About YOT
Our Mission
Yoke of Tyranny (YOT) is a grassroots social and political movement. It aims to unite people in their opposition to politicians and governments who strive to unjustly increase their authority. We believe, as did our forefathers, that it is every citizen’s duty to oppose leaders who would limit rights and freedoms in their quest for unchecked authority. The movement focuses on highlighting the dangers of political tyranny, as well as providing citizens with peaceful, organized approaches with which to show dissent.
7 Steps to Protect Freedom
RESIST EVERY INJUSTICE – Never allow your freedoms, or those of others, to be taken without resistance. Tyrants take first from those who oppose their agenda, but ultimately from supporters and foes alike. If you wait for the knock to be heard at your door, you have no one to blame but yourself. As Thomas Jefferson said, “When tyranny becomes law, rebellion becomes duty.”
DEFEND INSTITUTIONS PROTECTING LIBERTY – Support a free press, defenders of human rights, and military and civil servants who faithfully execute their duties without bias or prejudice. Our checks and balances are only as robust as those stand guard. Ronald Reagan captured it best when he said, “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction.”
CHERISH TRUTH – Truth remains unchanged by viewpoint, greed, or deceit. Those who would twist or deny unwanted truths are poisoning the world for everyone. Unfortunately, we live in a time when, as Andy Rooney once said, “People will generally accept facts as truth only if the facts agree with what they already believe.”
PROMOTE A MULTI-PARTY SYSTEM – While terribly flawed, our multi-party government helps to curb extremism, power consolidation, and the stripping of civil liberties. One-party states suppress free speech, dissenting opinions, and anyone who challenges the status quo. As Don Lemon once said, “You don’t have true freedom until you allow a diversity of opinion and a diversity of voices.”
ORGANIZE WITH OTHERS – With numbers come strength, and with strength comes change. Share your concerns with others, and you’ll quickly see how many would gladly march beside you in the name of freedom. A shared love of country and family should always override our differences. Sitting Bull said it best with “As individual fingers we can easily be broken, but all together we make a mighty fist.”
VALUE INTEGRITY ABOVE PARTY – Set aside party in favor of integrity. Douglas MacArthur said it best, “A true leader has the confidence to stand alone, the courage to make tough decisions, and the compassion to listen to the needs of others.” Use your voting power to elect leaders who possess the integrity to address the nation’s challenges with honesty and humility.
FIND THE COURAGE – Standing against tyranny comes with personal risk. But as Edmund Burke famously said, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.” When your days have passed, how will people remember you? As a coward? Or as someone willing to stand up for what was right, no matter the consequences?
AUTOCRACIES COME IN MANY COLORS
Autocracies generally fall into two broad categories:
Closed autocracies are ones in which the leader or legislature are chosen by election. This means that citizens have no chance to weigh in on the leadership of the nation. China is a good example of a closed autocracy.
Elective autocracies are ones in which public elections are held, which theoretically give citizens the opportunity to elect leaders. However, the elections are controlled in large part by the current leader and are therefore rife with corruption. Russia is a good example of an elective autocracy.
Famous historical autocracies have included:
Japan ruled by Hirohito
Cuba ruled by Fidel Castro
Soviet Union ruled by Joseph Stalin
Italy ruled by Benito Mussolini
Nearly half of the the world’s 197 countries are classified as autocracies, and the list includes:
North Korea ruled by Kim Jong-un
Russia ruled by Vladimir Putin
China ruled by Xi Jinping
Belarus ruled by Alexander Lukashenko
Iran ruled by Ali Khamenei
Nicaragua ruled by Daniel Ortega
Turkey ruled by Recep Erdogan
Venezuela ruled by Nicolas Maduro
Yemen ruled by Abd Al-Hadi
and many more…
democracies are dying around the world
Twice as many countries are moving towards autocracy as are moving toward democracy.
Many people, especially those in the USA and Canada, take democracy for granted. In fact, their confident complacency is what could ultimately doom these bastions of freedom. Democracies are rarely lost overnight but instead are slowly dismantled by powerful leaders vying to stay in power. Over time, freedoms are stripped away, and liberty is surrendered in the name of stability and morality.
Below are some of the common steps a leader may take in a move toward autocracy:
– Weakens the judiciary, opposing politicians, and public servants with an onslaught of insults and attacks
– Attacks the free press with threats of criminal persecution and violence
– Recruits radical movements, such as white extremists, to apply intimidation to the opposition
– Replaces leaders of critical institutions with partisan zealots
– Disputes the results of elections to cast doubt on the fairness of the process
– Uses intimidation and violence to subvert free and fair voting
– Hides behind patriotism when performing illegal or immoral acts
– Distorts the truth of events not in line with causes
– Claims persecution when questioned, categorically denying mistakes or wrongdoing
Is the leader of your country following this well-worn roadmap toward dictatorship?
If so, it’s time to make your voice heard.
Resist the yoke of tyranny!!
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