How Trump’s Brutal Western Ends
Chaos, cancel culture and secret police. The protesters arrive just in time.
“The world suffers a lot. Not because the violence of bad people. But because of the silence of the good people.” From Napoleon of all people, a stunning testament to the destructive power of silence. In our revolutionary times, “silence is violence” is once again a rallying cry for change.
But silence isn’t mere complicity, it’s often compelled. Silence through obfuscation and conformity. Moments of silence. Codes of silence. Silent majorities. Silent screams. Silence inhabits all our inexplicit drives and motivations. It possesses our emotions, our institutions, and our culture. We’ll need more placards.
Yet silence, in all its forms, is utterly incompatible with a civil society. Movements may be summoned in silence, catalyzed through quiet displays of solidarity. But silence cannot sustain us. It cannot explain and so it cannot persuade other people to change.
Further Reading
The death of George Floyd: What video and other records show about his final minutes
Using security footage, emergency services recordings and cellphone video, The Washington Post created a timeline of events immediately preceding Floyd’s death.
Why Democrats can’t speak for the ‘silent majority’
The historian Seth Blumenthal explains why Trump is a champion of voters who feel their values are under siege and their voices muzzled.
Trump Is Putting On a Show in Portland
Anne Applebaum, a historian and journalist, explains the “performative authoritarianism” of Donald Trump, a show that Vladimir Putin pioneered.
Why Are Women-Led Nations Doing Better With Covid-19?
Amanda Taub explores the leadership style that characterizes successful nations: diversity, humility and a willingness to listen.
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