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Grasswire2

(13,568 posts)
39. Transcript and video of Yale Holocaust historian Timothy Snyder on the coming authoritarianism.
Tue Oct 23, 2018, 08:12 PM
Oct 2018

[link:https://www.democracynow.org/2017/5/30/on_tyranny_yale_historian_timothy_snyder|

Please take the time to watch the video or read the transcript, everyone.

This guy is the expert. They go through the points in his book "On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons From The Twentieth Century"

Here's the part about the first lesson: Don't Obey In Advance.



JUAN GONZÁLEZ: I wanted to ask you about the first lesson you talk about in your book, especially in light of the realities that, in our day and age, clearly, authoritarianism has enormous more power of surveillance and social control of populations. You write in your first lesson, “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.” I think about that in terms of the enormous gravitation of the population toward social media and then the ability of states and corporations to actually monitor and control what people say and do and shop and everything they’re thinking about.

TIMOTHY SNYDER: Yeah, so, I agree with that completely. The historical basis of that first lesson, “Don’t obey in advance,” is what historians think we understand about authoritarian regime changes, and in particular the Nazi regime change of 1933. Historians of Nazi Germany disagree about a lot of things, but one of the few things we agree about is the significance of adaptation from below in 1933. When we look at Hitler in retrospect, we sometimes have a tendency to think of him as a kind of supervillain who can do anything. But in fact, the lesson of 1933 is that consent from below matters a lot, not consent necessarily in the sense of voting or marching or anything active, but consent in the sense of bystanding, going along, making mental adjustments.

So the point of “Don’t obey in advance” is not to give your consent in that way, which is very important, because if you do just drift at the beginning, then psychologically you’re lost, or, to put it a different way, if you don’t follow lesson one, “Don’t obey in advance,” then you can’t follow lessons two to 20, either. Politically, it’s also really important, because the time which matters the most is the beginning, where we are now. Right now we actually have much more power than we think we do. Our actions are magnified outwards now. When protest becomes illegal or dangerous, this is going to change. But right now Americans actually have more power than they think they do.

