“On Tyranny” - Chapter 6: "Be wary of paramilitaries"

This might seem obvious, but Snyder’s points are subtler. Would we know when a paramilitary or a troop of assembled paramilitaries has decided to secure a neighborhood, town, region? We think so, of course. Even absent Trumpian direct support, there’s a good likelihood that in some parts of the United States, people would actually be supportive of an occupying force to enforce the rampant scourges of liberals, LGBTQ+ people, immigrants, and BIPOC people.

With government support? Then we’d be very much in SS territory.

Is this and the following chapter alarmist? It’s difficult to say. We live in a country where guns outnumber people, where the Second Amendment is enshrined as a religious text and where we have grown inured to mass shootings. In areas where gun owning and open carry or even concealed carry without a license is a sign of vigilance and damn near a moral duty, is it really such a stretch to imagine seeing a militarized “neighborhood watch”?

Snyder opens the chapter with about as ominous a beginning as we’ve yet read: “When the men with guns who have always claimed to be against the system start wearing uniforms and marching with torches and pictures of a leader, the end is nigh. When the pro-leader paramilitary and the official police and military intermingle, the end has come.”

He points out that most governments “monopolize violence” of necessity. With armed groups left unchecked, social institutions would be be at high risk. The function of government itself would be on uneasy footing, and so it’s incumbent upon the state to have law enforcement at local, state, and federal levels. Those "who wish to undermine democracy, the rule of law create and fund violent organizations that involve themselves In politics. Such groups can take the form of a paramilitary wing of a political party, the personal bodyguard of a particular politician — or apparently spontaneous citizens’ initiatives, which usually turn out to have been organized by a party or its leader.”

In each of those instances, there is an air of legitimacy. There are also mercenary organizations that have been employed by the U.S. government in the Middle East and elsewhere whose services have been contracted to private individuals and corporations as security personnel, whatever we take that to mean. The weaponization of any number of these types of paramilitary organizations, militias or security firms - would be relatively easy to do. However, there is a cost.

“Armed groups first degrade a political order, and then transform it.” He goes on to cite the Iron Guard in interwar Romania, the Arrow Cross in Hungary during the same period, and of course, the SA and SS of the Nazi party. Lootings, beatings, and intimidation are the order of the day and the modus operandi of these groups.

"The SS began as an organization outside the law, became an organization that transcended the law, and ended up as an organization that undid the law.”

Snyder mentions Trump’s (he never identifies him by name, and this is smart as it anonymizes and removes the only special thing about him from the context) private security detail and how it was sicced on audience members who held different views while the rally was whipped into a mob chanting “USA! USA!” As Snyder notes, “This kind of mob violence was meant to transform the political atmosphere, and it did.”

Then came January 6, 2021 and how far the political atmosphere had been transformed was on view for the world to see. In order to do so, “the emotions of rallies and insurrections and the ideology of exclusion have to be incorporated in the training of armed guards. These first challenge the police and military, then penetrate the police and military, and finally transform the police and military.”

Are we on track for this to happen? Perhaps not as rapidly as the dismantling of our institutions and offices; but it’s not a stretch to say that groups like the Proud Boys, Oath Keepers, and others might find steady employment within the security arm of the regime. I would rather not hazard the guess at recruitment strategies nor the societal violence that would be meted out on non-white, non-straight, vulnerable people across the board.

Of course, this hasn’t happened. But do I want to append “yet” to that sentence? No, I do not. The point is that, again, vigilance is key, and being aware of the possibility of paramilitary forces installed as “peacekeepers” should terrify current law enforcement and citizens alike. Yes, I am aware that there are police officers who are likely to already be members of such groups, but that’s no insurance for the cops who might well find themselves on the receiving end of a radicalized colleague’s weapon.

How to avoid this coming to pass? Once again, by staying on top of what the regime is attempting to do right now; by joining organizations and working to halt, if not kill, their policies and legislation. Many are pinning their hopes on the mid-term elections in 2026, but there’s no time for that. A year from now and there may well be much less capacity to staunch the bleeding out of democracy.

I don’t have to add a lot here in terms of what we will likely be called on to do. You will read, again and again, how important it is to contact your reps, to volunteer your time, to march in protest, and to help where you can/as you can.

Two places to start with:

Mobilize at https://www.mobilize.us/. I have the landing page set to my area; populated with events, petitions, and volunteer opportunities, it’s practically one-stop shopping.

Indivisible at https://indivisible.org/ is another comprehensive hub. You can sign up for updates, download their guide to organizaing, find candidates to support, and more.

If you don't have a copy of "On Tyranny", you can purchase one here:

"On Tyranny" at Timothy Snyder's website where he lists several options. Support local bookstores and buy local or check it out from your local library.

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Introduction and Chapter 1

Chapter 6