History teaches us that many who aspire to power lay claim to being the fountain of knowledge and thus of truth. It is a shared characteristic of weak minded despots, particularly in the realms of government and religion. But not exclusively there; it underlies all dogma.
Whenever we are asked to accept a proposition based on faith, alarm bells should sound.
Love your expression, Stephen, as to "the fountain of knowledge and thus of truth."
Tempting to believe it's there, or that anyone has particular access to it.
Might we say, instead, that everyone has one's own hurts, grievances, suspicions? Or, as Timothy Snyder says here, maybe we can start with the "recognition that our pasts can be different, which enables the empathy that we will need for democracy"?
I've been reading on in the Library of America's new, volume three of its Joan Didion trio. She's super good on the rise of religious therapy groups from the far right in the 1990s. You remember, Marvin Olasky's "compassionate conservatism."
The thing is, in Joan Didion's hands we get a broader view of the particular hurt many were suffering then, the many forms of human weakness to which religious therapy spoke.
What we do not get is any awareness then of the Powell memo's vast, organized plan by elites on the far right to offshore the millions of working class jobs, which we now know occasioned the personal hurt, the systemic damages to communities.
We also do not get any parallel insight into the even more colossal juggernaut of standardized testing, which so focused all the impersonal forms of logic that no one could see how totally schools dehumanized. None could put that hurt, those damages in any context, as all the arts that saw the hurt disappeared from the schools, and, too, from media elites.
And left the testing even more perniciously in place to blind us even more to this day, when Republicans have their victimization theories of the "deep state," and Dems are even more out of touch with anything personal from any of the (former?) working classes.
Thanks for your kind thoughts, but I am skeptical about your last statement. There are at least two ways this could go:
1. Trumpism collapses with either his death or an unrecoverable humiliation (which could include a physical rejection by We The People.
2. Trumpism proves successful in the long run because it is 'strong' and can cow individuals and institutions and that a resistance remains "in disarray".
The lesson from the former is what you said, from the latter that nothing lasts forever.
Hi George. I appreciate your thoughts but I'd like to point to the historical fact that never a system that abuses its own people has lasted.
I do know and acknowledge that sometimes it takes time, a lot of time.
Here some examples (not all of them as I only wanted to mention some who clearly abuse their own people)
The feudal system of all-deciding kings took centuries to be overthrown.
The almighty power of the Catholic church took centuries to be lessened.
The communist regime of the Soviets took decades to be trashed.
The nazi and Italian fascist regimes took a two decades to be silenced.
Concerning the current state of the US, I do think that there are people in the circle of Trump who wish that indeed he died while golfing or eating another burger so they can take over.
Your comment: "Concerning the current state of the US, I do think that there are people in the circle of Trump who wish that indeed he died while golfing or eating another burger so they can take over."
On the one hand, history gives us at least a modicum of encouragement. However, overshoot creates a new reality where if the fight is long now there's no way we can win.
Can the U.S. turn things around? Putin just called up another 160,000 (age 18-30) to the military- what power do ordinary Russians have at this point in the regime? Will people protesting across the U.S. this weekend have any effect? Will Fox (News?) even cover it?
Yes to the emperor with no clothes, thank you Marc. How fortunate we all are to have Tim Snyder's forthright intelligence to help lead us on each and everyone of our paths as the true Americans who will fight.
It is wise to review President Trump's executive orders and to visit as you did '... the National Museum of Civil Rights in Memphis, which provides a firm reminder of the need for memory and for discussion of events that make us uncomfortable — as good history always will.'
To gain insight concerning Trump's own vision of his leadership, I recommend reading Carlos Lozada's Opinion: 'What I Learned About Trump’s Second Term by Reading His First 100 Executive Orders' in today's New York Times. A gifted link has been provided below.
Thank you for the link, Fern. I especially agree with the comments on language usage: trump has claimed the positive verbs as all his: he's 'unleashing', 'defending', 'protecting' 'honouring'; it's the swamp that 'defiling' 'diminishing' and 'perverting' the wishes of the Founders.
