Please do not stop talking about fascism. This is the biggest challenge our nation has faced since the Civil War. We need to hear continually about the fake solutions for fake problems.
Yeah Kit! Thinking over “Fearing”. I thought watching a sports game would be a reprieve from TFG, but his ads are dark. One ad in particular the speaker claims falsely that Kamala Harris is offering transgender surgery to inmates in prison to any prisoner who wants them at taxpayers expense. then they show Kamala Harris saying things out of context, falsely confirming the claim.
And then there’s one about economics, Bidenomics. Citizens are giving testimonials to economic hardships, and they cut to Kamala laughing and saying/laughing “That’s Bidenomics”. They are dark and they do illicit fear and evil witchcraft inuendo.
Sports is a great release from work, highly entertaining if you like that kind of thing (I do.). The ads are pretty universally propagandish garbage; my solution is to record almost everything I watch, and use the remote to zip past all the ads...usually I'm not more than 15-20 minutes behind "Live" - can't text with friends about the latest score, but I can watch on my schedule and my terms. Most games have frequent dead patches - same treatment saves me hours of wasted time, without losing the flow or drama of exciting games.
If the political ads have something newsworthy they'll be linked to one of the sub stacks I read, and I can see them once to know what people are talking about. Mostly not necessary. We owe it to ourselves and our sanity to curate our intake, and strain out the garbage; it makes time for reading, playing with the dog, music, conversation, sailing, cooking, walks, and all kinds of other worthwhile pursuits.
As good as this podcast by Timothy Snyder is -- turning it into a pamphlet, literally and digitally, for presentation to the people would be another step in educating Americans.
- Fascism is about emotion over reason.
- Fascism is about will over reason.
- Fascism is about fear over fact.
- Fascism is about doom over hope.
It is a state of politics under which the 'leader' decides what you fear and rules by your fears.
Fake problems are generated.
The fear, which has been created is used tor power.
This comment comprised a few bulletins taken from TS's podcast.
I say take crucial points about fascism to the people.
I believe Dr.Snyder is taking it to the people this way. I know, understand, and recognize Fascism from my B.A. from over twenty years ago. But I can't summarize what is happening the way Dr.Snyder with a PH.D can. But I can explain it more clearly off of his summaries or even post his summaries to the local small town and rural leaders where I live. The small town proffesionals will relay the messages and have discussions on their wavelengths. I can try and connect with the non proffesionals (still potentially leaders) who are brain washed to fear the corrupt educated liberals which is a message very similar to Putin's, "fear the corrupt west" message to Russians. A lot of my locals are unaware that I even have a B.A. It's a very real need of people who can be at their level getting in and talking against the grain. Which Dr.Snyder visiting his home state is likely doing where he can. Get into the turf you know and drop the anti-fascist messages how and where you can.
Me too. The concentration and coordination required is just about the only thing that can provide relief from the constant stress of these times. And it's good to remember that some humans have managed to create real beauty in the world. cheers
i'm building a new woodland garden in between politics watching and making donations desperate times my little $25 donations against an avalanche of Musk's money
There are theories out there on how sports passify the masses. Sports and beautiful bodies are always emphasized in extremist governments like fascist Italy and Germany or Communist Russia. Also, think gladiators in ancient Rome. It serves to distract people. And in this case also persuade them at the same time.
Of course a 4 minute insight will skip over a lot but in this one you skipped over a big one. When a fascist gang takes power they don't just pronounce the peoples' fears magically resolved. To the contrary, the leaders & the gangs physically run amok, detaining, harming & trampling over those they blame for the fake or real problems that were the pretexts or catalysts for taking over. Leaders & followers create spectacles of retribution & scapegoat accountability to demonstrate that the problems are being tackled. This also keeps the violence & conflict that's the fuel for the continuing fires & emergencies fascism needs.
Thank you, Dr. Snyder. I’m reading your book and following your posts, and gaining a good understanding what is going on today. Re-reading Hannah Arendt again, and can’t believe we’re going through this again. Good thing for many of us is we were brought up by parents who were college professors that taught us to ‘think about thinking’ at an early age. Again, keep speaking publicly and than you. 💙
Thank you, Dr Snyder for posting with clarity what exactly we are hearing.
Just finished your chapter on Mobility ( so beautifully written and understandable) which speaks to this as well. I always feel a need to know more because part of me protests. However every thing I am reading, seeing and thinking then about begins to make sense given the inherency of the fascism. It is like we are living history knowing where this is going and empowering ourselves every day to create something much better.
