a little lesson in political systems


Says 26 year old healthcare consultant, Brian of Georgia, "I really am tired of explaining Facism and Socialism to people, along with the never dull episode of trying to explain why we are NOT a Democracy in the US. And finally I am frustrated with trying to tell a "tax the rich to give to the poor" Democrat that what they are really supporting is Socialism when they kick and scream and SWEAR that they are NOT Socialists." Though my view is not as biting or cynical as his, I am still amazed at the ignorance of so many in this country. Read on and see if you are among them.


Communism- The final goal of the world proletarian revolution. A society without classes and class distinctions, without any kind of oppression and inequality. A society in which the state and other repressive political institutions have been abolished. A society of common material abundance guided by the principle of “from each according to their abilities; to each according to their needs.” Communism can really only succeed on a world level. It is a global community of freely cooperating human beings.

Socialism- A form of class rule in which the proletariat (in alliance with other sections of society) rules over old and newly arising bourgeois and exploiting forces. A system of social production in which social ownership replaces private ownership and social need replaces private profit as the purpose of production. The historical transition period of revolutionary transformation between capitalism and communism.

Fascism-A form of totalitarianism, defined by an aggressive form of nationalism(below), strict state control over the population, subjugation of minorities and an isolationist mentality. While Mussolini's Italy was the original Fascist state(the word was derived from "fasci", the 'pack' that Roman centurions carried their possessions in), subsequent totalitarian states exhibited similar characteristics, or proclaimed themselves as such. These range from Nazi Germany and Franco's Spain before WWII, to Suharto's Indonesia in the 90's. Commonly perceived as a far right-wing extremist idealogy, mainly for it's ultra-conservative social philosophy, fascism is not quite that easy to pinpoint. Mussolini and Hitler, to a lesser extent, were both former Marxists turned Fascists. In both states, however, large business owners flourished, often with help from the government and often at the expense of small business owners and the workers themselves.

Libertarianism- System of political thought supportive of a maximization of social and economic liberty for the individual. This categorization includes a wide range of ideas, tending to run from conservative libertarians at one end who tend to have minor differences relating to various tenents, such as isolationism, or reservations relating to morality, to anarcho-capitalists who advocate replacing the state with the free market. Libertarianism is not to be confused with objectivism, even though both systems of thought share several tenents. Libertarianism is fundamentally anti-collectivist.

Conservativism- A political philosophy or attitude emphasizing respect for traditional institutions, distrust of government activism, and opposition to sudden change in the established order.

Liberalism- A political theory founded on the natural goodness of humans and the autonomy of the individual and favoring civil and political liberties, government by law with the consent of the governed, and protection from arbitrary authority. Founded on the belief in need for reform

Neoconservativism- an approach to politics or theology that represents a return to a traditional point of view (in contrast to more liberal or radical schools of thought of the 1960s )

Authoritarianism- a form of government in which the ruler is an absolute dictator (not restricted by a constitution or laws or opposition etc.) [syn: dictatorship, absolutism, Caesarism, despotism, monocracy, one-man rule, shogunate, Stalinism, totalitarianism, tyranny]

Communitarianism- Belief in a small cooperative or a collectivist community system

Moderate- Someone's whose political beliefs fall in between two or more other political idealogies, usually liberal and conservative. Opposed to radical or extreme views or measures, especially in politics or religion

Reactionary- One who favors reaction, or seeks to undo political progress or revolution.

Anarchism - A broad pseudo-political philosophy that advocates the elimination of government. a political theory favoring the abolition of governments, as they are oppressive and undesirable and unnecessary. The most common form of anarchism is anarcho-syndacalism which is based on the writings of Proudhon, Bakunin and Kropotkin. Anarcho-syndacalists generally despise government or any authority and believe in freedom for all. Their views are quite similar to those of communists, but they do not believe in the need for a transitional government (i.e. Socialism). Anarchist society would generally be made up of many communes of people that would work together for a better society. Unlike communism, anarchism supposedly would not force anybody into its society, but people would be free to take part in the running of the communes as they pleased. Anarchists believe that authority and different social classes is the cause of all crime, so crime would be eliminated after the anarchist revolution was complete. And crimes would be dealt with by rehabilitation. Some flaws in Anarchy include the question of how the national public services (transport, post etc.) would be managed - a question that hasn't been conclusively dealt with

Utilitarianism: This is actually an ethical philosophy where the good action is that which maximizes utility (utility being either preference satisfaction or happiness). The doctrine that the greatest happiness of the greatest number should be the end and aim of all social and political institutions

Nationalism- The belief that nations will benefit from acting independently rather than collectively, emphasizing national rather than international goals. Also, the doctrine that your national culture and interests are superior to any other.

Isolationism- One who believes nations should not meddle or get involved in the affairs of other nations in any way.

Posted: Fri - October 22, 2004 at 10:03 AM           |

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