Chapter 5 Rejection of Liberalism

• Communism and Fascism were the two most influential ideologies to reject liberalism and both used totalitarian forms of government
• Totalitarianism: Complete control of the government over the public and private lives of its citizens.
• Totalitarian regimes are responding to what they see as dangerous and destabilizing changes. They consider the existing society in need of a complete transformation.
• What are the 2 types transformations of totalitarian regimes?

  Radical and reactionary
• Radical totalitarian Regime: USSR. The change desired is a move toward the far left side of the economic spectrum and a complete rejection of political and economic traditions of the past.
• Reactionary totalitarian regime: Nazi Germany. The change desired is a move towards the far right; an idealized past and an acceptance of economic inequality (accepting the belief that some people are naturally better than others).
• totalitarian regimes provide an account of the past, and explanation of the present and a vision for the future.
• The extensive use of propaganda, coercive power and communication technologies ensure the totalitarian governments maintain strict control over their citizens
• What methods are do totalitarian governments use to maintain control over their citizens?

  1. Extensive local, regional and national organization
  2. Youth, professional, cultural and athletic groups
  3. A secret police using terror
  4. Indoctrination through education
  5. The censorship of the media
  6. Redirecting popular discontent
• Controlled Participation: There are elections however the results are guaranteed. Not a secret ballot. Citizens are strongly encouraged to vote. Purpose is the illusion of democracy.
• Youth, Professional, Cultural and athletic groups (often forced participation): "Future" grow up with the vision of what their nation should be - highly prioritized, stronger as they grow up their sense of nationalism increases.
• Youth, Professional, Cultural and athletic groups (often forced participation): Kids are impressionable/easy to manipulate - ingrained beliefs. Bandwagon - powerful when your peers are pressuring. Older kids to challenge parental authority so they enjoy having knowledge that they think their parents don't. Part of the group - not left out
• Secret Police Using terror: Created fear and insecurity in the population, someone is always watching. Use them as a tool to kill people who don't agree. Take out the most outspoken first - make an example out of them. Fear is a powerful weapon of control.
• Extensive local regional and national organization (party): Competition between powers and those that are better organized have an advantage. Know who supports the government and give them an in/loyalty to the party, start of the rise to power - individual self-interest.
• Extensive local regional and national organization (party): Knowledge of the 3 levels of government they have intimate knowledge of the people's issues -easier to give impact/gain power and influence and make the people feel like they care. Platform to brainwash.
• Indoctrination through education: Told the truth. Repeated over and over again. Tests - reward for compliance it is either right or wrong. Censor information
• The Censorship of the Media: Media blackout so people remain uninformed and therefore less revolutionary. Control the narrative. Free radios - hear the "true news" of the Nazi Party. Knowledge is power. Ignorance is a powerful weapon to control the population
• Redirecting popular discontent (using scapegoats): More unified with a common enemy. Coaches/teams. Using the group as a scapegoat, easier to live with our own faults. Hitler - Jews. Stalin - other political dissidents, nationalists from various regions. trump - illegals
• Authoritarianism: Enforcement or advocacy of strict obedience to authority at the expense of personal freedom. Autocracy.
• Authoritarianism is an approach to government in which the leadership is not elected by or held accountable to the people it governs (non-democracy in nature). Don't provide all the democratic, civil and human rights which are typically associated with modern liberal democracies.
• Authoritarianism maintains its control through violence, intimidation of the population, propaganda, indoctrination and staging rallies and events that give people the illusion of participation in their own governance making certain groups feel "special"
• Dictatorship: power is concentrated in the hands of a single person (autocracy). The dictator relies on people in leadership positions. Single person in charge. Absolute monarchy was a form of dictatorship or (Absolutism)
• Oligarchies: Power is concentrated in the hands of a small ruling group of committee. There may be a leader, but power is more divided than in dictatorship.
• Junta: Oligarchy formed by military leaders - frequently established by a coup d'état by military power- not a revolution, as it is action by a small group of people.
• Oligarchies may be formed on the basis of religion - Theocracy, race - south africa, Apartheid - descendants of the boers, Noble birth or heredity - aristocracy/nobility, Or other factors such as wealth (plutocracy)
• The oligarchy serves the interests of its small group, to the detriment of the rest of the population. This is often reffered to as minority tyranny
• Totalitarian Governments - can be dictatorships or oligarchies. Distinctive for the degree to which the government exercises control over the population.
• In a totalitarian government the government tries to impose its ideology on ALL citizens. It seeks complete control over the public and private lives of its citizens. Creating a hierarchically organized society with a single politial party run by a leader or small elite.
• The Great Man Theory: Society gives rise to rare and remarkable individuals who are naturally suited to lead (Plato). Rest of the population, who are largely unqualified for the task of leadership, should follow these "great men".
• Great Man theory Philosophers: Thomas Carlyle - A perfect government would be one that is led by a strong man. Hobbes and Machiavelli would agree.
• Great man theory Philosophers: Nietzsche - he predicts that society would eventually be run by a superman that would create his own morality. It would be a version of morality that people would accept.
• Nietzsche - "While democracy created equality for all, it also bred conditions in which the spirits of superior people are crushed in the interest of the mediocre."
• Social Darwinism - The idea of the survival of the fittest
• The Crisis Theory - When people's personal security is threatened, they will willingly give up freedoms and obey an authority that appears to be in a position to restore that security. War, famine, disease epidemics or widespread economic upheaval
• The Crisis Theory - Hobbes who tended to support strong authoritarianism argued that life without a strong ruler would be "nasty, brutish, and short."
• Authoritarian Personalities - Certain individuals are predisposed to fall under the spell of authoritarian regimes.
• Authoritarian Personalities: Rigid beliefs regarding what is right and what is wrong. Unquestioning respect for and submission to authority. A tendency to accept simplistic solutions to complex problems. A tendency to project frustration and anger at their own inadequacies onto other groups of people. An admiration of strong leaders and over displays of power. A black and white view of the world with little room for variation or ambiguity. A desire to punish those who don't conform to the established norm.
• Any benefits that came out of Communism and Nazism were outweighed by the devastating costs to many of the people living in those countries. While some citizens benefitted, many suffered or died.