Thank you for another insightful piece. I keep thinking about a term I learned recently: "hypernormalization." You're exactly right that the political IQ's are astonishingly low here in the states. And that's coupled with a silly sense that dictatorships and authoritarianism can't really happen here...Almost no one is talking about the rapidly expanding pile of ruins that was once our (sort-of) democracy. As you point out, it's all proceeding in lock step with the age-old playbook. I want to say that we'll wake up and fight, but I don't have any reason to believe that will happen....Instead we're mostly keeping heads down and letting it get hypernormalized. So I, for one, am focusing my efforts into local community resilience, relationships, and working with the four questions Dougald Hine poses in his wonderful book: "At Work in the Ruins:" 1. What are the things we'll need to mourn the loss of?
2. What are the things we can carry forward?
3. What are the things that were always destructive and ought to be put down and not carried any further?
4. What are the things that have been waiting until now to be born?
George, thank you for your insightful article. America has always been an empire, but, it always had the façade of being a “democracy.” Now that façade is gone with Trump. And the empire of course; will turn on its own subjects with violence. Even for those who support the empire 100%. Sooner or later this will happen.
You’ve given voice to the very argument I’ve long struggled-agonised, even-to express, yet always fell woefully short. Your words have achieved with clarity and conviction what mine could only fumble in the dark.
Great article. Here in Canada, many people often do not have any idea what a dictatorship/authoritarianism even look like or feel like to live under.
You are right that the generational trauma was passed down, and I listened to my German family.
My grandmother was a German war widow, and survived both world wars with 3 children and the bitter reparations that came after. My uncle was forced into the Hitler youth and became a child soldier. Captured by the allies in combat once and let go as he was 13, he was not so lucky the second time and spent the rest of the war in a POW camp, but at least he got to go home when the war ended, a 60 km walk when the allies commandeered all vehicles.
My father, the baby of his family, born 1938, was starved and carpet bombed daily at an age when most of us were in kindergarten learning to play nice and share our toys. He shows the habits you mention, he can't speak ill of anyone, he takes whatever is dished out.
What you said makes sense, I understand him better now as we move into fascism ourselves.
People in Canada as well have no concept of fascism/authoritarianism, the best example being the people freaking out when asked to wear a mask or shelter in place during covid. A small yet loud minority decided this was fascism and have made it their whole personality.
They will not be able to deal with fascism/authoritarianism when it really happens.
I always think on how people say there were no Germans who resisted or fought fascism. There were, but for the most part, people learned very quickly that to resist was to be hunted and die, often with the help of informants that were your former friends or family. One relative was sent to Dachau and was worked to death for writing disparaging things about Germany in the early 30s. Things only got worse from there.
You are 100% correct. Authoritarian/fascist regimes need to be derailed as soon as they start to form, and people may even have to give everything to stop them. Resisters may lose their career/employment, their freedom, and even their lives.
This was avoidable, but as they say, people have forgotten history.
The people who voted for this, the people who cheer this on, they will suffer too, and very soon.
You think Germans were happy under Hitler? Like we are seeing now, power was seized, any safeguards to protect the people and democracy itself were demolished extremely quickly.
By the time they realized it was happening, Dachau concentration camp opened in 1933 as a lesson on what happens to resistors.
Your story brought Nazi Germany to life for me, and what it was like for ordinary Germans. Thank you for sharing…and coming to peace with terribly traumatic events. Best, G
In the US, the bottom line is the average American doesn't give a rat's ass as long as they can put gas in their SUV, take the kids to soccer practice or dance class, grab McDonalds on the way home, watch Survivor on tv, go to the occasional NFL game and take their two week vacay in the summer. It is what I call the " I, Me, Mine" mentality that views selfishness as a virtue ala Ayn Rand. The other components are normalcy bias and "it won't happen to me".
Political ignorance is what "they" want and need from all of us. In Australia it is a similar pattern - people complain and moan but at election time they vote red or blue, because that's just what you do right?
A survey before our recent national elections showed that a large percentage of younger voters would vote for the Green Party. But they didn't even know who the leader was or their local rep. It's great they want to vote for a party that appears to be pro-environment, but without giving it any thought or research they are just as bad as the red and blue sheep.
In Australia, voting is mandatory, but we still elect the same elitist, out-of-touch, self-serving, narcissistic, egotists as we always do. All politicians are the same now as it has become a career, not a calling.
A true advocate of the people would be unlikely to want such a horrid job. Sure it pays well, but what a shit sandwich it is. Especially if you wanted to actually represent the best interests of the electorate, the greater good etc.
We can (and most definitely should) vote wisely at every election. But we can also vote with our choices - consumerist choices to start with. Start thinking about what you buy, where it's from, the impact it has on the environment etc. Supply and demand drive the narcocapitalist system, and if they can see profits to be made in supporting environmentally friendly products they will. It's not the perfect solution, but if we vegans (and likemindeds) had the backing of the Coca-Colas, McDonalds, CostCos etc. of the world, it would be a massive step in the right direction.
Let them know we don't want the latest triple beef triple cheese heart-attack burger. Every time we buy one of their evil products, we validate them and encourage them to continue.
