The 20th century shows that the form of government that we take for granted, a constitutional democratic republic with checks and balances and a rule of law - that form of government is usually temporary. — 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
