As a far briefer follow-on to the previous post, I propose the following test: if one can rant about how totalitarian one’s government is (or is becoming, or might become soon, or whatever) on TV, in the newspaper or via one’s blog, then one does not live in a totalitarian state.
Pretty simple, really. No complex political science degree required to get that, one would think.
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March 31st, 2024 at 6:37 pm
I would modify your elegant definition by adding the world repeatedly, some find it helpful if folks self designate for the midnight knock.
March 31st, 2024 at 6:45 pm
Good point.
Of course, part of my perhaps too subtle point is that in a totalitarian state, one wouldn’t have access to the tv, radio, et al., since it would all be controlled by the state.
April 1st, 2024 at 7:01 am
I disagree slightly. Could one not rant about one’s government embracing degrees of totalitarianism or approaching totalitarianism and be valid in those arguments? Even if a state is not fully totalitarian, it might take on totalitarian attributes.
April 1st, 2024 at 7:57 am
Even if a state is not fully totalitarian, it might take on totalitarian attributes.
The very nature of a totalitarian state is such that one isn’t going to get there by tiny increments.
One might well approach authoritarianism in smaller steps, and one could try and want about that, but a leader with totalitarian tendencies isn’t going to accept relentless criticism.