Maybe this was an early draft that made it to “print.“ A little jarring to us editors. Still, a profound concept and exposition. A lot to think about here. And to dread.
As I have commented before, Snyder really needs a decent copyeditor because, like a lot of academics I know (and I edited an academic journal in both English and French for 15 years, so I can say this with certainty), he can't edit his own work.
There’s that plus autocorrect which can lead to some real beauts in meaning. We really need an edit option for everyone; not just those who still use a desktop or a laptop computer. I’m either working from my phone or I Pad. If writing something rather involved, I copy it to my Notes, deleting the original. Then I edit my note and reload to the comment section. I find that slows me down enough to better catch errors in either syntax, sentence structure or spelling and to make omissions if I run on and on and on.
It doesn't matter to me about Tim's typos. It's easy enough to 'suss out' what he meant to say before his typing fingers decided to run off and do something else. And consider that Tim Snyder, with a typo every single sentence - should that ever happen - is much more lucid and his words more important than probably those of anyone else on Substack or beyond. So I'd suggest we forget about any typo's and focus on the words, the thought, the message.
And the message is for us to not relinquish any of our freedoms, nor the fact this government is still of, by, and for the People who will find out about these malodorous actions by Musk and demand their representatives to not let him run stuff instead of the People running stuff. As one Senator said, "He can't primary all of us." We don't have to cower and bow and plead and wrangle for the rights we already have -- we just have to stand up for them, no matter who's in office.
Sorry but I expect more from a full professor than multiple typos in short essay. I have great respect for Dr. Snyder and his opinions; it's why I'm a paid subscriber to this Substack. But I also respect the written word and think there is no excuse for such laxness when every word processing program includes a grammar check.
I agree that the typos distract from the brilliant explanations, ideas, and new words. Perhaps the professor needs simply to re-read before hitting "Send." Or get a grad student to proofread. Wouldn't that be a great job?
I found myself realizing “Snyder-typos” are, in their own funny way, a freedom-enhancing thing for a blue-collar, 18 units/3 attempts non-college educated, ex-con w/ Certificate of Rehab/Pardon, ridiculously chaotic and unstable childhood, cancer survivor like me, who cusses way too much goddamnit. I feel much more free to participate in supporting Mr. Tim’s great leadership with whatever experiences, ideas, and words I think might be helpful, even if they are often at least somewhat offensive. I guess I’m really just an angry young man who looks older now. But anyway, how about we all just put our thinking caps on now boys and girls and let the little things go? We are in a critically important phase these decades and there could be massive further bloodshed if we don’t get this right. Humor and fun are important! Try me. But nitpicky bullshit? Uh, no. Not fun.
If you read a lot on the internet, especially newspapers, there are lots of typos. It is the fault of the proof reader or typesetter, whoever or however that task is completed.
On purpose. It’s our job, the readers, what they mean. It took me a couple re-read to see the nudging Snyder was “hinting” at without actually saying - “go with Musk for now.” And if we do, we can avoid the tyranny Trump promised, STILL promises.
Thank you for these word suggestions, the pen truly is mightier than the sword!
Words are so very powerful … words internalize our thoughts, our thoughts create emotions, our emotions lead to our actions. You’ve given us a new vocabulary of old words which will guide our actions to survive this regime.
Regardless of what we call these loathsome fascists, it boils down to evil – greed, malice and egomania triumphant. In 29 days, Elonia and Orange Caligula will take power and start destroying our democracy.
It's already well underway--SCOTUS, voting rights, press cave-ins, the magwarts in House/Senate who'll kiss any sphincter, botched covid response, book bans, deregulation in red states, climate meltdown, AR shootings, etc etc. As I've written here, we are at war. And it didn't just begin.
No matter how many the munpers kill and otherwise ruin, i don't think many will turn on Trump himself. History suggests it usually takes a long time before followers realize how deeply they've been betrayed by those whom they once supported. Trump knew this in his 2015 5th Avenue comment. But it may not matter. There are many other ways that regimes fall.
They may not turn on Trump (except verbally) until the point that trump’s dementia can no longer be ignored. I think that day is coming. Why else would he be kept out of sight since the election? What will they do to prop him up at the inauguration? Teleprompters are the only way he can finish a thought, but his limited literacy combined with dementia makes this risky. I’m betting on some medical cocktail that includes a hefty dose of amphetamines, but that’s just a crude guess. But he is failing.
Thanks for this. One of the best ways to fight back is to mock them and demean them. Do not give them status. I also still love calling the U.S. the name you created, Trumpomuskovia. Or now, maybe, Mumpovia would be more apt.
