Introduction
In the past, people have experienced a type of government that centered all its power, authority, policies, rules, and regulations on the mighty and vigor of a dictator. A dictator is a person who solely runs the nation with a single government that rules every land and every freedom of the people as human beings and citizens of the country. During the World Wars, dictators such as Adolf Hitler of Germany, Benito Mussolini of Italy, and Joseph Stalin of the Soviet Union were the center for abolishment and annihilate their totalitarian regimes that have destroyed millions of lives and homes from different parts of the world (“Totalitarian Regimes”). However, despite the destruction of totalitarianism government, there are still totalitarian practices that are evident within the modern government of democracy and independence. Accordingly, this paper will recognize and discuss the origins of totalitarianism in order to compare and contrast some apparent manifestations of modern totalitarianism. Moreover, this paper will also identify some key points of evidences that modern totalitarianism is present in the current structure of democracy especially in the United States.
The Origins of Totalitarianism
The term totalitarianism was coined after the dreadful fight and suffering in the world wars, political revolution, holocaust, and fears. Hannah Arendt was a political philosopher who first handedly understands totalitarianism as a climatic pathology, which represents the practices of dictatorship, racism, colonialism, and also a lone government institution (Inceoglu). Accordingly, totalitarianism is a government that has the essence of evilness which tends to obtain and control exclusive possession of power and potency. Hence, the goals of totalitarian authority are to govern and reign with legal and lawful powers towards civil states and reorganizing the condition of the people (Baehr).
Arendt suggested that the
Cited: Baehr, Peter. Hannah Arendt, Totalitarianism, and the Social Sciences. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2012. Print. Gross, Grant. “Regulation of Facial Recognition May Be Needed, US Senator Says.” PCWorld. IDG Consumer & SMB, 2012. Web. 08 Nov 2012. <http://www.pcworld.com/article/259470/ regulation_of_facial_recognition_may_be_needed_us_senator_says.html>. Inceoglu, M. Cagri. “Arendt’s Critique of the Nation-State in The Origins of Totalitarianism.” Journal of Yasar University 3.10 (2008): 1331-1344. Print. Los, Maria. “The Technologies of Total Domination.” Surveillance & Society 2.1 (2004): 15-38. Print. Mirny, Mikhail. “Freedom of Speech, Democracy and the Internet: Targeting International Development Programs Toward Building Capacity of Online Media.” Masters Diss. Georgetown University, 2004. PDF file. “Totalitarian Regimes in Germany, Italy, and the Soviet Union.” La Habra High School. La Habra High School, n.d. Web. 08 Nov 2012. <http://www.lahabrahighschool.net/ourpages/auto/2010/4/22/39072443/ 10_7_3.pdf>. Wolf, Naomi. “The New Totalitarianism of Surveillance Technology.” The Guardian. The Guardian News and Media, 2012. Web. 08 Nov 2012. <http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/aug/15/ new-totalitarianism-surveillance-technology>.