On Tyranny Lesson 16: – Learn from peers in other countries

The Eastern European countries that were once under Russian rule know all too well the ways in which Russians have used propaganda, psy ops, misinformation, hacking, blackmail, corruption, assassination, and information warfare to undermine their country’s rule of law and political systems. So they recognized what was going on in the USA.

There seems to be a fog that’s rolled in and is covering Washington. Few Republicans seem to be questioning their leader’s pivot to Russia and autocracy. How is it possible that longstanding allies like Canada are now seen as threats but Russia is not? I think among the leadership they seem to be okay with joining the lawless autocratic network of dark money that has seeped into and corrupted governments all over the world.

In this discussion, we’ve mentioned how a lack of education is contributing to the US’s woes, and social media is manipulating people’s minds even more. In the hands of Russian operatives, social media has been weaponized in ways most people don’t understand. From my readings, the Russians used many tactics in Ukraine to undermine their election, such as spreading narratives, conspiracy theories, and misleading content through social media and operating online troll farms. They bought influencers (like Tenant Media did in the US in the recent election). They employed cyberattacks and hacking (e.g., Hillary’s emails). They enflamed social and racial divisions, often on social media platforms but sometimes organizing real-life protests and counter-protests. They spread misinformation about voter fraud and election rigging. There’s more that they did, but the point is always to hinder people’s ability to discern truth from fiction and to generate distrust in established institutions and leadership. To me, this echoes a lot of what happened in the past three US elections.

I understand why Snyder suggests Americans have lots to learn from people in other countries, especially those who have experienced the loss of their freedoms like the Philippines under Duterte or Eastern Europeans. Snyder suggests travelling to different countries, and it is a great way to be introduced to cultures and people who don’t necessarily think the same way you do. They also might have a perspective of your country that you don’t realize. But Snyder’s advice assumes people have the money and time to be able to travel abroad. I don’t think they all do. However, I think there are lots of creative options for experiencing other cultures in your own backyard. You can watch travel shows, foreign films, international theatre shows, or go to an ethnic restaurant to try a cuisine you’ve never eaten. I think Americans could also travel within the United States and get to know their own country better. Speaking as a Canadian, I have travelled enough in the US to know that people between states may all be American, but they have quite different cultures, histories, and daily lives. It’s educational to travel even within your own town or city too. Where I live there are lots of different neighbourhoods with immigrants from many different cultures and working backgrounds. I don’t have to travel abroad to meet them.

I have travelled to Eastern European countries when they were under Communist rule. I visited Hungary when it was still part of the Soviet Union. In Hungary, I was travelling with family friends in the 1980s. At the borders the guards all had automatic rifles and soldier’s uniforms. Guard towers and barbed wire dotted the border. It was an intimidating experience crossing in and out of the country. The people were poor but friendly. The home where I stayed did not have running water or a flush toilet and many amenities I had at home were not there. Yet, I had positive experiences with the people. I also travelled to Yugoslavia in the 1987 before it broke up. I saw farmers using scythes to cut hay in the fields and it struck me that it was like going back in time to a pre-industrial age. What I learned from travelling to these countries is that progresses that we take for granted in the Western world are far from being universal. Even the freedom to come and go as we please should also not be taken for granted.

I have had a passport since 1976. I have set foot on some part of every continent except Antarctica and in multiple parts of many. There is no substitute for being a traveler in another country, for the opportunity to see a different place than what one believes how things should be. To meet people whose world view is informed by experiences profoundly different from one’s own. In some ways, I think people in the U.S, have analmost arrogant view of themselves and this country. A lack of awareness that no doubt contributes to where we are now politically.

True, travel requires some resources. And if one is struggling to pay for food or housing, it is not an option. Plenty of folks, however, have some agency about how they spend their money. Travel to other countries could be part of their decision making.

if one truly can’t travel, I recommend reading fiction from authors from other parts of the world. I am currently reading “The Cemetery of Untold Stories” by Julia Alvarez. She is an amazing author and a welcome respite from political and current events.