When totalitarian leaders like Adolf Hitler (leader of Germany), Benito Mussolini (leader of Italy), and Joseph Stalin (leader of Soviet Union) became important figures in global politics, it was commonplace for Americans to ask: Is totalitarianism coming to America? Indeed, the publication of George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four made the same point. Check out the back cover of the assigned text, which is a copy of the original 1949 publication. It reads:
It [1984] points the path towards which society may now be heading, and leaves the reader with the shocked feeling that there is no single horrible feature in the world of 1984...which is not present, in embryo, today.
What features are associated with totalitarian governments?
Here are a few:
1. The population is excluded from outside information. The information that the population does get is propaganda, which celebrates the state, its leadership, and the military.
2. State authorized violence (by the police and military) targets those internal (homosexuals, gypsies, Jews, non-Caucasians) and external (foreigners) actors that are labelled enemies of the state. These enemies could be military threats or they could be cultural threats to the political order.
3. The political leadership and particularly the top leader are widely seen as infallible.
4. Surveillance is extensively and intensively used to control members of society. Police and military forces watch for enemies of the state. Neighbors watch neighbors and kids watch parents for any signs of disloyalty. Individuals also police their own actions.
5. Totalitarian governments are also supported by large sections of the masses and by key elite members of society.
6. Because internal and external enemies are always seen as pressing concerns, everyday life becomes increasingly militerized. Individuals and families are encouraged to join in the war effort--to ration their food, to join the military, or to support the soldiers and the war effort with patriotic fervor. Security from foreign and domestic threats becomes a number one concern for many people.
What do you think? Is totalitarian government possible in America today? Or is it just impossible? Are any of these six features associated with totalitarian governments present in America today? Are none of them present? Are only some of the features present? Are they present in America, but perhaps weak or limited? If they are present in America but weak, could they get stronger? What events might strengthen these features associated with totalitarian government? Are there any other features that I don't mention here, but that are visible in 1984 and America?
I feel that surveillance is widely used in America. No matter the situation, it seems that we are always looking behind our back for protection while our methods of "self policing" are only performed for our best interests to monitor what we feel is right or wrong. In neighborhoods, children are closely watched by parents or other neighbors to prevent abductions. As little as we may think about it, the threats of war and destruction, both foreign and domestic, have caused us to use this feature of surveillance very extensively.
ReplyDeleteIt does seem likely for America to enter into a totalitarian government. With the threat of attacks constantly present and the increased security becoming inevitable, we are still not convinced that we are safe from outside attacks. In addition, even after attacks such as September 11, Americans began to label those that were Middle Eastern as terrorists and deemed them enemies of the state. In my mind,these are just a few indications that totalitarianism could eventually consume American society.
While I don’t believe that the United States is anywhere close to a totalitarian government, I know that we do just a few of the six characteristics of a totalitarian government. For example, I agree that the government does use surveillance, which carries over into the way people police each other. In addition, I do believe the government puts a large emphasis on supporting the war effort, which is #6 on the list of totalitarian characteristics, but I see that more as advocating patriotism than totalitarianism. However, despite these few qualities, I don’t see the Unite States ever having a totalitarian government simply because the people wouldn’t allow it to happen. It seems to me that most Americans value their personal freedoms above all else, and a totalitarian government would completely strip them of these freedoms, which I don’t believe they’d idly accept.
ReplyDeleteErin Shaw
I believe that anything is possible in america. I believe that it is less likely our government will become totalitarian because of checks and balances. This system is what I believe has kept America from becoming totalitarian. Once thing that does scare me is our rising debt to other countries. I think it would be possible for one of them to eventually take over because of the enormous number or monies we have borrowed. I do not think that having national debt is a good thing because it could allow something like that to happen. In this I see weakness because the people we borrow from have all of the power and we are pretty much at their will.
ReplyDeleteI believe that totalitarian government is possible in the U.S. and I believe that post 9/11 was one of the most recent times that government seemed to be totalitarian-esque. After the attacks, we passed the Patriot Act which allowed more surveillance on citizens than before. Also noticeable with surveillance is the police. I live in a small city and I've noticed back home that they've been employing more police within the past few years than necessary for it's population.
ReplyDeleteAlso after 9/11 the media made it seem as if America were at higher levels of danger than it actually was. Remember the color coded terror threats on the news that would tell people how much risk the country was at in terms of terrorism. Also the rise in security in a lot of places such as airports and national monuments. Although these may have been for a good cause, one can look at these facts as media propaganda and scare tactics respectively.
Although America has never experienced complete Totalitarianism, I do believe that we were given a small taste of it in the name of HomeLand Security. Although these may be set in place for the welfare of American citizens, some of the extremes in post-9/11 life can be seen as a small dosage of Totalitarianism.
Totalitarian government is complete impossible in America. There is no way the people would accept going against there own fellow americans and enslave them. People would rebel instantly and the government would get torn apart at the seems with little support. We have a system of checks and balances that would stop a totalitarian government from starting in the first place. Americans enjoy being free so why would they support something that would nearly enslave everyone.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I believe a totalitarian government is not possible in America today. However, there are a few similarities, such as, the population being excluded from outside information. Propaganda is widely used in America. Also, I strongly believe there is at least some targeting towards certain races, religions, and groups by police and the military. Despite the few similarities there are also many differences, such as the expectations of honesty frome each individual and the lack of personal opinions one can have. I do not believe we would allow this type of government to happen because we are too used to living freely.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, totalitarianism is extremley possible in America today. You see on the news that America is in a recession, our economy has declined extremley. America has many people becoming poor, homeless, jobless, and hopeless. People become desperate when they are in these circumstances. In that environment, Totalitarianism can be born. The citizens of this country can be come so desperate as to search out a leader that will fix all their problems, even if this leader demands total control to "fix the problems." If people believe that leader is their savior then they will give that leader whatever is nessecary to resue from their lowly position. The best example is that of Adolf Hitler. He was elected to power, through the people of Germany. He said he would fix their problems, they said, go right ahead. Mass media today influences many of people. They flock to one side or the other on a debate. What if the mass media gave you the choice; do you want to suffer in this economic recession, have no job, have no money, house, clothes, food and all the nessecities of life, or have a this candidate take care of this mess. This leader will solve everything!! put him in charge, give him the job that we dont want to do ourselves, and let him get it done for us. Sounds like a pretty easy choice. People like that are called "sheeple." They lack the desire to care about subjects, are ignorant to the truth and follow what the crowd believes, having no opinion for themselves. There are many people like that in the U.S. In Nazi Germany, citizens knew that the jews were being round up and killed. You would think they would have morals or even the heart to stop such sensless killing. wrong! they followed what everyone else was told was right. They were told the Jews were bad and that they didnt belong in this world. The people didnt go out and talk to the Jews and see for themselves, they believed the political propoganda. All of this can happen in America. We can let ourselves be manipulated and controlled by the media and politicians and be drawn into a civilization that is controlled by one person with one set of ideals, and let ourselves lose our individuality, or we can open up our minds and pay attention to everything around ourselves. Dont let people tell you what is right or wrong. Find out the truth for yourself
ReplyDelete-Devin Raine
I think that totalitarian government could possibly exsist in America today, but I don't think it ever will. I wouldn't necessarily say that it's impossible, however, because if someone ran for President who was for a totalitarian government and they were elected, then they could push for it. Talking about teh six features of a totalitarian government, I would say a couple of them are in today's American government. Such as with the surveillance, although it is not as severe in our government as it is in a totalitarian government. We don't necessarily watch our neighbors day by day to make sure they aren't doing anything bad, nor does kids actually watch their parents. I'm sure there are people that actually do that, but it's probably very few. Another feature would be with the whole enemy 'watching' and how the government encourages everyone to join the military and to support the war. That would be considered a strong feature in our government, especially now with the war going on. One event that definetly strengthed surveillance and the encouragement of joining the army would definetly be 9/11. After that we became more aware of foreign invasions and attacks and there came about more surveillance throughout the country.