Thank you for another insightful piece. I keep thinking about a term I learned recently: "hypernormalization." You're exactly right that the political IQ's are astonishingly low here in the states. And that's coupled with a silly sense that dictatorships and authoritarianism can't really happen here...Almost no one is talking about the rapidly expanding pile of ruins that was once our (sort-of) democracy. As you point out, it's all proceeding in lock step with the age-old playbook. I want to say that we'll wake up and fight, but I don't have any reason to believe that will happen....Instead we're mostly keeping heads down and letting it get hypernormalized. So I, for one, am focusing my efforts into local community resilience, relationships, and working with the four questions Dougald Hine poses in his wonderful book: "At Work in the Ruins:" 1. What are the things we'll need to mourn the loss of?
2. What are the things we can carry forward?
3. What are the things that were always destructive and ought to be put down and not carried any further?
4. What are the things that have been waiting until now to be born?
Thank you, and yes. You are probably referring to the excellent Adam Curtis documentary
Yes - it's the Adam Curtis doc that introduced the term. Useful term, sadly....
George, thank you for your insightful article. America has always been an empire, but, it always had the façade of being a “democracy.” Now that façade is gone with Trump. And the empire of course; will turn on its own subjects with violence. Even for those who support the empire 100%. Sooner or later this will happen.
🙏
You’ve given voice to the very argument I’ve long struggled-agonised, even-to express, yet always fell woefully short. Your words have achieved with clarity and conviction what mine could only fumble in the dark.
Thank you for incisive & thought provoking piece.
Well, thank you!
remember that in "know your rights" the right to free speech exists "as long as you're not dumb enough to actually try it"
Ah yes!
Great article. Here in Canada, many people often do not have any idea what a dictatorship/authoritarianism even look like or feel like to live under.
You are right that the generational trauma was passed down, and I listened to my German family.
My grandmother was a German war widow, and survived both world wars with 3 children and the bitter reparations that came after. My uncle was forced into the Hitler youth and became a child soldier. Captured by the allies in combat once and let go as he was 13, he was not so lucky the second time and spent the rest of the war in a POW camp, but at least he got to go home when the war ended, a 60 km walk when the allies commandeered all vehicles.
My father, the baby of his family, born 1938, was starved and carpet bombed daily at an age when most of us were in kindergarten learning to play nice and share our toys. He shows the habits you mention, he can't speak ill of anyone, he takes whatever is dished out.
What you said makes sense, I understand him better now as we move into fascism ourselves.
People in Canada as well have no concept of fascism/authoritarianism, the best example being the people freaking out when asked to wear a mask or shelter in place during covid. A small yet loud minority decided this was fascism and have made it their whole personality.
They will not be able to deal with fascism/authoritarianism when it really happens.
I always think on how people say there were no Germans who resisted or fought fascism. There were, but for the most part, people learned very quickly that to resist was to be hunted and die, often with the help of informants that were your former friends or family. One relative was sent to Dachau and was worked to death for writing disparaging things about Germany in the early 30s. Things only got worse from there.
You are 100% correct. Authoritarian/fascist regimes need to be derailed as soon as they start to form, and people may even have to give everything to stop them. Resisters may lose their career/employment, their freedom, and even their lives.
This was avoidable, but as they say, people have forgotten history.
The people who voted for this, the people who cheer this on, they will suffer too, and very soon.
You think Germans were happy under Hitler? Like we are seeing now, power was seized, any safeguards to protect the people and democracy itself were demolished extremely quickly.
By the time they realized it was happening, Dachau concentration camp opened in 1933 as a lesson on what happens to resistors.
Your story brought Nazi Germany to life for me, and what it was like for ordinary Germans. Thank you for sharing…and coming to peace with terribly traumatic events. Best, G
In the US, the bottom line is the average American doesn't give a rat's ass as long as they can put gas in their SUV, take the kids to soccer practice or dance class, grab McDonalds on the way home, watch Survivor on tv, go to the occasional NFL game and take their two week vacay in the summer. It is what I call the " I, Me, Mine" mentality that views selfishness as a virtue ala Ayn Rand. The other components are normalcy bias and "it won't happen to me".
Exactly 👏🏽👏🏽💀
Political ignorance is what "they" want and need from all of us. In Australia it is a similar pattern - people complain and moan but at election time they vote red or blue, because that's just what you do right?
A survey before our recent national elections showed that a large percentage of younger voters would vote for the Green Party. But they didn't even know who the leader was or their local rep. It's great they want to vote for a party that appears to be pro-environment, but without giving it any thought or research they are just as bad as the red and blue sheep.
In Australia, voting is mandatory, but we still elect the same elitist, out-of-touch, self-serving, narcissistic, egotists as we always do. All politicians are the same now as it has become a career, not a calling.
A true advocate of the people would be unlikely to want such a horrid job. Sure it pays well, but what a shit sandwich it is. Especially if you wanted to actually represent the best interests of the electorate, the greater good etc.
We can (and most definitely should) vote wisely at every election. But we can also vote with our choices - consumerist choices to start with. Start thinking about what you buy, where it's from, the impact it has on the environment etc. Supply and demand drive the narcocapitalist system, and if they can see profits to be made in supporting environmentally friendly products they will. It's not the perfect solution, but if we vegans (and likemindeds) had the backing of the Coca-Colas, McDonalds, CostCos etc. of the world, it would be a massive step in the right direction.
Let them know we don't want the latest triple beef triple cheese heart-attack burger. Every time we buy one of their evil products, we validate them and encourage them to continue.