'Protecting the Constitution', proving itself now to be a reliable refuge for a US scoundrel.
Dear Vito, thank you for pointing to Trump's 'language usage' Dr. Snyder has often referred to our use of language and the importance of recognizing and protecting the meanings of words.
Thank you for the link. I found it very informative and often quite humorous! Of course, that humor always ends with a sad reminder that we are talking about people and their lives.
I'm afraid Donald Trump has not told the truth for most of his life. Why would we allow him to sort out the truth of our history. Go to the Holocaust Museum and witness the systematic destruction of truth by Hitler (the man whose book is supposedly by Trump's bedside. ) Too many similarities right mow.
We’re living in a dystopian nightmare. When will we wake up and seize the moment? It’s up to us to turn this country around. It’s OUR democracy and we must save it. Not Democrats, but WE THE PEOPLE. Take to the streets on April 5: join a Hands Off! event in your city. Go to handsoff2025.com.
I wish this was evidence of dystopia, there would be fewer people to suffer. I'm pretty sure that by the time we get to Distopia, somebody will have bumped off all the seniors because we wanted to slow it all down.
Nothing is Unimaginable. Expect the worst from Trump.
It is not a stretch of the imagination, to think Trump will perpetrate a Reichstag type incident or other false flag event, to impose his demented will via martial law. Saturday April 5th promises to be a test of that premise, as nationwide protests, with the promise of millions of disgruntled citizens hitting the streets, to defend their inalienable rights.
Other mass protests have been well noted by the White House, but instead of considering the discontent of the public as a catalyst for a change in policy direction, Trump and his personal Department of Injustice have chose to label protesters as domestic terrorists. I expect the administration is preparing diligently for the coming weekend’s events, and while I encourage people to participate, I would also warn them to be on guard. Please keep your demonstrations peacefully loud, and keep your cell phones on airplane mode, because your attendance will be documented, for possible future retribution.
Trump’s flurry of Executive Orders hold many hints to the direction he intends to take America. Trump 2.0 is much more organized than his first term, and he has had four years to prepare for his return to power. He has reinforced his administration with deviously brilliant advisers and an extremely nefarious agenda. While his cabinet appointments may well be sycophantic unqualified yes persons, they are only expendable puppets.
The real threat stems from the Heritage Group, Peter Thiel, Elon Musk and a long list of racist republican organization, going back further than the Reagan years. The majority of EOs decreed since January 20th are not shoot from the hip, rantings seeking revenge by the President. These declarations are aimed at solidifying complete power to dictate every aspect of government and justice in the U.S., and to build an enforcement arm to quell unrest.
If the defensive shield provided by the cowering Republican Party begins to show signs of diminishing under the onslaught of public outcry, then Trump may well resort to a “wag the dog” type of reaction. When he feels his power is severely threatened, starting a war against an undeserving opponent, could provide, in his demented mind, a national cause to entice a begrudging citizenry to fall in line, due to a misguided sense of patriotic urgency.
It behooves us all to expect the worst scenarios imaginable from this president. He and the powerful cabal behind Project 2025 will stop at nothing to achieve their goals.
Stay strong people, for the battle has just begun. There will be many sacrifices, as in any revolution, but the cause is just, and much too noble to fail.
Thanks for reading! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.
From the Brit side of the pond, Good Luck this Saturday April 5th.! And when that fat arse turns up here for his State visit (if it actually proceeds) he’ll hear the demo even while he cowers inside his personal tankmobile.🤙💪🏻
It is IMPERATIVE that all our protests this Saturday be peaceful. And you are wise to advise that in the longer term we need to prepare for the worst with this administration. I like to tell people, “I don’t like to speak of such a dire situation but it’s good to know that our US troops have been keenly educated to understand that they serve DEMOCRACY, our US Constitution and must not carry out any illegal orders.” But optimism / hope is essential for life. This past week there were major protests at 250 Tesla dealerships. On Sunday Musk announced he was stepping away from his DOGE work. Sadly he won’t step away until May - but I’ll take it. YES! And look how they’ve asked Elise Stefanik to go back to the House! They are seriously afraid her DEEP RED congressional district will swing Blue if a special election is held there. We the people have power.