ReplyDeleteI do not think that at this point in the United States that a complete totalitarian government would be possible. In the US people are to used to having a democracy and freedoms. The government described in the book 1984 would be an unrealistic idea for people today. To be afariad to think or act a certain way would be unmanageable. Now if such an event happened similar to the 9/11 attacks should happen again I think that mmore of a totalitarian government could be implemented. The people would have to unify to "hate the enemy" and "love the party" as we spoke about in class. But only in the state of another serious tragedy do I think it would be at all possible. We do have some factors of a totalitarian government such as our support of our miltary power and strength. We discriminate against people who we see as a threat to our national safety such as Muslims after 9/11. So basically we will just have to wait and see I believe.
ReplyDeleteJessica Dant
I do not think that totalitarian system of government is any where close to happening in the United States, Because all the factors that make up a Totalitarian Government only a few that i know off applies to the U.S. This country is a very free country and everyone has rights to free opinion and thoughts and the Government cannot control this if not there would be protests everywhere.
ReplyDeleteSurveillance is a major deal in this country which also applies to totalitarian system because every single day of our lives we are being monitored, from work,school,neighbors e.t.c. Totalitarian also applies in the such a way as supporting the Government because U.S citizens are very patriotic and this is similar to loving and supporting the party in the totalitarian system. I strongly believe that totalitarian is not possible in the U.S with similarities, but the differences out number them greatly.
In response to this week's blog, I definitely do not think The United States of America would ever allow this country to become completely totalitarian. We are way to strong of a nation for that to happen.However, I do believe there is a certain amount of censorship that goes on concerning our media and the military. I believe there are events which take place, and as a nation we are shielded from every single detail. The government only tells its citizens half of the story most of the time to keep us happy. We are under constant surveillance everywhere we go, and that is a characteristic of totalitarian government, but it does not mean we are heading in that direction. I also feel our country is extremely patriotic. Many of us have an allegiance to our beautiful country and don't mind paying tribute to it; that just comes naturally.Because Americans want to feel safe, a strong and powerful military is respected and supported.Our government does maintain a checks and balances system which definitely helps to prevent the totalitarian system from taking over. I am very thankful for this. Laura Remsburg
ReplyDeleteI agree with Devin on this topic. Although I don't see America becoming a totalitarian government anytime soon, it could in fact happen. I heard on the radio that the percentage of people living in poverty just went from 13% to 15%. 1 in 7 people are now living in poverty. When people are having difficulties, they are more likely to believe someone that says they will bring changed if the people would follow them. This could very easily create a totalitarian government.
ReplyDeleteAlthough it could happen, I would hope people in America would catch it before letting it become that way. We can clearly see what happens when a totalitarian government is put in to place from the past so it should be preventable.
The one feature that is present in the government today is the 6th feature. There is still a lot of surveillance going on right now. Things like Obama shutting down parts of NY for a "Date Night" is ridiculous to me. The only reason they do it is to keep the president safe and I understand that. It is still just absolutely ridiculous to me though.
I don't really believe we are close to hitting totalitarianism in America. True the government tend be watch us, but it for our nation's security. Since the 9/11 incident, the U.S has kept their guards raised for any upcoming terror attacks. Totalitarianism contains Partymindness and Patriotism. These elements are included in the U.S but seemingly interpreted differently. Compare to a real Totalitarian government, Partymindness tend to question the representatives if what they are doing is write or wrong and as we’ve spoken in class about some people rethinking twice about their actions; if what they are doing is hurting their parties or not. This act goes on but isn’t largely impacted, plus compared with a totalitarian, there’s only one party that everyone should be involved with while in the U.S, there are different type of parties with each of them having individual views on government. Patriotism has a great symbolic act on many nations. It is because of this love for their country that a nation tends to have fewer problems. In a totalitarian government, being a patriotic means loving only your leader and likely giving up you life to him. While in the U.S, being patriotic means defending the U.S Constitution and waving the American flag. If someone’s isn’t praising their leader or waving its nation’s flag, they are likely considered outsiders and a danger to our nation. This result in death in a totalitarian government while likely jail or deportation in the U.S The huge difference with the U.S and a totalitarian government is that, we have a say in the government with less result of consequences while a totalitarian government is likely to kill you for protesting against the government. A totalitarian government wants total control of its nation and is only accessible with mass media while the U.S uses this mass media to inform its population about what is going on in other nations.
ReplyDeleteI don't think America will ever have a totalitarian government because the U.S. citizens woldn't allow that to happen. It seems that although many Americans take their freedoms for granted, they would not want to live without them, and in a totalitarian society these freedoms would be gone. This being said, a few features of the totalitarian style of government are present in our society but they are much weaker. To an extent, we do self police each other. A person might call the cops if he or she thinks a neighbor is up to dangerous activities. We also have a strong sense of patriotism, but it's much different than totalitarian patriotism. We support our nation because we can; not because we are afraid that if we dont we'll be killed. Although we share some ideas of totalitarianism, our ways are much mre diluted and less threatening than totality ways.
ReplyDeleteAmericans love to hate America too much for it to ever become totalitarian. We have the right to stand up against the government and do our best to sway it in the dirrection that best interests us. People already complain enough about the amount of surveillance we have and how we still discriminate too much on those who are not necessarily our enemies. If we were to try to step up these things as a nation the people would have a fit. Americans love their individual rights and free choice too much to allow the government to increase control. Our structure of government is already based on a system meant to not drown out the voice of the population. People can vote against and fight against any drastic changes that would lead us more into totalitarianism, which makes it impossible to happen in America.
ReplyDeleteI think it is possible for the United States to have a totalitarian government but at the same time I think it is highly unlikely. Some of the 6 features associated with a totalitarian government are present in the U.S. but I don’t think they are signs that we are moving in that direction. I agree with previous blogs that we are under more surveillance than before. More and more cameras are being used now and self policing and policing others is more common but that does not mean that we are moving towards a totalitarian government. I think for the most part this is more for safety purposes than anything else. I don’t think the government is trying to keep an eye on us to distinguish who is disloyal; I think they are trying to make sure that everyone is protected and out of harm’s way. Also, I feel that we use propaganda as a way to promote patriotism in our country not to exclude us from the outside world. Anything is possible. So yes, it is possible for our government to become totalitarian, but do I think the people in the United States would let that happen? No. I feel that there are too many people looking out for their personal freedoms to let that happen.
