“War is the realm of uncertainty; three quarters of the factors on which action in war is based are wrapped in a fog of greater or lesser uncertainty. A sensitive and discriminating judgment is called for; a skilled intelligence to scent out the truth.” – Prussian general Carl von Clausewitz

Jean Lewandowski is a retired special needs teacher. She lives in Nashua.

America is experiencing a moment of great uncertainty. People across the political spectrum agree there is a likelihood of civil violence in this election year. Most are worried, but some are energized. The events around the 2020 election, including the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, are manifestations of the political ideal of rule by a select few who use force to stay in power: fascism.

There’s a delicacy around using that “f” word we can’t afford right now. In truth, America has a history of attraction to fascist ideals that flourished in the brief lull between the two World Wars. There were Hitler Youth camps from New Jersey to California. Nazi and American propagandists traded tips for creating a useful atmosphere of uncertainty — the “fog of war” that, as von Clausewitz suggests, impairs judgment, increasing the chances of terrible mistakes. (“Hitler’s American Friends,” Bradley W. Hart)

To defend democracy, we must keep a clear head to “scent out,” expose, and defend against their tactics.

Effective propaganda uses a two-pronged approach based on human brain function. We have a sophisticated frontal lobe capable of “discriminating judgment,” but when we perceive imminent danger, it passes off to the fight-or-flight reflex (aka “lizard brain”), which is decisive, though often ill-informed. (“Train Your Mind, Change Your Brain,” Sharon Begley)

The first prong activates this survival instinct by creating an enemy. After Hitler invaded Poland in 1939, Nazi sympathizers spoke to millions at rallies and on the radio and mailed literal tons of antisemitic fliers all over America, echoing his warnings about the Jewish “threat.” Now, we’re told hoards of invading immigrants, perverted predators, and their enablers, the “woke mob” are storming the gates. We’re shown dark images of these invaders, and shadowy “deep state” masterminds are behind it all. The message: “Be afraid!”

The second prong takes aim at our frontal lobe. We’re told it’s useless: there’s no such thing as observable fact; all opinions therefore are equal; we can’t trust our own observations, reasoning, or the expertise of others. The early weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic are a painful example. Our minds reeled with uncertainty as we saw refrigerator trucks overflowing with the bodies of victims. The Trump administration insisted there was nothing to see, floated every conspiracy theory imaginable, and demonized public health professionals. The message: “I alone have the secret knowledge and power to fix this. Trust me.”

“Be afraid” and “I alone can fix this” are the enemies of democracy. Democracy requires every one of us to nurture our ability to see and tell the truth, especially in uncertain times. Though human judgment will never be perfect, it’s imperative that we become healthy skeptics, checking our own assumptions about who is actually dangerous and what we should do about it, as well as opponents’ assertions. There are good resources online to help us spot deep fakes, fact-check, and find original sources for any kind of information.

It’s also imperative that we develop moral clarity: what are our values as humans and Americans? Do we really respect the rights of all human beings and the ideal of government of, by, and for the people? This is the “clear intelligence” that shows us on whose side we stand and provides us with the strength of character to keep standing. One way to gain this clarity is simply to look around: volunteer as a poll worker, walk around downtown, ride a train. This is where the truth lies.

For ten years, we’ve taken the commuter train to Boston for my quarterly voice clinic appointments. Each time, our little universe intersects briefly with hundreds of others’ little universes. People speak languages we don’t understand and wear saris, hijab, saggy pants, crosses, yarmulkes, rainbow hats, MAGA hats, Boston hats, startling hairdos, and indecipherable tattoos. How can we be certain these strangers aren’t suicide bombers or criminals? We can’t, but based on our experience, which has been 100% peaceful, our lizard brain rests pretty easily.

What is certain is that their existence isn’t a threat to our way of life. They’re simply people living their lives. We also know that the Republican Party is now controlled by those who promise violence against many of our fellow travelers — mass deportations, internment camps, revocation of Constitutional rights — and vengeance against political opponents like us. We’ve already seen that these aren’t idle threats.

Like it or not, we will be deciding this year whether America is to be a democratic republic or a nation ruled by fear and force. The lines are drawn; the choices are clear, and the stakes have rarely been higher. It’s time to clear our minds, set our moral compass to “liberty and justice for all,” and use all peaceful means to defend our neighbors and democracy.