🇨🇦 🇪🇺

Twenty Lessons on Fighting Tyranny from the Twentieth Century
Timothy Snyder

1. Do not obey in advance. Most 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 offer themselves without being asked. A citizen who adapts in this way is teaching power what it can do.

2. Defend institutions. It is institutions that help us to preserve decency. They need our help as well. Do not speak of “our institutions” unless you make them yours by acting on their behalf. Institutions do not protect themselves. So choose an institution you care about and take its side.

3. Beware the one-party state. The parties that remade states and suppressed rivals were not omnipotent from the start. They exploited a historic moment to make political life impossible for their opponents. So support the multi-party system and defend the rules of democratic elections.

4. Take responsibility for the face of the world. The symbols of today enable the reality of tomorrow. Notice the swastikas and 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.

5. Remember professional ethics. When political leaders set a negative example, professional commitments to just practice become important. It is hard to subvert a rule-of-law state without lawyers, or to hold show trials without judges. Authoritarians need obedient civil servants, and concentration camp directors seek businessmen interested in cheap labor.

6. Be wary of 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 end has come.

7. 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.

8. Stand out. Someone has to. It is easy to follow along. It can feel strange to do or say something different. But without that unease, there is no freedom. Remember Rosa Parks. The moment you set an example, the spell of the status quo is broken, and others will follow.

9. 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. Make an effort to separate yourself from the internet. Read books.

10. 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.

11. 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 the internet is there to harm you. Learn about sites that investigate propaganda campaigns (some of which come from abroad). Take responsibility for what you communicate to others.

12. Make eye contact and small talk. This is not just polite. It is part of being a citizen and a responsible member of society. It is also a way to stay in touch with your surroundings, break down social barriers, and 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.

13. 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.

14. 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.

15. Contribute to good causes. Be active in organizations, political or not, that express your own view of life. Pick a charity or two and set up autopay.

16. Learn from peers in other countries. Keep up your friendships abroad, or make new friends abroad. The present difficulties in the United States are an element of a larger trend. And no country is going to find a solution by itself. Make sure you and your family have passports.

17. Listen for dangerous words. Be alert to the use of the words extremism and terrorism. Be alive to the fatal notions of emergency and exception. Be angry about the treacherous use of patriotic vocabulary.

18. Be calm when the unthinkable arrives. Modern tyranny is terror management. When the terrorist attack comes, remember that authoritarians exploit such events in order to consolidate power. Do not fall for it.

19. Be a patriot. Set a good example of what America means for the generations to come.

20. Be as courageous as you can. If none of us is prepared to die for freedom, then all of us will die under tyranny.

#Democracy #USA #Tyranny #Canada #EU #Protest #Resist

https://scholars.org/contribution/twenty-lessons-fighting-tyranny-twentieth

@Snowshadow

republicans take away lunch from our school children.

#resist #fascism

Well it's been in the post for a minute, but they've got bored of doing it one by one.

Hundreds of international students in the U.S. have been told to self-deport and have had their F-1 visas revoked for sharing “anti-national” content on social media or for alleged involvement in campus activism, according to reports.

https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1906227576739123711.html

#USPolitics #AmeriKKKa2025 #Resist

And one more word about those Righteous Gentiles. After the Holocaust, psychologists began to study them to figure out what made them courageously agree to hide Jews while the majority went along with tyranny. Maybe they were friends with Jews before the war? Maybe they had spare rooms or extra savings tucked away? Maybe some people just come wired with an altruistic personality?

Nope. The psychologists found that none of these factors made the difference. Instead, as Bregman recounts in his book:
Turns out there was one circumstance that determined almost everything. A new analysis of data … showed that when this condition was met, nearly everyone took action — 96 percent to be precise.

And what was that condition?

Simple: you had to be asked. Those who were asked to help someone in danger almost always said yes.

Asking things of each other and acting together is how we move unjust systems. So go ahead.

Reach out to someone. Ask.

#ResInt #Resist #Resistance

The article quotes author Larissa MacFarquhar, who wrote in her book Strangers Drowning: Impossible Idealism, Drastic Choices, and the Urge to Help:

"In wartime — or in a crisis so devastating that it resembles war, such as an earthquake or a hurricane — duty expands far beyond its peacetime boundaries. In wartime, it’s thought dutiful rather than unnatural to leave your family for the sake of a cause. In wartime, the line between family and strangers grows faint, as the duty to one’s own enlarges to encompass all the people who are on the same side…

This is the difference between do-gooders and ordinary people: for do-gooders, it is always wartime. They always feel themselves responsible for strangers — they always feel that strangers, like compatriots in war, are their own people."

#ResInt #Resist #Resistance

Trouble in #Trumpland? No wonder they want to restrict #VotingRights !

