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New ways to listen, read, watch, and learn just how much danger we’re all in. I am happy for you AND We the People.

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Very much looking forward to all three ideas. Thanks!

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I don't use Facebook, so will there transcripts be available to subscribers I prefer reading but may review via via or audio. I hesitate to subscribe if transcripts are not available. Thank you. Fern

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The other thing that I think is important about your project here is the sense of scholarly erudition and learning being actively applied to contemporary events. With your podcasts and posts, we have a chance to think through what is happening in the world with an analytical focus, rather than the immediacy of enthusiasm or emotion. I see your reflections as a kind of laboratory of how we might think about the world and think ourselves 'into' the world, rather than falling prey to a kind of pagan fatalism. And also a reminder of how important it is that each person work on honing their own skills of intelligent judgement; here I can't help but remember Hannah Arendt's observation: that one of the most disturbing features of modern people is their chronic inability to judge reality for themselves.

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Dear Professor Snyder, I thought your proposal No 3 is particular exciting - to have some chance to interact with you would be welcome. One of the problems I find with the internet nowadays is that whilst there are very many very well-informed public intellectuals out there saying all kinds of interesting things, apart from the obligatory 'comments' section of their posts, there is little opportunity for meaningful interaction/discourse on an ongoing basis. Hopefully your live interactive thread will make that possible,

regards

Yarkov Halik

Melbourne, Australia

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Individualism and competition can't help but prime a country for autocratic capture. It's hard to see coming at first but arrive eventually it does. Autocrats naturally see a divided population as freedom to strike. This is expected human "bully" thinking: act when the playground is leaderless.

At this late hour, our leaders are trying the "ignore the bullies on the playground" approach. They see the battles as difference of opinion. But our bullies are psychopaths and smart. They have created a rival playground with their own teachers and rules. They are closing in on the front office after which they will purge and change rules for everyone. Bullying will become the way of life and the law.

Today's leadership is not ready to fight this battle. Our autocrats are psychopaths. Our leaders are baffled. There is much they can still do, but right now it looks like only public pressure that will change their course.

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I've been reading you since long before Trump. (Everyone here, read The Red Prince, it's a wonderful book about how quickly the world changed after WWI, as well as a portrait of a fascinating man.) Very appreciative of your efforts to get this material out.

It seems to me that while we in the West hoped capitalism would bring democracy to the Eastern bloc, that the reverse also happened... strongman autocracy also left its imprint on us. Corporations gained access to the biggest market of them all, China -- again, big expansion of capitalism, yay, but a few decades later Western democracies are strangled in their response to horrific human rights abuses because they don't want to upset or interfere in all that business. We've forgotten what promoting democratic values really means, and so here we are, with anti-democratic ideas being injected and accepted into the U.S.

Anyway, looking forward to more writing from you.

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founding

I am thinking of ways of how to spread the word. In a group of 126 people, we are raising money for a school in Laos. It's an international group of English teachers and learners, with people from a number of countries in Europe and Latin America. I am thinking about starting a Debating Club and discussing each and every idea/lesson in the On Tyranny book. I am sure those from Argentina, Brazil, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia, Czechia, Ukraine, Russia and Latvia will have a lot to say, and our members could then carry on with the discussions in their own circle of friends and families. There has to be a way of making people aware and winning them over.

It does not happen too often that someone from academia is prepared to get involved and start doing something actively, communicating their ideas in a clear and compelling way. I can't even remember how and why I started watching Professor Snyder's youtube videos, but like several of us, I began following him around 2016 and I've been watching each and every lecture ever since, some several times over*. "Don't obey in advance" is now an inside joke between my daughter and I...

I so look forward to the live sessions in the autumn.

*On alternate days, it's Masha Gessen :-)...

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Thank you. I knew that the Democrats’ narrow victory in November did one vital thing: it bought us in the US a few months to strengthen our hold on what elements of democracy we still have. Now, those month rapidly dwindling away, I long for guidance on how best to proceed. I am proud to be an early subscriber, and will be paying close attention to your wise perspective.

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Fantastic news! On Tyranny is a game changing book. Can’t wait for that. You are a treasure Professor. Thank you

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