6 lessons for fighting authoritarianism
Timothy Snyder just became even more important
Shortly after Donald Trump assumed office in 2017, historian Timothy Snyder published a short book, On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century. The perfectly-timed work provided an understanding of how authoritarian movements form, coalesce, and assume power.
As we know in hindsight, our institutions held, though some became frayed. Women lost their right to bodily autonomy. People looking for a better life were separated from their infants and locked in cages. Whether or not gay marriage and contraception would be outlawed remained—and still remains—an open question. The ACA, which will certainly be dismantled, made it through. Social security, Medicare, and Medicaid are all again on the chopping block.
Billionaires did great.
The right has been preparing for the next republican president for four years. In the uncertain days following Jan 6, many wrote off a Trump repeat. But it happened, and we must now prepare.
Unlike Trump’s previous haphazard appointment of cabinet positions, this time yes men won’t block his whims. That’s by design.
That’s why I’m rereading Snyder’s book. Because someone who won on a politics of hatred, fear, and disdain is much more likely to act on his grievances this time around. With many pesky guardrails gone, courts stacked in his favor, and literal immunity from prosecution, tyranny is not far behind.
Here are a few sections from the book that stand out.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Be a patriot
Set a good example of what America means for generations to come. They will need it.
Speaking of the unthinkable, here’s one aspect that Project 2025 has been preparing for: the implementation of the unitary executive theory.
