Tyranny
It's time to realise it's possible. (The Bus 5.1)
Welcome aboard The Bus!
The Stop
In today’s dictionaries, ‘tyranny’ is usually defined as ‘government by a ruler or small group of people’ who have attained ‘unlimited power … and use it unfairly and cruelly’ without any control or limits.1 Originating in Ancient Greece, the word (from tyrannos, or ‘absolute ruler’) was not necessarily negative, but described the person who had ‘absolute and personal power within a state,’ a different position from someone who was a monarch - a ruler ‘bound by constitution and law.’ Though some tyrants were ‘usurpers’ who attained power by various - usually unscrupulous - methods, some were ‘elected to rule’, and other tyrants were ‘imposed by intervention from outside’. However, regardless of how they attained their position, the absoluteness of the power they held inevitably led to corruption - and a political situation far from ideal.2
By the 20th century, ‘tyranny’ had evolved to mean far more than mere dictatorship, or even authoritarianism. It began to refer to a system where a single leader or small group uses its absolute power, devoid of legitimate checks and balances, for personal gain and the subjugation of the populace. Unlike a just leader who governs by laws and seeks the well-being of their subjects, a tyrant prioritises self-preservation and control by using violence, fear, and manipulation (frequently through propaganda and the spreading of lies).
The American Founding Fathers, ‘concerned that the democratic republic they envisioned would collapse,’ studied deeply the ‘descent of ancient democracies and republics into oligarchy and empire.’ These thinkers understood what Aristotle meant when he ‘warned that inequality brought instability’ and Plato’s belief that ‘demagogues exploited free speech to install themselves as tyrants.’ By founding their new republic on law and by ‘establishing a system of checks and balances,’ they hoped to prevent a slip towards tyranny. And though for many years the republic has been working for the most part, the ‘bad news is that the history of modern democracy is … one of decline and fall.’ Each of the three ‘major democratic movements’ founded in recent European history - in 1918 after the First World War, in 1945 after the Second World War, and after the fall of communism in 1989 - failed due to ‘new visions of mass politics in which a leader or a party claimed to directly represent the will of the people.’ History shows that any temptation to believe that a ‘democratic heritage automatically protects’ democracy is misguided, and believed only by people ‘no wiser than the Europeans who saw democracy yield to fascism, Nazism, or communism in the twentieth century.’
It is important to note tyranny is never inevitable, but results because a society allows tyrannical forces to take root. Tyrannies develop gradually, with small steps that slowly take away people's freedoms. Consequently, preventing tyranny means that it is crucial to be aware of its symptoms and signs and to speak up when things seem wrong. One of the best recent investigations into how tyrannies develop is Timothy Snyder’s On Tyranny (2017).3 In this short book, Snyder - the Richard C. Levin Professor of History at Yale University and a permanent fellow at the Institute for Human Sciences in Vienna4 - condenses his years of studying what allowed European countries to fall into tyrannies during the 20th Century into a collection of 20 lessons on how to prevent this from occurring again.
Each lesson is straightforward, with a short explanation, e.g., (10) Believe in truth. To abandon facts is to abandon freedom. If nothing is true, then no one can criticise power, because there is no basis upon which to do so. If nothing is true, then all is spectacle. The biggest wallet pays for the most blinding lights., or (17) Listen for dangerous words. 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. Snyder then briefly examines each lesson in the context of its failure to be applied in 20th century Europe, but also shows how important it is to learn and apply this lesson to prevent tyranny from taking root in the current political environment. Here are the other 18 lessons:
(1) Do not obey in advance. (2) Defend institutions. (3) Beware the one-party state. (4) Take responsibility for the face of the world. (5) Remember professional ethics. (6) Be wary of paramilitaries. (7) Be reflective if you must be armed. (8) Stand out. (9) Be kind to our language. (11) Investigate. (12) Make eye contact and small talk. (13) Practice corporeal politics. (14) Establish a private life. (15) Contribute to good causes. (16) Learn from peers in other countries. (18) Be calm when the unthinkable arrives. (19) Be a patriot. (2) Be as courageous as you can.
