It should go without saying that our moral responsibility as citizens is to oppose tyranny in all its forms. Whether tyranny comes cloaked in nationalism, religious extremism, authoritarian populism, or corporate power, it corrodes the foundations of a free and just society. Standing against it is not just a matter of political opinion—it is an ethical obligation. But how we stand up matters. Our response must be measured, effective, and directed toward positive outcomes, even when the path forward is uncertain or fraught with risk.
In some parts of the world, such as Ukraine, the struggle against tyranny is brutally physical and immediate. Ukrainians have no choice but to defend their homes, families, and sovereignty with whatever means are at hand. Their resistance is a stark reminder of what is at stake when authoritarian power goes unchecked. For those of us not caught in such violence, the fight may be quieter, but it is no less critical. We still have the opportunity—which becomes our duty—to use our voices, our actions, and our civic power to prevent such conditions from emerging or worsening at home.
Timothy Snyder’s On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century (2017) provides both a warning and a roadmap. Drawing from the rise of totalitarian regimes in the last century, Snyder makes clear that democracy is not self-sustaining. It must be actively defended—often in small, courageous ways—before it collapses under the weight of apathy, propaganda, or the slow normalization of injustice. His thesis is urgent yet straightforward: tyranny takes root when citizens stop resisting, when truth becomes negotiable, and when individuals cease to believe that their actions matter.
Snyder’s lessons—such as “Do not obey in advance,” “Defend institutions,” “Be calm when the unthinkable arrives,” and “Stand out”—are not abstract principles. They are calls to action. They ask us to pay attention, to support the rule of law, to speak truthfully, and to protect the vulnerable. The erosion of democracy, he reminds us, is often incremental. It thrives on distraction, polarization, and fear. But it can be stopped—if we are vigilant.
This moment in history demands nothing less than our full attention and our moral clarity. We cannot afford to be passive. The rise of autocratic impulses—at home and abroad—requires each of us to ask: What am I doing to protect the future of democracy? What am I doing to ensure that tyranny has no place to take root? Whether it’s voting, speaking out, organizing, or simply refusing to accept the unacceptable, each act of resistance counts. The time to stand up is now.
Trump, it turns out, is no Hitler (as I originally feared in a post in 2016). He’s a pathetic tinpot dictator who, along with his henchmen like Stephen Miller and Rossell Vought, can do a great deal of damage to civil society in the United States, but his Administration is not ultimately capable of overturning our decency, our empathy for each other, and our dedication to a living planet. Now is the time to stand against tyranny, and also to plant the seeds of a new and better society, both locally and globally, dedicated to planetary and human renewal.