Excellent article. I remember the horror, as we all watched the life flow from China. Tick Tock, Tick Tock, China is not the only one who the clock counts for. The repressive regime of The United States, for so many, is being tracked by our watches. The warning, is for the fall of an empire, and the chaos to follow. Tick Tock.
And this is why liberals should never, ever, be for giving up their 2nd Amendment rights. This could easily happen here with the fascist trash on the right. Look at what they doing now, with no push back from us the citizens. The whole Nation should be in an uproar over the GOP actions. Hardly a word has been peeped by Americans. Don’t think for one second that Abbott, DeSantis, or Trump wouldn’t do to us what the Chinese did to their people, they would in a heart beat.
On this huge planet, A tiny little watch being auctioned in a tiny little country draws the gigantic bully’s rapid and overwhelming attempt to stop time ... and to stop the ultimate and ignominious end waiting for all strongmen and their allies.
What a wonderfully written essay, Ruth! Good to get more info. on that terrible time (I watched it unfold from afar...but a good friend from the World Bank was on mission there and got caught up in it). I loved your usage of Tick Tock, in particular. It really resonates and gives the reader a sense of the doom. Thank you for your writing, as always!
Hi Jan. Doesn't it have a bit of impending doom to it? That's what it seems to me, or am I remembering it wrong? I don't remember it from nursery rhymes or lullabies. Maybe I was brought up by wolves - ha!
It does! ... and you some of those nursery rhymes were abit 'off' anyway! Ha! Precursor with the whole phrase 'tick tock'. Did you ever see artist Salvador Dali's melting clocks? Yikes, say I !
The thing about tyranny is this: The memory never goes away. The trauma inflicted upon citizens are passed down to the children. The events once again see the light of day. Tyranny never ends well for the tryrants.
Sadly, in the road to ENDING tyranny, countless suffer in countless ways.
We visited Beijing for about a week in 2004. If one wanted a guide, you had to hire one who worked for the government. Our guide was a very nice bright woman who happened to live with a man from Canada. When we visited Tiananmen Square, she denied what we knew happened there in 1989. It was very bizarre.
Intolerance of dissent is always a warning sign of authoritarianism. I remember Trump saying something like, can't we shoot those protestors? Those pushing for single party rule don't want competition, so other voices must be smashed. Many of the MAGA folks I have spoken with, seem to approve of this nation having single party rule. It was so easy for them to give up on striving for democracy.
There has been a serious crackdown in Hong Kong regarding remembering the Tiananmen Square massacre. So China is getting worse regarding dissent, as opposed to improving.
Jun 6, 2023·edited Jun 6, 2023Liked by Ruth Ben-Ghiat
Lovely piece, thank you.
Heartfelt art and storytelling are not only wonderfully healing for individuals to create. Artistic expressions like Badiucao’s communicate meaning on a deeper level that speaks to our souls - it is a fantastic means to push back against the repressions and propaganda of authoritarians. Thank you for highlighting this!
Jun 6, 2023·edited Jun 6, 2023Liked by Ruth Ben-Ghiat
"Authoritarians specialize in this kind of engineered oblivion, but it rarely works in the long run". I'm reminded of George Orwell's famous quote. "those who control the present control the past and those control the past control the future". This has become playbook now not only here but around the world.
Authoritarians like Greg Abbott and Ron Desantis, for example, backed by white nationalists and evangelical Christians are banning books and altering school curriculum's with revisionist, white washed text books. But backlash and resistance seems to be building. Amanda Gorman's book sales for example have soared in the wake of being recently banned in Florida. And I suspect the more the lure of forbidden fruit library and text books and curricula continue the more hunger and backlash for banned material will also continue.
Tick toc tick toc.. history has shown democracy, truth and justice can never be stamped out by the boot of a tyrant for long.
Agree, Gary. It reminds me of the 'Tennessee Three' being booted out of state legislature & going on to become folk-heroes and be reinstated, with a new found respect, accredibility and becoming known as leaders to the nationwide audience. Just got off a inter-library program ... support public and university libraries' diversity of print literature every chance we get.
I remember reading from historian Tim Synder about our own "memory laws" ( Texas and Florida)..... "Tell me what you remember and I'll tell you who you are. Tell me what you are allowed to remember, and I'll tell you who rules you."
Oh, good to know they were a bit "off". I think that rings a bell. And yes, Dali's melting clocks. Of course! Just now thought of The Clockwork Orange too; didn't it have something about Tick Tock? I am having a vague memory of something like that.
If you ever get a chance to see Lauren Yee’s play, The Great Leap, see it. A gut punch of a play because it reveals what people risk when they stand for freedom. Beautiful and urgent.