And your point actually magnifies all of this, because the reason—one of the reasons you shouldn’t obey in advance is that when you do, you’re actually giving power ideas. They don’t necessarily have plans. They don’t necessarily know what they can do. But when we lean towards what they think they want—and social media is a very good example of this—then we give them ideas. We teach them what they can do. So, in our real lives and in social media, it’s very important not to obey in advance, because, you’re absolutely right, that information is being collected and collated and considered
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Yes Solly Mack Oct 2018 #1
Yes. Ur-Fascism proceeds apace. maxsolomon Oct 2018 #2
I'm thinking THIS might be the last one if we don't oust the traitors...nt 2naSalit Oct 2018 #45
Got an email from Adam Schiff... C Moon Oct 2018 #47
. We are further down the road towards fascism than many realize or want to admit Va Lefty Oct 2018 #3
I have seen this coming for a long time, but I never actually thought we would get this smirkymonkey Oct 2018 #6
if we lose just a few state legislators in the wrong states rampartc Oct 2018 #10
Results? Civil War II, coming soon... (n/t) Moostache Oct 2018 #51
they do seem to want that civil war rampartc Oct 2018 #64
my hope, should it come to that BigGermanGuy Oct 2018 #82
snakes are very difficult to kill. rampartc Oct 2018 #85
That will be Putins wet dream uponit7771 Oct 2018 #95
do the rwnjs think rampartc Oct 2018 #96
I ate to agree with your last sentence, but I do. CrispyQ Oct 2018 #18
Nice thought but there Snackshack Oct 2018 #40
Don't count on it. orangecrush Oct 2018 #73
Elie Wiesel said: "It happened so fast." nt Grasswire2 Oct 2018 #32
I have read a number of books and seen films about the Holocaust. smirkymonkey Oct 2018 #35
Transcript and video of Yale Holocaust historian Timothy Snyder on the coming authoritarianism. Grasswire2 Oct 2018 #39
I'm reading Snyder's book The Road to Unfreedom. yardwork Oct 2018 #46
Also his wife Marci Shore's "Ukrainian Night" -- she's a historian, too. Grasswire2 Oct 2018 #54
Snyder is amazing. I'll get his wife's book too. yardwork Oct 2018 #56
alas nt Grasswire2 Oct 2018 #59
+1000 smirkymonkey Oct 2018 #50
I've been hollering about this for two years. Grasswire2 Oct 2018 #55
The National Socialists STOLE elections in many Hortensis Oct 2018 #81
I hope you're wrong but realistically, I don't think you are. calimary Oct 2018 #37
I will DAMMIT! smirkymonkey Oct 2018 #49
You're absolutely Spot On, smirkymonkey. calimary Oct 2018 #77
Shock doctrine bdamomma Oct 2018 #43
the stage was set with 1500 radio stations setting this up over 30 years certainot Oct 2018 #93
Yes, it is perfectly clear. MoonRiver Oct 2018 #4
It's going to get worse manor321 Oct 2018 #5
The CIA and Nixon/Kissinger helped in 1970 in Chile. guillaumeb Oct 2018 #7
I agree but would add it's not just Trump, it's also the moneyed interests that put him into power. jalan48 Oct 2018 #8
As the big industrialists supported Hitler. n/t ginnyinWI Oct 2018 #12
Yes. These are the folks pulling the strings. If it's not Trump it will be someone else like him. jalan48 Oct 2018 #13
One of those big industrialists went on to volstork Oct 2018 #20
Thank you True Blue American Oct 2018 #68
I think it actually started with the JFK assassination. volstork Oct 2018 #75
Also the religious interests. Mariana Oct 2018 #16
Useful pawns for the Fascist Industrial and Financial Interests I think. jalan48 Oct 2018 #28
And they are fast bringing to an end True Blue American Oct 2018 #69
That would be nice, but are you sure? Mariana Oct 2018 #74
Yes,they are losing ground True Blue American Oct 2018 #76
You're losing interest in what? Christianity? Mariana Oct 2018 #90
All it takes for evil to win is for good people to do nothing. LAS14 Oct 2018 #9
the press could crack him RussBLib Oct 2018 #11
we need to bdamomma Oct 2018 #44
Read it and weep... Thomas Hurt Oct 2018 #14
Well, Under the Orange Paint and Hair Dye, He IS White As Snow! DoctorJoJo Oct 2018 #15
Folks, we are at code red, The Liberal Lion Oct 2018 #17
Yes, it is. zentrum Oct 2018 #19
They won't wake up until it directly effects them. BigmanPigman Oct 2018 #21
This is one reason why zentrum Oct 2018 #29
I think the Dem party in general has more compassion for others. BigmanPigman Oct 2018 #33
Yup. Haven't had a zentrum Oct 2018 #41
Indeed. Great comparison. libdem4life Oct 2018 #62
He's going to be like a cornered rat, is my prediction. Canoe52 Oct 2018 #22
I was disappointed to hear Jeffrey Toobin defend the nationalism label. BeckyDem Oct 2018 #23
Lol this is the madness of thoughtful people. Corvo Bianco Oct 2018 #25
Exactly. One of the other pundits said to him, you don't call yourself a nationalist! BeckyDem Oct 2018 #36
Yo Stinky what's up Corvo Bianco Oct 2018 #24
yes. we gotta turn the tide Kurt V. Oct 2018 #26
His calling himself a nationalist is least of our worries Laura PourMeADrink Oct 2018 #27
Thanks for pointing that out. Ligyron Oct 2018 #31
I disagree. Grasswire2 Oct 2018 #34
No offense!!! but that's bullshit. They are allowing Laura PourMeADrink Oct 2018 #58
They use Trump and his lies True Blue American Oct 2018 #70
It's like he wants to be Thanos or something. Initech Oct 2018 #42
I agree but he's managing without charisma, without Laura PourMeADrink Oct 2018 #60
Undoubtedly defacto7 Oct 2018 #30
Nationalism isn't fascism. David__77 Oct 2018 #38
But all fascists are nationalists. VOX Oct 2018 #72
Both the R & D parties were opposed to these regimes. They actually came together. madinmaryland Oct 2018 #48
It sure is Stinky. If young people do not wake the FU#$ UP NoMoreRepugs Oct 2018 #52
And it never lasts and never ends well for the fascists. gtar100 Oct 2018 #53
"never ends well for the fascists"? It never ends well for anyone. FiveGoodMen Oct 2018 #92
yep sellitman Oct 2018 #57
The Art of the Deal to Destroy America many a good man Oct 2018 #61
Just saw several clips of his rallies on MSNBC, I notice the doc03 Oct 2018 #63
Trump quit paying them. True Blue American Oct 2018 #71
Finally glad someone with a high enough post count said something. Separation Oct 2018 #65
Your country is now so degraded and the low is so close, arthritisR_US Oct 2018 #66
Conservatives hear "nationalist" and they hear patriotism and love of country. Nitram Oct 2018 #67
I've tried without success *I might add Separation Oct 2018 #89
Yes Johnny2X2X Oct 2018 #78
To that 'call to arms' rhetoric, add the bombing attempts today BobTheSubgenius Oct 2018 #79
I cannot help but recall the Brownshirts Stinky The Clown Oct 2018 #80
And they got started with terrorism HopeAgain Oct 2018 #84
This is the very beginning imo StuckInTexas Oct 2018 #83
The republican party and all those standing with him, duforsure Oct 2018 #86
I can't help but wonder Richard D Oct 2018 #87
South Africans defeated apartheid, Poles defeated communists with solidarity, Chileans defeated Pino mahina Oct 2018 #88
Long since, Stinky. And now nearly his entire hit list has received mail bombs. nt Hekate Oct 2018 #91
It used to be creeping fascism. SergeStorms Oct 2018 #94
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