On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century

by Timothy Snyder

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. The sudden disaster that requires the end of checks and balances, the dissolution of opposition parties, the suspension of freedom of expression, the right to a fair trial, and so on, is the oldest trick in the Hitlerian book. Do not fall for it.

19 Be a patriot.

Set a good example of what America means for the generations to come. They will need it.

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.