Yale Professor Timothy Snyder’s On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century powerfully
indicates the dangers lurking for the ill-educated populace produced by the
wretched system of public education that we have had in the United States,
especially for the last four decades.
The overwhelming majority of people in the United States lack the historical knowledge, the grasp of civics and government, and the intellectual weight and ballast that comes from a firm base of knowledge across the liberal arts to evaluate societal developments in historical and psychological context.
Imperative,
then, is the overhaul of public education for knowledge intensity if we are to
have a citizenry truly able to respond to the twenty points of advice given by
Snyder, as recorded below.
Timothy Snyder, On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century (New York: Tim Duggan Books/Crown Publishing, 2017), 126 pages.
Prologue: History and Tyranny
Chapter One >>>>> Do not obey in advance.
Essence of Snyder’s Message
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 telling pow r what it can do.
Chapter Two >>>>> Defend institutions.
Essence of Snyder’s Message
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.
Chapter Three >>>>> Beware the one-party state.
Essence of Snyder’s Message
The parties that remade states and suppressed rivals were not omnipotent from the start. They exploited a historic moment to make poltical life impossible for their opponents. So support the mulyi-party system and defend the rules of democratic elections. Vote in local and state elections while you can. Consider running for office.
Chapter Four >>>>> Take responsibility for the face of the world.
Essence of Snyder’s Message
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.
Chapter Five >>>>> Remember professional ethics.
Essence of Snyder’s Message
When political leader 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 show trials without judges. Authoritarians need obedient civil servants, and concentration camp directors seek businessmen interested in cheap labor.
Chapter Six >>>>> Beware of paramilitaries.
Essence of Snyder’s Message
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.
Chapter Seven >>>>> Be reflective if you must be armed.
Essence of Snyder’s Message
If you carry a weapon in public service, may God bless you and keep you. But know that evils of the past involved police officers and soldiers finding themselves, one day, doing irregular things. Be ready to say no.
Chapter Eight >>>>> Stand out.
Essence of Synder’s Message
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, others will follow.
Chapter Nine >>>>> Be kind to our language.
Essence of Snyder’s Message
Most 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.
Chapter Ten >>>>> Believe in truth.
Essence of Snyder’s Message
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, the all is spectacle. The biggest wallet pays for the most blinding lights.
Chapter Eleven >>>>> Investigate.
Essence of Snyder’s Message
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 to others.
Chapter Twelve >>>>> Make eye contact and small talk.
Essence of Snyder’s Message
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.
Chapter Thirteen >>>>> Practice corporeal politics.
Essence of Snyder’s Message
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.
Chapter Fourteen >>>>> Establish a private life.
Essence of Snyder’s Message
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.
Chapter Fifteen >>>>> Contribute to good causes.
Essence of Snyder’s Message
Be active in organizations, political or not, that express your own view of life. Pick a charity or two and set up autopay. The you will have made a choice that supports civil society and helps others to do good.
Chapter Sixteen >>>>> Learn from peers in other countries.
Essence of Snyder’s Message
Keep up your friendships abroad, or make new friends in other countries. The present difficulties In the United Staes are and element of a larger trend. And no country is going to find a solution by itself. Make sure you and your family have passports.
Chapter Seventeen >>>>> Listen for dangerous words.
Essence of Snyder’s Message
Be alert to the words “extremism” and “terrorism.” Be alive to the fatal notions of “emergency’ and “exception.” Be angry about the treacherous us of patriotic vocabulary.
Chapter Eighteen >>>>> Be calm when the unthinkable arrives.
Essence of Snyder’s Message
Modern tyranny is terror management. When the terrorist attack comes, remember that authoritarians exploit such event 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.
Chapter Nineteen >>>>> Be a patriot.
Essence of Snyder’s Message
Seta good example of what American means for the generations to come. They will need it.
Chapter Twenty >>>>> Be as courageous as you can.
Essence of Snyder’s Message
If none of us is prepared to die for freedom, then all of us will die under tyranny.
Epilogue >>>>> History and Liberty
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