On Tyranny: Lesson 3

Lesson 3: Beware the One-Party State

It's the only thing worse than the two-party state.

Although I understand the argument for practical and realistic voting (my own #1 priority was to vote the hell against Trump), I defend those who voted for a third party in the last election, and I'm happy that third parties are getting more attention these days. I think it's sad that Bernie Sanders had to run as a Democrat instead of what he actually is.

But third parties aren't really the point of this lesson. What we fear is no choice at all. Snyder notes that the less popular of the two political parties currently controls everything on the federal level, which is scary for -- you know -- people. As Snyder puts it, such a party "must either fear democracy or weaken it."

Trump's fear of the press (and the first amendment in general) demonstrates this fear of the people, as does Mitch McConnell's lies in 2016 about wanting "the people" to have a say in who gets to be on the Supreme Court (forgetting, apparently, that the people elected Obama to appoint Merrick Garland) followed by his insistence that his party be listened to when it comes to Neil Gorsuch. Just to list two examples. I could go on, of course.

Snyder encourages readers to run for office. Things have gotten so bad that I've almost considered it. (I can think of only a few worse jobs for me.) In Alabama, where I live, much of my ballot is filled with Republicans running unopposed. A placeholder person who does nothing in office would often be better than those who actively do so much damage. (Have you kept up with Alabama politics lately?)

This is a grim chapter, with Snyder questioning whether there will even be an election in 2018. From what he's learned from history, you never know when you might be voting for the last time.

On Tyranny: Lesson 2

Lesson 2: Defend Institutions

When I was a kid, I thought institutions were ever-present, indestructible, and run by responsible adults who knew what they were doing. Turns out, it's just a bunch of people. Everything is fragile, and anything can happen.

When Trump won the presidency, a common refrain was that "they" weren't going to let him break too much. The "they" here meant the smart people Trump would surround himself with (ha!), the other branches of government, whatever. Fortunately, some of those "they" (notably the judicial branch) are doing a great job, but it is only because "we" are supporting "they."

I'm trying to be a part of this defense of our best institutions in my small way. I'm also realizing how much institutions can be eaten from the inside out. The so-called "Alt-Right," a group of internet troll white supremacists and woman-haters, have made their way into these institutions, so that we now have to defend our home against these deadly insects. It's not as if these guys are super-smart masterminds; they're just a group of assholes. But here they are, and now we have to deal with them, else they'll just have their way.

This is what I mean by "just a bunch of people." There's nothing magical about the institutions themselves.

On Tyranny: Lesson 1

Timothy Snyder published a very short (126 small-size pages) book in February called On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century. It compares the evils of the current administration to the tyranny we saw in Twentieth Century Europe and gives us twenty practical lessons for what we can do to resist the rise of tyranny in our own country, no matter who the president is.

I was so impressed by it that I decided to write a small blog entry for each lesson in the book, connecting it to my own life and ideas. In general, I tend to write a lot rather than a little, but I will attempt to keep each entry short, hoping that my posts don't become longer than the book itself.

Lesson 1: Do Not Obey in Advance

This one was initially confusing to me. Why would someone obey a tyrant before he even gives the command? Snyder explains that, in the beginning, this could simply mean adapting to a new situation too easily. It's that moment we've almost all experienced where something feels weird or wrong to you, but you do it anyway because that seems to be the new way and what can you do about it? Going along with rules simply because they are rules, without questioning them or even understanding them. (This happened to me more in childhood than in my adult life.) Or maybe resisting at first but then going along eventually because everyone else is doing it.

The more extreme version is anticipating what the tyrant wants and giving it to him before he asks, which Snyder describes as "teaching power what it can do."

This is why, for the current administration, we have to constantly fight back against things we know go against our values. As has been said many times, we can never accept perversions as "the new normal." My biggest problem personally in this area is (1) it becomes tiring very quickly when I simply want to live my life and (2) like most humans, I am able to adapt to new situations (even bad ones) quickly. The two things are almost the same, of course. So I try to give myself daily reminders that we are currently living in Hell instead of saying "This is fine." This series of blog entries is one of those reminders.

This is a good time to decide what you stand for as a human being, then prepare yourself to never cross the line you have drawn for yourself. To do otherwise is to set yourself up for simply throwing up your hands (or worse) later, which is obeying in advance.

Stick To Your Guns

A group of politicians who have said that gun-free zones are "bait" for killers; who advocate for open-carry at schools, churches, and everywhere else; and who generally feel that guns are God's answer to our fragile mortality are now telling us they're fine with the Secret Service saying that firearms will not be allowed at their special convention.

Don't they think that this lack of guns will be "bait" for potential assassins? Shouldn't they have as many good guys with guns as possible to stop any potential bad guys with guns? Why aren't the politicians themselves gunned up just in case, for maximum safety?

From their spokesperson: "The Republican National Convention is a National Special Security Event which means the Secret Service is the lead agency and we will defer to their planning as it relates to safety and security of the Convention."

Sounds like some of that Big Government interference to me. When has deferring to the authorities ever been their thing? Why don't they fight this--preferably with guns? Isn't that what the Second Amendment is all about: our last line of defense against a too-powerful government? This is what we've been told for years.

I mean, we KNOW that they truly truly truly believe that more guns make us safer. They say it every time some school kids or innocent church-goers get killed. "If the teachers and choir leaders only had guns!" Why don't they want to be as safe as those losers? Holster up, fellas!

And who is the "Secret Service" anyway? We the people are the Secret Service. Just as we the people are the "well-regulated militia" of the Second Amendment.

Right? Anyone with a gun is a potential hero. Unless, of course, you're a Muslim or young black boy or something like that. If you're one of those, don't even reach in your pocket for a stick of Big Red if you know what's good for you. (Sorry. These are the rules as I understand them.)

I dunno. I'm starting to think that these guys maybe have ulterior motives for begging everyone to buy guns and tote them around everywhere. Could this be possible? They've always seemed to have our best interests in mind for everything else. I'm so confused.

I suppose I only have one request for these politicians: #StickToYourGuns.

Super-Dedicated Father Chronicles the Life of His Daughter Over Several Years. The Emotional Intensity of the Project Is Like Nothing You've Ever Seen.

Here is is, but -- before you scroll down -- be warned: this may change your life forever with its extreme beauty, intensity, and dedication...

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Are you sure you want to do this?

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Okay, if you're sure...

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Last chance to get out...

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Here goes!

If I Looking for Frog

Tebow the Letter