On Tyranny Lesson 13: Practice corporeal politics

I don’t think time online necessarily dissipates your emotions, but it does encourage an apathy, a disconnection from taking action. Passively watching or reading news or scrolling through social media doesn’t do anything to counter those in power or change the situation, so of course those in power prefer a docile public.

Demonstrating in the streets certainly is one way to protest in a way that sends a clear message to those in power. I’m not so sure that mass protests always have an effect on the power structure as much as they once did or one would hope. But there usually is a tipping point if the protests are large and frequent enough. And there have been, and continue to be, successful mass protests that have ousted leaders and regimes.

Snyder’s example of the Polish solidarity movement of 1980-81 is a great example, I think. I could see a similar movement arising in the US as it becomes clearer to both left, right, and independent voters that they all are being taken for granted and that government does not have their best interests at heart and is not serving them. I can see Americans waking up and recognizing who the true “enemy” is — it’s a system that rewards the oligarchy and wealthiest corporations at the expense of workers and their rights.

The misdirection and chaos going on right now are all in service of extending that huge tax break to the wealthiest in the US. When enough workers recognize that their tax dollars and their human rights are being taken away, I envision people from all walks of life coming together. But what Snyder recounts doesn’t sound easy. The movement took years of hard work and required concerted effort, and even then it was suppressed and crushed. It only resulted in success 8 years later, but thankfully it succeeded.

I have not participated in peaceful protest as I have not had need to, so that’s a privilege and I don’t take it for granted. I feel strongly about Canada not becoming the 51st state and about tRump weaponizing tariffs to undermine our economy and sovereignty, so if there are potential protests that might arise around these issues, I think I would want to participate.

My favorite line in this chapter is “Get outside.” Literally and figuratively, it speaks to me.

Literally, it means being out of doors. The term brings images of hiking in the natural world but it can be as simple as working in one’s yard or walking around the block. It means being someplace where one sees, hears and smells the natural world. That time is both an essential counterweight to politics and a reminder of why resistance is essential.

The figurative meaning is equally salient, leaving the comfort of one’s assumptions or opinions and interacting directly with others. That is much more of a challenge, not so much physically as finding the time and the nerve. Fortunately, there are built in opportunities around me, organizations that plan protest gatherings.

Yes, I have participated in protests and expect to continue. The problem I see with using the internet to voice one’s dissent is that it gives a bit of a false sense of action. There is a certain power in clicks and likes and internet posts but it is more distant and easier to ignore. There is a concreteness to being literally seen and physically present that conveys a different message. (That is why I try to provide in-person comments on local issues; it is harder to dismiss the individual and visible person than anything they have written.)

I disagree with Tara on one thing in her comments. The fundamental intent of the U.S. administration is to dismantle individual rights and create a government structure that allows it to do that. Tax breaks are a happy sidebar; all claims about economic issues are a smoke screen and distraction. There are monetary costs to what the administration is doing, they will become more painful and impact those who voted for this administration. That is likely to be what mobilizes a lot of people. The fundamental goal here is to create and sustain an authoritarian government.

Right now, we are seeing protests from all over the world. We’ve seen protests in the past as well, ones where millions have come out of their homes to demand change. These are the events that catch attention and inspire other movements. This is what the author is encouraging.

I agree with Jane with respect to the goal of the US administration. By creating an authoritarian government, the entire wealth of the country ends up in the pocket of the few. Taxes are only for “them” not for those in power.

However, I do think that online activities are becoming much more important than they once were. Online realities are now just as important, if not even more important for many people. We’ve seen the impact of this from the ability of social media to shape thoughts and change votes. So I do believe that what we do online matters quite a bit, not only with clicks, but also with sources and sites. If Big Tech is the source of our problems, we need to spend more time understanding the problem and how we’re being manipulated. We can then find ways to stop the manipulation.

I agree with Jane and Susan W. that the end game of this administration is to ultimately gain authoritarian control. The only winners are supposed to be the rich people who kowtow to whatever the Boss demands. The peons who go along will be told that they’re winning, too, but that won’t really be the case, as they will have given up all their democracy in the process. A lot of people are still wondering if there’s a strategy to this chaos that will somehow be revealed as effective brilliance, and all done for the greater good of the country, and they are choosing a wait and see attitude. I am extremely skeptical of that, to say the least, and I feel that too much damage is being done in the meanwhile. I think a lot of people don’t really understand or believe that the wolf is already at the door, and so, how to best convince them?

I do think that there’s a place for internet activism, to a degree. I find it useful to monitor attitudes, news, information of all sorts, while knowing that so much of it can’t be trusted and may even be eavesdropped upon. I find it encouraging to see posts that give me hope and positivity and seek to tell the truth. I find it easier to network online than anywhere I’ve found in person in this area, too. I get some good ideas through this. I also, however, believe in judicious outdoor activism. Yes, I have participated in peaceful demonstrations before, and would again, if good opportunities arose. Solidarity is indeed a powerful thing, if we can find it, and visual affirmation that real people are demanding real answers is a strong tool to use when it can be done safely. In Poland, they found a common cause to rally behind that crossed many different professions and ideologies; in this country at the moment, we’re so divided that we haven’t yet been able to make as huge an impact, but I do believe that it’s possible, if the country as a whole eventually wakes up and decides there’s a line that we simply cannot cross. I wish that it wouldn’t have to be that drastic, and that we could be more proactive now, but my wishes don’t solve anything. Meanwhile, we can continue to make noise, no matter how large or small our voices are, and hope that more people hear us, and yes, see us, and start thinking and joining in before it’s too late.

