The Road to Unfreedom: Russia, Europe, America

“The collapse of the politics of inevitability ushers in another experience of time: the politics of eternity. Whereas inevitability promises a better future for everyone, eternity places one nation at the center of a cyclical story of victimhood. Time is no longer a line into the future, but a circle that endlessly returns the same threats from the past. Within inevitability, no one is responsible because we all know that the details will sort themselves out for the better; within eternity, no one is responsible because we all know that the enemy is coming no matter what we do. Eternity politicians spread the conviction that government cannot aid society as a whole, but can only guard against threats. Progress gives way to doom.”

This quote encapsulates Snyder’s central concepts of the politics of inevitability and the politics of eternity. Here, he describes the transition from a forward-looking optimism, represented by the politics of inevitability, to a regressive, cyclical worldview, represented by the politics of eternity, where history is seen as repetitive and dominated by narratives of national victimhood. In this cyclical process, progress is discarded in favor of existential threats that justify an authoritarian stance, with leaders promoting the idea that they are not responsible for societal advancement but only for protecting against perpetual dangers.

“History as a discipline began as a confrontation with war propaganda. In the first history book, The Peloponnesian Wars, Thucydides was careful to make a distinction between leaders’ accounts of their actions and the real reasons for their decisions. In our time, as rising inequality elevates political fiction, investigative journalism becomes the more precious. Its renaissance began during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, as courageous reporters filed stories from dangerous locations. In Russia and Ukraine, journalistic initiatives clustered around the problems of kleptocracy and corruption, and then reporters trained in these subjects covered the war.”

In this quote, Snyder connects his work to that of the ancient historian Thucydides, appealing to tradition in order to give substance to his arguments. He highlights the origins of history as a discipline aimed at challenging and clarifying the often-misleading narratives presented by leaders. He also points to the contemporary relevance of this critical approach, emphasizing that in times of rising inequality and prevalent political fiction, investigative journalism gains immense value, serving as a vital counter to propaganda and misinformation.