Staying hopeful is always best. Musk has placed his lackeys and is just finalizing their training, so he can step back. Yes, I’ll be happy to see him gone too, but his influence will still dictate to department heads. (My opinion) You are absolutely right about why Trump cancelled Elise Stefanik’s UN post.
I’m sure there is a rogue element in the military to some degree, but the majority will hold true to the constitution over the president.
It’s been so encouraging to see the Tesla protests.
As others have noted, the video seems to have cut off before it was finished. I hope it can be corrected so we can hear your final thoughts. Appreciated the essay very much.
If we are clear about everything from our identity to our ideas, we will not be existentially threatened by the differing identity or ideas of others. The need to suppress everything from history to independent thought is an act of fear and cowardice. I am hoping that the pushback we are experiencing will expose the true weakness of this administration. And yes, join us for the “Hands Off” rallies on Saturday!
Thinking about history, and how "we the people" learn the history of our own country -- especially "we the white people." I was blessed with curiosity and a great high school history teacher. I learned that there are multiple ways to understand and learn from historical events. In the decades since I've relearned this over and over again. Many USians -- again, especially white USians -- haven't had either the need or the desire to keep learning. I get this. If you're open to unfamiliar facts and different interpretations, sooner or later you're going to run headlong into discomfort, cognitive dissonance. Either you can keep moving into the turbulence -- or you can do what Florida governor Ron DeSantis and others are doing: do your damndest to make the discomfort go away.
This is not new, btw. In high school history (late 1960s) I learned about how the Texas state school board influenced what was included in textbooks: If publishers wanted to sell to the huge Texas market, they had to be careful what their books said about socialism, civil rights, etc. I still remember one guideline the John Birch Society recommended for vetting history textbooks: if the index indicated that more pages had been devoted to FDR than to Calvin Coolidge, it was clearly communist-inspired.
If anyone wants a humorous though quite serious account of textbook selection even in a relatively civilized State, try Richard Feynman's account of his service on the board that approved textbooks for California. I think it was in "Surely you're joking, Mister Feynman".
Professor Timothy, I am a big fan and proponent of your words and insights, and I thank you for your great efforts - which always foster more expectations from you - such as my (humble?) prefernce to read rather than listen to your remarkably helpful thoughts. Mazel tov!
We LOVE your perspective, thank you so much for bringing clarity, depth and sanity through this time of darkness. Thank you so much for ALL you have done and continue doing.
On a technical note, you need to get a Lavalier mic to record audio in situations like this, that will bring quality to the sound of the recordings, with your voice coming through in a fuller way. Ask your tech friends for the best current options. It will greatly improve our user experience as listeners.
Support from a Belgian with a warm heart for the real US. Not the US of Trump and his rightwing bunch of know nothings.
When the king proclaims that he'll decide what the "truth" is.
When the king dismantles all truths not mirroring his "truth".
When all the people hear and see is only and nothing but the king's "truth".
That day, the real truth dies.
Fortunately, in the US, an awful lot of people are seeing and saying that the emperor walks around without clothes.
The day will come that all things Trump are of the past and serve as a warning how quickly democracy can die.
History teaches us that many who aspire to power lay claim to being the fountain of knowledge and thus of truth. It is a shared characteristic of weak minded despots, particularly in the realms of government and religion. But not exclusively there; it underlies all dogma.
Whenever we are asked to accept a proposition based on faith, alarm bells should sound.
Love your expression, Stephen, as to "the fountain of knowledge and thus of truth."
Tempting to believe it's there, or that anyone has particular access to it.
Might we say, instead, that everyone has one's own hurts, grievances, suspicions? Or, as Timothy Snyder says here, maybe we can start with the "recognition that our pasts can be different, which enables the empathy that we will need for democracy"?
I've been reading on in the Library of America's new, volume three of its Joan Didion trio. She's super good on the rise of religious therapy groups from the far right in the 1990s. You remember, Marvin Olasky's "compassionate conservatism."
