On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century
Updated: Aug 8
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.
Twenty lessons. Twenty statements. Twenty instructions. Twenty rules. Twenty tools. Twenty calls to action. Just as some people carry around a pocket-sized copy of the Gospels or the New Testament, the Tao Te Ching or The Art of Peace, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, or any other volume designed for regular reading, reference, and reflection, On Tyranny is perfectly suited for the same intentional purpose.
Published in 2017, in the first year of Trump’s presidency, Synder demonstrates what is happening in our own country in the 21st century and how we’ve seen such things before—largely in fascist and communist Europe in the 20th century. Things we never thought could happen again—or, more specifically, happen in America—are happening. And while the United States hasn’t yet slipped into authoritarianism, the rhetoric that’s being spewed, the norms that are being challenged, and the laws that are being passed are eroding the fabric of our democracy in real, dangerous, and potentially irreversible ways.
While On Tyranny should be required reading for everyone regardless of age, political affiliation, or country of origin, it feels especially important to put this in the hands of every American middle schooler (to inform and educate them before it’s too late) and politician (to inform and educate them before it’s too late).
Read it. Own it. Live it. Share it. It’s safe to say that, without hyperbole, the fate of our very democracy depends on it.
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