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Terminology of Authoritarian States (abridged). To accompany Hodder Authoritarian States text, Introduction & Chapter 1. Political Spectrum. Political Spectrum. system of classifying different political positions upon one or more geometric axes that symbolize independent political dimensions
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Terminology of Authoritarian States (abridged) To accompany Hodder Authoritarian States text, Introduction & Chapter 1
Political Spectrum • system of classifying different political positions upon one or more geometric axes that symbolize independent political dimensions • Traditionally represented as straight line, from far-left (Communist) to far-right (Fascist) • In recent years, more sophisticated techniques and technologies have provided for new ways of modeling political beliefs • Cartesian grid systems distinguishing between authoritarian/libertarian & economic liberal/conservative • Segmented wheels, clouds, etc.
here’s IB’s Old take on the political spectrum Lenin Mussolini Stalin Hitler Castro Franco Mao
Here’s a fairly balanced depiction of the underlying ideologies
The idea of the “political spectrum” allows for the possibility of challenging the premise of certain questions, especially if they pertain to ideology There are a lot of ways to look at and construct the spectrum itself, regardless of political leanings
IB Sage Advice:Keep the implications of the Political Spectrum in mind when completing OPVLs or other tasks that call for an analysis of historiography
“Patriot” vs. “Nationalist” • Often used interchangeably, but shouldn’t be • Nationalism gives more importance to unity by way of a cultural background, including language and heritage • Patriotism pertains to the love for a nation, with more emphasis on values and beliefs.
Natural Rights- Humans are born with inalienable rights Utilitarianism– the most good for the most people; application of science in figuring out what’s best Laissez-faire economics– free trade and a self-regulating marketplace Social Darwinism – some people are more fit to thrive than others. Vis-à-vis economics, SD leads to Neo-Liberalism (complete deregulation allows the fittest to succeed) Classical Liberalism
Classical Conservative Core Beliefs • Natural law and transcendent moral order • Tradition and custom • Hierarchy and organic unity • Agrarianism • Classicism and high culture • Patriotism, localism, and regionalism
George Orwell, 1984 (1948) • “If you want a vision of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face - forever.” • “He who controls the past controls the future. He who controls the present controls the past.” • “Orthodoxy means not thinking–not needing to think. Orthodoxy is unconsciousness.”
Authoritarianism • Juan Linz (1964) lists 4 main characteristics: • (1) "limited, not responsible, political pluralism"; that is, constraints on political institutions and groups such as legislatures, political parties and interest groups • (2) a basis for legitimacy based on emotion, especially the identification of the regime as a necessary evil to combat "easily recognizable societal problems" such as underdevelopment or insurgency • (3) neither "intensive nor extensive political mobilization" and constraints on the mass public (such as repressive tactics against opponents and a prohibition of antiregime activity) • (4) "formally ill-defined" executive power, often shifting or vague; permits rule by fiat instead of subjecting the leader to the rule of law
Totalitarianism • Term first used in 1923 by an opponent of Fascism (who was later beaten to death by Blackshirts) • Adopted in a positive sense by Mussolini, who thought total government control meshed nicely with Fascism • “total representation of the nation and total guidance of national goals”
Characteristics of Totalitarianism • seeks to mobilize entire populations in support of an official state ideology • intolerant of activities which are not directed towards the goals of the state • This entails repression or state control of business, labor unions, churches or political parties.
Totalitarianism v. Authoritarianism Totalitarianism Authoritarianism Individual or small group of oligarchs, usually more concerned w/ maintaining status quo than developing a following Leader(s) regarded individually, not as an expression of society as a whole Often highly corrupt (think Latin American military dictatorships) No official ideology, though tends toward religious conservatism Limited pluralism permitted, if only to maintain appearance of democracy
A Couple of Examples Totalitarian – Kim Il-Sung, DPRK, 1946-∞ (1994) Authoritarian – Augusto Pinochet, Chile, 1974-1990
Moloch of Totalitarianism, (ca. 1990), Levashovo Memorial Cemetery, St. Petersburg, Russia
The text doesn’t say much about it, but… • One of the things I’ve noticed about the new IB curriculum is an emphasis on the use of propaganda by authoritarian leaders and states – it’s mentioned twice in the Prescribed Content, under two different Sub-Topics. This dramatically increases the chances of the content being asked about on the Paper 2 Exam, which means it’s probably a good idea to spend a few slides looking at…
Propaganda • Modern term originating from Latin (gerundive form of propagare) - that which is to be propagated • Originally neutral (meant “dissemination of information”), term is now usually used pejoratively • Propaganda now widely seen as the use of psychological mechanisms of influencing and altering the attitude of a population toward a specific cause, position or political agenda • Information dissemination only becomes propaganda when combined with propagandistic messages
Propaganda - Dissemination • news reports, press releases, government reports, historical revision, junk science, books, leaflets, movies, social media, radio, television, posters, televised news, current-affairs or talk-show segments, advertising or public-service announcement "spots," long-running advertorials
Propaganda - Campaigns • A specific group is targeted for indoctrination • Group members are exposed to messages (leaflet, tv/print ad) tailored to appeal to them; given instructions on how to get more info • Individual calls hotline, visits website, listens to radio show, etc.; is transformed from information recipient to information seeker through reinforcement • Techniques of indoctrination (repetition, intolerance of deviant thought, etc) applied so that individual is transformed from information seeker to opinion leader
Propaganda within Propaganda in a Taco Bell Breakfast Campaign, 2015
Propaganda - Techniques • Many propaganda techniques are based on research in psychology • Sigmund Freud's nephew, Edward Bernays, applied his uncle’s work to mass advertising in the US in the 1920s • others are based on logical fallacies – an argument doesn’t necessarily have to be valid or factual in order to be convincing
Fallacies And/as Propaganda Techniques • Ad Hominem – attack the person instead of the his argument • Ad Nauseam – repetition, often of a simple slogan in a controlled media • Appeal to Authority/Fear/Prejudice • Bandwagon – “inevitable victory” or “join the crowd!” • Big Lie – people are more likely to believe a big lie than a bunch of little ones • Common Man • Demonizing (or “Otherizing”) the Enemy • Disinformation • Euphemism • Flag-waving • Glittering Generalties • And so on…
Richard Crossman, British Psy-Ops Officer in WWII, on Cherry-Picking • "It is a complete delusion to think of the brilliant propagandist as being a professional liar. The brilliant propagandist is the man who tells the truth, or that selection of the truth which is requisite for his purpose, and tells it in such a way that the recipient does not think he is receiving any propaganda... [...] The art of propaganda is not telling lies, but rather selecting the truth you require and giving it mixed up with some truths the audience wants to hear."
Bonus! Gags & Memes Trigger Warning: Some political Incorrectness Ahead
From Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley (1932) • "Alpha children wear grey. They work much harder than we do, because they're so frightfully clever. I'm really awfully glad I'm a Beta, because I don't work so hard. And then we are much better than the Gammas and Deltas. Gammas are stupid. They all wear green, and Delta children wear khaki. Oh no, I don't want to play with Delta children. And Epsilons are still worse. They're too stupid to be able to read or write. Besides they wear black, which is such a beastly colour. I'm so glad I'm a Beta."
