Timothy Snyder warns Americans that we do not recognize a new kind of Coup: It is digital. What’s at stake right now: 1) our Human Rights and 2) our Constitutional Rights.
About Substack: This is a publishing platform. You can sign up for free with any of the individuals presenting news, culture, etc. When you sign up just click on free subscription to begin with. So no cost to you. Later, if you like the work that is being done on your behalf you may decide to donate monthly.
For Timothy Snyder I consider his work so valuable I subscribe. I was a free subscriber for a year before that.
One of the best resources for American Democracy is the nonpartisan National Constitution Center. They have a podcast, We the People, and Town Halls which bring together the best minds in history and law to discuss important topics related to our Republic.
Heather Cox Richardson, a Professor of American History and author of Letters from An American (Substack.com). Heather also does an informal response to readers questions on her Facebook account on Tuesday afternoons.
Timothy Snyder, a Professor of History with focus on Russia, Ukraine and international relations, is most available on his Substack.com account but if you go to YouTube, type in his name in the search function and numerous interviews and presentations pop up. Be sure to watch and listen to those about his small but popular book, On Tyranny. It is a guide to recognize when autocracy threatens democracies and what actions to take.
Anne Applebaum, a journalist, author and historian with focus on autocratic governments and their rise and defeat. Anne is a leading authority on autocracies and one of the clearest thinkers of our time.
One of the first things I did as I understood that an autocrat and movement were elected to lead this great nation, was to sit down and make a document with the contact information for my city council, state delegates, federal Congresspersons and Senators, AND identified the MAGA reps assigned to national cabinet positions and key committees in the House and Senate. Having these handy makes it easy and timely for contacting people in positions with power to make wise decisions to protect the nation.
Personally, I have upped my walking to keep in shape and in beautiful places to inspire me and to reduce stress.
Taking Action
We are encouraged to join with a group or form one for moral and social support. Second, we are encouraged to work on the state and local levels in any area of our working democracy that you feel you would like to work to protect and strengthen. For example, you may have concerns about public schools remaining the bedrock of democratic values. Attend the meetings and consider running for a place on the board.
Another example is my own: I am an environmental educator with concerns about the land, waters, and air quality in Virginia. So I joined a conservation organization, LynnhavenRiverNOW.org. They sponsored a half-day introduction to conservation issues for the State. I have signed up to take a bus to Richmond in January to lobby my delegates in the VA Assembly.
Inspiration to Endure
UPDATE [DECEMBER 31, 2024]: Clay Jenkins on NPR today discussed how people can creatively make the next four years outstanding. I highly recommend listening to this broadcast! It is for everyone, no politics.
Read or listen to great writers about history, democracy, and topics that give you a broad perspective on our nation’s path to freedom. Read about the guardrails our founding fathers put in place in the Constitution to ward off autocratic threats which arise when a people describe everyone as equal under the law and endowed with unalienable rights.
Attend community discussions about these issues. Be willing to offer your perspective, with respect for all points of view.
If you are a person of faith, read from the inspirational texts of that faith, or read and discuss the tenets and truths of people you respect and admire that refocus your mind for improving your own character.
Keep a curious and good sense of humor! Humor that reminds all of us to not take ourselves too seriously or reminds us of the pit traps of our own thought process. Humor that degrades others is simply tyranny.
In all of this, recall that our Republic is founded on religious freedom, separation between church and state (based on centuries of oppression and violence by the churches in Western Europe.) Keep the faith, keep it to yourself. Let your example be your persuasion.
I leave you with the words of President Eisenhower that are very relevant today as Donald Trump and a cohort of billionaires with personal interests in government contracts come to power. Right now, it seems like everything we cherish is up for grabs by unqualified people. Get yourself ready to wage truth.
To readers: I recommend Heather Cox Richardson and Timothy Snyder as historians and active citizens – as people who can provide trustworthy guidance as we move into a period. While we are entering a stark reality in he U.S.A., there is still much we can do to protect democracy, and there are long term strategies to protect the nearly 250 years of progress toward equality for all and the rule of law. In fact, if we do not engage in protecting this progress, we may lose it all.
