Hello Students!
I hope you had a restful fall break. I actually had a very restful fall break. I had a chance to catch up on my own graduate work, and I attended a party for my granmother who just turned 80. I also had time to spend with Jazz, my cocker spaniel! He and I went to the park and afterwards I drove him to Wendy's where he ate a couple of rounds of chicken nuggets (yes, he's spoiled rotten!) Hopefully you'll come back to school with all the exciting details of your break!
As we move into reading and dissecting Animal Farm, I want you to read this small section on socialism, communism, totalitarianism, and authoritarianism. These are four concepts I want you to be able to explain with examples by the end of the unit (and how they relate to Animal Farm).
Socialism:
Socialism is an ideology advocating the distribution of wealth among all members of a society, achieved through community control over its citizens’ possessions and means of production. This social control can be administered through small councils or groups or by the government on behalf of the people.
Socialism:
Socialism is an ideology advocating the distribution of wealth among all members of a society, achieved through community control over its citizens’ possessions and means of production. This social control can be administered through small councils or groups or by the government on behalf of the people.
In the late nineteenth century, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels formulated the principles of modern socialism. Marx and Engels believed that any capitalist society would ultimately face the inevitable struggle between the poor working classes and the rich bourgeoisie (those who owned the factories that employed the workers).
This confrontation, according to Marx and Engels, would be followed by a socialist revolution. The socialist movement would completely eliminate the idea of private ownership of capital by placing ownership of the means of production into the hands of the State, thus ending the war between the classes.
Once a society had passed through the stages of capitalism and socialism, Marx envisioned that it would reach a third and fi nal stage. Marx believed this stage would be marked by a completely classless society he characterized as Communist.
Communism:
The Russian Revolution of 1917 was fueled by Marxist Socialist ideals. The Russian population desired a more democratic government and sympathized with the plight of the working poor. Under Lenin’s guidance, the Bolshevik Party—later called the Communist Party—united all means of production under state control and created a government controlled by workers’ soviets (councils). Over the next few years, however, the government became increasingly authoritarian. Revolutionary fighter Leon Trotsky still clung to the democratic ideals of the original socialist movement, but he, and others, were overpowered by the leadership of Joseph Stalin, who eventually exiled Trotsky and took over the government almost single-handedly.
Stalin proclaimed that he would realize the ideals of Socialism and Marxist Communism by generating a massive program of industrialization. Although Stalin still claimed to follow the principles of Marx and Lenin, it soon became clear that he had seized power in order to reinvent the Soviet Union as an authoritarian state in which he would function as an absolute dictator. Stalin maintained his power by threatening and eliminating his enemies, using propaganda to maintain social control, and utilizing a personal police force to execute his orders. Stalin’s communism is considered by many critics—among them George Orwell—to be a perversion and
misinterpretation of the communist and socialist ideals of Karl Marx.
Communism:
The Russian Revolution of 1917 was fueled by Marxist Socialist ideals. The Russian population desired a more democratic government and sympathized with the plight of the working poor. Under Lenin’s guidance, the Bolshevik Party—later called the Communist Party—united all means of production under state control and created a government controlled by workers’ soviets (councils). Over the next few years, however, the government became increasingly authoritarian. Revolutionary fighter Leon Trotsky still clung to the democratic ideals of the original socialist movement, but he, and others, were overpowered by the leadership of Joseph Stalin, who eventually exiled Trotsky and took over the government almost single-handedly.
Stalin proclaimed that he would realize the ideals of Socialism and Marxist Communism by generating a massive program of industrialization. Although Stalin still claimed to follow the principles of Marx and Lenin, it soon became clear that he had seized power in order to reinvent the Soviet Union as an authoritarian state in which he would function as an absolute dictator. Stalin maintained his power by threatening and eliminating his enemies, using propaganda to maintain social control, and utilizing a personal police force to execute his orders. Stalin’s communism is considered by many critics—among them George Orwell—to be a perversion and
misinterpretation of the communist and socialist ideals of Karl Marx.
Elements of Totalitarianism and Authoritarianism:
Totalitarianism:
In a totalitarian state, the government exercises firm control over the public and private lives of its citizens and usually follows a particular ideology. For example, Stalin proclaimed the Soviet Union to be an ensign of Communist ideology. In addition, totalitarian states are led by dictators who retain strict control over their subjects.
In a totalitarian state, the government exercises firm control over the public and private lives of its citizens and usually follows a particular ideology. For example, Stalin proclaimed the Soviet Union to be an ensign of Communist ideology. In addition, totalitarian states are led by dictators who retain strict control over their subjects.
Authoritarianism:
Authoritarianism is a form of government control comparable or almost identical to totalitarianism. In an authoritarian state, the government, under the leadership of a dictator, strictly controls the population, often through overt oppression or the elimination of democratic rights and liberties. In an authoritarian state, the government single-handedly writes and enacts laws. Citizens have no real opportunities for participation. Authoritarian states rely heavily on propaganda in order to control the population. Some techniques frequently employed in the
maintenance of absolute control are the oversimplifi cation of ideas, false and exaggerated patriotism, the promotion of group mentality, censorship, and an elaborate leadership cult. Hitler’s dictatorship in Nazi Germany, or Stalin’s oppressive government in the Soviet Union, are examples of authoritarianism.
Authoritarianism is a form of government control comparable or almost identical to totalitarianism. In an authoritarian state, the government, under the leadership of a dictator, strictly controls the population, often through overt oppression or the elimination of democratic rights and liberties. In an authoritarian state, the government single-handedly writes and enacts laws. Citizens have no real opportunities for participation. Authoritarian states rely heavily on propaganda in order to control the population. Some techniques frequently employed in the
maintenance of absolute control are the oversimplifi cation of ideas, false and exaggerated patriotism, the promotion of group mentality, censorship, and an elaborate leadership cult. Hitler’s dictatorship in Nazi Germany, or Stalin’s oppressive government in the Soviet Union, are examples of authoritarianism.
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