The thing is, in Joan Didion's hands we get a broader view of the particular hurt many were suffering then, the many forms of human weakness to which religious therapy spoke.
What we do not get is any awareness then of the Powell memo's vast, organized plan by elites on the far right to offshore the millions of working class jobs, which we now know occasioned the personal hurt, the systemic damages to communities.
We also do not get any parallel insight into the even more colossal juggernaut of standardized testing, which so focused all the impersonal forms of logic that no one could see how totally schools dehumanized. None could put that hurt, those damages in any context, as all the arts that saw the hurt disappeared from the schools, and, too, from media elites.
And left the testing even more perniciously in place to blind us even more to this day, when Republicans have their victimization theories of the "deep state," and Dems are even more out of touch with anything personal from any of the (former?) working classes.
Thank you!
Thanks for your kind thoughts, but I am skeptical about your last statement. There are at least two ways this could go:
1. Trumpism collapses with either his death or an unrecoverable humiliation (which could include a physical rejection by We The People.
2. Trumpism proves successful in the long run because it is 'strong' and can cow individuals and institutions and that a resistance remains "in disarray".
The lesson from the former is what you said, from the latter that nothing lasts forever.
Hi George. I appreciate your thoughts but I'd like to point to the historical fact that never a system that abuses its own people has lasted.
I do know and acknowledge that sometimes it takes time, a lot of time.
Here some examples (not all of them as I only wanted to mention some who clearly abuse their own people)
The feudal system of all-deciding kings took centuries to be overthrown.
The almighty power of the Catholic church took centuries to be lessened.
The communist regime of the Soviets took decades to be trashed.
The nazi and Italian fascist regimes took a two decades to be silenced.
Concerning the current state of the US, I do think that there are people in the circle of Trump who wish that indeed he died while golfing or eating another burger so they can take over.
I am afraid that the fight will be long.
Your comment: "Concerning the current state of the US, I do think that there are people in the circle of Trump who wish that indeed he died while golfing or eating another burger so they can take over."
Please give them the strength to speak up now.
I think Marc was saying that those people want Trump to die so they can take over his rule and claim his power for themselves. Do I have that wrong?
Highly possible. Vance is no saint. May be worse than Trump and he's younger. :(
Thank you Gunnar. It's a grim possibility.
On the one hand, history gives us at least a modicum of encouragement. However, overshoot creates a new reality where if the fight is long now there's no way we can win.
Hey, Marc, thanks for the positive vibes and your gracious words.
Can the U.S. turn things around? Putin just called up another 160,000 (age 18-30) to the military- what power do ordinary Russians have at this point in the regime? Will people protesting across the U.S. this weekend have any effect? Will Fox (News?) even cover it?
Yes to the emperor with no clothes, thank you Marc. How fortunate we all are to have Tim Snyder's forthright intelligence to help lead us on each and everyone of our paths as the true Americans who will fight.
I subscribed and paid for a year but it doesn’t allow me to watch the entire video. It says I have to subscribe to Adam Kinzinger…
Nothing is as intelligent as your letters. Thank you. And much good luck in Canada. Please continue to write to those of us left behind.
I think he is in Canada for that very reason: so that he can guide us all to reclaim our democracy without risk of being silenced by the regime.
It is wise to review President Trump's executive orders and to visit as you did '... the National Museum of Civil Rights in Memphis, which provides a firm reminder of the need for memory and for discussion of events that make us uncomfortable — as good history always will.'
To gain insight concerning Trump's own vision of his leadership, I recommend reading Carlos Lozada's Opinion: 'What I Learned About Trump’s Second Term by Reading His First 100 Executive Orders' in today's New York Times. A gifted link has been provided below.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/01/opinion/trump-executive-orders-presidential-power.html?unlocked_article_code=1.8U4.jmSw.pkJGY-vlhhHE&smid=url-share
Just adding a very grateful thanks. Please continue your crucial good work.
Thank you dear fellow subscriber and friend of democracy.