#Stefanik’s withdrawal suggests #Republicans are sweating their thin margins

By Andrew Howard, Ally Mutnick and Ben Jacobs
03/28/2025 04:45 AM EDT

https://www.politico.com/news/2025/03/28/stefaniks-withdrawal-suggests-republicans-are-sweating-their-thin-margins-00255984
#Elections #Fascism #Authoritarianism #Resist #TrumpRegrets #USPol

Checking out the people behind the latest anti-fash artwork to appear on the Tube. Loved this.

If you're interested, you can find their stuff here:

https://www.growupart.com/

#Art #FuckTheFash #CapitalismIsADeathCult #Resist

The good folk of the resistance, out and about on the Tube again ✊

#UKPolitics #TurdReich #Resist

Hey YOU!

YES, YOU!

Tomorrow Saturday March 29 is when WE Takedown Swasticars!

Click the link below to Find Your Local spot!👇 #tesla #teslatakedown #resist #resistance #TeslaProtests #world #worldwide #protest

https://www.teslatakedown.com/

#GifsArtidote : I don't know the dude but I like him already.

#Macklemore #FreePalestine #Hiphop #ColumbiaUni #news #press #HindsHall #TheEncampments #educate #organise #resist
https://youtu.be/Py91uBeEecU?si=1IiRT2-1joE1WllG

Refuse Trump & his people any authority where they clearly have none.

Reduce the impact of any actions Trump & his people might have the authority to take.

Remove Trump & his people from all positions they occupy using impeachment, lawsuits, etc

#RefuseReduceRemove #DoNotResignResist #Resist

#resist - #France

the takeover of #media & publishing houses is one (early) move strategy of right-wing/ fascists strategy

From: @Free_Press
https://mstdn.social/@Free_Press/114239381414432884

Megathread for the Saturday March 29 #TeslaTakeDown Global Day of Action!

🇩🇪 #Germany Edition

Find your city below, or search the map at https://actionnetwork.org/event_campaigns/teslatakedown

Interested in hosting an event? https://actionnetwork.org/events/cb4f2d0502786fcfdf9a577dc1a41f20fe71b976/edit

Find out more: https://www.teslatakedown.com

Reminder: “TeslaTakedown is a peaceful protest movement. We oppose violence, vandalism and destruction of property. This protest is a lawful exercise of our First Amendment right to peaceful assembly.”

#BoycottTesla #Resist @teslatakedown

So, pretty much, anyone that is critical of #BibiIsAWarCriminal and #PutinIsAWarCriminal or is supportive of #TransRightsAreHumanRights are targets. When will it end?!!!
#FuckNazis #FuckOligarchs #RESIST #Resistance #ResistAuthoritarianism #April5th #USPol #WorldPol #UniteAgainstTheRight

Here's a link to the NYC (Manhattan) protest on April 5. This is part of a nationwide series of protests scheduled for that day:

https://www.mobilize.us/handsoff/event/764261/?force_banner=true&share_context=event_details&share_medium=copy_link

#april5 #HandsOff #handsoff2025 #resist #ResistEverywhere

Has the U.S. become Nazi Germany? It sure seems like it.

Support orgs fighting back: https://resistance-toolkit.com

#resist #resistance #gestapo #streetart #illustration #photoshop #typography

They want to tell you the boycotts don’t work…except Target has already lost over 16 billion since they trashed DEI. Walmart stores are empty & while I can’t find figures on losses…truth will out eventually. And Tesla alone has lost over 750 Billion.
People aren’t flying to US.
Keep up the good work people. You may not see the results published and they may say it doesn’t work, but it clearly does.
#resist #resistance #boycott

"It's not too late to stop this train, although it gets more difficult with every day that goes by, every media outlet that rolls over and pays off, every law firm that grovels before Trump. The key — as it has been throughout history — is to mobilize public opinion...

History suggests that mobilizing 3.5% of the populace of a country is enough to produce change"
https://hartmannreport.com/p/she-stepped-onto-a-sidewalk-in-boston-a74

#Resist #Resistance #Trump #GOP #Fascism #Authoritarianism #Politics #USPol #USPolitics #News #US #USA

#uspolitics #politics
I slept better after donating to #unicef #gaza

Was upset about Israel targeting and killing 2 reporters yesterday, one for #aljazeera the other for #palestinetoday. Was upset about #ICE knocking doors on campus looking for another Columbia student protester “obstructing US foreign policy”.

Decided a donation was a good way to #resist a foreign policy of #genocide.

Warning: When you admit a bully has power over you, that bully's demands and attacks will only increase.

It still might be early enough to fight back and win! Attack the legality of the money withholding on grounds of Presidential overreach and violation of Constitutional Powers.
#resist #ResistEverywhere #NoKings #NoDictators #EducationalFreedom

Good morning world! Here's your #GifsArtidote breakfast:

"#Anarchism is the idea that everyone is entitled to complete self-determination. No law, government, or decision-making process is more important than the needs and desires of actual human beings. People should be free to shape their relations to their mutual satisfaction, and to stand up for themselves as they see fit".

