We are a flawed, experimenting people. Our institutions help us to preserve decency.
Welcome new subscribers. We are a growing movement of Indiana citizens concerned about the erosion of our democratic norms, the continual drumbeat of extremism and the persistent undermining of our democratic institutions. We are glad you are here, and we appreciate your support in growing this movement.
Movie buffs might vaguely recognize the title of this post. It is borrowed from a quote by Bella Baxter, played by Emma Stone in the movie Poor Things. In the movie, Bella proclaimed that she was a “flawed and experimenting person.” She goes on to say that “it is the goal of all to improve, advance, progress, grow.” This provocative movie explores themes of experimentation, transformation and the quest for freedom. It could be said that Bella’s story is similar to the arc of our democratic institutions. They are flawed and imperfect but they are our best hope for growing into our ‘better angels’.
The subtitle is a quote from Timothy Snyder in his book On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons From the Twentieth Century. (His Substack lists the twenty lessons here.) He explains that our democratic institutions are the structures that ensure our freedoms enshrined in our constitution and Bill of Rights. However, our institutions are not self-protecting and they will not save us from a tyrant or a dictator.
Did you Know:
Many of us assumed that our institutions were invincible and our republic infallible. That is not true. Our democratic institutions need us. They will not prevent someone from using the levers of freedom to be elected and then systematically dismantle them to stay in power. The German Jews could not imagine that their institutions would crumble under an elected leader. Timothy Snyder reminds us that “On February 2, 1933, for example, a leading newspaper for German Jews published an editorial expressing this mislaid trust:”
We do not subscribe to this view that Mr. Hitler and his friends, now finally in possession of the power they have so long desired, will implement the proposals circulating in Nazi newspapers]; they will not suddenly deprive German Jews of their constitutional rights, nor enclose them in ghettos, nor subject them to the jealous and murderous impulses of the mob. They cannot do this because a number of crucial factors hold powers in check. And they clearly do not want to go down that road. When one acts as a European power, the whole atmosphere tends towards ethical reflection upon one's better self and away from revisiting one’s earlier oppositional posture.
The Jewish people could not imagine the horrors that were to come, even though Hitler had been clear about what he wanted to do. Reasonable people believe that democratic norms and values provide guardrails against tyranny from within. But we must believe tyrants when they tell us what they plan to do if they are able to ascend to power through democratic means. Hitler was voted into power.
Why It Matters:
Wannabe authoritarians know the importance of demeaning existing institutions and instilling generalized mistrust and disregard against existing norms. They take advantage of our frustrations and cynicism about institutions; and they encourage distrust, disdain and cynicism about their imperfections. They do this by daily doses of propaganda and misinformation about our newspapers and journalists being ‘the enemy of the people’ (Stalin, Hitler and Mao used that phrase in the 1930s); about our elections being rigged and how mail in ballots are vehicles for voter fraud-thus limiting citizens’ easy access to voting. They attack the integrity of our educational institutions as being places where our children are being indoctrinated. They complain that our justice system is being ‘weaponized’ by their political enemies—a deceitful use of gaslighting and fear mongering.
In their ascent to becoming strongmen, authoritarian wannabes infiltrate existing institutions with their loyalists whose mission is to undermine the integrity of the institutional norms from within. People become even more disillusioned, discouraged and distrustful. The tendency is to either withdraw from politics or vote for someone who promises to ‘fix it’. A perfect storm for the fall of a democracy.
Madeleine Albright, an American diplomat, ambassador to the United Nations and the first woman to become The United States Secretary of State, was born in Prague, Czechoslovakia. Her family immigrated to the United States after the 1948 communist coup d’état when she was eleven years old. She witnessed the rise of authoritarianism. In her 2018 book Fascism: A Warning she puts a finer point on all this when she explains that:
“Fascist attitudes take hold when there are no social anchors, and when the perception grows that everybody lies, steals, and cares only about him or herself. That is when the yearning is felt for a strong hand (strongman) to protect against evil of the ‘other’—whether Jew, Muslim, so-called redneck or so-called elite. Flawed as our institutions may be, they are the best 4000 years of civilization have produced and cannot be cast aside without opening the door to something far worse.”