ReplyDeleteAs American citizens we have rights. This is a common known fact. We have a constitution and a bill of rights to protect our freedoms, for a totalitarian government to exist in America these would have to be completely thrown out and I personally think that our country and its people would never let this happen. In the United States Government and executive branch there are SO many different people who run our country, it’s not just solely one person. There’s also a system of extreme checks and balances, if one leader ever got to powerful I know that this would not be aloud to continue. As for the six features of a totalitarian government, our society would never be completely excluded from outside information, there are so many ways of communication, with people who have so many different opinions on the state and government. As Americans we are guaranteed our freedoms, one would never be considered an “enemy of the state” as long as nothing illegal is done by them, military action would not be acted upon them just for being “different.” We also know that the political leaders in control of us are definitely infallible, they are only human and are not perfect. Surveillance also violates our rights. In a totalitarian governed society this is a normal every day thing, always on the look out for threats of the state, this is done by violating privacy, you’re never alone.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteTotalitarianism could not happen in America right now or in the near future. As the components of totalitarianism do exist in some contexts, they never present down from the government. The largest show of “big brother” really seems to come from corporate America. They are overseen by the government; however, they do exist in a free contrary where they can market and advertise with much leniency. Even traffic cameras are monitored by private companies, so much of our security, in the surveillance sense, is private. Corporations almost always depict pictures of there “leaders” where ever they can; just ask anybody, and they will be able to identify a picture of Bill Gates or Steve Jobs. They are not only supported by influential members of society, they are run by them and supported by the masses who own their stock. They reach down into the family and the individual, and tell them how to behave, what to wear, what to eat, what to buy, who to like, and even where to give charity. They also exhibit an array of discrimination towards minorities. For example, sports companies pay woman athletes far less than their male counter parts; the large dating websites (that claim 1 in 5 relationships to be started by them) do not allow homosexual interactions on their sites; it is still well known that finding a job (in corporate America) as a person of color is more difficult. People do have the right to choose how they interact with corporations, but the choices are very limited if one wants to be a part of our society. Totalitarianism is not our way of government or most likely ever will be; however, our economy and sociology is very totalitarianistic.
ReplyDeleteIn my eyes, America will never be a totalitarian government. Americans like their freedom. They like being able to stand up for what they believe in and fight for what they believe in. There are also a large number of people who help to run the U.S. and I don't see how it is possible for a small group of persons let alone one person to be in charge. Americans would not "bandwagon" and go with the person or group. Americans are very opinionated, nor would they like to be constantly watched, nonetheless being told how to live their life. Also. slavery would not be thought to occur. Surveillance may be prevalent in the U.S., but it is not necessarily as extreme as it would be in a totalitarian government. America is full of patriotism, as 9/11 greatly showed. Americans come together when they feel a threat is happening. The totalitarianism aspect of that is nothing like America's patriotism.
ReplyDeleteWhile I believe anything in America is possible these days, I do not think we will ever get to the point of a totalitarian government. Yes, I do think we have some of the characteristics of a totalitarian government, such as surveillance which is heavy these days in our country for obvious reasons. Like we have talked about in class, it is nearly impossible to walk around these days without being watched. Something or someone somewhere is always doing that for you. Another aspect is the military outlook. America heavily stresses the importance of the military which i don't necessarily actually think is a bad thing but in our country there is a lot of emphasis put on it. But I do not think we will ever turn into a full fledged totalitarian government.
ReplyDeleteTotalitarianism is most definitely possible anywhere in the world and all of those six points that were listed, exist in the U.S. They might be different levels i.e more or less intense, but they still exist, especially since 911 we have been surveiled more and there are more ads on tv to join the war effort. I'm positive the reason in Iraq is not what we are told. The six points listed above are getting more intense again since 911 and could definitely lead this country to totalitarianism especially since everyone thought Obama is and was a god, which in my opinion in insane and he only told the public of course what we wanted to hear.Everyone wanted change and race was obviously a large issue for that "change" campaign which helped him. After wwI Hitler was the "Change" and promised all of the things people wanted to hear (in which he actually complied to and followed through with his promises)and was this god who saved the germans from defeat and was going to help that country regain their power and status. Totalitarianism is definitely possible in the country, the factors are already there.
ReplyDeleteI believe that America could turn towards totalitarian government if people allow it too. However I don't think people would allow it to come to that. We (as americans) have seen examples of totalitarian government before in the past and how it's not usually a good thing, so i don't think America would want that. Theres is some evidence of the 6 points mentioned. Point number 4 is enforced to a small extent. We do have surveillance such as security cameras. Also point number 6 is somewhat evident, but they try and justify it with patriotism.
ReplyDeleteDo i think that a totalitarian government will ever be established in america? No, but at the same time i defiantly see some traits of it. The servalience in this country has been steadily rising. Gps tracking in every cellphone can show our location to any one at any time. Street cameras are watching everyones move. The second thing is our lack of media telling us the important things we need to hear. There not so much blocking outside information but are putting up walls of unimportant INFORMATION THAT IS HARD TO SEE THOUGH. We're SELLING 60 BILLION DOLLARS WORTH OF ARMS TO SAUDI ARABIA BUT ALL I SEE ON TV IS CELEBRITIES OR GOVERNMENT SCANDALS.(shit caps-lock was on) Is the government behind this in some plot. i doubt it. Obama doesn't have a mustache wither so i don't seem him turning into a totalitarian any time soon.
ReplyDeleteI hate to say it but yes a totalitarian government is possible today in America. We have all the ingredients to make a totalitarian government within our population: patriotism, discipline, modesty, collective, party-mindness, vigilance, love/hate and activism. This isn’t to say that we are in one but if the right things happened to form one it could happen. This is kind of scarey if you think about how close we are to being one. One big way that we are kind of like a totalitarian government is the massive amount of control the federal government has on our country. Our government controls our public opinion in many ways; a couple examples are as follows. The government controls the media which tells us what to buy, where to eat, who is the enemy and why we hate the enemy. The government policies Us through surveillance at stop lights, speed camera’s, ez-pass tracking, peer policing, social networking sites, atm’s, debit and credit tracking, banks and the census. The government also controls how we are educated through the public systems on what we are suppose to learn and how we are suppose to feel about the government. And if you do things are outside the norm for American society you are automatically told that you are abnormal and that you won’t fit in. So in order to fit in you change to fit in with everybody else just like in a totalitarian government. I don’t know how the totalitarian government started to form in the book 1984 but I sure hope it isn’t similar to how are government is today.
ReplyDeleteChristina Haag
I do not believe that our government today is going towards totalitarianism. If it did, I think I would just have to move out of the country. Sometimes though, I our governement does surveil people and that is a type of totalitarian government and also they use traits of that govt., but I definitely do not think that we are anywhere near that. It would be a rude awakening for this country and many people would go nuts if it did happen.
ReplyDeleteI believe that totalitarianism is possible in today's society. To completely convert this country over to a totalitarian government would take a lot yes but it is possible for the simple fact that we as American's play into pretty much everything the media posts. For to catastrophe of 9/11 we the country were told that it was Iraq that attacked us. How exactly do we know that the gov't and the media were telling the truth and not just getting us to rally against a country that wasn't typically favored by our gov't? I'm not saying in any means that we were lied to, just that it is completely possible. Say we had a nuclear weapon go off somewhere underground and the gov't and media say it was an earthquake. Well we would have no other recourse than to believe them because there would be no other evidence available to us otherwise.
