Dr. Snyder, I have just one critique of your eloquent and challenging posts: What I keep seeing in your writing, such as in this post on the NED and democracy, is that we must "make the case" for democracy and against authoritarianism. I agree, but sorry, that is not going to change anything by itself. It's the intellectual's bubble. We also need action, mass, risky, action, to put power behind the words. I know that you know this as a student of history, especially Eurasian history, as am I. Allow me also to say that I wish you had been one of my professors at Yale over a half century ago. I had some great ones. But in fairness, it was another time, and we probably would have been students in the same class. :)
I feel the more we speak out loudly, the more it will sink in. And, I give it a year for people that will be affected to finally wake up to the damage trump and musk will create.
But we don't have "a year"! In a year, the US will be in a RECESSION. Trump must be stopped NOW, by any/all means. You must speak w republicans, MAGA, Trumpers... Stop teying to explain this to democrats. WE KNOW THIS! And you're preaching to the damn choir. Go where this knowledge is needed! Knowledgable people like you must get in front of republican congressmen and DEMAND they do their jobs as "checks & balances"!! In a year, Trump will have so much dictatorial power, there may not be a way back. THIS IS URGENT. Your iwn life, your children's immediate future is at stake!
The truth is that we must acknowledge that my generation (the baby boomers) may have collectively failed posterity by our failure to more vigorously articulate the principles of democracy and freedom.
I KNOW this will generate protest from those who have been active in struggles for women’s rights, civil rights, and against racism and imperialism. But even in our struggles we were too self centered and materialistic. Take the Vietnam war: if so many hadn’t been directly affected by the draft, would there have been as much activism? And for all those who put their bodies on the line, there were too few of us who developed our rhetorical abilities beyond grandstanding to defend the principles of democracy and freedom.
When we are not protesting, badgering Congress, or supporting worthy causes as much as we can, we need to STUDY UP on democracy, educating ourselves and others so that when the dust settles on the vast wreckage left by MAGAism, we can build back better.
The truth is that someone like Trump could only seize the hearts and minds of so many American because of OUR COLLECTIVE FAILURE to understand and honor democracy.
Democracy is NOT inevitable. It is NOT a string of glorious victories. It is long periods of struggle, frustration, confusion, complexity, and tiny glimmers of hope and solidarity punctuated as much by thudding disappointments and tragic betrayals as by inspirational achievements.
When I was a rising senior in high school, it was announced that Civics was no longer a required course for graduation. How we cheered! Civics was soooo boring. I never learned the basics about how our government works for many years. I feel certain that the majority of my fellow students never have learned. It is a tragedy.
I didn’t realize it at the time, but I went to a pretty good high school. It didn’t offer Civics classes (or at least I didn’t take one), but civics and the workings of the Constitution were integrated into a lot of different classes: Western Civilization, American History. I think we read the constitution in Western Civilization.
Wen I was a senior, I took a political science course where the main text was called “The Irony of Democracy” where the case was made that certain elements of a “plural elite” had more commitment to the democratic rule of law than the majority of the population Back then, people would tell pollsters that they were in favor of democracy, but if you gave them the text of the Bill of Rights a shocking percentage would say it was socialist or subversive. (These were polls taken in the 60s and 70s. I doubt it was better in the 50s). But, I didn’t really take it to heart in the right ways.
I only hope it we can learn from this current terrible experience. The problem is, as humans, we tend to learn the hard way. Or, like Churchill said about Americans, we always tend to do the right thing — after we’ve tried everything else.
Great post! I "envy" your high school education. My parents moved to NC from Michigan when I was 10. In 8th grade, we had "NC History". The only mention of slavery was that it was over. I'm not kidding. The schools had "integrated" the year before -- which meant that we were all under the same roof, but never in the same classrooms, and always on opposite sides of the cafeteria.
I guess I was lucky. It was a public high school, but in a college town in Massachusetts. Still, it shows what can be done — if there’s motivation from the community. The problem is there’s always motivation, but not necessarily to give all students a good education.
Here’s a very interesting link. It kind of shows what can be done — and why it’s not. If you don’t mind a spoiler, they found that the ones they gave an excellent education to were not the one’s who’d be most motivated to make a profit for their corporation…
I saw a comment from you on my email, but I can't find it here. I'll answer your questions: No, I elected not to take the Civics course, and counted myself lucky at the time. The schools in Ann Arbor were considered the best in the country in the early 1960's. I LOVED school. Then when we moved to NC, the schools were awful, even though it also was a university town. I hated school so much that I wasn't going to go to college. Long story short: my Dad found out that I hadn't even applied to UNC, asked me to go for one semester and see if I liked it, I liked it so much that I ended up going for 5 years and essentially had majors in History and Chemistry, and minors in music and foreign languages (Russian and Chinese). I couldn't stay away -- so went to med school, then did three Internships (Medicine, Neurology, and Psychiatry), and ended up in the latter. I'm SO thankful that my Dad encouraged me to try higher education. Despite my ignorance of Civics, I was very active and an organizer during the VN war protests in D.C. Also involved in Civil Rights activities. My political activity was surely a result of my family, NOT my teachers or education in HS.
