No Jargon Episode 81: On Tyranny

In the 1900s, dictators rose to power across Europe as democracies fell to fascists and communists. On a recent episode of No Jargon, Snyder argues that modern democracies are far from invincible, and relates lessons learned from the totalitarianism of the 20th century to guide Americans today.

In the episode, Snyder warns against the idea of American exceptionalism and says that tyranny in the United States is indeed possible. In his best-selling book On Tyranny and in an OpEd, Snyder outlines twenty actions Americans can take to prevent the United States from sliding into authoritarianism. He argues that the worst does not have to unfold as Americans have the advantage of learning from the experiences of the past.

Timothy Snyder is a Professor of History at Yale University. His research specializes in the history of Central and Eastern Europe and the Holocaust.