If we don't have access to facts, we can't trust each other.
If we don't have access to facts, we can't trust each other. Without trust, there's no law. Without law, there's no democracy.
Hear the voice of Timothy D. Snyder, historian and guardian of memory, who warns us with words both sharp and luminous: “If we don't have access to facts, we can't trust each other. Without trust, there's no law. Without law, there's no democracy.” In this chain of thought lies the architecture of freedom itself, a fragile edifice built stone by stone. Facts are the foundation, trust the mortar, law the pillars, and democracy the roof that shelters the people. Remove one, and the whole structure falls into ruin.
What is a fact? It is the seed of truth, the clear mirror that reflects reality without distortion. Without facts, the people cannot know what is real, and when reality is obscured, lies breed suspicion. If I cannot know the truth of your word, how can I trust you? And if trust falters, then law itself becomes a dead letter, for law depends on shared agreement. If law collapses, then democracy, which is rule by the people through law, perishes. Thus Snyder speaks as one who has studied the ruins of nations: when facts are lost, the chain of freedom is broken link by link.
History bears witness. In the twilight of the Weimar Republic, lies and propaganda filled the air. Facts were drowned by slogans, truth replaced by myth. Trust between citizens withered, suspicion reigned, and law became an instrument of oppression rather than justice. From this soil of falsehood rose the tyranny of Hitler, and democracy was extinguished in fire and blood. The lesson is clear: without facts, no people can stand together, and without standing together, they fall into tyranny.
Consider too the wisdom of Snyder’s own field—the history of Eastern Europe under totalitarian regimes. In Stalin’s Soviet Union, facts were buried beneath censorship and terror. Truth became what the Party declared it to be. Neighbors betrayed one another because trust was impossible. Law became not a shield but a weapon, wielded against the innocent. Democracy was unthinkable, for the very conditions that make it possible—truth, trust, and law—had been annihilated. Here, the historian points not to theory, but to the blood-soaked record of the twentieth century.
O children of tomorrow, hear this teaching: the battle for facts is not small, nor is it a mere game of words. It is the battle for the soul of freedom. For when facts are manipulated, when truth is drowned by falsehood, when lies are multiplied like locusts in the field, then trust decays, law bends to the will of the powerful, and democracy dies. Facts are not luxuries; they are lifeblood. Guard them with vigilance, or see your liberty wither.
The lesson is radiant: build your life upon truth. Seek facts not from whispers but from sources proven and tested. Do not cling to comfort in lies, but embrace the discipline of reality, even when it wounds. For in truth lies trust, and in trust lies justice, and in justice lies freedom. To neglect truth is to invite the fall of all.
Practical action lies in your hands. Support institutions that pursue facts with integrity: journalists, historians, teachers, courts. Defend them when they are attacked, for they are the guardians of democracy. In your own speech, be faithful to truth—do not spread lies, even if they flatter your side. Build trust by being honest, uphold law by respecting justice, and protect democracy by cherishing the truth upon which it stands.
So let Snyder’s words echo in your heart: “Without facts, there is no trust. Without trust, no law. Without law, no democracy.” Guard the facts as you would guard fire in the night, for they are the light by which a free people may walk. Lose them, and you stumble in darkness; keep them, and the path of liberty will endure for generations.
HNBach Ha Nhi
It’s unsettling to think that the very foundation of democracy is built on trust in facts, yet facts have become so elusive in today's society. With so many competing narratives and alternative facts, how do we get back to a place where truth is valued over partisanship? Is it too late to restore trust, or are we witnessing the breakdown of democracy as we know it?
LTKha Ly Tran
Snyder's words are a stark reminder of how important access to facts is for a functioning society. But can the media and institutions be trusted to provide those facts? What do we do when institutions themselves become part of the problem? It seems like a catch-22: we need trust to make democracy work, but we can’t trust the very sources that are supposed to provide us with the facts. So where do we go from here?
LLeo
It’s hard to deny the truth in this statement, but it raises a troubling question—how do we rebuild trust in the facts when so much of what we’re told seems designed to divide us? Can trust in facts ever be restored when political interests skew the truth so heavily? This sounds like a pivotal issue for the survival of democracy, but are we too far gone to fix it?
MKMa Ket
This quote really makes me think about the importance of transparency, especially in governance. How can democracy thrive if people don’t have access to the truth? But what happens when the facts themselves are manipulated or obscured? Can democracy survive in a world where ‘truth’ is subjective? How do we preserve trust and the rule of law when so many are questioning what’s real?
GHPhan Mai Gia Huy
Timothy D. Snyder’s quote touches on an essential issue in today’s world—access to facts. In an era where misinformation is rampant, how can we trust anything we hear or see? If we can’t trust the facts, how do we hold governments accountable? How do we make informed decisions that uphold democratic values? Is it realistic to think we can ever get to a point where facts are universally accepted again?