What a fascinating article!! I'd never heard about this. And I love your spoiler:
"while executives came out of the program more confident and more intellectually engaged, they were also less interested in putting the company’s bottom line ahead of their commitments to their families and communities. By 1960, the Institute of Humanistic Studies for Executives was finished." :-) For what it's worth, we moved from Ann Arbor, MI (my Dad taught at UM) to Chapel Hill, NC (UNC). So it was a university town, but back in the early 60's, if it was a school in the South, it was definitely sub-par.
The BBC had a program, « The Century of the Self » by Adam Curtis describing how thinkers after WWII pondered why educated Germans supported fascism. In part, they thought individual consumerism might be beneficial. That hasn’t worked.
Yes, the world is now so different; look at the free-will of oral gratification and obesity.
Society has been infected by the short term thinking of immediate gratification; Altruism doesn’t sell products in the entertainment business. There is a reward system for being inherently evil and self fulfilled, else why so pervasive? Capitalism seems part of this virus. There are yet, no leaders that can overcome the propaganda of main stream media…. Years of ouches ahead.
We *do* have to make the case, by engaging with Trump supporters and helping them see who's side Trump and Musk are really on--gently, patiently, with a lot of listening, and no anger or condescension involved. Otherwise the risky actions it sounds like you're contemplating will likely be romantic only, not successful. Ukraine was able to rise up against the Russians in 2004, 2012-13, and 2022- because they were largely *united.* At this point, we're not only not nearly as united, but badly outgunned as well (GOPers are 2x as likely to own weapons and to have more weapons/household as well), something the Ukrainians didn't even need to consider.
For this reason, we also need to do whatever we can to ensure everyone on active duty, in reserve, or having veteran status understands all the many ways in which Trump is NOT on their side, doesn't share their values and hasn't for his entire life. No journalist has ever come anywhere close to laying out this case in one place in full, and the most comprehensive cases, eg that Atlantic article, weren't written, formatted, or designed for this audience, have likely been read by less than 1% of the public, and are remembered impactfully by far fewer.
Changing minds is an *educational* process and education requires *repetition,* which is why it was never a good idea to leave this responsibility in the hands of the news media, who by definition, are looking for what's *new* every day, not to repeat things over and over until people understand them. That's what Fox does, and Fox is not news.
"We must make the case" Of course. That is a useful arrow in our quiver.
There must be more arrows. Sadly the engineer's arrow, logic. is buried in the debris of broken and twisted arrrows; its sharp end barely showing.
A vast human history of "just so" stories has gotten us to where we are today. They are hard to leave behind having bought groceries for legions of bright thieves and noble sages.
The universe has "Time". It moves in only one direction. Absent logic there is nothing but a static image. Evolution of species is a very logical process. That includes the human species. I see far too much reliance on old "just so" stories about how and why we humans behave the way we do. How can we "know our enemy" when we measure them (as well as ourselves) with faulty instruments?
The enemy is now employing a technology that changes weaker human minds permanently into what can arguably called a new human subspecies. Our laws allow these "people" to vote. How should we deal with that?
Ed, that's a very undemocratic argument. People will sometimes act illogically, especially when they're angry, and that may affect how they vote. That shouldn't invalidate their votes nor be a reason to deny them that very basic right. Our universe isn't logical. Read Sir Martin Rees's book 'Just Six Numbers' for example which explains how everything we see and understand seems to depend on just six cosmic numbers, like N, the ratio of the strength of the electrical force to the gravitational force. Nobody really understands why these numbers are as they are but if any of them were even slightly different then nothing would exist. Evolution is not logical either. As Stephen J. Gould was fond of pointing out if one rewound the tape and ran it again things would certainly not turn out the same way. Like you, he was critical of adaptationist explanations for every human behaviour and also used Kipling's 'Just So Stories' to describe this mode of thinking about evolution. Great minds think alike, I guess. If you want to protect democracy then you have to fight to protect basic rights like the right to vote, even for people you detest. You have to win the argument and you can only do this by listening to the other side and recognising the fixity of your own opinions. It's hard going sometimes, but it's infinitely better than what Trump is doing.
Truth is never binary, Ed, it's always complex and nuanced. MAGA supporters may have genuine grievances as well as irrational prejudices. You have to be able to discriminate between the two things. Democrats have signally failed to do that and address the genuine concerns of the American people. Trump has offered them solutions, albeit fake ones, and he's also given them something and someone to blame for their woes: immigrants, the Democrats, wokeness and even the trade policies of allies. Ultimately, even he will be judged on whether his administration meets those concerns and improves the lives of ordinary Americans (or at least satisfies enough people that he has done so). He's not doing this at the moment and he faces major challenges, not least the impending budget negotiations. He's a fool, and that will be his undoing.
Russell- I agree with some of what you say. I disagree on some of your points.
I won't change on my basic principles. I see humanity largely guided by profitable just so stories born of ignorance. I refuse to be trapped by them. If I must remain alone in the outer reaches, so it will be.
Fight the good fight, by all means but if you lose faith in the American people's sense of fairness and justice then the game is up anyway. You're not alone - read this comments page. Shine a light rather than curse the darkness and find others who are doing the same.
