His Stable Genius' private
army of shock troopers has occupied Portland,
and he is now planning to send more of them to Chicago. It's time to revisit Timothy
Snyder's "20 Lessons from the
20th Century on How to Survive in Trump’s America,
November 21, 2016"
https://law.yale.edu/sites/default/files/workshop_readings_-_february_2.pdf
https://law.yale.edu/sites/default/files/workshop_readings_-_february_2.pdf
#1: Do not obey in
advance. Much 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 start to do it without being asked. You've already done this,
haven't you? Stop. Anticipatory obedience teaches authorities what is possible
and accelerates unfreedom
#7. Stand out. Someone has to. It is easy, in words and deeds, to follow along. It can feel strange to do or say something different. But without that unease, there is no freedom. And the moment you set an example, the spell of the status quo is broken, and others will follow.
#10. Practice corporeal politics. Power wants your body softening in your chair and your emotions dissipating on the screen. Get outside. Put your body in unfamiliar places with unfamiliar people. Make new friends and march with them.
We cannot accept the presence of this administration's shock troops in our cities as normal. We must resist. The Wall of Moms is a model for lessons 1, 7 and 10.
The Wall of Moms Confronts Federal Agents at Portland Protest
https://www.msnbc.com/andrea-mitchell-reports/watch/-wall-of-moms-shields-protesters-from-federal-agents-in-portland-88006213692
#3. Recall professional ethics. When the leaders of state set a negative example, professional commitments to just practice become much more important. It is hard to break a rule-of-law state without lawyers, and it is hard to have show trials without judges.
#7. Stand out. Someone has to. It is easy, in words and deeds, to follow along. It can feel strange to do or say something different. But without that unease, there is no freedom. And the moment you set an example, the spell of the status quo is broken, and others will follow.
#10. Practice corporeal politics. Power wants your body softening in your chair and your emotions dissipating on the screen. Get outside. Put your body in unfamiliar places with unfamiliar people. Make new friends and march with them.
We cannot accept the presence of this administration's shock troops in our cities as normal. We must resist. The Wall of Moms is a model for lessons 1, 7 and 10.
The Wall of Moms Confronts Federal Agents at Portland Protest
https://www.msnbc.com/andrea-mitchell-reports/watch/-wall-of-moms-shields-protesters-from-federal-agents-in-portland-88006213692
#3. Recall professional ethics. When the leaders of state set a negative example, professional commitments to just practice become much more important. It is hard to break a rule-of-law state without lawyers, and it is hard to have show trials without judges.
Attorney General William Barr defends Justice Department against claims
of Politicization.
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/attorney-general-william-barr-defends-justice-department-claims/story?id=71680447
#4. When listening to politicians, distinguish certain words. Look out for the expansive use of “terrorism” and “extremism.” Be alive to the fatal notions of “exception” and “emergency.” Be angry about the treacherous use of patriotic vocabulary.
#5. Be calm when the unthinkable arrives. When the terrorist attack comes, remember that all authoritarians at all times either await or plan such events in order to consolidate power. Think of the Reichstag fire. The sudden disaster that requires the end of the balance of power, the end of opposition parties, and so on, is the oldest trick in the Hitlerian book. Don't fall for it.
Portland protests: Trump threatens to send officers to more US cities
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-53481383
#13. Hinder the one-party state. The parties that took over states were once something else. They exploited a historical moment to make political life impossible for their rivals. Vote in local and state elections while you can.
Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf has called the protesters a "violent mob" and "anarchists".
"We are trying to help Portland,
not hurt it," "We are trying to help Portland, not hurt it," Trump wrote.
"Their leadership has, for months, lost control of the anarchists and
agitators. They are missing in action. We must protect Federal property, AND
OUR PEOPLE. These were not merely protesters, these are the real deal!
"Their leadership has, for months, lost control of the anarchists and
agitators. They are missing in action. We must protect Federal property, AND
OUR PEOPLE. These were not merely protesters, these are the real deal!"https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/attorney-general-william-barr-defends-justice-department-claims/story?id=71680447
#4. When listening to politicians, distinguish certain words. Look out for the expansive use of “terrorism” and “extremism.” Be alive to the fatal notions of “exception” and “emergency.” Be angry about the treacherous use of patriotic vocabulary.
#5. Be calm when the unthinkable arrives. When the terrorist attack comes, remember that all authoritarians at all times either await or plan such events in order to consolidate power. Think of the Reichstag fire. The sudden disaster that requires the end of the balance of power, the end of opposition parties, and so on, is the oldest trick in the Hitlerian book. Don't fall for it.
Portland protests: Trump threatens to send officers to more US cities
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-53481383
#13. Hinder the one-party state. The parties that took over states were once something else. They exploited a historical moment to make political life impossible for their rivals. Vote in local and state elections while you can.
Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf has called the protesters a "violent mob" and "anarchists".
#17. Watch out for the paramilitaries. When the men with guns who have always claimed to be against the system start wearing uniforms and marching around with torches and pictures of a Leader, the end is nigh. When the pro-Leader paramilitary and the official police and military intermingle, the game is over.
#18. Be reflective if you must be armed. If you carry a weapon in public service, God bless you and keep you. But know that evils of the past involved policemen and soldiers finding themselves, one day, doing irregular things. Be ready to say no. (If you do not know what this means, contact the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and ask about training in professional ethics.)
Portland Protesters Say Federal Officers in Unmarked Vans are Detaining Them
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/07/17/portland-protests-federal-arrests/
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