On Tyranny

“History does not repeat, but it does instruct.”

The victory of democracies over tyrannies in the 20th century leads to the idea that history has come to an end, and that there is no further need to consult it. However, the recent rise of tyranny in Russia and a demagogue in America rebuts the premise that all inevitably will be well. History doesn’t travel to a nice place and then stop; it continues to surprise. Sometimes things recur, and sometimes they don’t. That, in itself, is the chief lesson of history. 

“The European history of the twentieth century shows us that societies can break, democracies can fall, ethics can collapse, and ordinary men can find themselves standing over death pits with guns in their hands. It would serve us well today to understand why.”

Good societies can go bad, and good people can do terrible things. One lesson of history is that tyrants can rise and bring out the worst in a nation. 

“Most of the power of authoritarianism is freely given. In times like these, individuals think ahead about what a more repressive government will want, and then offer themselves without being asked. A citizen who adapts in this way is teaching power what it can do.”

Even within democracies, many citizens are quick to fall under the spell of demagogues, to the point of abandoning their liberties for the mere promise of safety under an authoritarian regime. Sometimes even the tyrant is surprised by the ease with which he can persuade vast numbers of citizens to turn over their lives to his dictates. Tyrants reach quickly for such people, who form an advance guard in the battle to conquer a republic.