Thank you for the link, Fern. I especially agree with the comments on language usage: trump has claimed the positive verbs as all his: he's 'unleashing', 'defending', 'protecting' 'honouring'; it's the swamp that 'defiling' 'diminishing' and 'perverting' the wishes of the Founders.
'Protecting the Constitution', proving itself now to be a reliable refuge for a US scoundrel.
Dear Vito, thank you for pointing to Trump's 'language usage' Dr. Snyder has often referred to our use of language and the importance of recognizing and protecting the meanings of words.
thank you
Thank you for the link. I found it very informative and often quite humorous! Of course, that humor always ends with a sad reminder that we are talking about people and their lives.
The video seems to cut off mid sentence
Senator Cory Booker is currently on the Senate Floor, Live In case you've missed this https://www.youtube.com/live/rCUK2VbdLS4?si=Y36aCLzLpdPit9u- Thank you Professor Snyder Also REMEMBER Hands Off April 5th Mass Rally https://www.mobilize.us/indivisible/event/764476/
Amazing stamina!
I think there's a typo in the second paragraph: "we and a few others" probably should be "he and a few others."
Otherwise, a moving post.
We must understand each other. Agreed. Brilliant summation. Thank you, as ever.
I'm afraid Donald Trump has not told the truth for most of his life. Why would we allow him to sort out the truth of our history. Go to the Holocaust Museum and witness the systematic destruction of truth by Hitler (the man whose book is supposedly by Trump's bedside. ) Too many similarities right mow.
We’re living in a dystopian nightmare. When will we wake up and seize the moment? It’s up to us to turn this country around. It’s OUR democracy and we must save it. Not Democrats, but WE THE PEOPLE. Take to the streets on April 5: join a Hands Off! event in your city. Go to handsoff2025.com.
The League of Women Voters is sponsoring a rally in Chicago for Hands Off.
I wish this was evidence of dystopia, there would be fewer people to suffer. I'm pretty sure that by the time we get to Distopia, somebody will have bumped off all the seniors because we wanted to slow it all down.
Nothing is Unimaginable. Expect the worst from Trump.
It is not a stretch of the imagination, to think Trump will perpetrate a Reichstag type incident or other false flag event, to impose his demented will via martial law. Saturday April 5th promises to be a test of that premise, as nationwide protests, with the promise of millions of disgruntled citizens hitting the streets, to defend their inalienable rights.
Other mass protests have been well noted by the White House, but instead of considering the discontent of the public as a catalyst for a change in policy direction, Trump and his personal Department of Injustice have chose to label protesters as domestic terrorists. I expect the administration is preparing diligently for the coming weekend’s events, and while I encourage people to participate, I would also warn them to be on guard. Please keep your demonstrations peacefully loud, and keep your cell phones on airplane mode, because your attendance will be documented, for possible future retribution.
Trump’s flurry of Executive Orders hold many hints to the direction he intends to take America. Trump 2.0 is much more organized than his first term, and he has had four years to prepare for his return to power. He has reinforced his administration with deviously brilliant advisers and an extremely nefarious agenda. While his cabinet appointments may well be sycophantic unqualified yes persons, they are only expendable puppets.
The real threat stems from the Heritage Group, Peter Thiel, Elon Musk and a long list of racist republican organization, going back further than the Reagan years. The majority of EOs decreed since January 20th are not shoot from the hip, rantings seeking revenge by the President. These declarations are aimed at solidifying complete power to dictate every aspect of government and justice in the U.S., and to build an enforcement arm to quell unrest.
If the defensive shield provided by the cowering Republican Party begins to show signs of diminishing under the onslaught of public outcry, then Trump may well resort to a “wag the dog” type of reaction. When he feels his power is severely threatened, starting a war against an undeserving opponent, could provide, in his demented mind, a national cause to entice a begrudging citizenry to fall in line, due to a misguided sense of patriotic urgency.
It behooves us all to expect the worst scenarios imaginable from this president. He and the powerful cabal behind Project 2025 will stop at nothing to achieve their goals.
Stay strong people, for the battle has just begun. There will be many sacrifices, as in any revolution, but the cause is just, and much too noble to fail.
