Julian Nipper
October/20/ 2009
Totalitarianism
Totalitarianism was first categorized by Giovanni Amendola in the 1923, using this term to describe a governmental party that ruled with absolute limitless power reaching usually controlled by a single person or party. Very similar to the fascist government one party in the nation is important to the movement. Originally it was used as a term to describe how Italian fascism was different from most forms of fascism that one person or party had “total” control hence Totalitarianism. However when Giovanni Amendola described the fascism he stated that it was a positive tool that could direct the goals of the state.
The Totalitarianism governments use any means necessary to remain in power such as eliminating other political parties so that the Totalitarian government is all that remains, using such methods as mass propaganda, mass media portraying the Totalitarian government in a positive light. As well as more negative forms of governmental such as surveillance systems and state terrorism used to keep the people loyal and form disobeying the government.
Totalitarianism overall goal is to have complete control over all of the individuals in its community, control over the work life as well as the personal life. The Totalitarian government goal is to be the only ruling power in the state meaning that states have no way of passing laws that would only affect that state. The Nation would have to pass a law in order for the new law 2 come into effect.
Modern governments that represent this style of government include North Korea government in how it controls every aspect of an individual’s rights. One Popular book that portrayed Totalitarianism is George Orwell’s 1984 in which every person is monitored by its government as well the individuals were loyal to the government so that the Totalitarist government could stay in power.
(1) "Very similar to the fascist government one party in the nation is important to the movement." - It is not similar - it IS. In a Fascist regime there is and can be only one party. That alone does not make the regime totalitarian, but it is a requirement to be totalitarian.
ReplyDelete(2) A totalitarian government is not simply one that has subdued or eliminated all political opposition. There is more to it.
(3) "Totalitarianism overall goal is to have complete control over all of the individuals in its community, control over the work life as well as the personal life." Yes, that defines totalitarianism well.
(4) "The Totalitarian government goal is to be the only ruling power in the state meaning that states have no way of passing laws that would only affect that state. The Nation would have to pass a law in order for the new law 2 come into effect."
I did not quite understand that. Do you refer to the 50 states of the USA in their relation to the capital of the nation?
(5) Last paragraph is good. But totalitarianism is concerned more with society than government, i. e. more with having a radical movement in society, and government serves this movement.
Here a possible definition for totalitarian:
- A modern autocratic government in which the state involves itself in all facets of society, including the daily life of its citizens.
A totalitarian government seeks to control not only all economic and political matters but the attitudes, values, and beliefs of its population, erasing the distinction between state and society.
The citizen’s duty to the state becomes the primary concern of the community, and the goal of the state is the replacement of existing society with a perfect society.
In totalitarian collectivism the individuals matter only in so far as they serve the whole with their ability and will to sacrifice themselves for the totality.