I was referred to this book by a volunteer I met at a local Democratic headquarters, while campaigning for Harris.
I have not read the whole book, but am struck by the opening paragraphs, so I have typed out two of them, as I think they provide some practical advice, and some degree of hope, over the next four years.
One example of someone failing to follow this advice is perhaps top officials who choose to resign instead of making Trump fire them.
The author appears to be still alive. If he has not already been interviewed on TYT, and if the book is not already familiar to TYT team, I suggest that TYT make an effort to have a capable team member (whoever has time to give it full consideration) read the book and interview the author at some length. Yes, it’s possible that the author’s suggestion may clash with Cenk’s engagement approach, but Cenk is not one to run from a disagreement and I think it could be an interesting and productive conversation. The author may even be able to shed light on strategies that seem to work better than others for honest media organizations in the face of a concerted effort to break down a Constitution and bring on statism, whether it be fascism or some other statist system for ending individual rights and lives.
From:
On Tyranny
Twenty Lessons From The Twentieth Century
by Timothy Snyder
"Chapter 1: Do not obey in advance.
"Most of the power of authoritarianism is freely given. In times like these, individuals think 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.
"Anticipatory obedience is a political tragedy. Perhaps rulers did not initially know that citizens were willing to compromise this value or that principle. Perhaps a new regime did not at first have the direct means of influencing citizens one way or another. After the German elections in 1932, which permitted Adolf Hitler to form a government, or the Czechoslovak elections of 1946, where communists were victorious, the next crucial step was anticipatory obedience. Because enough people in both cases voluntarily extended their services to the new leaders, Nazis and communists alike realized that they could move quickly toward a full regime change. The first heedless acts of conformity could not then be reversed.
“[…]"