Racism is reality. Like it or not, it is a defense mechanism in the human character. Humans have plenty of evolved character flaws. We have demonstrated our ability to destroy our specie's existence and the willingness to act on that ability.
Please don't call me a racist because I oppose people who want me dead. (like my MAGA enemies). They may change in some future; but I will leave it to others to trust them. If that makes me a racist, so be it. Sorry; I never was much of a Christian. Love of others is a big part of little me; but a tiny thing in a large universe.
This guest, John K. Glenn, said at the outset that he, we needed talk, language, "not in the abstract but here and now."
He proceeded as true wonk intellectual to cite stats, some economic trends, and some history -- but referenced no histories as books, no biographies, no novels, no memoirs -- nothing human, nothing personal by anyone in the "here and now."
We see this among Dems, too -- zero connection to any humanity among our working classes.
So we have our intellectuals all in the same theory lingo, all very much sunk in the abstract, all impotent in the face of tidal waves of evil now regnant atop the U.S.
Correct you are Gerson: this status quo "is not going to change anything by itself."
That passivity of the Democrats during the orange sadist's speech was appalling. Their presence, and their silence, gave tacit approval to his hideous lies. I no longer consider myself a Democrat.
And the performance of the Republicans? Their cheering and clapping on their feet at almost every pause, every insult, every punch line. this was not appalling behaviour?
This clown show was enough to change your political leanings? I saw nothing that gave tacit or any other sort of approval. What do you suppose Trump would have made of it if they all walked out with Al Green?
Thank you for this thoughtful essay. I feel compelled to say though that Israel is a democracy and it is obviously at war with Hamas. And Palestine is in the midst of what I would certainly call a famine. That does not dispel your argument of course. But when democracies become colonialists, their freedom loving instincts and compassion for others certainly seems to go unattended. ♥️
The case of Israel is so complicated. BB Netanyahu does not promote democracy, even within Israel. Way before the Hamas attack, there were many Israelis protesting in the streets to stop the "reforms" Netanyahu was foisting upon them to keep himself out of jail.
It will be interesting to see how the US and Israel rate in the 2025 Economist democracy evaluation. In 2023 the US was classified as a "flawed democracy" and ranked 29th; if my memory serves me Israel was 28th or 30th. I fully expect both to slip in the ratings and won't be surprised if they are now "failed democracies". If so it would falsify the notion that their behalf behavior is somehow inconsistent.
I agree this will be interesting. In our case, I'm thinking a lot will depend on the extent to which the Index regards what Trump has done to be representative of a real and lasting change, and that will depend a lot on how the courts and we, the people, respond in the coming months.
In the case of Israel, what do you see as having shifted internally since the last evaluation? As horrific as what's happened in Gaza is, it's unclear to me the extent to which the Index takes into account how democratic a country's foreign policy is, especially if those it is fighting--Iran, Hamas, Hezbollah, are arguably even less democratic than they are.
These are great and indisputable talking points and I intend to use them in my twice weekly letters to my Senators and Congressman. The single most horrifying thing about where we find ourselves right now is a sense of impotence across the board. Next to that is perhaps the naive believe that somehow all this will be sorted via familiar means. I think not. We will also need more unionization, more strikes, more boycotts, more demonstrations across the board. I hope, but don't necessarily believe that will be enough, but maybe if those actions are broad and deep enough, we will save ourselves. Let's hope so. Thanks for the reminder of why democracy is worth saving.
Manifesto to manifest action, we do need doers eventually; as Democrats here and there lunge and lurch forward for footing and hints of higher calling to save our threatened land. Folks, we are truly in a death spiral here. 47th nearly burned the Bundestag last night, and could quixotically finish the job at any moment. We need Dr Snyder and thinkers to find our depth and methods if actual repair is to happen. The courts have failed us generally. What paths remain?
The Supreme Court has just handed Trump a major defeat on his decision to freeze foreign aid voted for by Congress. Chief Justice John Roberts and Amy Coney Barrett joined the three liberal justices in leaving in place a ruling from a US district judge last month, which ordered the administration to unfreeze the nearly $2bn in aid for work that had already been done, and that had been approved by Congress. There was a strong dissenting opinion by Alito and the others but it does show that even this deeply flawed and partisan court draws a line somewhere on Trump's unconstitutional behaviour. His commerce secretary is already talking about removing the tariffs on Canada and Mexico subject to a better deal - literally the day after they were applied. The coming days will also see some tough budget negotiations with Democrats appearing to be eager to risk a government shutdown to stop Musk's reckless decimation of the federal state. Republican members of Congress have been unnerved by scenes of angry voters at town hall meetings that have gone viral. This is not the time to throw in the towel.
Thank you. During Clintons Administration, I participated in the Arts in Embassies Program. I had three landscape paintings in the US Embassy in Rabat, Morrocco. Every program which teaches, encourages and shares the arts are an essential to our well being. It's what helps make us human beings. If Kamala had won, I had a set of work which I was hoping to present for consideration. Cutting the Arts and the upheaval in our Governments foreign relations, closes that down. As artists, the making of art, music, poetry, ..also counts on the ability to present it. Thank you for many good resources you provided in your discussion.
