Totalitarian politics have been a topic of public discussion and debate in America in the past. In the 1930s and 1940s, news papers and prominent officials and popular media all thought about the possibility of totalitarian politics in America. Elements of totalitarian politics were creeping into the everyday life of Americans -- and those politics were supported by certain elements of the population. I used to assign It Can't Happen Here, which was originally published in 1935. It represents the fears of totalitarian politics that some people had. Famously, one character in the book says something like: "When fascism comes to America, it will be holding a cross and wrapped in the flag." That same book was re-released in 2005 and, similar to the late 1930s, people have once again started to discuss the possibility that American politics are becoming totalitarian [see this, this, this, this, this]. Some people are concerned that totalitarian politics unique to the American situation is creeping into everyday life.
Look over some of the weblinks above. Reflect a moment. Write a bit.
What do you think about this possibility? Is it possible that American politics are becoming totalitarian? If you think there is a possibility, what do you think totalitarian politics would look like? What are some examples you might look out for? Or, if you think that this is just crazy talk and that totalitarian politics are definitely not creeping into American politics, why not? What do you think prevents totalitarian politics from creeping in? Why do you think these other folks are miss-reading the situation in America right now?
I definitely believe that the US is turning into a totalitarian state and it scares the hell out of me because people don't even see it. It may not be leading into a dictatorship, however, it seems that it is headed towards inverted totalitarianism or soft despotism. The articles talk about these things a bit and if you really look then it isn't hard to see how the US is transitioning this way. Also, one of the articles discusses the EU and how things were supposed to be magical and wonderous for all countries involved. As if they were all going to work in accordance with each other, use the same currency, and ultimately prosper together while holding hands a skipping. I am exaggerating a bit...but not so much. In reality, countries like Greece are failing economically and many others like Ireland and Italy were hit hard as well. These countries are different in many social, political, and cultural ways. By bringing such unity or totalitarianism to the US similar results would occur over time as government got its dirty hands over more and more aspects of our lives. The argument that illustrates the US as being a liberal fascist state can also be made when looking at how we spread our influence EVERYWHERE; namely Iraq and Afghanistan as of late. The government is garnering more and more power and taking it out of the peoples' hands in the US. If something is not done then eventually we will be a full-blooded totalitarianism. Let's think what the Federal Government is controlling...Social Security which is due to run dry in the next 30 years or less, Common Core being implemented in nearly every state school in the US which gives every student guidelines on what 'needs' to be learned (sorry I think that students in WV have different educational needs from students in CA), a welfare system that has increased who is permitted to receive benefits AND extending the time limit that one may receive benefits (while adding billions of dollars to our national debt), and now the Affordable Care Act for a healthcare system (I think that we all know at least some of the problems that has stemmed from this; furthermore, I could go on for a few pages of text concerning problems that exist because of the ACA, if you are interested then let me know and I'll share more). Ultimately, the government is controlling more and more as time goes on and taking the 'people' out of the equation. Scary.
ReplyDeleteKevin Hagerty PSCI 100.02
It is quite obvious that the United States has slowly but surely been turning into a totalitarian government, if it isn't already. When looking at the big picture, the US might be the most controlled country in the world. Most Americans today are scared shitless of doing anything around an officer or person on duty. We cant even play on our phones during an airplane ride. We as Americans have had to live in the Big Brother police state. There are many different signs that show how totalitarian America is becoming. A new bill being pushed by John McCain will allow the U.S. military to round up large numbers of Americans and detain them indefinitely without a trial if they pose a threat or if they have potential intelligence value or for any other reason the President of the US considers appropiate. We have become exactly what we hate most. Look at thisistheendoftheworldasweknowit.com/archives/20-signs-that-the-united-states-is-rapidly-becoming-a-totalitarian-big-brother-police-state
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that there are some parts of American society that resembles totalitarianism. I would point to the fact that we say the pledge at school, have the anthem before sports, and have a fear of immigration. The point I would make to say that totalitarianism could happen here is that Louisiana governor Huey Long was kind of a totalitarian ruler and was a contender for the presidency in 1936 except he was assassinated first. All of this makes me think that it could happen here.
DeleteWhen it comes to the possibility of America becoming totalitarian I mostly agree with 'American Fascism'- Accurate or Misleading? The main point that I agree with is that America does not have a dictator and is not lead by a fascist party. I believe it is true that some aspects of the American government have some totalitarian in them. Some of these things include the lack of privacy we have when it comes to the government being able to spy on us. Another being our lack of input when it comes to voting. In the article it states that America as a whole is too violent and I definitely agree with that. As of right now I do not think that America is becoming totalitarian but I do see resemblances. Like stated in the article what stops totalitarianism from coming to America full force is the people and at any point the people change their way totalitarianism in my opinion could rise in America.