I highly recommend this book. It’s fascinating and frightening in equal measures, though not as frightening as tyranny itself. You can also read Snyder’s very informative Substack at
.The Detour
Today’s Detour is to a short (7:26) documentary from The Hat Historian about the chef’s toque - the ‘classic attire of the great chef … the tall cylindrical hat made of starched cloth’ that has become a ‘symbol of haute cuisine and synonymous with a good meal.’ I do like off-beat history, and this is a great example of a deep dive into just that. Truly, I had no idea. Give it a watch.
Bon appétit! A History of the Chef's Toque
The Recommendation
Today’s Recommendation is to one of the best - and most famous - novels about tyrannies: George Orwell’s dystopian classic, 1984 (1949). Published in 1949 as a warning against totalitarianism, Orwell’s imaginary dystopia has made made a ‘deep impression’ on its readers, with many of his ideas - concepts such as Big Brother, Newspeak, Doublethink and the Thought Police, along with constant video surveillance of a population - having become ‘bywords for modern social and political abuses’. Essential reading.5
From the back: Venture into the harrowing world of George Orwell’s dystopian masterpiece, ‘1984’. Set in the oppressive superstate of Oceania, this chilling novel introduces readers to Winston Smith, a man struggling to maintain his humanity in a society ruled by the ever-watchful Big Brother. As Winston becomes increasingly disillusioned with the Party’s brutal control over every aspect of life, he finds solace in a secret love affair with the enigmatic Julia, putting both of them in the crosshairs of an unforgiving regime. ‘1984’ explores themes of totalitarianism, censorship, and the power of language, offering a stark warning against the dangers of absolute authority and the erosion of individual freedom. With its prophetic insights and haunting vision of a world where the truth is manipulated and dissent is crushed, Orwell’s powerful narrative remains a chilling reminder of the fragility of freedom and the need for vigilance in the face of tyranny. Prepare to be challenged, disturbed, and ultimately moved by this thought-provoking classic that continues to resonate with readers across generations.
The Sounds
Today’s playlist is a selection of five tracks thematically connected to today’s Stop: ‘California Über Alles’ (Dead Kennedys, 1979), ‘Fight the Power’ (Public Enemy, 1989), ‘Sleep Now in the Fire’ (Rage Against the Machine, 1999), ‘Orwellian’ (Manic Street Preachers, 2021) and ‘Harrowdown Hill’ (Thom Yorke, 2006). Enjoy!
The Thought
Today’s Thought is from the English mathematician and philosopher Bertrand Russell.6 In his essay ‘Freedom and Government’ (1940), Russell wrote:
‘The first step in a fascist movement is the combination under an energetic leader of a number of men who possess more than the average share of leisure, brutality, and stupidity. The next step is to fascinate fools and muzzle the intelligent, by emotional excitement on the one hand and terrorism on the other.
This technique is as old as the hills; it was practiced in almost every Greek city, and the moderns have only enlarged its scale.’
If you have a thought on this Thought - or any part of today’s issue - please leave a comment below:
And that’s the end of this Stop - I hope you enjoyed the diversion!
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Until the next Stop …
This is the Cambridge Dictionary definition (Tyranny (Cambridge).
Sources for today’s Stop include Tyranny (Britannica) and Synder, Timothy. On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century. London: The Bodley Head, 2017.
See Footnote 2.
For more about Snyder, see: Timothy Snyder.
I used to teach this novel in the 1990s to my high school SAT-Prep class. It’s a great book with a gripping story the students seemed to really enjoy, and we had a lot of fun dramatising certain parts and diving into the political subtext of the book. But one of my favourite memories from this time was when I’d put an enlarged photo of the principal - on which I’d printed ‘Big Brother is Watching You’ - over the intercom. One of the kids in an English class saw it and wondered why it was there - that he didn’t like Mr Tinsley keeping an eye on them at all times. I considered the point had been made.
For more about Russell, see: Bertrand Russell (Britannica)
While I try to remain hopeful of where are democracy will land over the next few years, the dearth of skeptically driven inquiry and the elevation of dogmatic and religiously based tribalism is concerning. I'm unsure what the answer is, which I suppose, is the part I find most concerning.
Well that’s a bracing start to Season #5! Snyder’s book is terrific.