What American Voters Actually Voted For
In state governments citizens voted to restore or protect abortion rights for women’s health; better wages; higher taxes on super wealthy, equality under the law, protection of workers’ rights. Voters also voted for climate mitigation and green energy development. Americans voted to protect right to fair voting rules. This is what Americans voted for on both sides of the political ticket.
Why did more than half of them then vote for Trump? They were deceived. Disinformation created a picture that by voting for the MAGA movement you would get all those things. They are in for a big disappointment.
We don’t have to stand by while Trump and his cronies hack away at democratic institutions and use violence against the American people.
We are entering a period of potential internal destruction/reconstruction of our governing structure (with the wealthiest men in the world in charge now) with promises to withdraw from international leadership (even participating at all) with other countries working together to keep a rules-based system of world peace. We’ll be cronies with Putin and the like. We are probably entering a period of isolation from other democracies while the new governance forms partnerships and deals with other autocracies that increase their power and individual wealth.
Trump promises to withdraw from the climate accords and he and the elected party deny that climate change is real. Call your Senators and Representatives to let them know you do not support this, even if they are MAGA recruits.
So we have some slivers of light and hope. On the local and state levels we can start building coalitions as a stabilizing force to what is happening federally. Many states are already working on this. Call your representatives.
All over the country we are witnessing right wing leaders declaring loyalty to Trump: “He is always right. Whatever he tells me to do, I will do it.” This is an acute sign of impending autocratic rule. Right from the play book.
Timothy Snyder, Yale professor of history, and author of On Tyranny and most recently On Freedom, calls this ‘obeying in advance’ to the dictator.
What can we do? We get in touch with our Senators and Representatives to tell them no, we do not believe this is right. We need to do this now. Also, create communities. Work together. You are probably already in one or more that have been active on one or more of these aspects of democratic governance.
Unqualified individuals and cronies of Trump are moving into powerful position such as Secretary of State and Secretary of Defense (heading up our entire miliary establishment). Shout from the mountain tops that you do not agree and will not support it!!!!!
Remember, Kamala and Tim built a large coalition of democracy-loving citizens from left, right and center.
We must now step up together to defend our country.
Today a new audio version of Timothy Snyder’s On Tyranny, originally published in 2017, is available on Audible . In this version of the book, Dr. Snyder speaks directly to the threat of Trump, his actions that spread misinformation and manipulate groups which are features of authoritarian leaders.
**At the end of reading the new version, Snyder continues to explain Ukrainian and Russian history to give readers in the U.S. a broader framework to understand why the Ukrainian fight for freedom is so important. He illustrates how the lessons in On Tyranny play out in the actions of Ukrainians. He goes further to gives vital lessons on Ukrainian and Russian history – his academic focus at Yale. Dr. Snyder is a distinguished historian at Yale University. Many of his public lectures on the roots of authoritarianism are on YouTube. This one is at Prose and Politics bookstore on the release of On Tyranny. Just search on YouTube and dozens of lectures will be available to you.
Get On Tyranny. It is a small (5″ by 5″), short exposition on 20 Lessons on Tyranny from the 20th century for all Americans to consider what we can do to strengthen democracy here in the U.S.A.
Together with a pocket constitution we will gain greater discernment of the complex political and social forces that swirl about us and act.
Last night I listened to this interview including Timothy Snyder, historian and expert on Ukraine and Russia.
In particular, I was interested in Snyder’s explanation of Ukraine’s inspiring resistance to the Russian invasion. Snyder points out that democracy requires and spawns creativity in thinking and response to autocratic forces. I highly recommend his comments to you, the reader, because his insights into the ossification American’s notions about democracy and the state of American democracy demonstrate how we have lost that quality of citizenship: creativity in opposing the forces that would tear us apart. This is fresh and offers us new ways to think about the present moment. Start at 42:43.
Susan Feathers 