In 2017, the historian Timothy Snyder wrote the concise book On tyranny: twenty lessons from the 20th century,, which has become a New York Times bestseller. A historian of fascism (then to Yalenow U. Toronto), Snyder wanted to offer Americans a useful guide to resist the country's drift towards authoritarianism. He was by hand at that time and even more practical now, especially, because the federals relate to different institutions underlying American civil society. Lawyers, universities, societies, the media – they are all in a hurry, and many have already violated the first of Snyder's 20 lessons: “Do not obey in advance.” Above, you can hear actor John Lithgow read a condensed version of Snyder's lessons. You can order A copy of his online bookOr Explore here a related video series that Snyder produced a few years ago. Find a cheat sheet below.
1. Do not obey in advance
2. Defend institutions
3. Beware of the single party state
4. Take responsibility for the face of the world
5. Do not forget professional ethics
6. Beware of paramilitaries
7. Be reflective if you have to be armed
8. Stand out
9. Be nice to our language
10. Believe in truth
11. investigate
12. Establish a visual contact and a small conversation
13. Practice body policy
14. Establish a privacy
15. Contribute to good causes
16. Learn peers from other countries
17. Listen to the dangerous words
18. Be calm when the unthinkable arrives
19. Be a patriot
20. Be as courageous as possible
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Toni Morrison lists the 10 stages that lead countries to fascism (1995)