In the Reagan years the United States rejected the Equal Rights Amendment, shut down the advancement of democracy, and started Stalin. How poetic! American men prefer to be ruled by little green men than a human woman. Why export this sexist brand of democracy?
The arguments for Democracy and against authoritarianism are clear and incontrovertible in my mind, but they are clearest and more impactful in the context of an overbearing authoritarian state. We don't have that context yet but are nearing it by the day. Thankfully we are not there yet.
The political world has flipped in the US. In many ways Republicans now are the 19th C Democrats and the 19th C Republicans today's Democrats.
Let's continue the flip in a way.
Maybe the Dems should now market themselves as the 21st C Conservatives in the sense of conserving Constitution, Democracy, right to vote etc? These are the higher order of governmental priorities than money - making and saving money being the obsession of "conservative" Rs.
Who knows but the current path looks way too treacherous not to consider a different approach.
Manchurian candidates, Russian agents, historically shameful & depraved...Trump, Musk & MAGA, in their vision of gangster government & kleptocracy, believe that democracy is for sale & that they've bought control of the US government...that Trump, Musk & their MAGA oligarchs can act with impunity. Threats of retribution & prosecution for those who would uphold the rule of law are intended to silence opposition & compel obedience in advance.
The battles for democracy & the rule of law will require resilient resistance…
Democracies are also more victorious in wars. Democracies won both World Wars and the Korean War in the 20th Century. When Americans were deprived of their democratic choices by the assassinations of 1963, 1968, and the minority vote victories of 2000 and 2016 (cyberwar), our wars became unpopular, endless quagmires which ended badly for the US.
When we are not protesting, badgering Congress, or supporting worthy causes as much as we can, we need to STUDY UP on democracy, educating ourselves and others so that when the dust settles on the vast wreckage left by MAGAism, we can build back better.
The truth is that someone like Trump could only seize the hearts and minds of so many American because of OUR COLLECTIVE FAILURE to understand and honor democracy.
Democracy is NOT inevitable. It is NOT a string of glorious victories. It is long periods of struggle, frustration, confusion, complexity, and tiny glimmers of hope and solidarity punctuated as much by thudding disappointments and tragic betrayals as by inspirational achievements.
And that's exactly why Trump shut you down, because you and your honorable mission is a direct threat to his dictatorship plans for the US. Trump is forcing the US to abandon our own democracy. The republicans in congress know this well, most know how dangerous Trump is, but all are COWARDS who prefer to collect their paycheck and remain "power-adjacent" rather than use their own power to DO THEIR DAMN JOBS AND ENACT CHECKS & BALANCES TO PROTECT THE NATION. Trump's already caused tremendous damage, what seemed unimaginable six weeks ago! TRUMP MUST BE STOPPED. People like you must go public, demand media attention, soeak to rwpublicans, soeak to MAGA, and be LOUD about speaking truth to power!
A little too painfully prescient was this sentiment attributed to Hitler’s minister of propaganda, Joseph Goebbels: “The big joke on democracy is that it gives its mortal enemies the tools to its own destruction.” The American people have of course quite possibly just become the latest punchline of this joke, depending upon how effectively we are able to defend our democracy, Constitution and cherished institutions from the GOP/MAGA onslaught. To say this is an inflection point will perhaps prove to be the understatement of American history.
Dr. Snyder, I have just one critique of your eloquent and challenging posts: What I keep seeing in your writing, such as in this post on the NED and democracy, is that we must "make the case" for democracy and against authoritarianism. I agree, but sorry, that is not going to change anything by itself. It's the intellectual's bubble. We also need action, mass, risky, action, to put power behind the words. I know that you know this as a student of history, especially Eurasian history, as am I. Allow me also to say that I wish you had been one of my professors at Yale over a half century ago. I had some great ones. But in fairness, it was another time, and we probably would have been students in the same class. :)
I feel the more we speak out loudly, the more it will sink in. And, I give it a year for people that will be affected to finally wake up to the damage trump and musk will create.
But we don't have "a year"! In a year, the US will be in a RECESSION. Trump must be stopped NOW, by any/all means. You must speak w republicans, MAGA, Trumpers... Stop teying to explain this to democrats. WE KNOW THIS! And you're preaching to the damn choir. Go where this knowledge is needed! Knowledgable people like you must get in front of republican congressmen and DEMAND they do their jobs as "checks & balances"!! In a year, Trump will have so much dictatorial power, there may not be a way back. THIS IS URGENT. Your iwn life, your children's immediate future is at stake!
Hold on to your shirt; you will need it in the days ahead, even if only to identify yourself as a card/carrying liberal Democrat!
We don't have a year.
WE must be action that puts the power to Prof Synder's words. WE MUST FIGHT LIKE UKRAINIANS. This message has been clear from the start.
The truth is that we must acknowledge that my generation (the baby boomers) may have collectively failed posterity by our failure to more vigorously articulate the principles of democracy and freedom.
I KNOW this will generate protest from those who have been active in struggles for women’s rights, civil rights, and against racism and imperialism. But even in our struggles we were too self centered and materialistic. Take the Vietnam war: if so many hadn’t been directly affected by the draft, would there have been as much activism? And for all those who put their bodies on the line, there were too few of us who developed our rhetorical abilities beyond grandstanding to defend the principles of democracy and freedom.