ReplyDeleteThese scenarios are similar to those in the book 1984 by Goerge Orwell. The US has a very high level of patriotism, we have hate, and our security since 9/11 has been drastically changed. Just to get onto your plane to go visit your Grandmother takes almost an hour if not more. This country as a whole, not individually, but as a whole believes the media. We have no idea whether they are lying to us or not.
Yes totalitarianism is possible for our country. It wouldn't be easy but it could be done the same way Hitler turned Germany into a totalitarian state. The country "needed" him and he was elected into office! As sad as it is to say, but true, we need to question things and start wondering what exactly is going on in our country right under our noses.
I do not believe that a full blown Totalitarianism government could ever arise in the United States but I do believe that in some way be posses all of the 6 factors. Some are just more evident than others. I believe that surveillance is most commonly used whether it be by the government or used in everyday society. Whether people like to believe it or not, it is. As we talked about in class, all 6 features are clearly evident, they just do not work together as they would in a totalitarianism society. Maybe one day if that all started to change, we would have a potential problem on our hands but I doubt that would ever happen. If more attacks on the US started to happen which later evolved into more wars, then some of the 6 features could potentially grow stronger. Especially those associated with shutting out the "enemy" or anyone who is not from our country. I'm not worried though because all we ever preach about is "land of the free," thats why I don't think we have anything to worry about.
ReplyDeleteAt one point in the last 10 years, yes I do believe a totalitarian government was a possibility. As discussed in class, post 9-11 was difficult for the nation as a whole, and our citizens became increasingly patriotic and serious. Surveillance is the only characteristic I see in common with a totalitarian government and today. Cameras are on corners of buildings, stop lights, stop signs, and other places throughout the streets and radars are widely used as a form of speed control. While I do not have an issue using these forms of surveillance for traffic purposes, there is a chance the uses will become more intense. Right now, I do not see a totalitarian government possible in the US,however, our nation is readily changing, and we must be prepared as a society for anything.
ReplyDeleteI dont believe that the United States will ever be a totalitarian government. But the government does have a lot of control on us. They do use surveillance to control us, but people would go crazy and think it was crazy if we ever went to a totalitarian government. So I don't think that it is going to happen.
ReplyDeleteMegan Williams
I do believe that the United States could eventually have a totalitarian government. I do not think that this would be a possibility any time soon, but I think over time this could reality. A lot of people are saying that Americans would not accept that but I feel that the government has more control over the people. Slowly the government is becoming more powerful, they are always coming up with more laws and they are always putting up more security and surveillance. After 9/11 America put up more security in airports so we would not have many more terrorist attacks. They limit you to what you can take on board had you and even your luggage can be searched. The government is also putting up many more cameras so that you are carful at all times. It’s kind of like if you know that a police could be around you are more careful and with the cameras when the police are not there you still have to be careful. Also, the government always is trying to get more citizens to join the military. There are many commercials that on are TV that try and make the military very glorious so that you would want to join. In public school systems, government also controls how we are educated; they tell us what we are suppose to learn. I really don’t think that a totalitarian government is possible anytime soon but I do feel that in the future it really could become reality.
ReplyDeleteJenna Benke
I feel that a totalitarian is not possible in the U.S. I feel that people would turn against their government and fight back. There are some similarities such as the surveillance that is kept from schools to stores and other places. I do also feel the people are somewhat excluded from outside information. I feel that makes us less informed about issues elsewhere in the world.
ReplyDeleteI feel like our government won't turn into a totalitarian government anytime soon if it does at all, but i do feel like the six characteristics listed can be found in our government just nowhere near as extreme as in a true totalitarian government. The first characteristic says that outside information is limited and I am sure that the U.S. government does that to help get patriotic support for the war. The second characteristic talks about our police force dealing with people who are gay or Jewish or not Caucasion and there have been times when a police officer have gotten these people in trouble or even used to much physical force to deal with them. The third characteristic talks about having trust in our government which we do as long as we have our freedom and independence. The fourth characteristic says that survelliance and peer policing happens in a totalilatarian government. The government does survelliance what we do on the computer and people do act behaved in public because of the fear of getting turned in by the police. The fifth characteristic of the totalitarian government sounds a lot like the politcal parties that form to support a leader that is trying to be elected. Finally the sixth characteristic talks what sounds like patriotism and everytime the government brings up 9/11 to help support the war we are in now, doesn't that just make everyone else just want to pick up a gun and go shoot some terrorists?
ReplyDeleteI don’t think a totalitarian government would ever be established in America. There are of few of the characteristics present (like faithfully supporting the war and strong patriotism) but there aren’t enough to hint at a possible government change. I think it is very possible that if the terrorist attacks on 9-11 had continued to happen we could have possibly came close if not succeeded in becoming a totalitarian government due to the idea that any anti-America talk would have gotten you close to killed. In America many of us base our lives around privacy, and the American dream was to become anything you want to be, but without the government we have now none of that would be possible (assuming it is even possible today)
ReplyDeleteTo say that it would be IMPOSSIBLE for a totalitarian government to be established in America would be foolish. Nothing is impossible, especially if we were to ever face the kind of economic and social hardships that places like Germany were post WWI. When people are desperate... we'll do lots of ridiculous things to get back on our feet. Earlier, Devin made a good point. Our economy is in bad shape right now... I'd say we are about the closest we've been in a really long time to seeing some major governmental changes. None of this, however, adds up to totalitarianism in America right now. While I acknowledge the possibility, I also recognize the complete improbability of it. We as a people have understood this 'free' way of life and I think the circumstances would have to be more extreme than we can imagine to allow totalitarian control.
ReplyDeleteThat being said... pretty much all six of those characteristics exist in our society today in some way, although I find them to be in a much weaker form than that of any of the literature or historical references we've talked about. There is a great deal of propaganda in America... but we are not limited to it as our only source of reference when it comes to news about war, our leaders, etc. There is not much state authorized violence. Our police force is given the authority to use violent action within the bounds of the law, but even that has limits and checks and balances. A police officer can certainly abuse their power, but for the most part we have set up that ability to fight back against these situations when they arise. We do, of course, set our political leaders on a pedestal. Obama shows that now more than ever I think. He truly became some sort of super star in the media... but that certainly doesn't make him infalliable. That's one of the biggest things that seperates us from totalitarianism. We have the freedom to express our opinions... and we do express them to the fullest extent and protect that right in our constitution. Surveillance is a big part of our society, but we aren't anywhere near having telescreens in every home monitoring our every move. Outside our homes anything goes, but I can't forsee that kind of big brother mentality invading our personal properties. I dont see #5 as much... or maybe I just do not realize it. And finally, I see how our country rallies behind the war effort but not in a way that consumes us. This war in Iraq and even more extreme with the Vietnam war has shown us that while we are a patriotic country, there is certainly a large percentage of the population that exercises their freedom of speech against the war effort.
I just don't see it happening without something MAJOR happening. We've all lived through some scary stuff in this country, and for those of you that have seen war and been to other countries you can see what kind of chaos would leave a country susceptible to total take over. We are no where close to that in our current state.
