jueves, 2 de septiembre de 2021

TIMOTHY SNYDER: 20 LESSONS FROM THE 20TH CENTURY ABOUT HOW TO DEFEND DEMOCRACY FROM AUTHORITARISM

                                                                            TIMOTHY SNYDER

    Rather than making a historical case for viewing the U.S. as exactly like one of the totalitarian regimes of WWII Europe, Snyder presents 20 lessons we might learn from those times and use creatively in our own where they apply. In my view, following his suggestions would make us wiser, more self-aware, proactive, responsible citizens, whatever lies ahead. 

1. Do not obey in advance. Much of the power of authoritarianism is freely given. In times like these, individuals think ahead about what a more repressive government will want, and then start to do it without being asked. You’ve already done this, haven’t you? Stop. Anticipatory obedience teaches authorities what is possible and accelerates unfreedom.

2. Defend an institution. Follow the courts or the media, or a court or a newspaper. Do not speak of “our institutions” unless you are making them yours by acting on their behalf. Institutions don’t protect themselves. They go down like dominoes unless each is defended from the beginning.

3. Recall professional ethics. When the leaders of state set a negative example, professional commitments to just practice become much more important. It is hard to break a rule-of-law state without lawyers, and it is hard to have show trials without judges.

4. When listening to politicians, distinguish certain words. Look out for the expansive use of “terrorism” and “extremism.” Be alive to the fatal notions of “exception” and “emergency.” Be angry about the treacherous use of patriotic vocabulary.

5. Be calm when the unthinkable arrives. When the terrorist attack comes, remember that all authoritarians at all times either await or plan such events in order to consolidate power. Think of the Reichstag fire. The sudden disaster that requires the end of the balance of power, the end of opposition parties, and so on, is the oldest trick in the Hitlerian book. Don’t fall for it.

6. Be kind to our language. Avoid pronouncing the phrases everyone else does. Think up your own way of speaking, even if only to convey that thing you think everyone is saying. (Don’t use the internet before bed. Charge your gadgets away from your bedroom, and read.) What to read? Perhaps “The Power of the Powerless” by Václav Havel, 1984 by George Orwell, The Captive Mind by Czesław Milosz, The Rebel by Albert Camus, The Origins of Totalitarianism by Hannah Arendt, or Nothing is True and Everything is Possible by Peter Pomerantsev.

7. Stand out. Someone has to. It is easy, in words and deeds, to follow along. It can feel strange to do or say something different. But without that unease, there is no freedom. And the moment you set an example, the spell of the status quo is broken, and others will follow.

8. Believe in truth. To abandon facts is to abandon freedom. If nothing is true, then no one can criticize power, because there is no basis upon which to do so. If nothing is true, then all is spectacle. The biggest wallet pays for the most blinding lights.

9. Investigate. Figure things out for yourself. Spend more time with long articles. Subsidize investigative journalism by subscribing to print media. Realize that some of what is on your screen is there to harm you. Learn about sites that investigate foreign propaganda pushes.

10. 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.

11. Make eye contact and small talk. This is not just polite. It is a way to stay in touch with your surroundings, break down unnecessary social barriers, and come to 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.

12. Take responsibility for the face of the world. Notice the swastikas and the other signs of hate. Do not look away and do not get used to them. Remove them yourself and set an example for others to do so.

13. Hinder the one-party state. The parties that took over states were once something else. They exploited a historical moment to make political life impossible for their rivals. Vote in local and state elections while you can.

14. Give regularly to good causes, if you can. Pick a charity and set up autopay. Then you will know that you have made a free choice that is supporting civil society helping others doing something good.

15. Establish a private life. Nastier rulers will use what they know about you to push you around. Scrub your computer of malware. Remember that email is skywriting. Consider using alternative forms of the internet, or simply using it less. Have personal exchanges in person. For the same reason, resolve any legal trouble. Authoritarianism works as a blackmail state, looking for the hook on which to hang you. Try not to have too many hooks.

16. Learn from others in other countries. Keep up your friendships abroad, or make new friends abroad. The present difficulties here are an element of a general trend. And no country is going to find a solution by itself. Make sure you and your family have passports.

17. Watch out for the paramilitaries. When the men with guns who have always claimed to be against the system start wearing uniforms and marching around with torches and pictures of a Leader, the end is nigh. When the pro-Leader paramilitary and the official police and military intermingle, the game is over.

18. Be reflective if you must be armed. If you carry a weapon in public service, God bless you and keep you. But know that evils of the past involved policemen and soldiers finding themselves, one day, doing irregular things. Be ready to say no. (If you do not know what this means, contact the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and ask about training in professional ethics.)

19. Be as courageous as you can. If none of us is prepared to die for freedom, then all of us will die in unfreedom.

20. Be a patriot. The incoming president is not. Set a good example of what America means for the generations to come. They will need it.

miércoles, 17 de febrero de 2021

viernes, 20 de noviembre de 2020


Have you ever thought about becoming a Masterchef?

- Break – She breaks 2 eggs into a bow.

- Melt – Melt the chocolate and allow it to cool slightly.

- Spread – He spread some strawberry jam on his toast.

- Layer – This cake has a layer of fruit in the middle.

- Roll out – She rolls out the pastry on a flat surface.

- Fry – The ground was hot enough to fry an egg on.

- Peel – As you peel away the onion skin,you will find another skin underneath.

- Mix – After you have beaten the eggs, mix in the flour gradually.