What Can You Do?
So, what does this have to do with us Hoosiers and what can any one person do? Like it or not, we too, like Madeleine Albright, are witnessing the early stages of a rise of authoritarianism and the possible re-ascension of a tyrant into the halls of power. Trump learned how limiting the democratic institutions were to his power grabs during his first term in office, so he vows to dismantle them ‘on day one’ if given a second term. He has a troop of loyalists here in Indiana to help him. What does resistance look like? One way to resist this trend is to support our favorite institutions. As Snyder says, “choose an institution you care about—a court, a newspaper, a law, a labor union—whatever, and take its side.” We offer a few suggestions for making a difference:
Check out these amazing independent and nonprofit newspapers; Indianapolis Recorder, Indiana Capital Chronicle (no charge), MirrorIndy (no charge), and State Affairs. Consider subscribing to one of them. The Indianapolis Star does some limited reporting on politics and statehouse news. It is imperfect but local newspapers are the mainstay of a free democracy. Subscribe and write informed, civil, engaging letters to the editor.
Make a choice to become a ‘high information’ citizen and voter. Limit doom scrolling on social media—it’s a black hole of despair and falsehoods.
Support anti-extremist candidates at a local level. Local campaigns depend on small dollar donors and volunteers. We will spotlight local elections and give trustworthy information of where candidates stand on supporting freedom or authoritarianism.
Support your local library and advocate for public schools—a democracy depends upon access to a free and public education and an informed public.
Register to vote (or check your voter registration status) as an act of resistance and encourage at least two others to join you. The Indiana Secretary of State website has this link to register to vote as well as ensure your voter registration is valid.
The irony in the above action is that our current Secretary of State, Diego Morales, has been credibly accused of sexual harassment and voter fraud, and twice fired when he worked in the office Secretary of State of Indiana prior to winning that seat in 2022. Nationally, he was one of just a handful of the MAGA extremist candidates who won an election in 2022. The office of Secretary of State plays a significant role in voter access. Stay tuned! (For credible validation of these statements, here is a link to the Indiana Capital Chronicle article from November 2022.)
Start a book group and read Timothy Snyder’s On Tyranny. (He has a printed version and an illustrated version. Neither take more than an hour or two to read). Encourage a diverse group of your family, friends and neighbors to join in on the discussion—go beyond your normal ‘echo-chamber’ of like-minded friends.
Check out this amazing organization Red Wine & Blue. These women are doing great community organizing and advocacy concerning reproductive freedom, resisting book bans and getting ballot initiatives passed in swing states. Take a few minutes to learn how to talk to friends and family who have been captured by misinformation and disinformation by watching this training video by Jess McIntosh. (You will see the slides first, just scroll down to the actual video) How To Handle Tough Topics Like a Pro. Have fun and invite others to take a peek at this organization and their resources.
Hearts and minds are changed through human connections and authentic conversations. Our institutions are depending on us.
Let’s keep growing this movement.
Yours in democracy,
Debbie, Rachel and Barbara
Notes:
1. The term ‘better angels of our nature’ was used by Abraham Lincoln in his Inaugural Address on March 4, 1861, becoming the 16th President of the United States. In his concluding remarks he stated:
“I am loath to close. We are not enemies. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield and patriot grave to every living heart and hearthstone all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature.”
2. Timothy Snyder is an American historian specializing in the history of Central and Eastern Europe, the Soviet Union and the Holocaust. He is the author of several books on the subject, including On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century and The Road to Unfreedom. He has an illustrated/graphic version of On Tyranny illustrated by Nora Krug. The quotes used in this post were his 2nd lesson - Defend Institutions.
3. Madeleine Albright’s book Fascism: A Warning (Harper Collins, 254 pages) describes how nations descend into tyranny. She warns that when people are fearful, angry or confused, they are often tempted to give away freedoms or the freedoms of others, to leaders promising order. In uncertain times, people no longer want to be asked what they think, they want to be told what to do. The excerpt quoted in the above post can be found on page xix of the Preface.