On Tyranny

In a tyranny, one sign that someone has become a target of the state is that other people begin to avoid contact with them. For this reason, it is wise in any political climate always to cultivate connections with others: “Having old friends is the politics of last resort. And making new ones is the first step toward change” (82). 

An important pushback against tyranny is the formation of movements made up of real people who are willing to stand up to tyrants. In Communist Poland between 1968 and 1989, several demonstrations are put down, yet from these a labor union, Solidarity, forms among workers, students, and intellectuals who don't agree about everything but share the common cause of protest against the government.

Finally, in 1989, the government relents: “The labor union insisted on elections, which it then won. This was the beginning of the end of communism in Poland, eastern Europe, and the Soviet Union” (85). 

During the US election campaign of 2016, many people’s private electronic communications are released publicly. Some emails are released out of context and are misinterpreted. The media, focused on the often sensational contents of these documents, fails to notice the gross violation of privacy that they represent.