On Tyranny Lesson 5: Remember Professional Ethics

Timothy Snyder's fifth lesson is a crucial one. Despots succeed to the extent that those in the various professions (legal, business, etc.) abandon the ethics that guide their professions. Going back to the idea that the institutions themselves are not what save us from a potential dictatorship, but rather the people in those institutions, we need to ask what the institutional ethical norms are and how well members of the various professions will hold on to their ethical commitments in the face of pressure from a dictator or would-be dictator. In the summer of 2020 and again late in 2020 and into 2021, our military leaders refused to go along with Trump's coup attempts. Their ethical compass was to follow the Constitution rather than Trump's orders. So too did lawyers, judges, and other important stakeholders. These are the same folks who will need to do so once more. Here's the video:


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