- Whip – I can easily whip up an omelette.

- Saute – We should saute the onions for five minutes.v

- Taste – My mom tastes the soup for the lunch.

- Cut – She cut the meat into small pieces.

- Chop – chop the carrots up into small pieces.

- Slice – It’s best to slice into a rich cake from the middle.

- Grate – How about grating carrots for the salad tonight?

- Boil – You’re pathetic! Can’t you even boil an egg?

- Steam – You should steam the carrots until they are just beginning to be tender.

- Pinch – I pinch little salt into the soup.

- Pour – When you’ve ground the coffee, use a funnel to pour it into the jar.

- Add – I’d like to add some pepper to the bean curd.

- Barbecue – If the weather is fine, we’ll barbecue in the ranch.

- Roast – Are you going to roast the chicken?

- Bake – Nowadays, I bake my own bread rather than buy it.

- Stir – I need a teaspoon to stir my tea.

- Weigh – Please weigh out 10 pounds of potatoes.

            Stand up and start cooking!!


domingo, 15 de noviembre de 2020

THE LOTTERY


    To what extent are you eager to commit?

    Why on earth would you buy tickets?

     This is the worst lottery ever to win... 

don't you think?

viernes, 30 de agosto de 2019

SHOULD WE TRANSLATE PLACE NAMES (TOPÓNIMOS) ???


JUST AS WELL WE DON´T...

👀 😜




LEFT OR RIGHT?

Countries that drive 

on the left side of the road

🚚 🚙 🚘 🚕 🚔 🚒 🚓 🚜 🚛

  Throughout the world, countries observe either left-hand traffic (LHT) or right-hand traffic (RHT.) This designates what side of the road a driver will stay on. In LHT areas, drivers will stay to the left side of the road, while RHT areas require drivers to stay on the right side of the road. 
  There are 163 countries that drive on the right-hand side of the road. A total of 78 countries and territories The countries that drive on the left side of the road have about one-quarter of all of the roads in the world and about 35% of the world’s population. 
  In the early 20th century, over 100 cities drove on the left side of the road. However, 34 transitioned to RHT laws by 1986.

  • Oceania
    • Australia
    • Christmas Island
    • Cocos (Keeling) Islands
    • Cook Islands
    • Fiji
    • Kiribati
    • Nauru
    • New Zealand
    • Niue
    • Norfolk Island
    • Papua New Guinea
    • Pitcairn Islands
    • Solomon Islands
    • Samoa
    • Tokelau
    • Tonga
    • Tuvalu
    Asia
    • Bangladesh
    • Bhutan
    • Brunei
    • East Timor
    • Hong Kong
    • Indonesia
    • India
    • Japan
    • Macao
    • Malaysia
    • Nepal
    • Pakistan
    • Singapore
    • Sri Lanka
    • Thailand
    Africa
    • Botswana
    • Kenya
    • Lesotho
    • Malawi
    • Mauritius
    • Mozambique
    • Namibia
    • South Africa
    • Swaziland
    • Tanzania
    • Uganda
    • Zambia
    • Zimbabwe
    Europe
    • Akrotiri and Dhekelia
    • Cyprus
    • Guernsey
    • Ireland
    • Isle of Man
    • Jersey
    • Malta
    • United Kingdom
    South America
    • Guyana
    • Suriname
    Caribbean Basin
    • Anguilla
    • Antigua and Barbados
    • Bahamas
    • Barbados
    • British Virgin Islands
    • Cayman Islands
    • Dominica
    • Grenada
    • Jamaica
    • Montserrat
    • Saint Kitts and Nevis
    • Saint Lucia
    • Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
    • Trinidad and Tobago
    • Turks and Caicos Islands
    • U.S. Virgin Islands
    Other Islands
    • Bermuda
    • Falkland Islands
    • Maldives
    • Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan de Cunha
    • Seychelles
    • South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands

CALVIN AND HOBBES

Are you into comic strips?

 Calvin and Hobbes are definitely very WITTY!
😹😹😹😹😹😹😹


* Share the last time you behave like a tyrant.

* Describe a despot person you know. 
You don't need to mention his/her name. 
Just talk about behavior!





* How good are you at manipulating 
your parents?




A PERSON I ADMIRE

   Who is worth admiring?




🏆  🏆  🏆  🌈  🌈  🌈  💓  💓  💓
You must choose 3 people you admire:
- One from your family.
- One at school.
- One in public life.

Be ready to explain your choices to the class!

miércoles, 7 de agosto de 2019

WOULD YOU RATHER...? Level II

  • Would you rather be able to speak English like a native English speaker, or speak 12 other languages at elementary level?

  • Would you rather spend a month in prison or a year alone on a desert island?

  • Would you rather walk to work naked or eat a sheep’s eye ball?

  • Would you rather be the world’s best singer or the world’s best dancer?

  • Would you rather be able to fly or make yourself invisible?
Some Tips

  • I would … / I’d …
  • I wouldn’t …
  • Would you … ?
  • You would have to …
  • You would be able to … / You could
  • Second conditional structures (e.g. If I had enough books, I would choose a desert island.)

lunes, 5 de agosto de 2019

HOW DO ADULTS LEARN?


What  a great idea to learn how to play the odds!

You will remember the following % of what you read, see, hear...



Therefore, if you really want to learn/retain something forever, you'd better start working for it appropriately.

THE IMPORTANCE OF PARENTS


PARENTS...


💙  💚  💛  💜