20 Principles for the Fifth Apocalypse
In Anticipation of the Inauguration
In the widely-read On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century, Timothy Snyder walks through the top-level ideas of how to preserve democracy in the face of rising fascism. “Do not obey in advance”. “Remember professional ethics”. “Be as courageous as you can”. Some—maybe even all—of these lessons still hold true in the face of our now rapidly-rising autocracy in the United States. Some, though, are past their prime. The time for their observation has…passed.
We are in a new world, on the precipice of a fifth apocalypse, by my count, in my lifetime. These apocalii™ include the incidents themselves along with all of their aftermath:
HIV/AIDS
9/11
Trump I
COVID
Trump II
The Fifth Apocalypse is upon us. Here are 20 principles that will get us through. Essays to follow in the coming weeks/months.
Survival is the goal. Yes, survival.
They mean exactly what they say.
Community is how we make it through.
Believe your eyes.
The system presumes ethical actors.
The center will not hold.
Reality will be hard to suss out. Do the work of discovering it.
You will be surrounded by stupidity. Recognize it for what it is.
Pick your battles.
Learn to spot distractions. Avoid engaging them.
Prepare—seriously—for the unthinkable.
There’s no political party coming to save you.
The time for persuasion has passed.
Forget Maslow.
Good people won’t know what to do next. Be prepared to tell them a concrete action they can take.
No circular firing squads.
Laugh while you stock the survival gear.
Know your limits. Before you are asked.
It will all happen painfully slowly. And sometimes, overnight.
“There is nothing new under the sun, but there are new suns.”
Build Community. Be Strategic. We’re all in this together.