Protecting Democracy Against Tyranny: Vid of the Day

Last night on Bill Maher's show, Yale history professor Timothy Snyder, author of "On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons From the Twentieth Century," outlined three lessons from the last century for opposing tyranny. First, "don't obey in advance," following what everyone else is doing. Second, defend institutions, rather than assuming they'll always be there to defend you. Third, believe in the truth, which is the foundation for democracy. The discussion made it clear that neo-fascist demagogue Donald "Rump" Trump's politics shared many characteristics of former tyrants: discrediting a free press and court system, blaming religious or ethnic minorities for the nation's problems, etc. Panelists Christopher Hayes, Louise Mensch, and Max Brooks joined in the conversation, which drew strong parallels to the America under Rump with a Europe in the 1930s drifting toward fascism. Check it out.