When we are not protesting, badgering Congress, or supporting worthy causes as much as we can, we need to STUDY UP on democracy, educating ourselves and others so that when the dust settles on the vast wreckage left by MAGAism, we can build back better.
The truth is that someone like Trump could only seize the hearts and minds of so many American because of OUR COLLECTIVE FAILURE to understand and honor democracy.
Democracy is NOT inevitable. It is NOT a string of glorious victories. It is long periods of struggle, frustration, confusion, complexity, and tiny glimmers of hope and solidarity punctuated as much by thudding disappointments and tragic betrayals as by inspirational achievements.
When I was a rising senior in high school, it was announced that Civics was no longer a required course for graduation. How we cheered! Civics was soooo boring. I never learned the basics about how our government works for many years. I feel certain that the majority of my fellow students never have learned. It is a tragedy.
I didn’t realize it at the time, but I went to a pretty good high school. It didn’t offer Civics classes (or at least I didn’t take one), but civics and the workings of the Constitution were integrated into a lot of different classes: Western Civilization, American History. I think we read the constitution in Western Civilization.
Wen I was a senior, I took a political science course where the main text was called “The Irony of Democracy” where the case was made that certain elements of a “plural elite” had more commitment to the democratic rule of law than the majority of the population Back then, people would tell pollsters that they were in favor of democracy, but if you gave them the text of the Bill of Rights a shocking percentage would say it was socialist or subversive. (These were polls taken in the 60s and 70s. I doubt it was better in the 50s). But, I didn’t really take it to heart in the right ways.
I only hope it we can learn from this current terrible experience. The problem is, as humans, we tend to learn the hard way. Or, like Churchill said about Americans, we always tend to do the right thing — after we’ve tried everything else.
Great post! I "envy" your high school education. My parents moved to NC from Michigan when I was 10. In 8th grade, we had "NC History". The only mention of slavery was that it was over. I'm not kidding. The schools had "integrated" the year before -- which meant that we were all under the same roof, but never in the same classrooms, and always on opposite sides of the cafeteria.
I guess I was lucky. It was a public high school, but in a college town in Massachusetts. Still, it shows what can be done — if there’s motivation from the community. The problem is there’s always motivation, but not necessarily to give all students a good education.
Here’s a very interesting link. It kind of shows what can be done — and why it’s not. If you don’t mind a spoiler, they found that the ones they gave an excellent education to were not the one’s who’d be most motivated to make a profit for their corporation…
https://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/16/opinion/16davis.html?unlocked_article_code=1.104.A6p4.UY5vPpIajqra&smid=url-share
I saw a comment from you on my email, but I can't find it here. I'll answer your questions: No, I elected not to take the Civics course, and counted myself lucky at the time. The schools in Ann Arbor were considered the best in the country in the early 1960's. I LOVED school. Then when we moved to NC, the schools were awful, even though it also was a university town. I hated school so much that I wasn't going to go to college. Long story short: my Dad found out that I hadn't even applied to UNC, asked me to go for one semester and see if I liked it, I liked it so much that I ended up going for 5 years and essentially had majors in History and Chemistry, and minors in music and foreign languages (Russian and Chinese). I couldn't stay away -- so went to med school, then did three Internships (Medicine, Neurology, and Psychiatry), and ended up in the latter. I'm SO thankful that my Dad encouraged me to try higher education. Despite my ignorance of Civics, I was very active and an organizer during the VN war protests in D.C. Also involved in Civil Rights activities. My political activity was surely a result of my family, NOT my teachers or education in HS.
What a fascinating article!! I'd never heard about this. And I love your spoiler:
"while executives came out of the program more confident and more intellectually engaged, they were also less interested in putting the company’s bottom line ahead of their commitments to their families and communities. By 1960, the Institute of Humanistic Studies for Executives was finished." :-) For what it's worth, we moved from Ann Arbor, MI (my Dad taught at UM) to Chapel Hill, NC (UNC). So it was a university town, but back in the early 60's, if it was a school in the South, it was definitely sub-par.
The BBC had a program, « The Century of the Self » by Adam Curtis describing how thinkers after WWII pondered why educated Germans supported fascism. In part, they thought individual consumerism might be beneficial. That hasn’t worked.
Yes, the world is now so different; look at the free-will of oral gratification and obesity.
Society has been infected by the short term thinking of immediate gratification; Altruism doesn’t sell products in the entertainment business. There is a reward system for being inherently evil and self fulfilled, else why so pervasive? Capitalism seems part of this virus. There are yet, no leaders that can overcome the propaganda of main stream media…. Years of ouches ahead.
Rampant consumerism, trumps capitalism and communism!
How’s that for a mouthful?
About Richard Nixon and his persona, we asked: “Would you buy a used car from this guy?”
We *do* have to make the case, by engaging with Trump supporters and helping them see who's side Trump and Musk are really on--gently, patiently, with a lot of listening, and no anger or condescension involved. Otherwise the risky actions it sounds like you're contemplating will likely be romantic only, not successful. Ukraine was able to rise up against the Russians in 2004, 2012-13, and 2022- because they were largely *united.* At this point, we're not only not nearly as united, but badly outgunned as well (GOPers are 2x as likely to own weapons and to have more weapons/household as well), something the Ukrainians didn't even need to consider.
