Tyranny - Blog Posts

Execution Mode

A badass queen ready to execute people ❤️ Kenyan doesn’t play in the job, even if she doesn’t really want it.

Her mask is made of bones because bones need extremely high temperatures to burn, like 1292 degrees Fahrenheit, or 700 degrees Celsius.

Well, when using her powers on living beings, no bones stay, but she wears that for the meaning (“Maivtre can’t get burned with her powers”, which is a lie everyone believes into). People also aren’t worthy of even looking at her face, so if she catches somebody gazing at her when she’s not wearing the mask, they burn immediately 💀

I didn’t stop to think how her powers work exactly, but I’m imagining something like agitating the molecules of a specific place. No, she doesn’t have fire coming from her hands, the target just gets hot really fast and then the fire appears.

So, if she makes some hand gestures in public, is just to make it dramatic. In reality, she just needs to focus a bit in something and it will burn. I love her 😝

Ah, and in this specific moment of the drawing, she’s not using her powers. You can notice it by checking if her halo is visible or not (which is also how Hiélo catches her self-harming…)

On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons: Most of it is quite self-explanatory. But elaborate on #12.

12. Make eye contact and small talk.

This lesson is so simple and human that it hits me every time I think about it. Snyder gives a straightforward definition, which I will quote at the end of this post, but he also links this lesson to people who have lived through tyranny.

[...] memoirs of their victims all share a single tender moment. [...] people who were living in fear of repression remembered how their neighbors treated them. A smile, a handshake, or a word of greeting [...] took on great significance. When friends, colleagues, and acquaintances looked away or crossed the street to avoid contact, fear grew. You might not be sure, today or tomorrow, who feels threatened [...]. But if you affirm everyone, you can be sure that certain people will feel better.

When I think about it, making small gestures like this also makes me feel a little less afraid. So making a small gesture - whatever gesture fits your personal style - makes those who need it feel better.

Snyder's definition is this:

This is not just polite. It is part of being a citizen and a responsible member of society. It is also a way to stay in touch with your surroundings, break down social barriers, and understand whom you should and should not trust. If we enter a culture of denunciation, you will want to know the psychological landscape of your daily life.

Touch Grass

Lesson 13 got me thinking. It has a lot to do with physicality. Snyder summarises it as follows:

13. Practice corporeal politics. Power wants your body softening in your chair and your emotions dissipating on the screen. Get outside. Put your body in unfamiliar places with unfamiliar people. Make new friends and march with them.

I'd summarise it more like this: Touch Grass.

On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons

Which lesson would you like to know more about?

Do not obey in advance.

Defend institutions.

Beware the one-party state.

Take responsibility for the face of the world.

Remember professional ethics.

Be wary of paramilitaries.

Be reflective if you must be armed.

Stand out.

Be kind to our language.

Believe in truth.

Investigate.

Make eye contact and small talk.

Practice corporeal politics.

Establish a private life.

Contribute to good causes.

Learn from peers in other countries.

Listen for dangerous words.

Be calm when the unthinkable arrives.

Be a patriot.

Be as courageous as you can.

Snyder, T. (2017). On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century. Crown.

On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons

Which lesson would you like to know more about?

Do not obey in advance.

Defend institutions.

Beware the one-party state.

Take responsibility for the face of the world.

Remember professional ethics.

Be wary of paramilitaries.

Be reflective if you must be armed.

Stand out.

Be kind to our language.

Believe in truth.

Investigate.

Make eye contact and small talk.

Practice corporeal politics.

Establish a private life.

Contribute to good causes.

Learn from peers in other countries.

Listen for dangerous words.

Be calm when the unthinkable arrives.

Be a patriot.

Be as courageous as you can.

Snyder, T. (2017). On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century. Crown.

I didn’t expect impending tyranny to generate so much creativity and wit so quickly. I knew about it from history. Artists and musicians and writers are the first to be persecuted because they are the truth-tellers. Still, it’s been so fast and it buoys my spirit. It’s inspiring and I think people are creating magic. We all have such instant access and ability to disseminate information everywhere. We are crowdsourcing a revolution. People will be studying these slogans one day. The enormity of it. Massive it is. Cheers to the OG hammer legends. They are one of the still points in my turning world.

So, recommendation info…

Check out Elis James and John Robins. Right now they are on the BBC in a totally not confusing great reset podcast only format that is recorded once a week, podcasted twice a week and the highlights broadcast as a pre-recorded show on Friday afternoons on BBC5.

But go back to the earliest radio x/xfm unproducable days. Be a retro oner pcd.

See we did understand the great reset. We also now understand why ticket pricing, dynamic or static, is a dance. Nesta James is the best of eggs and is responsible for everyone in South Wales having a career. Toasties should never cost more than 4 euros. Sat Navs are a minefield Lynn. RIP Sat Nav Dad, seemed like another good egg. Stat Man Ross deserves only good things. Vin. Also, thanks Vin for introducing me to Vulfpeck. In the paddock.

So, listen to them. It’s a journey. It’s a good one. 🛎️