I am so grateful for your voice and writing, your videos and the kindness you demonstrate. Thank you.
Keep talking about fascism. What's important is that we understand to our core that the US is not exceptional, we are not immune to the siren call of fascism, that this is real -- not a dream, not a movie, not something we fight "over there", but it's here
Just yesterday I was thinking--somewhat facetiously--that I'm surprised Republicans haven't accused Harris of being a witch harking back to the Salem witch trials. Sadly, I might not be far off the mark.
Now is the time to educate voters about the political propaganda techniques used by authoritarians. Let's start with projection:
PROJECTION - the act of accusing an opponent of using the same underhanded tactics or committing the same misdeeds the accuser is guilty of.
This technique involves shifting blame or responsibility to the opponent to deflect attention from one's own actions.
By projecting their own faults onto others, the accuser creates confusion and moral equivalency, making it harder for the audience to distinguish the true source of the wrongdoing.
Our family is joking/not joking that there is an increase in signs of about two Harris to one Trump in our small town and rural areas. Which is an improvement over the last election that was almost entirely all Trump signs. The 2016 election was to a fascist level of lock her up signs. Those were literally rows of yards and driveways. We believe there would be more Harris Walz signs, but likely many are stolen since most rural and small town liberals won't go to the extent of putting up trail cams to catch sign stealers unlike our more conservative neighbors lol. However, the Trump/Vance signs do tend to be very big in comparison which is new. One day I saw thirteen-ish year old kids hanging huge Trump/Vance signs in town. THAT is still disturbing. But, there are also many Republicans for Harris Walz signs that are VERY refreshing. And those are very big signs often positioned next to big Trump/Vance signs. My parents neighbor FINALLY changed his Trump/Pence signs for Trump/Vance signs. Which means some are FINALLY receiving some current events lol.
Thank you, Prof Snyder, for this series of observations on these fascist actions.
I hope that any listener to your broadcasts will take time to carefully consider the subtle but significant power that this sort of fascist messaging has in distorting any persons experience awareness, thinking and choosing. No matter the theme, the danger is in the supplanting of facts of experience and common sense impact of experience with surreal and false information.
It so happens that, just before listening to this set of observations, I re-read some of the 'middle chapters' sections [170s - 180s pp] in On Freedom. Public narratives aimed at delivering unfreedom as a shared vision and for inspiring unfree-oriented social and political attitudes and chosen behavior have prepared [by processes of personal impairment of original capacities for feeling, perceiving, reflecting, choosing and acting ] have made more and more Americans more afraid of their own capacities for active, mutually [socially and relationally] aware living and making evaluations and choices oneself; social media has re-inforced these tendencies to search for content and meaning only within a contrived social medium.
Social change that you point to in On Freedom, e.g., the discriminatory and politically calculated enlargement of prison populations and changing of political demographics, clearly point to intentional social policy that distorts and manipulates.
Your broadcast from Hudson, OH has so many meanings for me from personal experience in northern third of Ohio. Likewise, your references in On Freedom to communities in southern Ohio. The meanings are, most likely, ones generally shared by any of us reading this. We see the communities, over time measured in generations and often marked by single significant social and political events, reflect very remarkable changes of personal attitudes that make up the mix of views that become politically important to the living in those communities.
The dark certainties of fascism are enormously ominous for anyone; the luminous unpredictability of conscious active freedom along with our inborn positive social senses and capacities are what we can strive together for, especially today in preparing for personal conscientious participation in the Nov elections. Of interest is yesterday's interview of Rep Liz Cheney and VP Kamala Harris by Sarah Longwell at https://www.thebulwark.com/p/tune-in-for-sarah-vp-harris-and-rep or at
What does the scholarship report about why German citizens publicly opposed to Hitler fail? What does the comparison between German citizens opposed to Hitler and American citizens opposed to Trump tell us that we need to know in order to defeat Trump at the polls?
Please do not stop talking about fascism. This is the biggest challenge our nation has faced since the Civil War. We need to hear continually about the fake solutions for fake problems.
Yeah Kit! Thinking over “Fearing”. I thought watching a sports game would be a reprieve from TFG, but his ads are dark. One ad in particular the speaker claims falsely that Kamala Harris is offering transgender surgery to inmates in prison to any prisoner who wants them at taxpayers expense. then they show Kamala Harris saying things out of context, falsely confirming the claim.
And then there’s one about economics, Bidenomics. Citizens are giving testimonials to economic hardships, and they cut to Kamala laughing and saying/laughing “That’s Bidenomics”. They are dark and they do illicit fear and evil witchcraft inuendo.
