Tyranny: Timothy Snyder’s Reaction to American Politics Today
Who would have thought that America would elect a tyrant for president? Timothy Snyder writes On Tyranny to prepare readers for tyranny that may not be as remote as they may believe. The lessons inform the audience on ways to thwart fascism before it overpowers a nation. As a professor of history at Yale University, he uses his expertise on Nazism and Communism to construct his arguments (Snyder, 88). In On Tyranny, Timothy Snyder skillfully connects tyranny in European history to tyranny of today as well as utilizing logical reasoning. However, his explanation would appear more influential and successful if he mentioned the legal oppressive and cruel systems in America that have …show more content…
The writer seems to believe (or at least he made no attempt to contradict) that the United States was without cruelty and oppression before Donald Trump was elected. Perhaps America never had a complete dictatorship, but the US has never been great for people of color and disenfranchised groups. Systems of oppression have always existed in America since the creation of the colonies that legally held power. Legally, white, wealthy, male property owners could own slaves and have total control over their lives. Slavery was unquestionably inhumane and brutal to black people, and even though there was not any supreme leader, the entire US government systematically marginalized a vast group simply because of their supposedly inferior race. The three-fifths compromise gave the south more representation while simultaneously reducing black people to less than one citizen. Even when slavery was prohibited, the American government found ways to stop black people from gaining power. Consequently, Black Americans had incredible difficulty trying to find housing or jobs. Furthermore, Jim Crow laws separated colored people from whites in a further attempt to prove the inferiority of black people. Moreover, Japanese internment camps easily correspond to aspects of tyranny; the government forced Japanese Americans to relocate to camps in an effort to separate them from the rest of the United States. Similarly, Native Americans were removed from their homes and their land was taken from them, and they were commanded to go into reservations or into assimilation schools where they involuntarily learned English, cut their hair, wore European clothing, and could not speak their own language. Certainly, these actions do not coincide with a fair and just democracy that America claims to
Who would have thought that America would elect a tyrant for president? Timothy Snyder writes On Tyranny to prepare readers for tyranny that may not be as remote as they may believe. The lessons inform the audience on ways to thwart fascism before it overpowers a nation. As a professor of history at Yale University, he uses his expertise on Nazism and Communism to construct his arguments (Snyder, 88). In On Tyranny, Timothy Snyder skillfully connects tyranny in European history to tyranny of today as well as utilizing logical reasoning. However, his explanation would appear more influential and successful if he mentioned the legal oppressive and cruel systems in America that have …show more content…
The writer seems to believe (or at least he made no attempt to contradict) that the United States was without cruelty and oppression before Donald Trump was elected. Perhaps America never had a complete dictatorship, but the US has never been great for people of color and disenfranchised groups. Systems of oppression have always existed in America since the creation of the colonies that legally held power. Legally, white, wealthy, male property owners could own slaves and have total control over their lives. Slavery was unquestionably inhumane and brutal to black people, and even though there was not any supreme leader, the entire US government systematically marginalized a vast group simply because of their supposedly inferior race. The three-fifths compromise gave the south more representation while simultaneously reducing black people to less than one citizen. Even when slavery was prohibited, the American government found ways to stop black people from gaining power. Consequently, Black Americans had incredible difficulty trying to find housing or jobs. Furthermore, Jim Crow laws separated colored people from whites in a further attempt to prove the inferiority of black people. Moreover, Japanese internment camps easily correspond to aspects of tyranny; the government forced Japanese Americans to relocate to camps in an effort to separate them from the rest of the United States. Similarly, Native Americans were removed from their homes and their land was taken from them, and they were commanded to go into reservations or into assimilation schools where they involuntarily learned English, cut their hair, wore European clothing, and could not speak their own language. Certainly, these actions do not coincide with a fair and just democracy that America claims to