For this reason, we also need to do whatever we can to ensure everyone on active duty, in reserve, or having veteran status understands all the many ways in which Trump is NOT on their side, doesn't share their values and hasn't for his entire life. No journalist has ever come anywhere close to laying out this case in one place in full, and the most comprehensive cases, eg that Atlantic article, weren't written, formatted, or designed for this audience, have likely been read by less than 1% of the public, and are remembered impactfully by far fewer.
Changing minds is an *educational* process and education requires *repetition,* which is why it was never a good idea to leave this responsibility in the hands of the news media, who by definition, are looking for what's *new* every day, not to repeat things over and over until people understand them. That's what Fox does, and Fox is not news.
"We must make the case" Of course. That is a useful arrow in our quiver.
There must be more arrows. Sadly the engineer's arrow, logic. is buried in the debris of broken and twisted arrrows; its sharp end barely showing.
A vast human history of "just so" stories has gotten us to where we are today. They are hard to leave behind having bought groceries for legions of bright thieves and noble sages.
The universe has "Time". It moves in only one direction. Absent logic there is nothing but a static image. Evolution of species is a very logical process. That includes the human species. I see far too much reliance on old "just so" stories about how and why we humans behave the way we do. How can we "know our enemy" when we measure them (as well as ourselves) with faulty instruments?
The enemy is now employing a technology that changes weaker human minds permanently into what can arguably called a new human subspecies. Our laws allow these "people" to vote. How should we deal with that?
Ed, that's a very undemocratic argument. People will sometimes act illogically, especially when they're angry, and that may affect how they vote. That shouldn't invalidate their votes nor be a reason to deny them that very basic right. Our universe isn't logical. Read Sir Martin Rees's book 'Just Six Numbers' for example which explains how everything we see and understand seems to depend on just six cosmic numbers, like N, the ratio of the strength of the electrical force to the gravitational force. Nobody really understands why these numbers are as they are but if any of them were even slightly different then nothing would exist. Evolution is not logical either. As Stephen J. Gould was fond of pointing out if one rewound the tape and ran it again things would certainly not turn out the same way. Like you, he was critical of adaptationist explanations for every human behaviour and also used Kipling's 'Just So Stories' to describe this mode of thinking about evolution. Great minds think alike, I guess. If you want to protect democracy then you have to fight to protect basic rights like the right to vote, even for people you detest. You have to win the argument and you can only do this by listening to the other side and recognising the fixity of your own opinions. It's hard going sometimes, but it's infinitely better than what Trump is doing.
An after thought here is worth looking at, even though it goes over my own head pretty quickly. Stephen J. Gould was right.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaos_theory
Truth is a binary entity in an analog universe, a place that has no respect for the limits of human perception.
Truth is never binary, Ed, it's always complex and nuanced. MAGA supporters may have genuine grievances as well as irrational prejudices. You have to be able to discriminate between the two things. Democrats have signally failed to do that and address the genuine concerns of the American people. Trump has offered them solutions, albeit fake ones, and he's also given them something and someone to blame for their woes: immigrants, the Democrats, wokeness and even the trade policies of allies. Ultimately, even he will be judged on whether his administration meets those concerns and improves the lives of ordinary Americans (or at least satisfies enough people that he has done so). He's not doing this at the moment and he faces major challenges, not least the impending budget negotiations. He's a fool, and that will be his undoing.
Russell- I agree with some of what you say. I disagree on some of your points.
I won't change on my basic principles. I see humanity largely guided by profitable just so stories born of ignorance. I refuse to be trapped by them. If I must remain alone in the outer reaches, so it will be.
Godspeed my friend.
Fight the good fight, by all means but if you lose faith in the American people's sense of fairness and justice then the game is up anyway. You're not alone - read this comments page. Shine a light rather than curse the darkness and find others who are doing the same.
The very concept of “sub-species” smacks of racism.
Get a grip! Let’s not outsmart stupid with stupid! Sorry to be so blunt, but l don’t want us to go off on a sub-tangent.
Racism is reality. Like it or not, it is a defense mechanism in the human character. Humans have plenty of evolved character flaws. We have demonstrated our ability to destroy our specie's existence and the willingness to act on that ability.
Please don't call me a racist because I oppose people who want me dead. (like my MAGA enemies). They may change in some future; but I will leave it to others to trust them. If that makes me a racist, so be it. Sorry; I never was much of a Christian. Love of others is a big part of little me; but a tiny thing in a large universe.
Please note, Gerson, Timothy Snyder's guest today.
This guest, John K. Glenn, said at the outset that he, we needed talk, language, "not in the abstract but here and now."
He proceeded as true wonk intellectual to cite stats, some economic trends, and some history -- but referenced no histories as books, no biographies, no novels, no memoirs -- nothing human, nothing personal by anyone in the "here and now."
We see this among Dems, too -- zero connection to any humanity among our working classes.
So we have our intellectuals all in the same theory lingo, all very much sunk in the abstract, all impotent in the face of tidal waves of evil now regnant atop the U.S.