I think that totalitarianism in America is possible today, as it is possible anywhere. Because as seen in 1984, the people do not understand that they are being enslaved and controlled. They love Big Brother and the Party has distorted their reality, and the only reality that matters is the reality within the human minds. Our government today only tells us what they want to, therefore like said in a class discussion a while ago, we don't know what is and isn't actually real; we just have to trust our gov't and go off what they said because we have nothing else to believe. We do not actually really know what is going on in wars- we only know what we are told. So even if a totalitarian regime was to come into play, we may not even know.
ReplyDeletehowever, I do not believe this will happen, because the US is highly based on the people's opinions and the arguments between what should be right and wrong, and whats best, etc. But totalitarian regime if formed properly could be formed anywhere
Ellie Pretsch makes a nice point when she says that people in a totalitarian system may "not understand that they are being enslaved and controlled."
ReplyDeleteMany of us have said that Americans would protest against a totalitarian system, but this assumes that people are aware of what's happening and are not inadvertantly supporting the rise of totalitarian government by their acts of protest.
Hitler took power constitutionally. He used a rhetoric of hate that centered on the differences between races--especially how Jews, homosexuals, and Roma (gypsy) were a threat to the racial purity of German/Arian blood and nation. His electoral strategy focused on winning the support of white collar voters and rural farmers.
Totalitarianism is absolutely possible in America today - if not already existent. Large sections of the population and an elite group support the government (#5), extensive surveillance through phones, computers, and other such technology could be under governmental usage without our knowledge (#4), state authorized violence is used again enemies of the state ranging from Bin Laden to Vietnam protestors (#2), and we don't really know if the information fed to us in the media is really true or if it's propaganda (#1). The characteristics of totalitarian government that are not present may become present and the characteristics that already exist may become stronger. Events that could have possibly driven us to totalitarian government are 9/11, Vietnam, and the McCarthy Era to name a few. An event that could lead us to totalitarianism in the future is the superstition surrounding 2012. If something drastic really does happen, even if it's actually planted by the government, America might be willing to forgo its remaining characteristics of democracy.
ReplyDeleteKyra Wood
I'm unwilling to say that anything is impossible, but I think we (USA) have quite a way to go before we could be considered totalitarian; of course, I know tea-baggers that think this is specifically Obama's mission.
ReplyDeleteThen again, I suppose that if small changes were made from generation to generation, who would notice? Just as in 1984, if you had nothing to compare your present situation to how would you know? A lot can happen in the span of a few generations; citizens could be completely enslaved by debt and fear; drugged into apathy while believing themselves to be free and brave.
Probably the easiest way to take freedoms from us would be in the interest of our safety. Scare us and we'll do just about anything to feel safe again. Language barriers are already in place keeping us from communicating with many foreigners; there are also religious differences. When was the last time that you watched a news program that wasn't delivered to you through an American entity? Should we worry if there are limits placed on the internet, which is probably the main way we are given the opportunity to communicate with others outside the US?
Nathan High asked: "Should we worry if there are limits placed on the internet, which is probably the main way we are given the opportunity to communicate with others outside the US?"
ReplyDeleteHere's the link to the quote below: http://www.opencongress.org/articles/view/1917-Lieberman-Cybersecurity-Bill-Would-Give-DHS-Broad-Emergency-Powers-Over-the-Internet
Senate Democrats began their cybersecurity efforts this session of Congress with a bill from Sen. John Rockefeller [D, WV], S.773, that would have given the President unilateral authority to “limit or shutdown” traffic to any part of the internet he deems “critical” in an emergency situation. That didn’t fly with anyone.
Next came a major amendment to the bill from Rockefeller and Sen. Olympia Snowe [R, ME] as it went through the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee. The amendment would require the President to develop an emergency “response and restoration” plan in coordination with private companies that could be implemented in the case of a presidentially-declared cybersecurity emergency. The revision did not explicitly grant the President “shutdown” powers (though it also did not explicitly prohibit them) and it added a few safeguards and oversight measures. But, alas, it seems to have stalled over civil liberties concerns as well.
In response to what Professor Stump and Ellie Pretsch said....
ReplyDeleteI don't think you are giving the American people enough credit. We have the liberty to say we don't like something. Hell.... the Westboro Baptist Church has made a name for themselves by manipulating their right to protest and free speech by showing up with hate signs at the funerals of fallen soldiers. Basically... we see american citizens stand up for what they think is right all the time (even if it is as radical as the Fred Phelps gang). I can understand the beginnings of supporting a 'secretly' totalitarian government... but as soon as their true colors start showing I am positive there would be an uproar. It goes against absolutely everything we base this country on... and unlike other places we fully support the option to express and act upon our opinions.
If something like this came into America I think it would have to take the form of hostile take over... I cant really see it creeping in and coming to fruition totally unnoticed.
I think that a totalitarian government would never work in the US. There are to many free spirits in the country and also the country is a great deal bigger than the countries that have put that style in place. As for the features of the government there are bits and pieces of each in our own governement. The country tends to exclude certain groups of people. The even impose laws to opress these groups.
ReplyDeleteRiley Strawderman
Challee Blackwelder says that Americans deserve more credit...totalitarianism goes against everything we beleive.
ReplyDeleteI would respond by saying:
Totalitarianism cannot go against everything that we believe and do. Why? Because we've already identified key elements associated with totalitarianism (e.g. surveillance, patriotism, etc) here in the USA. We Americans are patriotic--that surely isn't against what we believe and do, is it?
I would add that protest is not a guarantee against totalitarianism--indeed, many of the people that supported Hitler were protesting against Jews and against the socially and politically liberal policies that had been put in place before his rise.
Hitler did not take over forcefully--he took over constitutionally. A large enough group of people wanted him to be their leader--to bring about security, order, and national pride. There was little secret about it--he was part of a political party that campaigned, gave speeches, and organized supporters.
Germans, it seems to me, are people like Americans. They weren't asking for totalitarianism but, over time, that's basically what they got. People in America are not asking for totalitarianism, but they do want a sense of security and order in this time of uncertainty. It is hard (to impossible) to predict what our actions today will yield in terms of unintended consequences in the future.
I do not believe that totalitarian government would ever happen in America. It seems quite absurd to think about such rules and regulations being a part of American life. Although I will say that there are some aspects today but nowhere near the degree of a totalitarian government. There of course is surveillance in stores and some other public places but there are not telescreens everywhere. In private places such as your home, you are not being watched all the time. Also, there is peer policing with people reporting illegal acts but not every single one that happens. People do not report others because they said something bad about the president. Being in a totalitarian government in America would give up entirely too much freedom that we have faught for. People would retalliate and fight against giving up so much.
ReplyDeleteI do not think that America will ever be in a complete totalitarian government. there are too many people that are worried about there rights and are willing to stand up for what they belive is right and fight against what they dont like. but i do see some of he six points happening in America. The most recent growth is that of surveillance.ever since 9/11 there seems to get cameras everywhere and some is always watching you, but that makes us feel more safe from the threat of terrorism. so maybe someday the US could become a totalitarian government but i do not see it happening any time soon.
