9 Be kind to our language, from On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons From The Twentieth Century, Timothy Snyder
Staring at screens is perhaps unavoidable, but the two-dimensional world makes little sense unless we can draw upon a mental armory that we have developed somewhere else. When we repeat the same words and phrases that appear in the daily media, we accept the absence of a larger framework. To have such a framework requires more concepts, and having more concepts requires reading. So get the screens out of your room and surround yourself with books. The characters in Orwell's and Bradbury's books could not do this--but we still can.
9 Be kind to our language, from On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons From The Twentieth Century, Timothy Snyder The moment you set an example, the spell of the status quo is broken, and others will follow.
8 Stand out, from On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century, Timothy Snyder If you carry a weapon in public service, may 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.
7 Be reflective if you must be armed, from On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century, Timothy Snyder For violence to transform not just the atmosphere but also the system, the emotions of rallies and the ideology of exclusion have to be incorporated into the training of armed guards. These first challenge the police and military, then penetrate the police and military, and finally transform the police and military.
--6 Be wary of paramilitaries, from On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons From The Twentieth Century, Timothy Snyder If members of professions think of themselves as groups with common interests, with norms and rules that oblige them at all times, then they can gain confidence and indeed a certain kind of power. Professional ethics must guide us precisely when we are told that the situation is exceptional. Then there is no such thing as "just following orders."
--5 Remember professional ethics, from On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons From The Twentieth Century, Timothy Snyder |
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