Correct you are Gerson: this status quo "is not going to change anything by itself."
That passivity of the Democrats during the orange sadist's speech was appalling. Their presence, and their silence, gave tacit approval to his hideous lies. I no longer consider myself a Democrat.
And the performance of the Republicans? Their cheering and clapping on their feet at almost every pause, every insult, every punch line. this was not appalling behaviour?
This clown show was enough to change your political leanings? I saw nothing that gave tacit or any other sort of approval. What do you suppose Trump would have made of it if they all walked out with Al Green?
Stalin Epigram
Osip Mandelstam
1933
Translated by Dmitri Smirnov
We are living, but can’t feel the land where we stay,
More than ten steps away you can’t hear what we say.
But if people would talk on occasion,
They should mention the Kremlin Caucasian.
His thick fingers are bulky and fat like live-baits,
And his accurate words are as heavy as weights.
Cucaracha’s moustaches are screaming,
And his boot-tops are shining and gleaming.
But around him a crowd of thin-necked henchmen,
And he plays with the services of these half-men.
Some are whistling, some meowing, some sniffing,
He’s alone booming, poking and whiffing.
He is forging his rules and decrees like horseshoes –
Into groins, into foreheads, in eyes, and eyebrows.
.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stalin_Epigram.
Thank you
Thank you for this thoughtful essay. I feel compelled to say though that Israel is a democracy and it is obviously at war with Hamas. And Palestine is in the midst of what I would certainly call a famine. That does not dispel your argument of course. But when democracies become colonialists, their freedom loving instincts and compassion for others certainly seems to go unattended. ♥️
The case of Israel is so complicated. BB Netanyahu does not promote democracy, even within Israel. Way before the Hamas attack, there were many Israelis protesting in the streets to stop the "reforms" Netanyahu was foisting upon them to keep himself out of jail.
Yes. I agree with you Judy.♥️
It will be interesting to see how the US and Israel rate in the 2025 Economist democracy evaluation. In 2023 the US was classified as a "flawed democracy" and ranked 29th; if my memory serves me Israel was 28th or 30th. I fully expect both to slip in the ratings and won't be surprised if they are now "failed democracies". If so it would falsify the notion that their behalf behavior is somehow inconsistent.
I agree this will be interesting. In our case, I'm thinking a lot will depend on the extent to which the Index regards what Trump has done to be representative of a real and lasting change, and that will depend a lot on how the courts and we, the people, respond in the coming months.
In the case of Israel, what do you see as having shifted internally since the last evaluation? As horrific as what's happened in Gaza is, it's unclear to me the extent to which the Index takes into account how democratic a country's foreign policy is, especially if those it is fighting--Iran, Hamas, Hezbollah, are arguably even less democratic than they are.
Such a good point Stephen. And so sad for both countries.♥️
These are great and indisputable talking points and I intend to use them in my twice weekly letters to my Senators and Congressman. The single most horrifying thing about where we find ourselves right now is a sense of impotence across the board. Next to that is perhaps the naive believe that somehow all this will be sorted via familiar means. I think not. We will also need more unionization, more strikes, more boycotts, more demonstrations across the board. I hope, but don't necessarily believe that will be enough, but maybe if those actions are broad and deep enough, we will save ourselves. Let's hope so. Thanks for the reminder of why democracy is worth saving.
Manifesto to manifest action, we do need doers eventually; as Democrats here and there lunge and lurch forward for footing and hints of higher calling to save our threatened land. Folks, we are truly in a death spiral here. 47th nearly burned the Bundestag last night, and could quixotically finish the job at any moment. We need Dr Snyder and thinkers to find our depth and methods if actual repair is to happen. The courts have failed us generally. What paths remain?
The Supreme Court has just handed Trump a major defeat on his decision to freeze foreign aid voted for by Congress. Chief Justice John Roberts and Amy Coney Barrett joined the three liberal justices in leaving in place a ruling from a US district judge last month, which ordered the administration to unfreeze the nearly $2bn in aid for work that had already been done, and that had been approved by Congress. There was a strong dissenting opinion by Alito and the others but it does show that even this deeply flawed and partisan court draws a line somewhere on Trump's unconstitutional behaviour. His commerce secretary is already talking about removing the tariffs on Canada and Mexico subject to a better deal - literally the day after they were applied. The coming days will also see some tough budget negotiations with Democrats appearing to be eager to risk a government shutdown to stop Musk's reckless decimation of the federal state. Republican members of Congress have been unnerved by scenes of angry voters at town hall meetings that have gone viral. This is not the time to throw in the towel.
Thank you. During Clintons Administration, I participated in the Arts in Embassies Program. I had three landscape paintings in the US Embassy in Rabat, Morrocco. Every program which teaches, encourages and shares the arts are an essential to our well being. It's what helps make us human beings. If Kamala had won, I had a set of work which I was hoping to present for consideration. Cutting the Arts and the upheaval in our Governments foreign relations, closes that down. As artists, the making of art, music, poetry, ..also counts on the ability to present it. Thank you for many good resources you provided in your discussion.
podcast from David Zwermer
🙏. https://www.davidzwirner.com/news/2021/dialogues-luc-tuymans-and-timothy-snyder. Mimi,-And thank you a new podcast to listen to. Due to the time of the discussion it’s like listening to the before time. And Tim is describing where we are going to be now. Prescient
have you heard the podcast with T S and Luc Tiemans? on art and tyranny? verygood
I will look for it. Thank you!
