Monday, September 25, 2017

measured response to a clear threat

 Autocracies work by plunging citizens into a state of low-level dread. Most of the powers commandeered by the autocrat are ceded without a fight, and the power of imagination, the claim to a past and a future are the first to go. A person in a state of dread lives in a miserable forever present. A person in a state of dread is imminently controllable. The choice to protest, on the other hand, is the choice to take control of one’s body, one’s time, and one’s words, and in doing so to reclaim the ability to see a future.

here

1 comment:

Lydia said...

A wonderful quote that speaks to me on a personal level, also. Been away nearly a year from blogging and finally moving on to a healthier home life, and hoping my writer's block will unblock soon. I so appreciated your comment some months ago.

Happy Autumn to you.