Inverted Totalitarianism: A New Way of Understanding How the U.S. Is Controlled

[nadinbrzezinski]

ay 19, 2008 |

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Reviewed: Democracy Incorporated by Sheldon S. Wolin (Princeton University Press, 2008)

It is not news that the United States is in great trouble. The pre-emptive war it launched against Iraq more than five years ago was and is a mistake of monumental proportions -- one that most Americans still fail to acknowledge. Instead they are arguing about whether we should push on to "victory" when even our own generals tell us that a military victory is today inconceivable. Our economy has been hollowed out by excessive military spending over many decades while our competitors have devoted themselves to investments in lucrative new industries that serve civilian needs. Our political system of checks and balances has been virtually destroyed by rampant cronyism and corruption in Washington, D.C., and by a two-term president who goes around crowing "I am the decider," a concept fundamentally hostile to our constitutional system. We have allowed our elections, the one nonnegotiable institution in a democracy, to be debased and hijacked -- as was the 2000 presidential election in Florida -- with scarcely any protest from the public or the self-proclaimed press guardians of the "Fourth Estate." We now engage in torture of defenseless prisoners although it defames and demoralizes our armed forces and intelligence agencies.

The problem is that there are too many things going wrong at the same time for anyone to have a broad understanding of the disaster that has overcome us and what, if anything, can be done to return our country to constitutional government and at least a degree of democracy. By now, there are hundreds of books on particular aspects of our situation -- the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the bloated and unsupervised "defense" budgets, the imperial presidency and its contempt for our civil liberties, the widespread privatization of traditional governmental functions, and a political system in which no leader dares even to utter the words imperialism and militarism in public.

http://www.alternet.org/news/85728/

http://www.amazon.com/Democracy-Inc-Corporate-Rationalization-Communication/dp/0252029755

This is what we are facing... and yes, fascism, a very American form of it... is here. IT is time to resist in more active ways. We still can do it... but time is really running out...(perhaps has run out)

[SurfingScientist]

1. A good summary of what many here ...

... have discussed over the last decade.

Bookmarked for later sharing.

Thanks!!!

[nadinbrzezinski]

4. The book itself is a must read

[Zax2me]

2. Imperial presidency? Obama? There's also a Nazi Germany

reference...what we will soon be if not stopped...
What a silly piece.

[nadinbrzezinski]

3. Perhaps if you read the book this is a review off

you would get the historical references... by the way, look at the date of the review... it was mostly written during bush the younger reign.

Now if you had a substantive argument I'd listen. But this is not one. This is just calling names to something I dare say you don't even want to consider.

Oh and there is one more thing... the Imperial Presidency is a standard concept in political science and history courses, going back oh at least thirty years... something about the National Security Act... of 1948.

[stranger81]

5. Everyone on this board should read Wolin's book.

It's enlightening & extremely well-argued.

[Luminous Animal]

6. Chomsky been writing about this shit for decades. We prefer to believe that we aare free! Feee!

FREEEEEEEEEE!

[nadinbrzezinski]

7. Another take and another title

but to a point they are not talking exactly of the same thing.

Still, neither him or Chomsky are well regarded by centrists or those still dreaming of Empire and not realizing it.

[Horse with no Name]

8. I've actually been looking at this

and I think we are actually an illiberal democracy. What do you think?

[nadinbrzezinski]

9. If I had to wear the poli sci instructor hat... I'd had to call it

a limited constitutional democracy.. which technically it is. Yep, that is what them founders created.

But since I am not... we are living in a proto fascist, totalitarian state. And it is high time people get over the icky factor.

In fact... it has a lot in common with our neighbor to the south. We have the ILLUSION of a two party system... in reality a one party...rule.

(There is little light between the parties when it comes to brass tacks)

What gives me some hope is that the US has been here before, the Gilded Age... and Mexico, far more recently, broke that one party rule. It's led to a few other problems, but hey, whatever.

But at this point, while I recommend people still keep voting... change is not going to come from that. We need to organize. And we need to run people to the left of the party (That is where voting will matter IN TIME)... and we need to realize that working within the system, as in being good party hacks, ain't gonna work.

We are getting to the point where people will realize this, and I truly hope they become the ultimate cynics when it comes to voting. Just do it, not to lose practice. But don't expect any real change until we find ways to short circuit this. It's not working the way it was meant to be.

As to what we live in... well some people are resistant to the idea since none has been disappeared from the streets, alas it has happened, especially after 9.11... and we still have the illusion of freedom of speech. But this is like Mexico to a point... let them vent... otherwise they will take it to themselves... why demonstrations and marches are part of the traffic report in Mexico City... no, I am not kidding.

[Horse with no Name]

12. Optimistically I read this the other day

and had to absolutely wonder with the mess this country will end up in...if there won't be a "run for the border".

If indeed it does get better over there, then perhaps it might be an option for me.

That being said...they are considering whether to align with North America or with Latin America...and I sincerely hope for THEIR well being that they choose the latter.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2010/02/11/a-paralyzed-democracy.html

[nadinbrzezinski]

14. Oh according to Castaneda it is the former

NAFTA... which was forced down it's gullet with a default \ rescue package under clinton. These days it is funny to hear the PSAs still selling that turd sandwich.

[Cerridwen]

10. Inverted my pasty, white, sagging, old ass.

The only thing missing is Hugo Boss designing the brown shirts and the willful ignorance of those who believe "it can't happen here".

Surprise!

It already has.

[nadinbrzezinski]

11. Recommend you read the book

since it is a little (lots) more sophisticated than that... sadly.

I read the book over the weekend AGAIN... and this is scary.

If this was less sophisticated, you and I would be going to a reeducation camp. They don't need to bother with that one.

[Cerridwen]

13. It's the 21st century and they've learned a few things.

There is nothing sophisticated in that unless you think "it can't happen here."

No...I do not think *you* don't know any better. I know you know.

They are using the tools available to them to do what the brown shirts once did in the past.

Not rocket science; not poli-sci 5000; or whatever.

[nadinbrzezinski]

15. Actually controlling a population without the fear

of the thugs (and a good percentage not noticing they are all but free) is sophisticated. But that is just me.

[Cerridwen]

16. I have a link to a TV interview...I'll go find it. (eta: found it)

It lays it all out.

eta: found it

...the dictatorship of the future will be very unlike the dictatorships...

[woo me with science]

18. Thanks. nt

[Raksha]

17. Sounds like an incredible book - I just shared the link on Facebook.

Told everyone that book is definitely going on my Amazon wishlist.