Hi, Julia. Thank you for your response. I am wrestling with something similar: while humor may often be an effective way to undermine tyrants, sometimes a direct simplicity works, too. I am thinking of something from my faith tradition: do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly. It seems to me, an unabashed statement of one's values has a dignity that mockery does not. It also places in stark contrast the values at stake. I guess I am reading into your remark that you care about decency, fair play, and the like. For the reachable people who have abandoned those things for the mirage of Mumpville, perhaps it would be a chastening mirror. I wonder.
Yes, exactly Barbara. The civil rights movement achieved its gains by standing firm. Today, the Rev. Barber's Poor People's Campaign, United We Dream, Make the Way New York, and many others, show the way.
Humor can undermine tyrants, but mocking people like ourselves - the 99%, for lack of another term - is wrong on many levels.
Thanks for taking the time to reply. I'm happy to "meet" you! I support Dr. Barber and am enlightened and encouraged all the time by people like Dr. Snyder, Ruth Ben-Ghiat, HCR, Bandy X. Lee, and movements like Christians Against Christian Nationalism, Faithful America, and others. I agree with Keith that a variety of strategies is useful, but in the end I think they all need to bear the imprint of our core values of mutual respect and shared community. Not easy sometimes when you're typing into a computer screen, or reacting to hate bait in the media. So I especially appreciate your reaching out. Best wishes to you and yours this holiday season.
Thank you for putting health care as a right front and center. The corruption has already been there for quite some time, finally getting so bad that it has even been noticed by the Democrats who have allowed it to persist. The New York Health Act could solve this for NY, and fighting for enhanced Traditional Medicare single payer for all is essential, though it's looking even more out of reach as the Mumps descend upon us.
76m+ mumpets, both parties run like a gerontocracy fuelled by dark money, no justice system, rank inequality everywhere and now a leader who acts towards allies as if he is the Godfather calling in favours. For the RoW MAGA may come to mean Make America Go Away.
Most of your thought is about the typo issue. What are your thoughts about the substance? I think you are a troll, getting some payoff monetary or otherwise.
Okay, well I think the enemy is certainly smart enough to recognize the highest intellectuals working agaist them. Obviously Tim Snyder is in that class, and possibly in a class of one. To me his work is sublime regardless. So then, any comments that do more to stress a personal peeve, suggest he change words he’s decided to use, etc. instead of striving to further the actual substantive ideas he’s working hard to sow, then I’m looking at it as an obvious modern day online counter-intellectual enemy shot fired in this war-of-ideas we are so obviously in. Time for all of us to get smart and get honest. Honesty and integrity in solidarity will win this thing! Mediocrity will lose.
I love this piece so much I'm going to print it our and give it to friends! Thank You! Thank You!
Thank You ! It is a perfect antidote to these malevolent men who now have control of our country ..And as you said in another recent post the leaders on our side must speak out loudly and give an answer as to how our side would do things. Example, if they want to eliminate medicare our side must denounce that. We say we want to strengthen it, expand it for all. We must tell people we can afford to do this . It is not going to break the bank. We are a very rich country.
My senator, Mike Lee will be a mump weasel aka a measle.
Ooooh. I like that one very much.
Tillis (NC)- Tylliphis (Syphilis)?
Poetic
Excellent commentary - but I think you have several typos.
“That term was always Trump's propaganda, and Trump simply does matter as he once did.”
That should probably be “Trump simply does NOT matter”
“Trump's current public humiliation of Trump may very well be part of a plan.” Should probably be “MUSK’S current public humiliation of Trump”
Oh darn! Trump can't humiliate himself. I thought he did that every time he takes a breath.
"Great" -- small and fractures is more likely. " that should probably be “FRACTURED”.
Maybe this was an early draft that made it to “print.“ A little jarring to us editors. Still, a profound concept and exposition. A lot to think about here. And to dread.
As I have commented before, Snyder really needs a decent copyeditor because, like a lot of academics I know (and I edited an academic journal in both English and French for 15 years, so I can say this with certainty), he can't edit his own work.
There’s that plus autocorrect which can lead to some real beauts in meaning. We really need an edit option for everyone; not just those who still use a desktop or a laptop computer. I’m either working from my phone or I Pad. If writing something rather involved, I copy it to my Notes, deleting the original. Then I edit my note and reload to the comment section. I find that slows me down enough to better catch errors in either syntax, sentence structure or spelling and to make omissions if I run on and on and on.
