On Tyranny

Autocrats try to simplify language so that only their beliefs find expression. Writers have warned us of this: in Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, firemen burn books; in George Orwell’s 1984, “books are banned and television is two-way” (61). Modern screened devices present us with news images but not thoughtful ideas, “[s]o get the screens out of your room and surround yourself with books” (62). 

Under totalitarian rule, “truth dies in four modes” (66). The first is “presenting inventions and lies as if they were facts” (66), which the current president does at a high rate. Snyder contends that “[d]emeaning the world as it is begins the creation of a fictional counterworld” (66).

The second killer of truth is “endless repetition” (66) of stereotypes that mischaracterize others. The current president uses terms such as “Lyin’ Ted” and “Crooked Hillary” (67) repeatedly to oversimplify and denigrate opponents.

The third killer of truth is magical thinking, by which a leader proposes mutually contradictory policies as if all can be achieved. The current president makes “promises of cutting taxes for everyone, eliminating the national debt, and increasing spending on both social policy and national defense. These promises mutually contradict” (67).