March 30

Notes from the Tulane Book Fest –

Anne Applebaum

• Russian and Venezuelan opposition – they know how to fight an autocracy, look to them for strategies in the current moment
• Now that the United States is becoming more isolationist and pro-Putin (anti-democracy), she anticipates that we will rapidly lose lots of global institutions that preserved human rights and democracy (e.g., UN). No more giant buildings in Geneva or New York City where diplomats and policy-makers meet and collaborate. The work will continue but smaller – diversify/split up things like UN (which does tons of projects) into smaller focused orgs that do just one. This will happen even if Trump fell off the planet tomorrow and everything was reverted back – Americans’ decision to elect him despite his clear unfitness for office means that the United States is no longer a stable and reliable support to advance liberal democracy across the world.
• Our country is a good example of how a liberal democracy can be attacked from within. Anti-democratic forces have invested billions into propaganda, fragmenting our social ties and romanticizing dictatorial ideas.
• One cause for hope – the speed with which things are changing here has no precedent in democracies – Hungary, India, Turkey, etc was much slower. Frog in boiling water – people barely recognized what was happening during the slow march to autocracy. Here, it happened overnight – literally never in modern history has the destruction of a liberal democratic government happened so rapidly – and that might make opposition stronger.
• Normal under autocrat for the opposition to fragment – can take years to coalesce the different interests. Took 15 years in Poland for a coalition to form that took down autocrat.
• In Poland – creation of a broad coalition helped overcome. Included many ppl who do not get along. But they unified around the idea that they had to win the election and stop deterioration of political system. Tactically – looked to telling a compelling story to young people. Not using words like ‘preserve the rule of law’ which is bland, antiseptic – instead tell a terrifying story. Make a link between this intellectual idea and someone’s life. Need particular stories that move people. In Poland, it was numerous young women dying while miscarrying, because Polish doctors feared anti-abortion laws. “if you’re pregnant and you go to a Polish hospital you might not leave alive. . . you have to go prepared; you need to have a number to a lawyer and contacts with the media ready, and you have to keep fighting and arguing and not believe a single word anyone says because you might not stay alive.” THIS IS HAPPENING IN U.S. NOW. Folks in favor of liberal democracy need to tell these stories.
• So we need to build an idea of an alternate vision of the United States – who are we? What does it mean to be an American? Not a return to status quo, but a fresh vision.

Sarah Broom & Tracy K. Smith

• What does it mean for us to collect items info books stories in a building? To have a paper archive, a paper library?
• Witnessing is important. Not being cowed is important. 
• Pay close attention to what agitates you. 
• Oral history is important – as we see now. Archives – officialdom – it does not necessarily endure. We are in a bookburning era, an era of erasure. ***On the day that they were presenting, Trump issued an EO accusing the National Museum of African American History and Culture of attempting to portray “American and Western culture as harmful” because of its examination of race. Ordered Vance to deconstruct.

Excerpt from “I will tell you the truth about this, I will tell you all about it” by Tracy K. Smith – a collection of line from real letters sent by Colored Troops to Lincoln during the Civil War

I will tell you the truth about this, I will tell you all about it

Excellent sir, my son went in the 54th regiment

Sir, my husband who is in Company K, 22nd regiment, U.S. colored troops

And now in the Macon Hospital at Portsmouth with a wound in his arm

Has not received any pay since last May

And then only $13.

Sir, we the members of Company D, of the 55th Massachusetts volunteers

Call the attention of your excellency to our case.

For instant, look and see that we never was freed yet.

Run right out of slavery in to soldiery and we hadn’t nothing at all.

And our wives and mothers, most all of them is a perishing all about.

And we all are perishing ourself.

I am willing to be a soldier and serve my time faithful like a man.

But I think it is hard to be put off in such doggish manner as that.

Will you see that the colored men fighting now are fairly treated?

You ought to do this and do it at once.

Not let the thing run along. Need it quickly and manfully.

We poor oppressed ones appeal to you and ask fair play.

So please, if you can do any good for us, do it in the name of God.

Excuse my boldness, but please, your reply will settle the matter

And will be appreciated by a colored man

And who is willing to sacrifice his son in the cause of freedom and humanity.

I have nothing more to say.

Hoping that you will lend a listening ear.

To a humble soldier.

I will close, your for Christ’s sake.

I shall have to send this without a stamp.

For I h’ain’t money enough to buy a stamp.