Thread by @kishkitsch

This is incredible. California highschool teacher, Ron Jones created a social experiment in fascism called the third wave.

A thread

First came discipline and control (lockdowns)

Then a sense of community and belonging with membership cards (masks)

Finally, how to act
(Social distancing)

Ron was surprised how his students gave up their freedom for the thought of being superior to their neighbors.

He says the wave is like a Russian nesting doll that keeps appearing and smiling at us and warning us to pay attention.

One of his students described a breakdown in trust within the group. "Because of the trust breakdown, it was hard to know what what other people in class were thinking cause you didn't dare ask anybody. You might get in trouble yourself for asking a difficult question."

He said the most important lesson was: " Be careful who you follow because you never know where they're going to lead you.. I also learned the importance of our freedoms. Freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, freedom of expression because we lost those.

"In today's world, it's get the facts. Try to understand a situation very well before you actually get involved in it yourself... Democracy is not a spectator sport, you need to participate. You cannot stay home and complain."

Ron Jones describes fascism as:
🔽🔽🔽
"Reliance on a simple answer, a simple truth, given by a singular voice... It's protecting that truth and harming those that might object to that truth. Feeling superior to those outside the group."

The antithesis of fascism? "It's not relying on one voice or one answer but its relying on yourself. It's trusting yourself, to like what you have to say, to speak out and to trust others."

He sings a line from a musical he wrote.
"Something is wrong. Injustice right in front of you, what will you do? This moment that is here today, will you speak out loud or pray it away?... The choice you must make for silence and fear, or risk that will take you to freedom."