The article is excerpted from "General Knowledge of Political Science"
Totalitarianism is another type of government that refers to a political system in which the state attempts to "completely" control its citizens and society. Of course, "completely" here needs to be put in quotation marks, and there is no state of government that can really achieve complete control over its citizens and society, but totalitarianism tries to do so. Unlike traditional authoritarian regimes, totalitarian regimes emerged relatively recently, after the First World War. According to the American scholar Hannah Arendt, the main characteristics of this type of government are:
Not only are the methods of totalitarian rule harsh, but its forms of totalitarianism are fundamentally different from other forms of political oppression we know (e.g., authoritarian government, tyranny of tyrants, dictatorships). Wherever it rises to power, it establishes entirely new political systems and destroys all of a country's social, rule of law and political traditions. Regardless of the specific national traditions or particular spiritual roots of its ideology, totalitarian governments have always transformed classes into masses, dismantled the party system (not with a one-party system, but with a mass movement), shifted the center of power from the army to the police, and established a foreign policy that openly moved towards world domination.
Of course, there has been a debate in academic circles about which countries meet the criteria for totalitarian regimes. Nazi Germany, ruled by Hitler from 1933 to 1945, is generally recognized as the type of totalitarian form of government. The rise of totalitarian regimes is associated with modern technological and organizational conditions. An important technical requirement is the innovation of media and communication technology. In ancient absolute monarchies, it was technically difficult for even an emperor or king to monitor a person's behavior. On the other hand, it is very difficult for an emperor or king to make his subjects aware of his own ideas, to instill his own ideas into his subjects, because there is no effective means of political communication. But innovations in media and communication have made this possible. So, for politics, the media and the means of communication are a double-edged sword.
An important organizational condition was the birth of large-scale organizations outside the army. As industrialization and urbanization progressed, large-scale political organization and general mass political mobilization became possible. Until then, it was difficult to understand that a political organization of tens or even hundreds of thousands of people could be created outside the army and that political mobilization from the top down could be achieved. For example, before Hitler became chancellor, the Nazi Party he led had become the most mobilized and largest political organization in Weimar Germany.
Simply put, Carl Friedrich and Zbigneu Brzezinski believed that totalitarianism consists of six basic characteristics: an all-encompassing ideology, a single political party, organized terror, a monopoly of the media, a monopoly of weapons, and economic regulation.
In general, of course, the number of totalitarian states is not very large. However, the destruction of freedoms caused by totalitarian regimes has caused great fear in the Western world, and many literary and film works have been born about it. In 2006, a film called "V For Vendet-ta" was filmed in the United Kingdom, which was based on the comic book "V Monster" written by Alan Moore and others. The film is set in the future of London, at a time when Britain was conceived as a totalitarian society.
An important plot point in the film is that V, the masked freedom fighter, uses a state television station controlled by a totalitarian state to broadcast a self-recorded speech. It was a speech by V to the supposed citizens of London at the time, and its content was actually a reflection on totalitarianism and a call to resist totalitarianism. The speech is very well written and reflects the deep thinking of human beings about totalitarian rule. In his speech, V said: Good evening, London.
First of all, allow me to apologize to you. I, like many of you, appreciate the comfort of a regular life, the security of familiar faces, and the peace of mind that comes with day after day. I enjoy it as much as everybody, but in terms of the holiday, it's a beautiful celebration of a major event in the past, usually associated with someone's death, or the end of a bloody and brutal struggle, and I thought we could commemorate November 5th this year, a sadly forgotten day, by taking a moment to sit down and talk.
Of course, there are people who don't want us to speak, and I suspect that at this very moment, there are orders shouting on the phone, and heavily armed people will soon be on the road, why? Because silence replaces conversation, words always keep their power, words provide a means of expressing opinions, and it can also tell the truth to those who are willing to listen, and the truth is, something is not normal and terrible in this country, isn't it?
Brutality, injustice, discrimination and repression, in this land you once had the freedom to object, the freedom to think and speak, and now you have the censorship and surveillance system that coerced you into committing crimes. How did this happen? And who is to blame? Of course, some people have a greater responsibility than others, and they pay for it. But, let's be honest, if you're looking for sinners, you just have to look in the mirror. I know why you are like this, I know you are afraid, and who is not afraid? war, terror, disease......
Countless questions try to destroy your reason, deprive you of your common sense, fear takes control of you, and you throw yourself at Führer Adam Sutler in a panic. He promises to give you order and peace, and in return is your obedience and silence. Last night, I decided to end the silence. Last night I destroyed Old Barry Street to remind the country of what he had forgotten
More than 400 years ago, a great citizen intended to forever engrave November 5 in our memories by reminding the world that fairness, justice and freedom are not just slogans, they should be our goals. So, if you have seen nothing, and still know nothing about the crimes committed by this Government, I suggest that you let this 5th of November pass uneventfully, but if you see what I see, and feel what I feel, and ask what I ask, I ask you to stand with me tonight outside the Houses of Parliament, and together we will leave them with a November 5th that I will never forget.