Excellent article. I remember the horror, as we all watched the life flow from China. Tick Tock, Tick Tock, China is not the only one who the clock counts for. The repressive regime of The United States, for so many, is being tracked by our watches. The warning, is for the fall of an empire, and the chaos to follow. Tick Tock.
Damn good piece.
And this is why liberals should never, ever, be for giving up their 2nd Amendment rights. This could easily happen here with the fascist trash on the right. Look at what they doing now, with no push back from us the citizens. The whole Nation should be in an uproar over the GOP actions. Hardly a word has been peeped by Americans. Don’t think for one second that Abbott, DeSantis, or Trump wouldn’t do to us what the Chinese did to their people, they would in a heart beat.
Agreed. In a heart beat. They can't wait!
On this huge planet, A tiny little watch being auctioned in a tiny little country draws the gigantic bully’s rapid and overwhelming attempt to stop time ... and to stop the ultimate and ignominious end waiting for all strongmen and their allies.
What a wonderfully written essay, Ruth! Good to get more info. on that terrible time (I watched it unfold from afar...but a good friend from the World Bank was on mission there and got caught up in it). I loved your usage of Tick Tock, in particular. It really resonates and gives the reader a sense of the doom. Thank you for your writing, as always!
The simple under-used phrase of 'tick tock' from nursery rhymes and lullabies now has such meaningful existence(s) to cognizant adults.
Hi Jan. Doesn't it have a bit of impending doom to it? That's what it seems to me, or am I remembering it wrong? I don't remember it from nursery rhymes or lullabies. Maybe I was brought up by wolves - ha!
It does! ... and you some of those nursery rhymes were abit 'off' anyway! Ha! Precursor with the whole phrase 'tick tock'. Did you ever see artist Salvador Dali's melting clocks? Yikes, say I !
thank you
thank you
The thing about tyranny is this: The memory never goes away. The trauma inflicted upon citizens are passed down to the children. The events once again see the light of day. Tyranny never ends well for the tryrants.
Sadly, in the road to ENDING tyranny, countless suffer in countless ways.
So well stated.
We visited Beijing for about a week in 2004. If one wanted a guide, you had to hire one who worked for the government. Our guide was a very nice bright woman who happened to live with a man from Canada. When we visited Tiananmen Square, she denied what we knew happened there in 1989. It was very bizarre.
Intolerance of dissent is always a warning sign of authoritarianism. I remember Trump saying something like, can't we shoot those protestors? Those pushing for single party rule don't want competition, so other voices must be smashed. Many of the MAGA folks I have spoken with, seem to approve of this nation having single party rule. It was so easy for them to give up on striving for democracy.
There has been a serious crackdown in Hong Kong regarding remembering the Tiananmen Square massacre. So China is getting worse regarding dissent, as opposed to improving.
MAGA = Reckless people, little regard for knowledge.
Lovely piece, thank you.
Heartfelt art and storytelling are not only wonderfully healing for individuals to create. Artistic expressions like Badiucao’s communicate meaning on a deeper level that speaks to our souls - it is a fantastic means to push back against the repressions and propaganda of authoritarians. Thank you for highlighting this!
Agree, the visuals sing lyrics.
"Authoritarians specialize in this kind of engineered oblivion, but it rarely works in the long run". I'm reminded of George Orwell's famous quote. "those who control the present control the past and those control the past control the future". This has become playbook now not only here but around the world.
Authoritarians like Greg Abbott and Ron Desantis, for example, backed by white nationalists and evangelical Christians are banning books and altering school curriculum's with revisionist, white washed text books. But backlash and resistance seems to be building. Amanda Gorman's book sales for example have soared in the wake of being recently banned in Florida. And I suspect the more the lure of forbidden fruit library and text books and curricula continue the more hunger and backlash for banned material will also continue.
Tick toc tick toc.. history has shown democracy, truth and justice can never be stamped out by the boot of a tyrant for long.
Agree, Gary. It reminds me of the 'Tennessee Three' being booted out of state legislature & going on to become folk-heroes and be reinstated, with a new found respect, accredibility and becoming known as leaders to the nationwide audience. Just got off a inter-library program ... support public and university libraries' diversity of print literature every chance we get.
I remember reading from historian Tim Synder about our own "memory laws" ( Texas and Florida)..... "Tell me what you remember and I'll tell you who you are. Tell me what you are allowed to remember, and I'll tell you who rules you."
Global democracy for all.
Oh, good to know they were a bit "off". I think that rings a bell. And yes, Dali's melting clocks. Of course! Just now thought of The Clockwork Orange too; didn't it have something about Tick Tock? I am having a vague memory of something like that.
If you ever get a chance to see Lauren Yee’s play, The Great Leap, see it. A gut punch of a play because it reveals what people risk when they stand for freedom. Beautiful and urgent.
From your keyboard to gods eyes, I can only pray to Buddha