Reply To: On Tyranny Lesson 12: Make eye contact and small talk
I think that Snyder is indicating that making acquaintances and friendships in your community can be a lifeline in more ways than one in troubled times. In a small way, engaging with those around you helps you be less fearful of strangers and feel less alone. In a big way, you may be able to lean on them and they on you if the time calls for it. I think making small talk is a way to connect to your neighbours and those outside of your immediate circle. I think Snyder has other reasons for suggesting it. I had to look up what Snyder meant by a “culture of denunciation” in the opening of this chapter so I could be clear as to why he was arguing for making connections. I hadn’t realized that the term has been used to describe what the German Democratic Republic (aka the Stasi) did in East Germany when they were in power under communist rule.
The Stasi got large portions of the populace to act as agents of the state—people spied for them. “The Stasi became known as one of the most efficient and brutal intelligence-gathering agencies that has ever existed. Its power lay in surveillance. The Stasi had eyes and ears everywhere, so that people did not speak in the streets; they whispered in their own homes and were wary of speaking freely to family or friends. To contradict the state was treason, for which a person could be imprisoned and tortured in order to produce more names. Sometimes people were executed.” (Source: https://www.fff.org/explore-freedom/article/creating-a-culture-of-denunciation/).
So I think he’s saying that making new friends is a healthy barrier against such regime tactics. You may be less likely to turn on someone you know if you’ve made eye contact with them. And they may be less likely to turn on you if you are no longer a stranger.
Obviously the tactic of “culture of denunciation” has been used by other tyrannical regimes, but I am increasingly nervous for my US neighbours given the profound and extensive surveillance tools available to the government. Also, Trump and others in his circle are starting to signal an increased intolerance for dissent.
Saying that destroying Tesla property is “treason” is worrying. I don’t condone the destruction of property, but saying it’s “treason” indicates you will be punished not for property damage but for a crime against the state. Turning away a French scientist and seizing his computer at the border because he’s written negative things about Trump is also worrying, as it is silencing criticism. I’m curious if anyone here has other examples that point to a rising culture of denunciation in Washington?
As for small ways we can reach out to others, I think volunteering might be a great way to reach out to people you don’t know or possibly fear. There are usually programs helping the homeless, at-risk youth, and new immigrants. I know in my community there are volunteers needed at centres for new immigrant families, reading programs for lower-income kids, dog walking for seniors with pets, fundraising for women impacted by domestic violence, food banks, etc. So many ways to engage with people in our community. Sometimes, it can be as simple as talking to someone sitting next to you on the bus or who you walk by on the street. I’m curious to hear what others suggest.