Thanks for reading! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.
From the Brit side of the pond, Good Luck this Saturday April 5th.! And when that fat arse turns up here for his State visit (if it actually proceeds) he’ll hear the demo even while he cowers inside his personal tankmobile.🤙💪🏻
It is IMPERATIVE that all our protests this Saturday be peaceful. And you are wise to advise that in the longer term we need to prepare for the worst with this administration. I like to tell people, “I don’t like to speak of such a dire situation but it’s good to know that our US troops have been keenly educated to understand that they serve DEMOCRACY, our US Constitution and must not carry out any illegal orders.” But optimism / hope is essential for life. This past week there were major protests at 250 Tesla dealerships. On Sunday Musk announced he was stepping away from his DOGE work. Sadly he won’t step away until May - but I’ll take it. YES! And look how they’ve asked Elise Stefanik to go back to the House! They are seriously afraid her DEEP RED congressional district will swing Blue if a special election is held there. We the people have power.
Staying hopeful is always best. Musk has placed his lackeys and is just finalizing their training, so he can step back. Yes, I’ll be happy to see him gone too, but his influence will still dictate to department heads. (My opinion) You are absolutely right about why Trump cancelled Elise Stefanik’s UN post.
I’m sure there is a rogue element in the military to some degree, but the majority will hold true to the constitution over the president.
It’s been so encouraging to see the Tesla protests.
As others have noted, the video seems to have cut off before it was finished. I hope it can be corrected so we can hear your final thoughts. Appreciated the essay very much.
There is a transcript which runs underneath the video. There is only one word inaudible at the end
- "democracy".
Thanks for pointing the transcript out. Embarrassed I hadn't noticed it, but very happy to know it's there.
If we are clear about everything from our identity to our ideas, we will not be existentially threatened by the differing identity or ideas of others. The need to suppress everything from history to independent thought is an act of fear and cowardice. I am hoping that the pushback we are experiencing will expose the true weakness of this administration. And yes, join us for the “Hands Off” rallies on Saturday!
Thinking about history, and how "we the people" learn the history of our own country -- especially "we the white people." I was blessed with curiosity and a great high school history teacher. I learned that there are multiple ways to understand and learn from historical events. In the decades since I've relearned this over and over again. Many USians -- again, especially white USians -- haven't had either the need or the desire to keep learning. I get this. If you're open to unfamiliar facts and different interpretations, sooner or later you're going to run headlong into discomfort, cognitive dissonance. Either you can keep moving into the turbulence -- or you can do what Florida governor Ron DeSantis and others are doing: do your damndest to make the discomfort go away.
This is not new, btw. In high school history (late 1960s) I learned about how the Texas state school board influenced what was included in textbooks: If publishers wanted to sell to the huge Texas market, they had to be careful what their books said about socialism, civil rights, etc. I still remember one guideline the John Birch Society recommended for vetting history textbooks: if the index indicated that more pages had been devoted to FDR than to Calvin Coolidge, it was clearly communist-inspired.
If anyone wants a humorous though quite serious account of textbook selection even in a relatively civilized State, try Richard Feynman's account of his service on the board that approved textbooks for California. I think it was in "Surely you're joking, Mister Feynman".
Ooh! Can't wait till I have a free moment!
Professor Timothy, I am a big fan and proponent of your words and insights, and I thank you for your great efforts - which always foster more expectations from you - such as my (humble?) prefernce to read rather than listen to your remarkably helpful thoughts. Mazel tov!
I love the mocking bird singing its heart out in the background ❤️
We LOVE your perspective, thank you so much for bringing clarity, depth and sanity through this time of darkness. Thank you so much for ALL you have done and continue doing.
On a technical note, you need to get a Lavalier mic to record audio in situations like this, that will bring quality to the sound of the recordings, with your voice coming through in a fuller way. Ask your tech friends for the best current options. It will greatly improve our user experience as listeners.
Agreed! Traffic sounds + birdsong = barely intelligible. Also breaks off mid sentence. Looking for transcript now