Where definitions can vary, the word tyranny generally means the oppression of people by others, whether an individual, system or both. The oppressor is called a tyrant, and thus the relationship to the word. Tyranny was mentioned in the US Declaration of Independence twice in reference to the then King of England. In more modern times, Adolf Hitler has been aptly labeled a tyrant.

The book On Tyranny by Timothy Snyder, subtitled “Twenty Lessons From The Twentieth Century,” was recommended to me by a wise person. It digests the previous 100 years into things to consider and think about as we move through this current century. The book came out in 2017, and by tone and references, it talks to the politics of the US and world at that point in time, and one politician in particular.

As I read through On Tyranny, there were a lot of reminders for me, as well as a few takeaways.

Does history repeat itself? – I have heard this over and over and over throughout my life. Some have made catchy phrases around it, but the common theme centers around no matter what is done, outcomes to events are similar to those in the past. I pondered this one a lot as I was reading this book and once I was finished. I take away this – hindsight is 20/20, and when we’re in the midst of things we usually have no clue how something will be in the end. It is this end result that may seem like something that happened before, and could be, but the steps that lead to it likely weren’t exactly as previously acted out.

Be aware – The topics explored in On Tyranny were not completely new to me. As a self-described political geek from my school days in the 1980’s, I was the one who paid attention to the world around me, and well as around the corner. Today, I don’t believe these topics are taught in the schools (or taught well), and it’s up to parents to teach them to their kiddos, which I believe happens in my household to some success. If nothing else, we should all be aware of what’s happening, ask questions if we don’t understand it, don’t take everything for face value and make our own educated opinions.

Timing is everything – About half way through the book is the first mention of former US President Donald Trump. He is referred to again as both a candidate for the office and as the sitting president, however not by name. At the time there were accusations of foreign influence on his election and on him himself. Based on this, I assume Trump’s election may have been the primary or partial catalyst for the author writing this book?

Fast-forward 4 years, and there are similar accusations on current US President Joe Biden. Personally I think this book could have a greater reach if the Trump references were left out, allowing the reader to make their own conclusions based on their beliefs and educated opinions. As a non-partisan, I was able to see beyond politics and to the points made in the book.

On Tyranny is a small book that can fit in your hip pocket and a quick read at 128 pages. I enjoyed the book – again much of it was nothing new to me personally, but there was a lot I was glad to recall and a lot I agreed with. I recommend anyone to read this, from middle-schoolers on up, if for any reason to spark questions and conversations on the world today. My copy of the book is off to a colleague who was curious about it, who said he will read it in the morning one day.

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This is from The Hot Iron, a journal on business and technology by Mike Maddaloni.

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