ReplyDeleteI think that our government shows signs of becoming a totalitarian government but I don't think it would actually come to that. We are kept from outside information and are only told of what we want to hear which identifies with number one in the article. We're also being watched but it's not to the point where it would be considered totalitarian. So I think that we show signs but they are weak.
ReplyDeleteI feel that the United States will never be a totalitarian government because a majority of society are worried about the rights we currently have and the fear of having those rights be taken away. We stand up for what we believe in and tend to fight against what the government doesn't approve of. As mentioned many times above about the surveillance of September 11th, and even in my opinion with the Virginia Tech Massacre back in 2007; has definitely increased over the years. As I'm starting to go into elementary schools for teacher-obseriving, I have become aware of all the cameras around the school, administration in the hallways, as well as overall higher security. One thing I have noticed is that after I graduated from high school back in 2008, there has been a drastic number of police officers at my school. As I'm close to Washington D.C. I can understand but the comparison between the past couple of years to the current year is insane. I do though feel a lot safer as we have a broad number of surveilances in the United States.
ReplyDelete-Elizabeth L. Higgins
Well it won't be easy to implement because of certain ground laws. Example Bill of Rights, Constitution, etc. As well as the current legal law system. Unless we went through to anarchy or some sort of kill all problem. There could be a way to make this happen, such as the way martial law could be implemented. But this would be extreme. Of course the Americans will rebel, there is no way around it. So if there would be such a rebellion, the states will fall into a case of anarchy in the end unless they get leaders to reimplement the current system. It's not a question of possibility, it's a question of technology. Nanotech if created can force this change with ease and without any issue. But unless this technology is created, good luck with that, and somehow passed through all the bureaucratic red tape, good luck with that, ad infected every American, it could be done. With force, without warning, it is doable. But of course, not without extreme action.
ReplyDeleteTotalitarianism is completely possible in America especially as concern for terrorist threats continues and increases. The more threats America "sees" the more we sanction serveilance, encourage the public to "keep their eyes open and report suspicious activity," patriotism increases, support for the military increases, the less we tend to question our government. How many people keep up with the latest bills being passed? Who's to say many people would notice if bit by bit rights of the average citizen were taken away, perhaps under some pretense of security? Also since kids have now discovered the ability to sue their parents how far removed is that from the "Spies" in 1984? With divorse on the rise and the family unit dissolving, how much would it take to sever them altogether? Take a look at who controls the flow of information not just the news but the internet, phone, tv, anything controled by lines or satelites. Who takes care of the upkeep for those? How easy would it be to say shut them down and claim a terrorist did it? What would we do then, What would we allow? I'm not saying it would be easy or that it would happen overnight, but think about it.
ReplyDeleteI think that it really isn’t possible for America to have a totalitarian government, but that isn’t to say that it is completely impossible for that to happen. For one, Americans like their freedom too much to really surrender everything over to the government. Freedom meaning in this case, to be able to decide what they can do for themselves, and not having to abide by set parameters by the government; that is also not saying that this already happens to some degree with the current government. The US government today actually has some of the characteristics of a totalitarian government, and I think it’s safe to say it has never not had some of these trademarks, such as surveillance of the US citizens. But I don’t think that Americans are anywhere near to becoming a single party, in the totalitarian sense, meaning also a spiritual whole. This thought can be supported by the example of there being over 22 major religions in the US alone, and this is only counting the ones with members in the ten thousands. So in closing, who’s there to say that America is close to a totalitarian government? Or for that matter , that America will never become a totalitarian government.
ReplyDelete-Jessica Lisk
Although some of the elements of a totalitarian government are present in the US, they are not extreme like we would see in a completly totalitarian government. I don't see the US becoming totalitarian because the citizens are always using their freedom of speech and other freedoms to show their disapproval of the government. It would be hard for something like that to be changed suddenly. Something major would have to happen and it would have to be something that struck fear in most Americans. A change like this would not happen over night either, it would take years to be a complete totalitarian government. Pieces would start to fall in place without citizens really noticing they were happening. The chances of this happening in our lifetime are very slim.
ReplyDeleteI do think that a totalitarian givernment could happen in the United States in the near future. We have some of the six characters of it. One is the surveillance where people are policing each others. Another reason I think it might happen look at the recession and the unemployment rate keeps going up. The economy is in great need for a change. If the totalitarian government promise better thinks and more jobs for people then people will fellow them. Look at Adolf Hitler who was put into power by the people because he promised to fix Germany's problems. Well we all know what happen there. Alot of Jews were killed. To this day we are being watched more than know. The traffic cameras and the cameras in the stores, at gas pumps, most drive thru banks have them, atm machines, and alot more. So are we almost a totalitarian government in my eyes were are not far from it.
ReplyDeleteIt is my belief that anything is possible in America.. but I also believe the chances of us merging into a totalitarian government would be hard. It would be difficult for the US to take away all the freedoms we are given in the Bill of Rights and Constitution. There are similarities of such things taking place today, that if taken to the extreme could be taken as a start of a totalitarian government.. An example would be surveillance. As we have discussed before we have surveillance everywhere you look, and while it may be a bit nosy of the government, it is kind of a give and take..taking away some privacy in return for security. We also seem to do peer policing, but again I think that is weighed out with a sense of security. The police watch us, yet we can watch the police if we notice they are abusing their authority.. As mentioned above, even children watch their parents and in many cases end up suing parents..its not right, but it does show are freedom in the US.
ReplyDeleteThe government does seem to do a great job at hiding certain, possibly even vital, information and situations maybe the public should be aware about..but then again there are a lot of crazies in the world today and it's hard to tell what kind of things some information leaked to the public may cause these people to do.. some people couldnt handle the truths about our government I think. We are so shielded from the REAL things that ACTUALLY take place today..
There are enough smart people in the US, that if the government seemed to be gaining too much control.. I believe that people would use their rights to stand up.. protest and possibly overthrow the government. Whatever would be necessary to keep the government as we have it today..it may not be perfect, but we have come a long way and it (the gov't) does the best it can with the weight of the world on its shoulders..
Kristi Barrett
I believe that the United States does have some qualities of a totalitarian government. However, just because we may have some of those qualities doesn't mean that our country will convert.
ReplyDeleteLet's take #4 for example: Surveillance. Sure the government does have cameras set up to watch us, like traffic cameras, but is following simple traffic laws too much to ask? They are there for safety. And yes, as civilians we all watch each other. Not necessarily to get other people in trouble, but to watch out for ourselves, for our own protection. I don't feel like I am being watched every second of my life, but with the amount of surveillance even in grocery stores, or malls, I feel safe. I don't feel as if my freedom is being jeprodized. Surveillance is necessary for safety.
I do slightly agree with #1 and #6. People are left out of some information but I feel as if that might be a good thing. Some people wouldn't be able to understand what the government is actually doing and the actions that they take. I do feel as if we are informed of anything that is important enough to make nation-wide. And many people take it among themselves to support soldiers. People may not support the war but they will support the soldiers fighting for our country.
I don't think the leaders of our country have any intentions of trying to take over us and our freedoms. But maybe I'm less concerned than others. I'm not trying to point out flaws and criticize our government in any way.