ReplyDeleteIt's going to be the Republicans and "Libertarians" in Congress that will push this country into fascist totalitarianism by creating these "Christian" laws that spread hate and intolerance for anybody who doesn't fit into the "good, Christian American." A little while ago, an extremist Islam girl posted a picture of herself wrapped in a flag, holding a machine gun and the Qur'an. Scared of this "terrorism" or proud of her country, or something, an American girl responded by posting a picture of herself wrapped in an American flag, holding the Bible and a gun! People were elated but couldn't see how it was the EXACT. SAME. THING. If brainwashed, extremist "Christians" (because these people spreading hate are NOT Christians, no matter what they call themselves) continue to get elected and institute policies, it is easy to see America becoming a fascist, totalitarian state. Land of the free? Not on the path we're heading.
ReplyDeleteNadean Kline PSCI 100.02
I agree in some ways that America might be heading on a direction that is making it seem totalitarian, but I think that in a whole it is not as totalitarian as people think. We have one leader yes, but I feel as though what he says is 2not just his opinion but the work of many others involved in his planning and preparation to make the country better. I do agree however, that America is far too violent. If you turn on a television or listen to the radio or even get on your computer, there is violence everywhere and I feel as though people are beginning to become blind to this. These totalitarian views and politics might be turning away our country from what it was founded on, but in my opinion we are in no immediate danger.
ReplyDeletePSCI 100:03
While I do not believe that the United States will ever become an extreme totalitarian nation, I do believe that our government has gotten “to big for their britches” so to speak. In a lot of ways they are trying to control our lives and us. I feel that the government has no right to spy on us. They may say that they do not, but send any message with certain words and you are in their radar. The government does not have the right to take guns away from law-abiding citizens. Look at the Affordable Care Act. I agree that something needs to be done but “forcing” everyone to sign up or face fines is bull shit. While not everyone agrees on abortion, the government should not ever be able to tell a women that she can not have one and the facilities should be there for her if needed. The United States seems to have their noses in everyone’s business all across the globe. Sometimes I think that our government thinks that they can, or at least try to, control everyone. I think it is time for the American people to wake up and take control!
ReplyDeleteI do see some ways that America is leaning towards a totalitarian government. However, I do not think it will ever be completely totalitarian. We do have a single leader but he's not in complete control of everything. The checks and balances of Congress prevent the president from having all the power. I wish I could say that the people of this country also would prevent any single person taking complete control of them. The problem is that I'm not sure the American people would take up in arms is this country did turn into a totalitarian government. People just live their lives in this little bubble and don't really pay attention or care about what's going on as long as it doesn't directly effect them. We need to take a stand and put words into action like our forefathers did. They would weep for what this has morphed into.
ReplyDeleteI do believe that America has totalitarian politics. Our congress members serve for 6 years with unlimited terms and the longer you are there the more power you get. This prevents new minds from getting into office. The same people that were in congress before the civil rights movements are still in there now. How is that democratic? There are many other examples like the Patriot Act that takes away your right to a fair trial. It is unbelievable the amount of deception that happens in our politics
ReplyDeleteI do think that America has some form of Totalitarian in them, america is "the land of the free" and yet we are watched constantly and told what we can and can not do even if it goes against our rights. In america totalitarian is more like thinking you are free when you really are not. We would be watched more heavily then we are now and whoever was in power their beliefs would be what rules us. They would only think that their way was right. So if they were someone who believed in slavery and was against same sex marriage then they would enforce those belief's. Look out for extremest and just overall more control over our lives. Sarah Kirk 100.02
ReplyDeleteI think that there is a slight possibility that we are becoming totalitarian, but I honestly do not think our government can. There are too many people with their individual freedoms given to them since birth. They think and say whatever they want and the government will not stop them. I saw a news article the other day about a man who decorated his yard with tombstones for Halloween. On one of the tombstones was Obama’s name, do you really think in a country where the government controls all would allow that to happen and let it stay up. The man said he would not take it down and there is no one who can tell him he has to. I could walk out into my dorm lobby and tell people I think Obama is a bad president, I think the government is corrupt and we are stuck in a 2 party system that is failing. No one would scurry off to report me, I would not have officials banging on my door taking me away to a concentration camp and forcing my family as well. I think people are just unhappy with the situation and are taking things to the extreme because they have no idea what other countries face.
ReplyDeleteI think our Government and Country is definitely flawed in more than one way, but we are not becoming a Totalitarian society. Many of you guys are much too worried about this issue. I think the people of our country are smarter than many of you think. If for one second, there was any major similarity in our government to Totalitarianism, then many Americans would riot. Totalitarianism is extreme, our government is mostly pretty fair. Our country is not stupid, we aren't susceptible to brainwashing, most of us know the warning signs and will change the country if needed. The main thing that keeps Totalitarian policies from this country is our ability to vote. If everyone gave up their votes, then horrible leaders would take control of this country.
ReplyDeleteFrederick Filberg 100.02
Yes, I agree with you about how the government is flawed but becoming a totalitarian society is something that we are not leading to. For totalitarianism to work, then people would have to listen to whatever the government tells them to do. This is something that I see not happening.
