Roman Sheremeta 🇺🇸🇺🇦
@rshereme
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Professor of Economics, Board Member, Fellow
Cleveland, OH
Joined February 2015
I watched a video of russian drone attacking a man, a woman, and their dog in the Kharkiv region. The russians clearly saw they were civilians — walking down the road carrying a white flag. Tragically, all three were killed. The dog convulsed for several seconds afterward. It
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20/ Be as courageous as you can. Freedom depends on individuals choosing moral courage over passive comfort.
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19/ Be a patriot. True patriotism defends democratic values, not a single leader or party.
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18/ Be calm when the unthinkable arrives. Crises are exploited to consolidate power; respond thoughtfully, not reactively.
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17/ Listen for dangerous words. Watch for manipulative language like “terrorism,” “traitor,” or “emergency” used to justify repression.
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16/ Learn from peers in other countries. Authoritarianism is a global pattern; solidarity across borders matters.
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15/ Contribute to good causes. Support organizations that defend rights, democracy, and the vulnerable.
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14/ Establish a private life. Protect privacy and personal data; authoritarians exploit surveillance.
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13/ Practice corporeal politics. Show up physically — protests, meetings, community service — to keep civic life real.
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12/ Make eye contact and small talk. Personal connections create trust and solidarity, countering isolation and fear.
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11/ Investigate. Seek reliable sources, support independent journalism, and read beyond headlines.
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10/ Believe in truth. Without a shared reality, democracy cannot function; lies pave the way for tyranny.
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9/ Be kind to our language. Totalitarianism begins with the corruption of words. Clarity and truth in language are acts of resistance.
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8/ Stand out. Courage is contagious; the first person to dissent makes it easier for others to follow.
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7/ Be reflective if you must be armed. Police and soldiers must serve the public, not a ruler’s personal power.
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6/ Be wary of paramilitaries. When groups outside the law carry weapons and act with political purpose, democracy is endangered.
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5/ Remember professional ethics. Teachers, journalists, judges, and civil servants must uphold integrity when institutions weaken.
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4/ Take responsibility for the face of the world. Symbols matter — don’t normalize hate or propaganda in your environment.
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3/ Beware the one-party state. Democracies collapse when parties treat opponents as enemies and dismantle fair competition.
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2/ Defend institutions. Courts, media, and civil society are fragile — they fall only if citizens stop defending them.
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