Do NOT obey in advance in regards to an authoritarian regime. Agree or Disagree?

[Still-alive]

This might be the most important point to take with you during this next Trump era. THEY want you to conform, they want you to capitulate, to stay silent and stay in your lane. but it is so sooo important that you do not obey them in advance.

Here's what historian Timothy Snyder says: "Most of the power of authoritarianism is freely given. In times like these, individuals think ahead about what a more repressive government will want, and then offer themselves without being asked. A citizen who adapts in this way is teaching power what it can do."

So how do you do this? by sticking your middle finger back up at them and say 'i will continue being who i am and you can't take that away from me!' Thats right just continue to be who you are. You are a free individual, your voice matters to maintain our free society. If anyone wants you to stay silent while they try to take your rights away or attempt to scare you do not let them! And most especially not in advance. We must all stick together on this one very important point. it may be difficult but if we succeed we will not sink completely into authoritarianism, we may live to preserve our freedom and may just reverse whatever blatantly unconstitutional or immoral law, norm or what have you they pass within the next 2-4 years.

So just keep this tucked into your brain DO NOT OBEY IN ADVANCE! Remember this for your kids and grand kids and future generations. think about them while we go through these increasingly perilous times together!

"Anticipatory obedience" is another way to say it

Agree

Disagree

[Maybe_Maybe_not]

Echoing with September 11 attacks. It reminds me the 2015's atmosphere and thoughts, seen in France, since we began this year with Islamist terrorists attacks targeting a newspaper, and the mass murder of several cartoonists coming with it. Later that year, we've seen suicide bombers exploding in front of a football stadium, random customers drinking in bars being shot and ultimately, a concert hall, mass murder again, people came there to listen to music.

In that context, it makes us all wonder what to do after that. How to get a drink in peace after that, we all thought we could be shot for just drinking a coffee, shot because there was a concert, shot because there was a football match. Shot because we were just doing normal things in a normal life. In a public space.

I think most of us reconsidered what we should do in a public space, go to friends places instead of a bar, watch football on TV instead of going to the stadium, and listen to youtube at home instead of going to a concert.

What I mean is that, ultimately, the right thing to do was to continue to live the same way, parodying any religion, ordering a drink in a bar, going to a football match, going to whatever concert. Even if we were afraid to do those simple things. Resisting external pressure by just living normally was the right thing to do.

[DrPepper12]

As a teacher I've seen and lived how effective it is to pull this off. If the class wouldn't tolerate my shit then they move the goalposts next time as a "invisible hand" acting individually but in concert. It's fascinating actually the silent "negotiation" we engage in like 3D chess. We're an interesting species...

[purplepoppy]

An old German man once told me a story. A friend at his school was over heard questioning what the fuss about Jews was. The ones he knew seemed nice enough and didn't match the image being pushed. He was stood in front of the whole school and had to listen to child after child tell him why he was wrong. Then they caned the shit out of him in front of everyone. No one in the school spoke up again.

You're going to see the same thing under Trump. People will speak up and resist but they'll be hit hard and others will quietly fall in line.

[msmissydc]

This is 100% true. The biggest impact during authoritarian power accumulation comes from silent majority. Its ironic but thats how it always worked. speak up against injustice, against declining democracy and never give up!!

[msmissydc]

Also its super important to stay politically involved and informed.

[Still-alive]

Yup Ill definitely be doing what I can in whatever capacity I can do so

[juliaanita]

Timothy Snyder's first lesson! If you read the unabridged copy of 'On Tyranny' and you spend a lot of your life in the Baltic States tucked so close to the border of a tyrannical government (as I do) the context of this important lesson becomes clear. All that remains is that we are able to apply all 20 lessons to the present state of affairs in the United States.

[mattthefatbat]

Yknow i just think its a little ironic how america used to mean land of the free, and fight against authoritarian governments, just to end up voting for people who would support a authoritarian united states government. How the world has changed.

[OddBeMe]

Agree. Great author. But I'd add most people under authoritarian regimes dont believe they are under authoritarian regimes. So they'd rationalize when obeying in advance by saying Trump- sorry the authoritan- isn't an authoritarian.

[Still-alive]

if it ever gets really bad then there's practically no way of avoiding it.

[OddBeMe]

A presidency can't be authoritarian. Trump did push the boundaries, and mostly got away with it. But i don't think trump will be 10x worse now.

[Still-alive]

I don't think he will either but just hypothetically speaking there can come a point where the authoritarian regime is just unavoidable. its a heavy force within your life. So the 'don't obey in advance' is attempting to tell us not to let it ever get to that point.

[OddBeMe]

Sure, usually on the back of a crisis, as the adage goes. Funny how covid didn't push a lot of boundaries either. Trump just cares about his image. He could've used that devastatingly in 2020.

[Still-alive]

its tragic af but i recall a bunch of the hardcore maga's who died of covid went to their graves still thinking the vaccines were B. s. Just decimated their numbers in a few communities.

[OddBeMe]

Not enuff

[Makeushiver]

Easy to say but in context perhaps not. We may get chance to find out in next 4 years.

[Still-alive]

Yes it does somtimes require a certain amount of courage

[IridescentWave]

Right, this. Resist where you can, but know your limits and what you can and can't sacrifice.

[menina]

I agree with this. It is important to speak up during these times. The next 4 years won't be easy for millions of people in the US.