DeleteSeth Brooks 100.02
American politics are already totalitarian politics. Totalitarian politics is what our government is already, they control the things that we can consume and cannot consume and actions that we can and cannot do. One example of this use is marijuana use, it is legal now but for example in the 80’s the government was stating that marijuana was illegal and if you broke the law you would face consequences. For food consumption I think of the FDA, the FDA states what foods are safe and what foods we cannot consume at all. The FDA is also looking out for the welfare of the country but it controls as mentioned before what a person can consume. The government also has been for years using surveillance on people that they “think” are a threat to the country. This reminds me of McCarthyism where the situation was, if anyone did anything different they would be arrested. I am absolutely terrified that our country has resulted in this type of political system and even though the people “vote” their votes do not count, the Electoral College decides who will be our new leader. I wish the country’s view would change or our political system would become less corrupt but that will never happen.
ReplyDeleteCallie Long 100.02
I can truly see why the people of today feel that America continues to develop totalitarian characteristics and why the people of today have this built up paranoia, due this over powering, and all seeing government. A government where we as a people truly only have the power to elect representatives at a Local and State level. I know the comparison of America to a Totalitarian state may sound extreme but when a people of a nation do not have a say whether or not their country should go to war is very questionable. There are policies in place so that whatever the government may see as terrorism and a threat to the American people, it may take action in and out of this country upon its free will. Abilities such as this are the same as a Totalitarian government and the list goes on of the many policies that we have in place that would fit in perfectly in a Totalitarian society.
ReplyDeleteOthers may feel that to compare or even say that America is becoming or showing signs of a Totalitarian state is to not fully understand the seriousness of a society such as a Totalitarian one. When you take North Korea for example, they see their leader as a God, a person like no other who can do no wrong. They place their divine leader before any and everything whereas here in America we might have laws, polices, etc. put in place that seem to invade our natural born or constitutional rights but we’re not brainwashed to the point where we do noticed these so called Totalitarian objective.
What I feel keeps our government from truly taking over and becoming a full blown Totalitarian dictator is that we as a people would riot the streets and cause a revolution. We have come to far as a people to not learn from our past history in order to keep something of this nature from happening.
(Da'shawn Long PSCI 100:03)
In our society we have totalitarian aspects that the public is just handing to the government because we need someone to lead us, especially those in economic hardships. They look to someone to bail them out or just fix things and if they do they tend to let them do whatever they want. For example, most of the country knows the NSA is able to read our messages and invade our privacy but no one really has stood up and tried to stop them. Then again as soon as you send your information out there you are letting anyone access it. However, we may have aspects of a totalitarian government but we could never transform into one. Yes, we hand feed our government power because we need a leader and we count on people for things way too much but we also are smarter than that. We may be oblivious now to it now but we will wake up when things start changing to that extreme and yeah we may have put ourselves in that situation but the American people would not let that take over.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that we have more than one leader shows that we are not total totalitarians. Yes we do have minor similarities but we are no where close to a full on dictatorship like North Korea. For the USA to get to that level the education would have to start with our children and I do not think the parents of America would brainwash their kids in a new way considering they weren't brainwashed to do it.
ReplyDeleteI don't see the United States every becoming a totalitarian place. I can see where maybe we have let some of their ways and beliefs into our everyday living but it will never take over completely. Now I do believe that the government has way to much power but it will not get to the point of totalitarian politics. We just need to find a way to limit this unbreakable power as it seems of the government. We need the government to be more for the people like they say they are and let us have a voice and not deicide all these crazy things like having to have healthcare and that when people can't afford it.
ReplyDelete(Dustin Wilt PSCI 100:02)
We claim to live in a society where we are free, yet by the age of 5 we are trained to "Pledge Our Allegiance", this country has more totalitarian aspects than realized. We are constantly watched and under surveillance, we elect officials with the intention of our voices being heard in office, but they are never truly heard. The government controls the way we act and our everyday life.
ReplyDeleteI honestly think that America is slowly turning into a totalitarian country. We think that we are free and have a voice, but in all reality, we are little insignificant pawns in a large game run by wealthy politicians on don't care about us. We are "trained" to do things at a very young age. We are taught to shut up and walk in straight lines in elementary school, and if we don't we are disciplined for it. People need to be aware of what is going on.
ReplyDeleteDakota DiMagno PSCI 100.2
I do think America could turn into a totalitarian state. The government is already so powerful, sometimes we don't realize how powerful it actually is. Everyday, in schools children are told to stand up and pledge to the flag. To me that is a form of totalitarianism. I think we are still far from being a total totalitarian country but not as far as we should be. I don't think people realize what the government is doing and how much they crave control. We aren't as extreme as dress codes, certain hand shakes, and no outside contact but if we let things continue as they are we could certainly get to that point.
ReplyDelete(Hannah Mansell)
I believe the United States has already adopted many totalitarian concepts. I also believe the citizens of the U.S are blind to the increasing government. For example, we criticize the North Korean for their outrageous acts including the birthday celebration for Kim Il Sung, but not the act of pledging allegiance to the American Flag in grade school. The truth is, we like to believe we're democratic when really we are numbered, organized and studied as if we were under a dictator. We the people, pay to much attention to how other countries run their governments to notice that we are losing rights.
ReplyDeleteMichael Wallace