This brilliant and short speech is a reflection on totalitarianism. One of the most powerful words is V's examination of why this totalitarianism can be sustained. He said that the people ran to the Führer out of fear. Everyone is surrounded by fear, so no one comes forward to tell the truth. In fact, none of us are inextricably linked. The lines of this speech are not esoteric and complex, but they are incredibly powerful.
In the movie "V Venddetta", there is a lot of important information about totalitarian rule. For example, national television is directly connected to every home, every bar, and every entertainment venue, and the TV shows are the same everywhere. For example, the police are present in every corner of the city at any time, and under the leadership of their head of state, they manage and control the whole city. In addition, in addition to the many uniformed police, there are also a large number of secret police officers who are ready to appear. For example, in the living room of every family, there is a portrait of the head of the Führer Sutler. The film aptly envisions a possible state of life under totalitarian rule.
There is reason to believe that the comic book manuscript of the movie "V Vendetta" "V Monster" borrowed from the ingenious ideas of British writer George Orwell in the famous political novel "1984". Orwell conceived a totalitarian state in 1984 and vividly depicted the details of totalitarian rule. In the book, the world is made up of three mega-nations – Oceania, Eurasia, and East Asia. Orwell depicts the political life of the totalitarian state of the Oceanic nation. There are a lot of interesting details in the book. For example, readers will see the ubiquitous portrait of Big Brother, who is the head of Oceania. A recurring phrase in the book is, "Big Brother is watching you." For example, in the home of the protagonist Winston, there is an electronic device called the electric screen, which is both a receiving terminal that can watch the Führer's speech and the national television program, and an electronic device that can monitor everyone at any time - the equivalent of a 360-degree camera. Winston can only avoid the constant surveillance of the electric screen in a certain location in the house. This means that no citizen of Oceania has private space. For example, there are non-stop patrolling police officers on the streets of this country, who are not only responsible for patrolling the streets, but also for peeping into the windows of every home. In addition, Oceania has a police officer who is responsible for managing ideas, called the thought police.
In 1984, there was only one political party in Oceania, the British Press. The party's famous slogan was: "War is peace, freedom is slavery, ignorance is strength." "There are four ministries of government in this country: the Ministry of Truth, the Ministry of Peace, the Ministry of Fraternity, and the Ministry of Prosperity. "The Ministry of Truth is responsible for the press, entertainment, education, and the arts, the Ministry of Peace is responsible for war, the Ministry of Fraternity is responsible for law and order, and the Ministry of Prosperity is responsible for economic affairs. "In 1984, a ridiculous detail is the constant reprinting of the newspaper. One of the party's slogans says: "Whoever controls the past controls the future, and whoever controls the present controls the past." "Why keep reprinting newspapers? Because from today's standpoint, some of the things that have happened in history are politically incorrect, so it is necessary to take the newspapers of the past and reprint them with what is considered appropriate for the past period and today. In fact, many of the details that Orwell invented here as a political joke have actually happened in the history of individual countries. Thus, (1984) increasingly shows its importance as a satirical totalitarian political novel.
Unlike traditional authoritarian rule, totalitarian rule seeks to involve everyone in politics and ultimately control everything in society and citizens. This style of governance is different from both traditional absolute monarchies and many of the new dictatorships of the later 20th century. Ordinary authoritarian rule could not have gained such control and mobilization over society as Hitler and the Nazi Party. Therefore, totalitarianism is clearly a different type of government than authoritarianism.
The more you try to escape from something, the deeper the misunderstanding often becomes. However, the figure of politics, from the cradle to the grave of everyone, is inseparable from everyone, which shows the importance of understanding politics. But some people are like a reflex to avoid it.
In fact, this only sees the dark side of politics.
There is also a positive side to politics. Politics is not only about "power", but also about "rights", and "rights" are more important to modern society, and constitute the core discourse of modern society rather than pre-modern society.
As a modern person, it is necessary to re-understand "politics", and even try to be a "political person".
● "Political people" have a stronger sense of political efficacy, and can more keenly perceive and safeguard their own vital interests.
● "Political people" also have a greater sense of moral justice and are indispensable for building a decent society.
"When you're thinking about public things, you're politics itself. Arendt's admonition was still in his ears.
We sincerely recommend the "Political Science Booklist" to explore the political values of human beings, examine their origin and evolution, and consider the significance of these values to everyone. It helps us to grasp the structured cognition, establish a framework for thinking about political issues, establish a new mode of thinking, and understand the political motivations behind irrational phenomena. Meet the biggest thinkers, experience how leaders make tough decisions, and be inspired by true leadership.