In the Reagan years the United States rejected the Equal Rights Amendment, shut down the advancement of democracy, and started Stalin. How poetic! American men prefer to be ruled by little green men than a human woman. Why export this sexist brand of democracy?
Even Reagan didn’t cave into Russia (then the USSR). Trump is way worse. Off the charts.
The arguments for Democracy and against authoritarianism are clear and incontrovertible in my mind, but they are clearest and more impactful in the context of an overbearing authoritarian state. We don't have that context yet but are nearing it by the day. Thankfully we are not there yet.
The political world has flipped in the US. In many ways Republicans now are the 19th C Democrats and the 19th C Republicans today's Democrats.
Let's continue the flip in a way.
Maybe the Dems should now market themselves as the 21st C Conservatives in the sense of conserving Constitution, Democracy, right to vote etc? These are the higher order of governmental priorities than money - making and saving money being the obsession of "conservative" Rs.
Who knows but the current path looks way too treacherous not to consider a different approach.
Manchurian candidates, Russian agents, historically shameful & depraved...Trump, Musk & MAGA, in their vision of gangster government & kleptocracy, believe that democracy is for sale & that they've bought control of the US government...that Trump, Musk & their MAGA oligarchs can act with impunity. Threats of retribution & prosecution for those who would uphold the rule of law are intended to silence opposition & compel obedience in advance.
The battles for democracy & the rule of law will require resilient resistance…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QXQWHdSMcM
Trump wants us to believe that he & Putin are victims: they've "gone through a lot together.”
The Kremlin patted Trump on the head for betraying our democratic ally & aligning the U.S. with dictators & kleptocrats. #VladsPoodle
Trump tariffs: a $2,000/yr tax hike on the average American household.
https://budgetlab.yale.edu/research/fiscal-economic-and-distributional-effects-20-tariffs-china-and-25-tariffs-canada-and-mexico?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
WSJ 10/3//24: "The Next President Inherits a Remarkable Economy" then envy of the world. https://www.wsj.com/economy/the-next-president-inherits-a-remarkable-economy-7be2d059
Dem admins created 98% of jobs since 1989 while GOP lost jobs & ballooned the deficit.
#VoteBlue
Democracies are also more victorious in wars. Democracies won both World Wars and the Korean War in the 20th Century. When Americans were deprived of their democratic choices by the assassinations of 1963, 1968, and the minority vote victories of 2000 and 2016 (cyberwar), our wars became unpopular, endless quagmires which ended badly for the US.
From your computer to the majority in the Supreme Court!
How do they like their fair-haired boy now?
From my computer to the editor of my regional newspaper!
When we are not protesting, badgering Congress, or supporting worthy causes as much as we can, we need to STUDY UP on democracy, educating ourselves and others so that when the dust settles on the vast wreckage left by MAGAism, we can build back better.
The truth is that someone like Trump could only seize the hearts and minds of so many American because of OUR COLLECTIVE FAILURE to understand and honor democracy.
Democracy is NOT inevitable. It is NOT a string of glorious victories. It is long periods of struggle, frustration, confusion, complexity, and tiny glimmers of hope and solidarity punctuated as much by thudding disappointments and tragic betrayals as by inspirational achievements.
Dr. Snyder this is a call out to folks for the following event to support Ukraine:
Razom for Ukraine (plus 4 other orgs) are having an event this Saturday, 3/8/25 in DC.
Title of event: Don't Abandon Ukraine
Organization: Razom for Ukrainę and 4 other organizations
Purpose: To unfurl largest Ukrainian flag and support UA
Where: The Ellipse Southwest (President's Park South)
When: Saturday, March 8, 2025 from 1:00 PM-3:00 PM
Forecast: Part sun with temps in the mid 40s
Please, if you could, refer others to the Instagram account: @razom.for.ukraine
Thank you for considering the above.
JM
And that's exactly why Trump shut you down, because you and your honorable mission is a direct threat to his dictatorship plans for the US. Trump is forcing the US to abandon our own democracy. The republicans in congress know this well, most know how dangerous Trump is, but all are COWARDS who prefer to collect their paycheck and remain "power-adjacent" rather than use their own power to DO THEIR DAMN JOBS AND ENACT CHECKS & BALANCES TO PROTECT THE NATION. Trump's already caused tremendous damage, what seemed unimaginable six weeks ago! TRUMP MUST BE STOPPED. People like you must go public, demand media attention, soeak to rwpublicans, soeak to MAGA, and be LOUD about speaking truth to power!
A little too painfully prescient was this sentiment attributed to Hitler’s minister of propaganda, Joseph Goebbels: “The big joke on democracy is that it gives its mortal enemies the tools to its own destruction.” The American people have of course quite possibly just become the latest punchline of this joke, depending upon how effectively we are able to defend our democracy, Constitution and cherished institutions from the GOP/MAGA onslaught. To say this is an inflection point will perhaps prove to be the understatement of American history.