Some people become cruel when they are given power and believe there will be no consequences.
That cruelty depends on spectators.
Dictatorial authoritarianism rarely survives through the actions of one person alone. It survives because others remain silent, look away, avoid taking sides, or convince themselves that what is happening is not their responsibility.
Passivity helps create the environment in which the abuse can continue. Silence does not make neutrality. Silence makes for part of the condition that allowes it.
The world is full of people who insist they are “not political,” “do not take sides,” or “prefer to stay out of conflict.” When people are being abused, persecuted, exploited, dehumanized or controlled, refusing to take a position is itself a position. It protects the status quo and leaves the victim to face the aggressor alone.
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You do not need to be perfect, powerful, or heroic. Every person has some capacity to object, intervene, speak, organize, vote, support democracy, challenge lies, or refuse to cooperate with authoritarian dictate.
Those who use their capacity to harm others deserve condemnation.
Those who have the power to resist and repeatedly choose silence should not congratulate themselves for being neutral. They should ask why their comfort mattered more than another person’s suffering.
A better world is not created by private decency alone. It is created when people are willing to make their values visible, oppose those doing harm and accept some personal cost for standing beside those with less power.
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