I do not think that a totalitarian government is possible in America today. One feature of a totalitarian government that is present in America today is surveillance. It is used to govern people to ensure that laws are being followed, but it may be for safety more-or-less. Traffic and speed cameras, for example, catch the law breakers, but also govern what those people do after they receive those tickets. After being caught once they will definitely hesitate before running through a red light or speeding. It serves for safety purposes. I also feel that #6 may also be true for America. We do have a focus on military, especially after the 9/11 attack. You see a lot more advertisements for joining any certain branch of the miltary, whether it be on the tv, in the mail, or on the internet. I think both #4 and #6 are present in America but are limited.
ReplyDeleteEvents that may strenghten these feature would be terrorist attacks. We've seen this from the 9/11 attacks like i mentioned earlier. Our security has become so much tighter since then. Joining the military is advertised more so that the US can get people to join to assist with the war efforts in Iraq.
~Amber Ropp
There are some features with totalitarian governments present in American, but it doesn't mean totalitarianism is possible in America today. Aren't freedom and the idea of choosing what you believe in is what we fight so hard for? I think whenever there's a government the citizens are bound to give up some control. If the government doesn't control its citizens, things can get chaotic. Mad Max is a good example which there is no government so there’s no control.
ReplyDeleteOur government today does use surveillance but its not extensive or as intense as what George Orwell portray in 1984. Our leader is not infallible; we impeach or vote them off if we have to. The State doesn't target the internal or external enemies. Do we see support for KKK or WBC from our government? No.
The situation with Germany was that they were in Great Depression and in extreme debt after World War I. Desperations were all over the country and Hitler came in the right time and said the right words in order to gain control. I think he was brilliant and very good at manipulations. However, his ideas were twisted as hell. But if he would have just chosen democracy over a totalitarian government then the story would be different.
My point is that after World War II, Germany could have fallen back into the same path as before but the United States and President Truman had taken steps to prevent that from happening. The State had loaned money to Germany and the Marshall Plan was created by President Truman in order to help with economic recoveries in Europe. So I really don't see totalitarianism is possible because we have leaders that could come up a better solution than to head toward the other path.
Yuet Chu
i dont believe that our country could ever slip into a totalitarian state. People are too different in the U.S. most places consist of the same type of people with the same morals and values. Here in the U.S. we are filled with people who are from different countries who have their own cultures and views. not saying we don't have some of the charicteristics of totalitarianism. like another student said when it comes to surveillance our country likes to look out for their assets. Adults watch children more so than the children just looking to the parents for answers. People also watch other people just to be sure of their safety and unknowingly the safety of others. Watching for suspicious people like during the time of 9/11 everyone was on the look out for a guy with a towel on his head. Our country also supports the military, people donate food and write letters to soldiers to support war efforts. No, we don't let them into our homes and let them take total control of our homes; but some people try to help. i do think that if the war was in our "back yard" then the people might allow it. The People of the U.S. try to consider the president as infallible; because, as soon as he is found with a flaw everyone moves to have him impeached. for instance bill clinton had his scandal, the majority of the people liked the way he ran our country but didn't agree with his flaw for a trashy woman. So i conclude that our country has hints of totalitarianism but will it ever fall into it completely? I don't believe it every will.
ReplyDeleteI don’t think a totalitarian government is possible in America today, in the future who knows, I think we would have a lot of people fight that kind of control. Americans don’t like over barring rules, we like peace to be kept but we don’t like to be forced and totalitarianism is all about that. The government tells you what is good or bad, wrong or right, Americans, humans all over shouldn’t be forced into one persons ideals. That’s not nature; everyone has their own brain for their own use. I can agree that our government imposes certain qualities, like in number 6 it talks about individuals are encouraged to join the war effort. Army, Air Force, and the Marines have commercials and ads in magazines to join them. We’ll pay for college but help us fight the war.
ReplyDeleteTim Zeigler
I do not believe that we will have a totalitarian government. I know that we follow our government and cannot really control the wars we get in. For example the Iraq war. Some people preach hate for the other country but if our president tried to make us have almost religious gatherings to express our hate, we would probably (hopefully) protest.
ReplyDeleteHopefully in the future our country would not let someone control us to the extreme that we would become puppets.
No, I don't believe that could happen here because people believe in their rights and the constitution too much to let the government control their lives. I don't believe its impossible because under the new technology that we have and its becoming more easy to spy on people and control the media, which is our primary link to the outside world. However, the internet makes it possible to see other ways of life if people decide to look. The thing that could strengthen the totalitarian system in America is if we give the government more rights and US finally decide to get rid of the constitution. This could possibly happen because of another terrorist attack, however it is unlikely.
ReplyDeleteI think totalitarian government is possible in the United States, but to an extent. I think that our current government tries to have control over everything everybody does and tries to justify their actions as “for our protection.” For the most part that may be true, ever since the 9/11 terrorist attack the government has increased security in order to prevent similar attacks from happening again. This would fall under number 4 of the totalitarian features mentioned in this blog. The government has endless power and surveillance. It reminds me of the movie "Eagle Eye", granted I’m not sure how much of the movie is true or even possible, but I would not be surprised if the government could control security cameras, TVs, and cell phones. We claim to be a “free” nation and I think for the most part we are, as long as we do not threaten the safety of others.
ReplyDeleteCatherine Pevahouse
100.03
MWF 9:10-10:00
I have kind of mixed feelings about this to be honest. In a way I agree with the person above in saying that people believe too much in their own rights to let a totalitarian government take over the United States. In another since though we see people's rights being violated every day and they can't do anything about it. The constitution says we have Freedom of Speech. Do we really?? There are still certain things we can't say out loud. In a way I do think a totalitarian government could be obtainable here in the United States. People believe what the media says if the media all starts representing the same thing we could build a totalitarian government right here in the US. The United States has every tool to make this happen. Do I think they will? No. The point is, is that it could happen if this is really what government decided to do.
ReplyDeleteSamanthia McQuade 100.03
I do not think that a totalitarian government would be possible in America today. The amount of resistance that type of government would receive would be overwhelming. American people really do not like anyone telling them what to do, and the idea of a government controlling every aspect of our lives would be enough to sent a large amount of the population into a rebellious rage. That being said, some characteristics of a totalitarianism are present in America today. Our media is quite different from other medias of the world. We do not hear a lot about foreign issues. Mostly, we hear about domestic and quite frankly unimportant issues. In order to see what is really going on in the world, you would have to check news feeds from other countries. Surveillance is without a doubt present in America today as well. While most of us approve of this to maintain safety, who knows what other ways these means of safety are being used. While none of the similarities are as drastic as 1984, some do exist in smaller forms in our government today.
ReplyDeletewhile we do have some similarities, I don't believe that we will ever have a complete form of a totalitarian government. I believe that there is propaganda in the US, there is always some information that gets held back. There has also been instances where the US has marked people as enemies of the country and have been exported or put in camps. As for surveillance, we are being watched everywhere. The government has a lot of ways to watch over us, with some not being completely legal or respecting privacy. The closest we probably get to a totalitarian government is when the US declares war, because we have less rights. Even though that we have these things in common, we won't become a totalitarian government anytime soon, if ever. There are check and balances to help prevent things like that. I also think our nation could form groups like unions to rebel if such a thing happened.