Sports is a great release from work, highly entertaining if you like that kind of thing (I do.). The ads are pretty universally propagandish garbage; my solution is to record almost everything I watch, and use the remote to zip past all the ads...usually I'm not more than 15-20 minutes behind "Live" - can't text with friends about the latest score, but I can watch on my schedule and my terms. Most games have frequent dead patches - same treatment saves me hours of wasted time, without losing the flow or drama of exciting games.
If the political ads have something newsworthy they'll be linked to one of the sub stacks I read, and I can see them once to know what people are talking about. Mostly not necessary. We owe it to ourselves and our sanity to curate our intake, and strain out the garbage; it makes time for reading, playing with the dog, music, conversation, sailing, cooking, walks, and all kinds of other worthwhile pursuits.
100%
The ability to control our garbage intake is one of the great advances in tv programming.
As good as this podcast by Timothy Snyder is -- turning it into a pamphlet, literally and digitally, for presentation to the people would be another step in educating Americans.
- Fascism is about emotion over reason.
- Fascism is about will over reason.
- Fascism is about fear over fact.
- Fascism is about doom over hope.
It is a state of politics under which the 'leader' decides what you fear and rules by your fears.
Fake problems are generated.
The fear, which has been created is used tor power.
This comment comprised a few bulletins taken from TS's podcast.
I say take crucial points about fascism to the people.
I believe Dr.Snyder is taking it to the people this way. I know, understand, and recognize Fascism from my B.A. from over twenty years ago. But I can't summarize what is happening the way Dr.Snyder with a PH.D can. But I can explain it more clearly off of his summaries or even post his summaries to the local small town and rural leaders where I live. The small town proffesionals will relay the messages and have discussions on their wavelengths. I can try and connect with the non proffesionals (still potentially leaders) who are brain washed to fear the corrupt educated liberals which is a message very similar to Putin's, "fear the corrupt west" message to Russians. A lot of my locals are unaware that I even have a B.A. It's a very real need of people who can be at their level getting in and talking against the grain. Which Dr.Snyder visiting his home state is likely doing where he can. Get into the turf you know and drop the anti-fascist messages how and where you can.
Why you shouldn’t watch sports on TV…LOL. Personally, I practice the piano instead.
Me too. The concentration and coordination required is just about the only thing that can provide relief from the constant stress of these times. And it's good to remember that some humans have managed to create real beauty in the world. cheers
We must nurture relationships with our children, partners, cats, in our candle-brief life.
A Jewish professor who was born in a Displaced Person camp in Germany after The War warned us in 1968:
“You’ve got to be incredibly kind of aware”!
His words ring true more than ever!
He pronounced “avare”, with an unmistakable accent!
It’s the way other survivors spoke.
I was born in a DP camp after the war in Germany so the current situation really resonates with me. Yes you have to be WOKE.
i'm building a new woodland garden in between politics watching and making donations desperate times my little $25 donations against an avalanche of Musk's money
There are theories out there on how sports passify the masses. Sports and beautiful bodies are always emphasized in extremist governments like fascist Italy and Germany or Communist Russia. Also, think gladiators in ancient Rome. It serves to distract people. And in this case also persuade them at the same time.
I'm memorizing these talking points on Fascism and the goals of the Trump team.
You're a HERO, Timothy Snyder!
Of course a 4 minute insight will skip over a lot but in this one you skipped over a big one. When a fascist gang takes power they don't just pronounce the peoples' fears magically resolved. To the contrary, the leaders & the gangs physically run amok, detaining, harming & trampling over those they blame for the fake or real problems that were the pretexts or catalysts for taking over. Leaders & followers create spectacles of retribution & scapegoat accountability to demonstrate that the problems are being tackled. This also keeps the violence & conflict that's the fuel for the continuing fires & emergencies fascism needs.
Thank you, very astute commentary, Dr. Snyder, and excellent advice.
Thank you, Dr. Snyder. I’m reading your book and following your posts, and gaining a good understanding what is going on today. Re-reading Hannah Arendt again, and can’t believe we’re going through this again. Good thing for many of us is we were brought up by parents who were college professors that taught us to ‘think about thinking’ at an early age. Again, keep speaking publicly and than you. 💙
Thank you, Dr Snyder for posting with clarity what exactly we are hearing.
Just finished your chapter on Mobility ( so beautifully written and understandable) which speaks to this as well. I always feel a need to know more because part of me protests. However every thing I am reading, seeing and thinking then about begins to make sense given the inherency of the fascism. It is like we are living history knowing where this is going and empowering ourselves every day to create something much better.
