Do Not Obey in Advance
Timothy D. Snyder’s On Tyranny explains how people often give power to authoritarian leaders without being forced. He writes: “Most of the power of authoritarianism is freely given. In times like these, individuals think ahead about what a more repressive government will want, and then offer themselves without being asked. A citizen who adapts in this way is teaching power what it can do.”
So, in the earliest stages of our new political norm: are we allowing a system of tyranny and authoritarianism to take hold? When we see organizations like Target, Google, Meta and Walmart rolling back their Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs before any laws have changed regarding private companies, we see these companies obeying in advance and teaching power what it can do.
To put it bluntly, we are entering an era of “broader acceptance of authoritarian leadership” in what is supposed to be a democracy. The literal definition of authoritarianism – no established mechanism for the transfer of power and decision-making without regard for the will of the people – seems to be our reality. But what Snyder makes us question is: can authoritarian leadership successfully impose its will if we resist?
The past two weeks have shown that speed and force instill fear. The headlines have been flooded with our new administration’s “strategy:” executive orders in sweeping masses. Now, if you were a political scientist, your lens might be to analyze this strategy within the context of the history of democracy in this country. Is this an attempt to concentrate power within the executive branch? Why executive orders and not legislative processes? Are these orders being used to bypass the checks and balances meant to protect democracy?
However, if you are dedicated to anti-racism and dismantling systems of white supremacy, maybe you feel an overwhelming sense of uncertainty –. You see the banners on the CDC website or the emails about grant-funding, for instance, and feel a sense of inevitability. Don’t. That feeling of inevitability is dangerous - it allows democracy to erode. Fear is warranted, but we cannot allow our fear to facilitate someone else’s power and we should not let power accumulate without resistance. In short, keep doing what you’re doing until you literally can’t anymore. Our power cannot be stripped away if we are freely giving it away.
We must not comply simply because we are afraid of political consequences. NYT Times columnist, Ezra Klein, said it perfectly: “He is trying to substitute perception for reality. He is hoping that perception then becomes reality. That can only happen if we believe him.”
Once we strip our political moment of its political jargon, perhaps the most essential question that we should consider is: what is true leadership?
True leadership, that which is not self-serving, is not about consolidating power for personal gain but about serving and empowering others. True leadership respects democratic values and organizes people around integrity, vision, and humility. True leaders do not demand blind obedience. We see some examples of this already: companies like Costco and Apple standing up for their values and commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion; federal employees protesting and blocking illegal activities; everyday citizens mobilizing to protect immigrant community members from ICE.
As a part of our nINA Collective community, you also exhibit true leadership that will guide us through this administration because you stand for the values of justice, equity, and collective liberation. The best form of resistance will be to lean into your own locus of control. Believe that if you have the power to give someone a platform to exert control, then you surely have the power to take it away. Believe in your agency and when we cannot immediately change the political landscape, we must change ourselves - unyielding in our defense of democracy.
