On tyranny : twenty lessons from the twentieth century / Timothy Snyder.

Do not obey in advance -- Defend institutions -- Beware the one-party state -- Take responsibility for the face of the world -- Remember professional ethics -- Be wary of paramilitaries -- Be reflective if you must be armed -- Stand out -- Be kind to our language -- Believe in truth -- Investigate -- Make eye contact and small talk -- Practice corporeal politics -- Establish a private life -- Contribute to good causes -- Learn from peers in other countries -- Listen for dangerous words -- Be calm when the unthinkable arrives -- Be a patriot -- Be as courageous as you can.

The Founding Fathers tried to protect us from the threat they knew, the tyranny that overcame ancient democracy. Today, our political order faces new threats, not unlike the totalitarianism of the twentieth century. We are no wiser than the Europeans who saw democracy yield to fascism, Nazism, or communism. Our one advantage is that we might learn from their experience.