When listening to politicians, distinguish certain words. Look out for the expansive use of 'terrorism' and 'extremism.' Be alive to the fatal notions of 'exception' and 'emergency.' Be angry about the treacherous use of patriotic vocabulary. — Timothy D. Snyder Copy Share Image
It is aspiring tyrants who say that 'civil liberties end when an attack on our safety begins.' Conversely, leaders who wish to preserve the… — Timothy D. Snyder Copy Share Image
Americans can accept that the American Dream will not work out for them; what has been heartbreaking for so many is the sense that… — Timothy D. Snyder Copy Share Image
Defend an institution. Follow the courts or the media, or a court or a newspaper. Do not speak of 'our institutions' unless you are… — Timothy D. Snyder Copy Share Image
Courage does not mean not fearing or not grieving. It does mean recognizing and resisting terror management right away, from the moment of the… — Timothy D. Snyder Copy Share Image
In rhetoric and action, the Trump administration has aggrandized 'radical Islamic terror,' thus making what Madison called a 'favorable emergency' more likely. — Timothy D. Snyder Copy Share Image
I thought I was going to grow up and become a diplomat and negotiate nuclear arms. — Timothy D. Snyder Copy Share Image
Mr. Trump is primarily a television personality. As such, he is judged by that standard. This means that a scandal does not call forth… — Timothy D. Snyder Copy Share Image
We think about democracy, and that's the word that Americans love to use, 'democracy,' and that's how we characterize our system. But if democracy… — Timothy D. Snyder Copy Share Image
Most Americans are exceptionalists; we think we live outside of history. — Timothy D. Snyder Copy Share Image
Every day you don't do something, it makes it less likely that you will ever do something. So you've got to get started right… — Timothy D. Snyder Copy Share Image
Anticipatory obedience teaches authorities what is possible and accelerates unfreedom. — Timothy D. Snyder Copy Share Image
To abandon facts is to abandon freedom. If nothing is true, then all is spectacle. — Timothy D. Snyder Copy Share Image
In the descent from a world of factual discourse into a world of emotions and alternative realities, the first step you take, whether you're… — Timothy D. Snyder Copy Share Image
Maybe I am naive, but I don't think talking about the Holocaust with total and complete cynicism is possible for Israeli politicians. It's inevitable… — Timothy D. Snyder Copy Share Image
There's a basic problem with the history of the Holocaust. The people who do it don't know the necessary languages. — Timothy D. Snyder Copy Share Image