It doesn't matter to me about Tim's typos. It's easy enough to 'suss out' what he meant to say before his typing fingers decided to run off and do something else. And consider that Tim Snyder, with a typo every single sentence - should that ever happen - is much more lucid and his words more important than probably those of anyone else on Substack or beyond. So I'd suggest we forget about any typo's and focus on the words, the thought, the message.
And the message is for us to not relinquish any of our freedoms, nor the fact this government is still of, by, and for the People who will find out about these malodorous actions by Musk and demand their representatives to not let him run stuff instead of the People running stuff. As one Senator said, "He can't primary all of us." We don't have to cower and bow and plead and wrangle for the rights we already have -- we just have to stand up for them, no matter who's in office.
Love your response! Write on!
Sorry but I expect more from a full professor than multiple typos in short essay. I have great respect for Dr. Snyder and his opinions; it's why I'm a paid subscriber to this Substack. But I also respect the written word and think there is no excuse for such laxness when every word processing program includes a grammar check.
Who is to say that the proof reader did not make the typos?
I agree that the typos distract from the brilliant explanations, ideas, and new words. Perhaps the professor needs simply to re-read before hitting "Send." Or get a grad student to proofread. Wouldn't that be a great job?
I'd be happy to proofread any of Professor Snyder's writings! 😊
Here are the three in this article:
"MAGA." That term was always Trump's propaganda, and Trump simply does [not] matter as he once did. So “MAGA” is not only misleading but obsolete.
Trump's [Musk's] current public humiliation of Trump may very well be part of a plan.
like a politburo: a few people, who can [be] brought in and pushed out.
Trump’s current public humiliation of Trump may very well be part of a plan.
This sentence also makes sense 😉
I volunteer too 🙋♀️
Nowthat musk expand his influence to the uk and another country. He will rule the world soon. Muskogod
No, the rest of the free world is too smart 😸
I found myself realizing “Snyder-typos” are, in their own funny way, a freedom-enhancing thing for a blue-collar, 18 units/3 attempts non-college educated, ex-con w/ Certificate of Rehab/Pardon, ridiculously chaotic and unstable childhood, cancer survivor like me, who cusses way too much goddamnit. I feel much more free to participate in supporting Mr. Tim’s great leadership with whatever experiences, ideas, and words I think might be helpful, even if they are often at least somewhat offensive. I guess I’m really just an angry young man who looks older now. But anyway, how about we all just put our thinking caps on now boys and girls and let the little things go? We are in a critically important phase these decades and there could be massive further bloodshed if we don’t get this right. Humor and fun are important! Try me. But nitpicky bullshit? Uh, no. Not fun.
To my surprise, I agree with you; Professor Snyder's brain is out-pacing his fingers
The typos happen a lot in Snyder's work compared to Reich and HCR. I wonder why?
If you read a lot on the internet, especially newspapers, there are lots of typos. It is the fault of the proof reader or typesetter, whoever or however that task is completed.
On purpose. It’s our job, the readers, what they mean. It took me a couple re-read to see the nudging Snyder was “hinting” at without actually saying - “go with Musk for now.” And if we do, we can avoid the tyranny Trump promised, STILL promises.
I don't know that I agree. The typos here are frequent but haven't been present in any of Snyder's books that I have read.
That’s exactly the point. Try reading it again. Focus on verbs first. Then read again - nouns and especially capitalized nouns.
Thank you, Timothy Snyder for this important new glossary. I will use these words from today forward. I understand their value.
Thank you for these word suggestions, the pen truly is mightier than the sword!
Words are so very powerful … words internalize our thoughts, our thoughts create emotions, our emotions lead to our actions. You’ve given us a new vocabulary of old words which will guide our actions to survive this regime.
Regardless of what we call these loathsome fascists, it boils down to evil – greed, malice and egomania triumphant. In 29 days, Elonia and Orange Caligula will take power and start destroying our democracy.
It's already well underway--SCOTUS, voting rights, press cave-ins, the magwarts in House/Senate who'll kiss any sphincter, botched covid response, book bans, deregulation in red states, climate meltdown, AR shootings, etc etc. As I've written here, we are at war. And it didn't just begin.
No matter how many the munpers kill and otherwise ruin, i don't think many will turn on Trump himself. History suggests it usually takes a long time before followers realize how deeply they've been betrayed by those whom they once supported. Trump knew this in his 2015 5th Avenue comment. But it may not matter. There are many other ways that regimes fall.
They may not turn on Trump (except verbally) until the point that trump’s dementia can no longer be ignored. I think that day is coming. Why else would he be kept out of sight since the election? What will they do to prop him up at the inauguration? Teleprompters are the only way he can finish a thought, but his limited literacy combined with dementia makes this risky. I’m betting on some medical cocktail that includes a hefty dose of amphetamines, but that’s just a crude guess. But he is failing.
