BOOKS: ON TYRANNY
late last night, i received a text from my friend dan:
“YO! I got this for christmas, i could not possibly think of a better book for you to own! it is made for you!” little did he know, i bought it on the pre-order.
it’s not often you come across such a short book that has such an intense impact— on tyranny does just that. confined into 130 short pages are 20 lessons to learn form the 20th century, all of which address parallels between current-day america to the rise of authoritarian structures throughout the 1900’s— timothy snyder hit’s it out of the park with this thing— i’d argue it should be on public school mandatory reading lists.
the 20 chapter break down into these:
Do not obey in advance
Defend institutions
Beware the one-party state
Take responsibility for the face of the world
Remember professional ethics
Be wary of paramilitaries
Be reflective if you must be armed
Stand out
Be kind to our language
Believe in truth
Investigate
Make eye contact and small talk
Practice corporeal politics
Establish a private life
Contribute to good causes
Learn from peers in other countries
Listen for dangerous words
Be calm when the unthinkable arrives
Be a patriot
Be as courageous as you can.
you can pick up a copy here— and i highly recommend you do.
