There's a book called The Year That Changed the World by Michael Meyer. He chronicles how ordinary people behind the Iron Curtain brought down communism. They did it through creative alliances, persistence, patience, and creativity. Of course, Gorbachev was a huge part of why the regimes collapses -- he realized that the Soviet Union cou…
There's a book called The Year That Changed the World by Michael Meyer. He chronicles how ordinary people behind the Iron Curtain brought down communism. They did it through creative alliances, persistence, patience, and creativity. Of course, Gorbachev was a huge part of why the regimes collapses -- he realized that the Soviet Union could not continue to prop up the other countries in its orbit, just as, hopefully, some in the Republican Party will realize that the cost of propping up MAGA is too great, financially or otherwise.
Advocates for democracy formed broad alliances. Students and environmental activities in Western Germany, who were worried about nuclear war, teamed up with students in Eastern Germany. Churches in East Germany invited students to use their churches as gathering and planning spaces. Hungary helped by loudly proclaiming that it didn't have the resources to guard its border, and, oops!, there were even holes in the barbed wire. An East Germany governmental PR person shrugged his shoulders and said he assumed the directive to allow people to visit West Germany took place immediately. A border guard in East Germany decided to open the gate when faced with a crowd of people chanting to be let through.
Of course, this was 40 years ago before the advent of social medial and the domination of right-wing media. However, I think lessons can be learned from the creativity, persistence, and even playfulness of people all across Eastern Europe who knocked down the Iron Curtain. A series of small decisions and acts helped push away decades of communist rule.
All of us worrying and working to stop dismantling of our democracy might get a few ideas here. Every little action counts.
There's a book called The Year That Changed the World by Michael Meyer. He chronicles how ordinary people behind the Iron Curtain brought down communism. They did it through creative alliances, persistence, patience, and creativity. Of course, Gorbachev was a huge part of why the regimes collapses -- he realized that the Soviet Union could not continue to prop up the other countries in its orbit, just as, hopefully, some in the Republican Party will realize that the cost of propping up MAGA is too great, financially or otherwise.
Advocates for democracy formed broad alliances. Students and environmental activities in Western Germany, who were worried about nuclear war, teamed up with students in Eastern Germany. Churches in East Germany invited students to use their churches as gathering and planning spaces. Hungary helped by loudly proclaiming that it didn't have the resources to guard its border, and, oops!, there were even holes in the barbed wire. An East Germany governmental PR person shrugged his shoulders and said he assumed the directive to allow people to visit West Germany took place immediately. A border guard in East Germany decided to open the gate when faced with a crowd of people chanting to be let through.
Of course, this was 40 years ago before the advent of social medial and the domination of right-wing media. However, I think lessons can be learned from the creativity, persistence, and even playfulness of people all across Eastern Europe who knocked down the Iron Curtain. A series of small decisions and acts helped push away decades of communist rule.
All of us worrying and working to stop dismantling of our democracy might get a few ideas here. Every little action counts.
Thanks for book suggestion.
Love this. We need to all learn how to do this. Or as Tim miller says, learn how to be the Hungarian opposition party.