ReplyDeleteI personally do not think that Totalitarian government exists today in the United States. Could it exist ? Yes, but we are too strong to let that happen. We are a very opinionated, free country, and if the government ever tried to turn us into a totalitarian government we would all fight against it. Although we are not a totalitarian government, we do have some of the characteristics. For example, surveillance being one of them. Believe it or not we are constantly being watched, whether it be cameras on street corners, or just police patrolling an area, we always have someone "looking out for us." I hope that our nation never becomes a totalitarian government, there would be too many different things to live by and many people would rebel and constantly fight against it.
ReplyDeleteNicole Doxsee
In America today there are a few of the same features that have been present in the past totalitarian governments. I do say that it is possible for a totalitarian government to form, but that will take time. Thats because they will need time to get all the right people in the right places in government to gain full power. A totalitarian government needs full power and to have full military control. Also, many believers that will do as they say with no remorse.
ReplyDeleteWilliam Sawyers
in my opinion i am torn about wether or a totalitarian government today in america would settle. We have features of past totalitarian governments while we still have our american rights. I do believe though that if the right people wanted total power and got in the right places in government we could eventually in time become this government we all never want to see. Sometimes a government like this could be good but not with the people who always want the power.
ReplyDeleteIn todays society we all talk and learn about how bad our economy is. How poor people are, how many jobs are being lossed, houses for closed on ect, ect. And eventually when these situations occur people begin to get desperate. And can’t even make decisions for themselves anymore. I find this a bit pathetic but in my opinion I believe this is when totalitarianism occurs. This being said because these days like I said before people are unable to make their own decisions because they are so desperate that the only person they want to follow is our leader. As if he/she can make every decision for our every move and thought. We need to keep our individuality because it is the one thing these days that we actually have control in and I feel as if we should never lose that. Like for example, look at the work hitler did. Yes, I do believe is one of the worlds finest leaders but that is just because he had so much power from the people because they didn’t have a sense of individuality. Alyssa prager TR 935-1050
ReplyDeleteI feel that it would be very hard for a totalitarian system of government to arise in the United States. I agree that we can apply some of the points listed in the blog to current life in the U.S. but I really feel that the people of the U.S.A. would fight it as much as they could. We do have surveillance and policing to an extent in the U.S.A. it is all around us but thank God not to the extent as in 1984. When it comes to information about the outside world and propaganda I think most of us get information directly from the media. We do not know what it is like in another country unless we have been there ourselves but there are different news channels and each has their own opinion not just one coming from the government. Men and women are encouraged to join the military but not forced. Thankfully for the most part we have freedom of speech and each person has the right to disagree with the government and not like their appointed officials.
ReplyDeleteI believe that our government in the US could never be a totalitarian system. There is laws to protect us. If someone tried to take over our government they would not succeed.
ReplyDeleteEven though our government has surveillance it doesn't mean that they are watching us all the time. They are just watching us to protect us. I feel that our government is just here to protect us.
--Sabina Nicewarner 03
The first point that jumped out to me was No. 3. The leadership in America is definitely not widely seen as infallible. The example that comes to mind is the previous president. In fact, that case was pretty much the opposite of No. 3. No one saw George W. Bush as infallible. Rightly so. But no government leader or leaders should be seen that way. I think that's one of the big problems in a totalitarian system. Which leads me to answer the big question. No, I don't think a totalitarian system is possible in America simply because I don't believe the population could be controlled enough to believe that the leader or leaders are infallible. Someone will always have a problem with someone or something. No. 5 says that it is supported by large masses. I don't see that happening here. There may be a large mass in America that supports a totalitarian system, but I don't think it would be large enough to overpower the people who still support a capitalist society. So, no, I don't see America becoming a totalitarian society.
ReplyDeleteI believe that a totalitarian government is possible in the United States. Under the current form of government and the current laws that are in place with the Constitution, I do not believe that it is possible in the near future. For a totalitarian government to take force in America, it would take many years of planning and execution to get the people who would run the new government into power. An awful lot of people would have to be swayed into believing what the totalitarian leaders believe to get them into the current governmental system and then to start changing laws to allow for the totalitarians to get into a place of real power. The United States has some form of all six listed features in it today: The people get their information from biased news sources, some groups of people in the population are openly ridiculed for what they are, some people see leaders as god-like figures (while others search for mistakes), surveillance is high and increasing in its interference with everyday life, we currently have two main parties with millions of people following each, and citizens are encouraged to do all they can for ‘the cause’ (whatever it may be) when dealing with military occurrences. I don’t believe that any one of these factors can lead to the United States becoming a totalitarian state, but if all these features increase, it will only be a matter of time before the national government in controlling everything in its citizens lives.
ReplyDeleteI don't beilive that a totaliterian system would work in our society.The constitution has given us to many rights.We have laws in place that protect us and give us free speech.The only way this could ever happen is if there people tried to overthrow the government.I do agree that the government does try to encourage different things like number 6-you see ads and commercials all the time promising that if you join military service you will get your college paid for.But all in all americans just like there freedom to much to ever have totaliterian society.
ReplyDeleteBlair Jewell section 100.04
While there are some similarities, I don’t think that the United States is a totalitarian government or will ever become a totalitarian government. There are something’s that you could see being somewhat totalitarian, like the way that the United States is constantly being watched. Whether you know it or not, we are constantly being watched either by cameras or by police who are constantly patrolling our areas. If we ever became totalitarian, I feel that a lot of people would then rebel against our government even more they do now. We would have to live so differently and I feel that people would just rebel and fight, constantly.
ReplyDeleteGwynn Allison
100:04 T-TH 9:35
Totalitarian government can not fully survive. The human body and spirit will eventually want a more free society. During the reign of Hitler, there was a great resistance within Germany. A system that tried on several occasions, tried to assassinate him. There were underground militias that were not only fighting with terrorism methods but also hiding Jews from persecution. Italy found the same medicine but instead of Hitler committing suicide, Mussolini was tortured in various ways even after he died.
ReplyDeletePeople, in general, crave knowledge and history shows that a suppressed people will eventually overcome their government or rulers and spread their wings (i.e. Hebrews leaving Egypt from Ramsey II).
Colonial America was in an uproar when taxes increased because of Britain’s occupation against France. They were tired of being recruited for British wars and taxed heavier that England. American Revolution is a great example of too much control and taxed will cause. Fortunately, we won the war as a rebellion instead of losing the war as terrorist.
The rate of depression and other mental illnesses will dramatically increase and the totalitarian government will remove them so they will not affect the general population. Imagine that every movement is controlled by strings attached to ever muscle. You have feeling and thoughts but you are not allowed to express them. You are told what direction you will go. No IPods, TVs (unless they are controlled with only the government messages as North Korea). You cannot have individuality and hang with friends and pro-create without government involvement.
I don't personally believe that a totalitarian system is in play today in the United States or that it would come into play in the near future. The consititution gives us too many rights for the US to become totalitarian today. Though, I do believe that it could possibly happen in the future. If the people get really angry and try to overthrow the government it maybe could happen. Doesn't mean it would work, but it's a possiblity. Anything is possible in the future, something could happen to the US that could change our country forever. Who knows? I just don't believe that a totalitarian government could survive in the US today, or in the near future.
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