Thread by @trygveolson

Let us talk about Fear and the role it plays in imposing autocracy and undermining democracy. @reedgalen @therickwilson @ProjectLincoln @SteveSchmidtSES @stuartpstevens @JoeTrippi @LincolnWatchman

What we saw throughout 2020 in the United States was rising Fear. What we witnessed on January 6th was about imposing Fear into the norms of how we adjudicate our political differences. In my case, in 2020, I had a front-row seat watching it both at home and abroad in Belarus.

Fear's role in illiberalism and autocratic societies is straightforward. If you challenge those in power, you will meet consequences of which you should be afraid.

The tactics include Marginalization, Threats, Repression, & even violence. Moreover, in extreme autocratic societies like Belarus, you arent' even safe if you are outside their borders.

One example of marginalization & threats from Belarus from the past few days is Belarusian Sprinter, Kristina Timanovskaya, an Olympic athlete. She sought asylum after being told she would need to return to Minsk. Timanovskaya feared she would be jailed -- she was likely right.

For more information about Timanovskay (a true and brave hero) click here

Another is Belarusian activist Vitaly Shishov. He lived in Ukraine and helped other Belarusians struggling for democracy escape persecution by seeking asylum in Kyiv. Yesterday, Vitaly went for a jog, disappeared, and was found hanged in a park.

While an investigation is ongoing, Alexander Lukashenko's regime has a history of eliminating opponents (although not typically outside its borders).

What do these events have to do with rising fear in the United States? Events on January 6th matter because they normalized violence in our political process.

When working worldwide with those fighting for democracy like Belarus, I would always say you either decide governance at the ballot box or on the streets. What I meant is you either have faith in each other including those who govern, or you fear each other and your government.

Today we have scores of politicians on the right who may or may not realize what they are doing, but they are responsible for increasing fear. Moreover, they are doing so in ways they don't think matter -- playing the game, they know not the zero-sum game we are forced to play.

Here are just a couple of examples, which might appear small but matter significantly in a political system where a precedent has been set to use the violence we saw on January 6th.

The first is @gopleader saying it "will be hard not to hit" House Speaker Nancy Pelosi with the Speaker's gavel if Republicans take control.

cnn.com/2021/08/01/pol…

On the surface, he is attempting to make a joke. What he doesn't get (or perhaps does) is underneath this speaks to those who stormed the capitol, or support it. Those who would have likely killed the Speaker.

In the game we are forced to play, such jokes now have an entirely different context and bar— one of creating fear.

Another is this tweet by @elisestepanik -- suggesting American Must Be Saved.

Again, in the game, we know such a fund-raising appeal wouldn't raise eyebrows, but it raises lots of questions in the game we play.

https://twitter.com/trygveolson/status/1422301104906321924?s=20

Elise is on the @nedemocracy board. If Lukashenko suggested his actions were about "Saving Belarus," would she believe that was ok? Probably not.

The United States isn't Belarus at the moment.

Yet, our political system's rising fear is no different from the rising levels of fear within those who oppose Alexander Lukahsenkos's autocratic (and brutal) rule. Democracy requires Faith in Each other to sustain and maintain.

Fear is cancer that consumes a democracy. It might be slow at first but left unchecked you end up where they are today in Belarus.