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On Tyranny Book Summary
Book Summary
Brief Summary
The core message explored in “On Tyranny” by Timothy Snyder is that in order for democracy to survive, the people of our nations need to be able to see the subtle red flags of an authoritarian takeover.Tyranny doesn’t come all at once; it’s a slow build of the wearing away of civil liberties, the spread of political lies, and the normalization of false truths and corruption.
Author Snyder urges us to understand that democracy is threatened when citizens stop paying attention, grow numb to injustice, or convince themselves that their actions won’t make a difference.
The truth is, one person can make a difference. If we look at history, we will see that small, consistent acts of resistance, such as speaking out to defend the truth, slow down the rise of tyranny.
Instead of waiting for a big change to happen, we must realize that tyranny happens gradually through our own choices, habits, and language. We must stay informed through choice media and challenge untruths to protect our civil liberties.
About the Author
Timothy Snyder is an author, historian, and professor at Yale University, where he teaches about the history of Central and Eastern Europe, focusing on the rise of authoritarian regimes. He is recognized for his knowledge of the political violence and ideologies that shaped the twentieth century. Snyder has written a handful of books that delve into historical events to help us understand present-day threats to democracy and human rights. He helps his readers understand how they can respond to modern political challenges by looking to the past.Topics
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Key Insights
In “On Tyranny” by Timothy Snyder, the author dives into the history of tyranny to raise awareness and help protect the future of politics.
Although the topic of politics is a constant source of tension in the world, we like to believe that we are moving in the right direction when it comes to democratic values, human rights, and global cooperation. Many think that fascism, Nazism, and totalitarian communism are things of the past.
Snyder reminds us in “On Tyranny” that history does not move in a straight line. In fact, in recent years, there has been a mistrust of the government among its citizens, where the idea of truth has come under attack. The once stable government authority now feels unstable, which is causing chaos in society.
With all of this exploding in our modern-day world, how can we learn to recognize the signs of tyranny?
Author Snyder becomes an essential piece to helping us discover the warning signs of authoritarianism in our modern age by encouraging us to pay attention to the past to learn strategies to prevent the rise of tyranny.
Become Politically Active
If you’re someone who watches the news over your morning coffee, you’ve probably been bombarded with talk about threats from outside countries. But, although there is always talk about outside threats, shouldn’t we also be concerned about the threats from our own country?
Synder thinks so!
If you examine the history of the democratic governments that have fallen apart since World War I, there’s something they all have in common: every government that fell apart did so because of a single party that acquired power from within that nation.
People don’t expect their freedoms to be taken away by their own governments. Most of us expect to feel safe and protected by the people running our country. However, if we look at the Nazis, communists, and fascists who have taken over their nations in the past, you will notice that they use spectacle and repression as tools to seize control.
These groups have also used salami tactics. Salami tactics are when they slice away opposition little by little in order to gain power. When this happens, the public is less likely to notice their power being taken away because it comes in small increments.
Supporting a multiparty system helps to prevent one group from having all the control, which is exactly what’s happening currently in the United States.
To help this, you can do your duty as a citizen by voting in both your local and state elections and remaining politically active. Using paper ballots is best because they can’t be manipulated as easily as electronic ones. If you really want to get involved and make a difference, you could even run for office yourself!
Another clear sign of tyranny to be on the lookout for is any paramilitary forces, meaning any military that isn’t associated with the state or federal government. If there is a group that wants to take over the government, they’ll be inclined to use a violent organization as a paramilitary...
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