I am so grateful for your voice and writing, your videos and the kindness you demonstrate. Thank you.
Keep talking about fascism. What's important is that we understand to our core that the US is not exceptional, we are not immune to the siren call of fascism, that this is real -- not a dream, not a movie, not something we fight "over there", but it's here
Just yesterday I was thinking--somewhat facetiously--that I'm surprised Republicans haven't accused Harris of being a witch harking back to the Salem witch trials. Sadly, I might not be far off the mark.
Trump has this idea that he knows things that he doesn’t. - Bob Woodward
Not fit to serve. #J6 a #DayOfLove 🥷🏻
Now is the time to educate voters about the political propaganda techniques used by authoritarians. Let's start with projection:
PROJECTION - the act of accusing an opponent of using the same underhanded tactics or committing the same misdeeds the accuser is guilty of.
This technique involves shifting blame or responsibility to the opponent to deflect attention from one's own actions.
By projecting their own faults onto others, the accuser creates confusion and moral equivalency, making it harder for the audience to distinguish the true source of the wrongdoing.
https://heartland.org/opinion/how-to-thwart-the-nefarious-propaganda-technique-of-projection/
VOTE 🇺🇸 🗳 🗽
Thanks for the link
Our family is joking/not joking that there is an increase in signs of about two Harris to one Trump in our small town and rural areas. Which is an improvement over the last election that was almost entirely all Trump signs. The 2016 election was to a fascist level of lock her up signs. Those were literally rows of yards and driveways. We believe there would be more Harris Walz signs, but likely many are stolen since most rural and small town liberals won't go to the extent of putting up trail cams to catch sign stealers unlike our more conservative neighbors lol. However, the Trump/Vance signs do tend to be very big in comparison which is new. One day I saw thirteen-ish year old kids hanging huge Trump/Vance signs in town. THAT is still disturbing. But, there are also many Republicans for Harris Walz signs that are VERY refreshing. And those are very big signs often positioned next to big Trump/Vance signs. My parents neighbor FINALLY changed his Trump/Pence signs for Trump/Vance signs. Which means some are FINALLY receiving some current events lol.
Thank you, Prof Snyder, for this series of observations on these fascist actions.
I hope that any listener to your broadcasts will take time to carefully consider the subtle but significant power that this sort of fascist messaging has in distorting any persons experience awareness, thinking and choosing. No matter the theme, the danger is in the supplanting of facts of experience and common sense impact of experience with surreal and false information.
It so happens that, just before listening to this set of observations, I re-read some of the 'middle chapters' sections [170s - 180s pp] in On Freedom. Public narratives aimed at delivering unfreedom as a shared vision and for inspiring unfree-oriented social and political attitudes and chosen behavior have prepared [by processes of personal impairment of original capacities for feeling, perceiving, reflecting, choosing and acting ] have made more and more Americans more afraid of their own capacities for active, mutually [socially and relationally] aware living and making evaluations and choices oneself; social media has re-inforced these tendencies to search for content and meaning only within a contrived social medium.
Social change that you point to in On Freedom, e.g., the discriminatory and politically calculated enlargement of prison populations and changing of political demographics, clearly point to intentional social policy that distorts and manipulates.
Your broadcast from Hudson, OH has so many meanings for me from personal experience in northern third of Ohio. Likewise, your references in On Freedom to communities in southern Ohio. The meanings are, most likely, ones generally shared by any of us reading this. We see the communities, over time measured in generations and often marked by single significant social and political events, reflect very remarkable changes of personal attitudes that make up the mix of views that become politically important to the living in those communities.
The dark certainties of fascism are enormously ominous for anyone; the luminous unpredictability of conscious active freedom along with our inborn positive social senses and capacities are what we can strive together for, especially today in preparing for personal conscientious participation in the Nov elections. Of interest is yesterday's interview of Rep Liz Cheney and VP Kamala Harris by Sarah Longwell at https://www.thebulwark.com/p/tune-in-for-sarah-vp-harris-and-rep or at
https://www.youtube.com/live/6xRTeLp6BpY " LIVE! The Bulwark's Sarah Longwell Interviews Kamala Harris & Liz Cheney in Pennsylvania!" The Bulwark
I love these short videos and I hope you will make more. Keep it up!
What does the scholarship report about why German citizens publicly opposed to Hitler fail? What does the comparison between German citizens opposed to Hitler and American citizens opposed to Trump tell us that we need to know in order to defeat Trump at the polls?