After
the election of the new President-Elect, and the revelations of
Facebook's “fake news”, admitted to, finally by Mark Zuckerberg,
along with the fact the popular vote looks to be in HRC's favor by a
larger-than-predicted number – quite a bit, in fact, and the ruckus
over the Electoral College and gerrymandering, and let us not forget
the elephant-in-the-room of Donald Trump, nascent Dictator, it
behooves us to try and if at not least make sense out of this whole
misbegotten mess, at least try and figure out what we're going to do
to survive this until such time as we can pry his scrawny orange ass
out of office, either through impeachment, or he just gives up in
frustration and quits.
I
for one, have never seen a less competent pick of folks for a Cabinet
since probably Millard Fillmore, who until now, was always regarded
as the worst do-nothing President to date. At least, Millard did
nothing. We still don't know what The Donald will do, but none of it
bodes well for anyone, unless you're a rich, white male, over the age
of 60. That's a whole lot of exclusion in this U. S. of A. and I
don't think the majority of the country is really too happy about it,
in spite of what a few people are saying.
With
that in mind, I actually ran across something on Facebook that is
worth sharing with other people. It's not all that different from my
“Six Rules for Surviving an Autocrat” but it is more practical in
a sense and just has some good life advice on the list. So, without
further ado, I want to present you with “20 Lessons From the 20th
Century, Adapted to the Circumstances of Today”.
A
friend shared this anonymous post. It may sound a bit extreme, but so
does our next president. Something to think about.
"Americans
are no wiser than the Europeans who saw democracy yield to fascism,
Nazism, or communism. Our one advantage is that we might learn from
their experience. Now is a good time to do so. Here are twenty
lessons from the twentieth century, adapted to the circumstances of
today.
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 un-freedom.
2.
Defend an institution. Follow the courts or the media, or a court or
a newspaper. Do not speak of "our institutions" unless you
are making them yours by acting on their behalf. Institutions don't
protect themselves. They go down like dominoes unless each is
defended from the beginning.
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.
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.
6.
Be kind to our language. Avoid pronouncing the phrases everyone else
does. Think up your own way of speaking, even if only to convey that
thing you think everyone is saying. (Don't use the internet before
bed. Charge your gadgets away from your bedroom, and read.) What to
read? Perhaps "The Power of the Powerless" by Václav
Havel, 1984 by George Orwell, The Captive Mind by Czesław Milosz,
The Rebel by Albert Camus, The Origins of Totalitarianism by Hannah
Arendt, or Nothing is True and Everything is Possible by Peter
Pomerantsev.
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.
8.
Believe in truth. To abandon facts is to abandon freedom. If nothing
is true, then no one can criticize power, because there is no basis
upon which to do so. If nothing is true, then all is spectacle. The
biggest wallet pays for the most blinding lights.
9.
Investigate. Figure things out for yourself. Spend more time with
long articles. Subsidize investigative journalism by subscribing to
print media. Realize that some of what is on your screen is there to
harm you. Bookmark PropOrNot or other sites that investigate foreign
propaganda pushes.
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.
11.
Make eye contact and small talk. This is not just polite. It is a way
to stay in touch with your surroundings, break down unnecessary
social barriers, and come to understand whom you should and should
not trust. If we enter a culture of denunciation, you will want to
know the psychological landscape of your daily life.
12.
Take responsibility for the face of the world. Notice the swastikas
and the other signs of hate. Do not look away and do not get used to
them. Remove them yourself and set an example for others to do so.
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.
14.
Give regularly to good causes, if you can. Pick a charity and set up
autopay. Then you will know that you have made a free choice that is
supporting civil society helping others doing something good.
15.
Establish a private life. Nastier rulers will use what they know
about you to push you around. Scrub your computer of malware.
Remember that email is skywriting. Consider using alternative forms
of the internet, or simply using it less. Have personal exchanges in
person. For the same reason, resolve any legal trouble.
Authoritarianism works as a blackmail state, looking for the hook on
which to hang you. Try not to have too many hooks.
16.
Learn from others in other countries. Keep up your friendships
abroad, or make new friends abroad. The present difficulties here are
an element of a general trend. And no country is going to find a
solution by itself. Make sure you and your family have passports.
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.)
19.
Be as courageous as you can. If none of us is prepared to die for
freedom, then all of us will die in un-freedom.
20.
Be a patriot. The incoming president is not. Set a good example of
what America means for the generations to come. They will need it."
#blogging #autocracy #20waystosurvive #NeverTrump
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