rulers will use what they know about you to push you around. Scrub your computer of malware on a regular basis. Remember that email is skywriting. Consider using alternative forms of the internet, or simply using it less. Have personal exchanges in person. For the same reason, resolve any legal trouble. Tyrants seek the hook on which to hang you. Try not to have hooks.
15. Contribute to good causes.
    Be active in organizations, political or not, that express your own view of life. Pick a charity or two and set up autopay. Then you will have made a free choice that supports civil society and helps others to do good.
16. Learn from peers in other countries.
    Keep up your friendships abroad, or make new friends in other countries. The present difficulties in the United States are an element of a larger trend. And no country is going to find a solution by itself. Make sure you and your family have passports.
17. Listen for dangerous words.
    Be alert to the use of the words extremism and terrorism. Be alive to the fatal notions of emergency and exception. Be angry about the treacherous use of patriotic vocabulary.
18. Be calm when the unthinkable arrives.
    Modern tyranny is terror management. When the terrorist attack comes, remember that authoritarians exploit such events in order to consolidate power. The sudden disaster that requires the end of checks and balances, the dissolution of opposition parties, the suspension of freedom of expression, the right to a fair trial, and so on, is the oldest trick in the Hitlerian book. Do not fall for it.
19. Be a patriot.
    Set a good example of what America means for the generations to come. They will need it.
20. Be as courageous as you can.
    If none of us is prepared to die for freedom, then all of us will die under tyranny.

Not all of these lesson are easy to follow for some of us, but all of us can follow some of them. We can certainly LEARN from all of them.

“On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons From The Twentieth Century” points out the historical events that led to tyranny in other parts of the world during the twentieth century. Those events are ones that adults alive today should remember, if they were ever taught them. Even if they weren’t, they most likely have family members or know of someone who fought against those who wanted to rule in tyranny.

When laid out in such simplicity, we should all recognize and stand against those who would attempt to rise up as tyrants against us.

I highly, HIGHLY recommend this book.

Here are the covers (courtesy of StoryGraph) of the books that I read in 2024. I had a goal of reading 25 books but ended up with slightly more than twice that amount.