Trump's drug of choice is televised spectacle all about him. I'd guess the adrenaline boost will, at least temporarily, obviate the need for meth.
Thanks for this. One of the best ways to fight back is to mock them and demean them. Do not give them status. I also still love calling the U.S. the name you created, Trumpomuskovia. Or now, maybe, Mumpovia would be more apt.
No, that is not the best way to fight back. The best way to fight back is to get together with others and to visibly stand up.
Okay. But I did not say it was the best way. We need an arsenal of strategies. They hate being mocked. We know this from Trump's thin skin.
Hi, Julia. Thank you for your response. I am wrestling with something similar: while humor may often be an effective way to undermine tyrants, sometimes a direct simplicity works, too. I am thinking of something from my faith tradition: do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly. It seems to me, an unabashed statement of one's values has a dignity that mockery does not. It also places in stark contrast the values at stake. I guess I am reading into your remark that you care about decency, fair play, and the like. For the reachable people who have abandoned those things for the mirage of Mumpville, perhaps it would be a chastening mirror. I wonder.
Yes, exactly Barbara. The civil rights movement achieved its gains by standing firm. Today, the Rev. Barber's Poor People's Campaign, United We Dream, Make the Way New York, and many others, show the way.
Humor can undermine tyrants, but mocking people like ourselves - the 99%, for lack of another term - is wrong on many levels.
Thanks for taking the time to reply. I'm happy to "meet" you! I support Dr. Barber and am enlightened and encouraged all the time by people like Dr. Snyder, Ruth Ben-Ghiat, HCR, Bandy X. Lee, and movements like Christians Against Christian Nationalism, Faithful America, and others. I agree with Keith that a variety of strategies is useful, but in the end I think they all need to bear the imprint of our core values of mutual respect and shared community. Not easy sometimes when you're typing into a computer screen, or reacting to hate bait in the media. So I especially appreciate your reaching out. Best wishes to you and yours this holiday season.
Thank you for putting health care as a right front and center. The corruption has already been there for quite some time, finally getting so bad that it has even been noticed by the Democrats who have allowed it to persist. The New York Health Act could solve this for NY, and fighting for enhanced Traditional Medicare single payer for all is essential, though it's looking even more out of reach as the Mumps descend upon us.
Thanks for the new vocabulary, Professor.
76m+ mumpets, both parties run like a gerontocracy fuelled by dark money, no justice system, rank inequality everywhere and now a leader who acts towards allies as if he is the Godfather calling in favours. For the RoW MAGA may come to mean Make America Go Away.
So, we may have a "Skance" presidency in six months?
Skank would be more appropriate, as it describes Musk and Vance perfectly.
Artwork to make an icon out of Musk+Trump=MUMP and help evolve the lexicon.
https://hotbuttons.substack.com/p/make-the-lexicon-evolve?r=3m1bs
Another fine post (ironically about language) marred, as usual, by many typos, some of which render your point nonsensical.
The analogy is Mercedes, having worked hard on fine engineering, consistently delivering cars with bad paint and dents.
Most of your thought is about the typo issue. What are your thoughts about the substance? I think you are a troll, getting some payoff monetary or otherwise.
Like I said, “Another fine post.” Typos offend this 45-year editor and writer. Troll? No.
Okay, well I think the enemy is certainly smart enough to recognize the highest intellectuals working agaist them. Obviously Tim Snyder is in that class, and possibly in a class of one. To me his work is sublime regardless. So then, any comments that do more to stress a personal peeve, suggest he change words he’s decided to use, etc. instead of striving to further the actual substantive ideas he’s working hard to sow, then I’m looking at it as an obvious modern day online counter-intellectual enemy shot fired in this war-of-ideas we are so obviously in. Time for all of us to get smart and get honest. Honesty and integrity in solidarity will win this thing! Mediocrity will lose.
I love this piece so much I'm going to print it our and give it to friends! Thank You! Thank You!
Thank You ! It is a perfect antidote to these malevolent men who now have control of our country ..And as you said in another recent post the leaders on our side must speak out loudly and give an answer as to how our side would do things. Example, if they want to eliminate medicare our side must denounce that. We say we want to strengthen it, expand it for all. We must tell people we can afford to do this . It is not going to break the bank. We are a very rich country.
SUPERB. Thank you
Maddening trump until article 25 can be used sounds likely. How do you see maximising use of "President Musk" playing into that?