Totalitarian political system is based on the unlimited authority and power to ‘rule’ every dimension of the social and even private life of the individuals, which is in direct contrast of democracy. Such governments maintain their rule by regulating a comprehensive propaganda campaign that is communicated through the television channels and print controlled by the state. Public at large is the major party that has to go through the tyrannical control of the state over economy, media, surveillance, and freedom of speech and thought.
The use of terror is common and widespread in totalitarian states, to keep the opinion of masses in control. The use of the concept of a totalitarian government started back by the middle of the twentieth century. Despite the fact that democracy is the major political system, totalitarianism is still intact in some of the countries in the modern world, for instance China. Moreover, countries as such Russia, Venezuela, and Ukraine are under hegemonic control of the state or in narrowed down sense, are under the control of ‘personality cultism’ as Putin.
The prominent aspect of totalitarian society is a factionalized society, divided into different groups or schools of thought (Rousseau and Cole 34). In terms of Ukraine, there is a faction that have sympathies towards Putin, a faction that is nationalist believing in the ‘purity’ of the blood and soil. There are people who consider themselves as Europeans and believe in the European rule over the country.
Totalitarianism in China
In terms of China, it is considered as a communist power but close observation reveals that the country is totalitarian instead of a communist power. Chinese government has been ruling its public for more than twenty years. The protests against the government are held in a violent manner. For instance, Tiananmen Square’s tragedy is a sheer example of this state controlled law-enforcing institutions (Orwell and Howe 89).
It is interesting to observe that the totalitarian rule also casts positive impacts on Chinese society. Firstly, the system is clear and the time that institutions take otherwise is reduced. Criminals are punished, health care is cheaper in china, and simplification of other procedures to cut back on the cost and time of proceeding. The new leader has secured a positive place in the hearts of Chinese people who are satisfied with his rule over the country. Their stance is based on the comfort that they get through totalitarian society by sacrificing their freedom at the hands of a totalitarian ruler.
In this manner, the stance on totalitarianism is totally dependent upon a nation. Some nations see it a way to progress (in terms of communism) and majority of nations consider totalitarian regimes as the sabotage of freedom and intellectual progress of the individuals. Although the Chinese government is aimed at providing comfort to the Chinese society, but Chinese individuals have to face oppressions in their lives on daily basis. This is to say that there is no place for individualism and personal space and freedom in china. The prison system aimed at reforming the behavior of the individuals through punishing them, as the focus in the punishment is put on the importance of ‘hard labor’. This is to say that the individual talent and thoughts have no importance in an apparently communist china.
Totalitarianism as mentioned above, was introduced as a concept in the twentieth century but its existence in the world has been many centuries old (Arendt 45). The modern world is expected to overthrow all forms of totalitarian hegemonies, but its presence in China and Russia indicates that the world is still not free from totalitarian. If we look upon the definition of totalitarianism, nothing feels wrong as it requires each and every individuals to be ‘good’ and useful. This raises a question about the practicality of this concept as not every individual in this world can be perfect or ethical as the totalitarian school demands.
What’s wrong with totalitarianism?
The idea of exercising absolute and unlimited power on general public cannot be right as this will open door to tyranny on public and corruption in the government officials. No one is perfect to the degree that they would not misuse the unlimited power (Machiavelli et al. 78). It is hard for fallible individuals to stay pious and honest when they have absolute power in their hands. In fact, such individuals will exercise control to every extent including mass violence and terror to maintain their hegemony over the society. Therefore, the problem with the totalitarian ideology lies in the negligence of the human factors and tendencies.
When it is about the welfare of the public, the idea of totalitarianism is condemned and termed as tyrannical. Societies that are particularly based on individualistic mindset cannot stand the idea of totalitarian state in even the other regions of the world today as to them this poses threat to the individual freedom and intellectual progress.
The biggest totalitarian state China has put restrictions on media, public speech, and even sabotage an individual’s intellectual efforts of high degree by imprisoning him. In this manner, artists and intellectuals such a society have to struggle and put efforts in even having others to listen to their stance or watch their art and work. In this regard, online activities such as blogging is banned in China as obviously the Chinese government is afraid of the kind of revolution stirred through blogs just as it happened in the Middle East in the recent years, which happened as a consequence of blogging, causing a ripple effect on all of the totalitarian states in the region. Even if someone wants to write and express his views on the internet, one has to use his real name and authentic information, implying that the individual will be tracked down if he is working against the government or its ideologies. This is to say that the Chinese government is well-aware of the consequences of revolt and revolution, as it knows that controlling individual freedom of speech and thought cannot dwell in the modern world.
Conclusion
In a nutshell, apparently fine looking totalitarian forms of government are dangerous and even disgusting as the degree of control they exercise over the public and individual life is unbearable and unjustified. Such an ideology is threat to the mere existence of intellectually progressed nations. The threat of totalitarian ideologies is being widely criticized by the democratic nations in the modern world. However, the efforts to put down the hegemony of the totalitarian governments need to be done by the individuals and societies that are under the hegemony of such rule. This further implies that the need for revolution and national revolt in countries as China, Russia, and Ukraine is high so as to protect the individual rights and freedom (Ortega y Gasset 128).
WORKS CITED
Arendt, Hannah. The Origins Of Totalitarianism. New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1966. Print. 20-50.
Machiavelli, Niccolò et al. The Prince And The Discourses. New York: Modern Library, 1950. Print. 46-72.
Ortega y Gasset, José. The Revolt Of The Masses. New York: W.W. Norton & Co., 1932. Print. 122-134.
Orwell, George, and Irving Howe. Nineteen Eighty-Four. New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1963. Print.81-90.
Rousseau, Jean-Jacques, and G. D. H Cole. The Social Contract. New York: E.P. Dutton and Company, Inc., 1950. Print. 33-36.