I also agree with Jane, Susan and Susan that authoritarianism is the goal.

I believe there is a reason that crowd sizes and presidential approval ratings are often touted. These metrics demonstrate support and they do matter, particularly to 45/47. When people stay at home and media suppresses coverage of protests and rallies, activism is discouraged, and complacency, silence and submission are the default. There were complaints that the protests weren’t receiving any coverage months ago. However, the images and videos of protests are more widespread and the crowd sizes are increasing. Now there is momentum, enthusiasm and hope, which encourages more of the same. Getting outside and connecting with others in person is important for all these reasons and more.

I also believe that the online world is quite important. This is where everyone finds their news, forms their opinions and then acts accordingly offline. There is a reason why the Musk, owner of X (and therefor already has an incredibly large following) and one of the richest men in the world was caught creating at least one fake profile that constantly praised himself – he was/is constantly trying to sway opinion to his favour. I believe 45/47 did it as well some years ago, pretending to be “John Barron”. These examples reinforce the importance of online/media influence, although I agree with Jane with the limitations of clicks and posts. However, I do think there may be more impactful resistance opportunities for the use of our time online.

Susan A’s comments are so on point with respect to raising awareness and convincing others. I also agree that it may be some triggering event that suddenly causes mass activism. I think it’s helpful for as many of us to be as prepared as possible for what may come, using history as our guide.

My apologies in advance for a long somewhat tangential answer. That is how my brain often processes. But maybe some of you learn similarly. Just for reference, I am a US citizen. The question about dissipated emotions caused me to look up what that means. That took me down a rabbit hole of looking up word meanings. Dissipation vs apathy vs acquiescing vs paralysis. If dissipation means to fade away and have less strength, then I think that is a real possibility and that it is in fact happening now. What I think happens is that too much information might lead people to shut down and not act from simple overwhelm. We have been insulated in the west for several generations. Thus many of us have not learned how to act or react to this particular set of circumstances. We don’t have a framework or playbook. I don’t believe inaction means that people do not care. But I absolutely agree inaction helps people in positions of power. It speaks to Chapter 1 on giving away power. In our case I think (cruel) authoritarianism is the end game.

On the other hand I agree that sharing information online is important and can motivate action. What I have learned on line has challenged me and led me to resist.

I think living online creates a silo effect, shielding us from other viewpoints. A recent drive to a day hike destination took me through rural farm country. A highly visual learner and observer I was moved by a scene from one of the silos. I imprinted the image in my brain: Extending from the open side door on the silo a chute emptied contents from the silo into very large truck. The truck would take the product to be marketed or processed. This represented taking information from the silo and distributing it widely to new places. Hopefully to places that previously lacked that information and to where the information might act as catalyst. This could be factual information or false information. In my mind the information represented facts and truth. But it could represent the opposite, and that has happened for many years. I know that silo may be an overused reference, but I was moved by what I saw.

The visual emphasized the importance of getting outside. I was literally on my way outside. Outside is where I am grounded. The scene encouraged me to think of ways to share information with those who need information.
I took a break from Facebook for about three weeks while I thought about what I would do. It was refreshing to be spared from the drama. Previously I only posted scenes from my outdoor hiking and backpacking adventures.

Since my return to FB I have tried to unsuccessfully online recruit others to become involved in the resistance. I have posted on my page opportunities to become involved. Yesterday I posted some information about the intended sales of our national lands. I think in the process of overwhelm the fact that our public lands are at great risk is getting lost in the chaos of orders. I have also learned that I need to extend more personal invitations to friends and family, which requires courage and getting outside my comfort zone. A few people have complimented me individually on my efforts. I don’t want compliments. I want to see people becoming more involved. Some are, but the effort feels like rolling a rock uphill.

In response to the question of do I think demonstrations prevent authoritarianism, I am mixed. I am visualizing that they will make a difference. I have to believe that they will. I do not know in advance that they will, but it is worth trying. We have too much to lose if we do nothing. I fear martial law, and until such an event were to occur I will use my voice.

In the past month I have attended one general protest against Trump and Elon, one science rally at my state capitol and a rally for saving our public Lands. I intend to be at the next big protest, which is April 5th. At the rallies I have met like minded people and been encouraged by strangers. At this point we energize each other just by gathering. I carpooled to the capitol with a woman much younger than myself who I had met on an activist page. We stay in loose touch to encourage each other. As a person with generalized anxiety getting out to rallies stretches my comfort zone. The more events I attend, the easier it becomes.

On the subject of solidarity, finding people who voted for Trump and who feel betrayed enough to protest is where I am stuck. I personally do not know that many Trump enthusiasts. That said, I believe in working together for change. Not to blame the Trump voters when they confide disappointment, but to use their disappointment as a catalyst to get them to join the resistance. In that way the solidarity might have a chance to grow. Common cause. The lesson from Poland speaks to that, as well as to never giving up hope.

My greatest passion is protection of public spaces. I will speak more on that when we get to chapter 15. Thank you for letting me join the conversation. I am a bit intimidated, as my writing is rusty and you are all so on point.

• This reply was modified 1 month ago by Dolores Niebergall.

Oops, I found an editorial error. Is there a way to edit my responses when I find an error after I submit? Thanks.