Timothy Snyder
2 HN recommenders · recommended in 4 months, 2018–2025
11:25 · 36K views · Jun 9, 2018
Historian Timothy Snyder explains the politics of inevitability and the politics of eternity, two ways of thinking about time that frame his books On Tyranny and The Road to Unfreedom.
Recommended as a short, clear introduction to these two concepts for making sense of current politics.
5 comments from Hacker News
Timothy Snyder, author of On Tyranny , likes to restate the idea of US exceptionalism as both the politics of inevitability and democracy is not something you are, it is something you do . Many people wrongly think that democracy is an inevitable result of capitalism, but if that's true then there is nothing extra you have to do to remain democratic other than participate in capitalism. If freedom is an inevitable result of being an American, then there is nothing you have to do to be free as long as you are American. If peace between two countries is an inevitable result of both countries "having a McDonalds", there is nothing extra you need to do to achieve peace except trade. If you want freedom, peace, or governance that represents you, you can't just be something, you actually have to hold beliefs and conduct yourself in a way conducive to those outcomes. You will love this video (12m): this video (edited to make some statements more correct)
this video You should watch this (12min). You just expressed the "politics of eternity." You should check out Timothy Snyder in general to see what historians are saying about our current times.
I'd recommend pairing this article with this video with Timothy Snyder on Politics of Eternity, Politics of Inevitability: this video
> The jury is still out on whether what you are saying is hyperbole The president of the Heritage Foundation said “we are in the process of the second American Revolution, which will remain bloodless if the left allows it to be.” [LINK] -- [LINK] This is a direct quote from a major institution behind the current administration that is well known to be a major force for choosing judicial candidates for the GOP. I understand it feels like hyperbole, but that's not because it's hyperbolic, it's because it's hard to accept. Accepting it would cause a lot of grief and grief is disabling. Accepting it creates a sense of responsibility or a sense of helplessness, neither of which feel good. Accepting it means that we aren't just in a bad situation, we are in a literal emergency. It means action is necessary now. A secretary of defense and a chairman of the joint chiefs of staff have said he is a threat to the constitution and the country: [LINK] [LINK] 4 prominent republicans have Sieg Heiled including musk and bannon: [LINK] [LINK] Here's the head of the OMB saying he wants to put government workers in trauma: [LINK] [LINK] These are primary sources... This isn't hyperbole. > We can't assume the worst-case outcome despite the serious danger of that outcome should it occur. We don't have to assume the scenario to ask if it is possible. What prevents that scenario? That is the real problem. Without rule of law, there is nothing that stops it. The problem isn't that one particular sto
> People like to imagine that there is some kind of corrective force to history, some invisible hand that will, inevitably, push things into balance and restore normality. See "politics of inevitability" and "politics of eternity", as defined by Timothy Snyder. this video