#press #educate #organise #resist #analysis #BlackMastodon

https://crimethinc.com/2025/02/21/become-an-anarchist-or-forever-hold-your-peace

#GeraldHorne on the life and death of #PaulRobeson who filed a #genocide charge at the #UN against the #US over their treatment of #Black and #Colored people in #slavery.

#educate #organise #resist #press #BlackMastodon

https://youtu.be/1fvZae_Wngc?si=yDcAE5mdnGvsAWGG

"The law in authoritarian states protects the criminality of the powerful. It revokes due process, basic freedoms and the rights of citizenship. It is an instrument of repression. It is a very small step from the stripping of rights from a legal resident holding a green card to the stripping of rights of any citizen. This is what is coming."

https://chrishedges.substack.com/p/surrendering-to-authoritarianism

#USPolitics #UKPolitics #FuckTheFash #Resist

Scottish anti-genocide peeps, heads up

#FreePalestine #Resist

Watch how Kremlin backed Trump repeats every kremlin talking point pushed by russian propaganda on russian state (read fsb kgb) TV. I wonder where he gets his information!

#Ukraine #eu #EuropeanUnion #UK #Canada #resist #usa #media #press #nato

Seen in Brick Lane, east London yesterday

#StreetArt #Resist #FuckTheFash #SlavaUkraini

Bethnal Green Station

#StreetArt #Luigi #Resist

Every last "celebrity" or person with a platform who has stayed silent during 17 months of genocide should be forced to listen to this and explain themselves.

Macklemore, speaking at an event in New York yesterday calling for the release of Mahmoud Khalil.

#FreePalestine #FreeMahmoudKhalil #Resist

Some pictures from the march I went to in Cardiff (taken by someone who's good at it 😂 )

https://rwittsphotographyltd.pixieset.com/welfarenotwarfare-cardiff/

#WelfareNotWarfare #FreePalestine #UKPolitics #Resist

Yesterday in Istanbul.

via @RadicalGraffiti

#Turkiye #Resist #ACAB

About 500 of Momodou's fellow students and faculty held a rally for him yesterday.
The fight continues.

https://theintercept.com/2025/03/21/trump-free-speech-lawsuit-ice-momodou-taal/

#USPolitics #Resist

This is Sukaina Rajwani. Her daughter Fatema is one of the Filton 18, currently incarcerated under terrorism legislation for her part in attempting to disrupt the weapons manufacturing pipeline running from the UK to Israel at the Elbit Systems factory in Bristol.
Fatema wrote this poem from her prison cell.
If you're in London on Thursday and wish to show your solidarity with these political prisoners, the trial continues at the Old Bailey.

#FreePalestine #Resist #UKPolitics

There's a new documentary being released next week about the Columbia Palestine protests, called The Encampment. It's been produced by Macklemore and features interviews with Mahmoud Khalil. It opens on 28th March in New York and on 4th April in LA.
More information here:

https://www.watermelonpictures.com/films/the-encampments

Here's the trailer.

#USPolitics #FreePalestine #Resist #Film #Documentary

The #Photos say it all. #Grim #Reminder of #History - Repeating #In #Front #Of #Our #Eyes. "Your Eyes Do Not Deceive You" - It is the disbelief that we are witnessing this again and are not doing enough to stop it. #Who is #next? The #Journalists? The #Media? When will You #Resist ?

RE: https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:q3glmp5enr5gkuu2uaosjker/post/3lkyze5wdik2f

Impeachment is right there in the Constitution.

We need to start demanding it.

#impeach #impeachment #Constitutional #Corruption #Patriotism #LoveTheUSA #SaveAmericanDemocracy #uspol #USPolitics #journalism #news #analysis #Resist #media #socialmedia #immigration #Immigrants #ImmigrantRights #Resistance #FascistAppeasers #FascistEnablers #FascistTakeover #CivilRights #HumanRights #FreeSpeech #1stAmendment

"Even if the plaintiffs ultimately lose, the burden imposed by the lawsuit may itself be the point."

Indeed.

https://thebaffler.com/latest/guilt-by-association-jindia

#USPolitics #Resist #FreePalestine

This applies equally in the UK and, I imagine, across the western world, because people be fuckin' stupid.

"People think it’s 2019. They think they can’t have covid in 2025. They still believe in old archetypes about the responsibility of the state to the citizen. They think the state protected them with vaccines and that this protection meant they could go back to normal. But normal is over, gone, dead."

https://www.donotpanic.news/p/the-institutions-are-collapsing

#CovidIsntOver #WearAMask #Resist

"We may be at this resistance business for a while, so take care of yourself so you can keep taking care of human rights, truth, justice, and the natural world."

Beautiful stuff as always from Rebecca Solnit, and a necessary read.

https://www.meditationsinanemergency.com/coming-unglued-week-eight-of-the-stupid-coup-and-tresistance-to-it/

#Politics #Resist

Protest against American imperialism in south east LA yesterday

#USPolitics #Resist

US postal workers held a rally in New York on Thursday to protest plans to shut down the USPS.

#USPolitics #Resist