I recently read “On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century,” a 2017 book by Timothy Snyder. He talks about the potential fall of democracy after the original election of President Donald J. Trump. He bluntly parallels more relevant political happenings to other similarly significant events in the United States throughout history. Snyder’s ideas have still held up in recent years, even more so now after the recent election. His words inspired me to reexamine American history, this time with a pair of clearer glasses.
America’s main ideologies are freedom, liberty, human rights and democracy. While these are still in place as rules in the constitution, I believe this country’s backbone has been deteriorating. Regardless of where you stand on the vast political spectrum, the overall consensus is that America is not what it used to be (whether that means for better or for worse). In this age of social media, 24-hour news cycles and ever-worsening political polarization, it can feel like the same things keep happening again and again with no clear sign of stopping, and America becomes more unstable with each passing day. The Jan. 6th, 2021 Capitol insurrection was a prime example of this. Along with the repeated false claims of election fraud, it shows how easily democratic processes can be undermined by those in power. One of Timothy Snyder’s central arguments that particularly caught my eye was, “History does not repeat, but it does instruct.” As we see the rise of political figures and movements that employ ostracization, overthrowing institutions and appealing to nationalistic ideologies, we must ask: are we complicit? Are we too comfortable in our privilege to recognize this slow creep of authoritarianism?
Throughout history, the political establishment has been faced with a choice: resist the encroachment on liberty or yield to the forces of autocracy. The lines have become significantly harder to distinguish from 1877 onward, when the rights of black Americans were systematically stripped away by both government action and approval from powerful politicians. Southern states implemented Jim Crow laws, disenfranchising black voters through voter suppression tactics, violence and prejudice-ridden discriminatory legal frameworks. This was a time when fundamental freedoms and human rights (a core aspect of democratic beliefs) was subverted through an extraction of liberty. Although the Jim Crow laws were decades ago, we can see the same effects today, as voter suppression continues to rear its ugly head in various states across the nation. The introduction of voter ID laws, the closing of polling places to limit voting in predominantly black and latino neighborhoods and the gerrymandering of district lines, are all reminiscent of the continuous, dark history of our country.
What makes history repeat itself is not just the actions of tyrannical leaders, but the complicity of the people. Nixon’s administration relied heavily on exploiting fear; fear of communism, fear of protestors and fear of anything that could jeopardize the status quo. His actions included the use of government agencies for political gain. Even after the WaterGate scandal was exposed, many of his supporters rallied around him, plugging their ears and unwilling to confront the greater issue of political corruption. Nixon was ultimately forced to resign, but the damage to trust in democratic institutions stayed. As with 1930s Germany, a similar complacency can be seen today when we shield our eyes from the truth and overlook the threats to freedom because they don’t immediately affect us. It won’t just go away because we choose to ignore them. We´re neglecting the fact that the Supreme Court determined the President is beyond the reach of prosecution and above the law so long as he claims he’s acting within his duties as President of the United States.
It’s up to each of us to learn from our history; otherwise, we are doomed to repeat it. Yes, thinking about the darker aspects of our past can feel overwhelming and depressingly futile, but there are still actions we can take to break this cycle. We must first understand that tyranny is not inevitable. The lessons from history and Snyder’s writings teach us that democratic collapse is not something that happens overnight. It is a slow process, one that starts when we let hate fester, when we accept lies as truth and when we prioritize political power over the collective good. After understanding why this is happening, the next course of action is to be vigilant by actively engaging in the political process—not just during elections. This would allow us to hold leaders accountable and demand their transparency to protect our democratic institutions. Despite what others may say, above all else, be willing to stand up for what you believe.