Essay Example. The United States As an Inverted Totalitarian State

Power is a core need in the fight for the superiority of a state. The United States has, over many decades, appeared as a superpower. The rise of the United States' economic and political status played a vital role in transforming the state into a mighty nation. Wolin refers to the country as an inverted totalitarian. He uses the term to significantly identify the various aspects of the state political organizations while keenly differentiating it from total totalitarianism. My close examination of the works of Bachrachad and Baratz (1962), and Nye (1990) are vital in justifying that the governance of the United States is not only influenced by the corporations. I intend to establish that citizens and the general public in the United States have continuously been limited in the application of their democratic rights.

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Wolin stated that the war on Iraq was purposed to bring democracy. Wolin identifies the party system of the United States as a significant contributor to inverted totalitarianism. Wolin refers to the Republican Party as 'zealous, ruthless, antidemocratic boasting a near majority' (Wolin 2003). Such are characteristics of a party that ruthlessly seeks power without the consideration of the citizen's needs. I understand that democracy refers to the freedom of the citizens to exercise their rights. For example, the right to vote. A party in a state is a fundamental way through which the needs of the citizens should take placed. The Republican Party is keen to exercise its power over ordinary citizens. Therefore, their democratic rights are deemed irrelevant.

Consider the pluralist and the elitist approach, as explained by Bachrachad and Baratz (1962). The elitism theory explains the existence of inverted totalitarianism in the United States better than the pluralist approach. The elitists' approach explains the existence of an organized system of power through which human institutions' governance occurs. I believe that political parties fall into such a category. The parties are a collection of elites who view themselves as more socially constructive and hence deserve to be allocated power or influence over the other citizens. Put in mind that the phrase 'inverted totalitarianism' refers to the exploitation of democracy by corporations. Let's consider the modern state of the United States. Freedom entails the observation of human rights. However, through the ruling party, the Republican Party, a letter was issued to remove the illegal citizens from the soil of the United States (Martin 2017). Among them were the refugees who fled from their native lands due to political issues.

Wolin further stated that the United States provided a very irresponsible representation of the voters. He identifies a situation whereby the voters are repeatedly corrupted and manipulated by the 'institutionalized system of bribery.' Such institutions are maybe up by the major firms and wealthy Americans. The manipulation of the voters only makes them subject to the actions of the institutions. Misuse of the citizens is a crucial highlight by Wolin. The hungry psychopathic media corporations are the main routes through which the citizens are fed with propaganda by the political parties and the wealthy Americans.

Bachrachad and Baratz posit bias in the exploitation of some conflicts over the others in existence in most political organizations. Inverted totalitarianism operated because an individual may limit the decision-making process by including the social and political procedures (Bachrachad and Baratz 1962). It details the power to overlook the less apparent, however important. Put in mind the critique of the "ruling-elite model" by Bachrachad and Baratz (1962), the response to the question about the existence of the elite rulers can only exist if an analysis of fare cases regarding major political decisions in comparison with the suggested ones. However, Nye, Jr. (1990) identified that the government is vital in deciding the investments of a country. The power to control others is associated with specific items such as the possession of a particular resource. Such properties remain in the hands of the elite Americans who wish to mishandle democracy.

Wolin does indeed draw a comparison between the United States and the Nazis. He stated that both the Nazis and the United States aspire to attain unlimited power and aggressive expansionism. Such actions appear upside down. However, contrary to the Nazi gangs that terrorized the communities hence denying them democracy, the United States democracy reigns in the streets and diminishes in the government. Inverted totalitarianism strives to weaken community effort until voting ceases to exist. Fear is a weapon for the wealthy as they seek power. Such actions contradict those of Nazism.

The United States needs to manage democracy. The state is confronted by the visible signs and rituals of inverted totalitarianism. The elections are unfair as the laws are not applicable, the engagement of civil society is diminishing, and the views of national sentiments are limited to the wealthy. Besides, the citizens do not have the privilege to choose their leaders, and they cannot control what gets published in the daily newspapers. Their democratic right to join groups such as trade unions appears inactive. Wolin dislikes the inverted totalitarianism trend of "psychopathic" and increasingly concentrated media that engages in feeding the citizens with propaganda. Such propaganda cultivates fear.

Bachrachad and Baratz put their utmost efforts in analyzing the scope, content, and criticisms of elitism and pluralism. On the contrary, Nye. Jr. eagerly provides us with an elaborate shift of power into the governance of the world by the United States. The world politics and economy are placed in the hands if the superpower. Inverted totalitarianism requires such countries to do what the superpower requires them to, regardless of their democratic needs. Nye, Jr. argues that the United States will control the political environment of the world due to its dominance in the economic and political spheres. Bachrachad and Baratz term this as elitism, the doorway to inverted totalitarianism.

I believe that police brutality is a subject of inverted totalitarianism. As the government and the wealthy in the US solder towards the manipulation of the citizens, policies enacted to favor democracy may hinder their needs. Therefore, the systems are biased to favor the elite. Nye, Jr. indicates the procedures usually are designed to deal with the vulnerabilities of society. However, such policies experience government manipulation too encourage the actions of the elite in the United States. For example, the misuse of military policies to enable them to remain the ultimate power of a self-help governance system. Such corporations as the military do not encourage the active role of the public in governance.

Power is not just about complete dominance over the weak in society. It also is a way to allow citizens and other subordinates to exercise their democratic rights and needs. In political science, power encompasses allowing either the fleeting or persistent issues that aggravate the existence or emergence of coalitions, such as trade unions. Such alliances are an aspect of social reality among citizens. Therefore, the government of the United States should act dutifully and responsibly towards its citizens and global subordinates.

Despite the rise of inverted totalitarianism, Wolin remained confident for a better future. He believed that the national elections of 2004 were a clear representation of a change in governance. Wolin remains optimistic that there is hope for the United States, but his not clear as to what will happen. Furthermore, the state can do magnificently better to ensure a credible economy, a just political system, and sound interaction between the various classes of society. The crumble of inverted totalitarianism should accompany the decline of a complete dictatorship. Thus, there is a need not only to discourage elitism but to replace it with pluralism entirely. Therefore, the relationship between economics, human aspirations, communication, and political well-being will cultivate a sustainable democratic state.

References

Bachrach, Peter, and Morton S. Baratz. "Two faces of power." American political science review 56, no. 4(1962): 947-952.

Nye, Joseph S. "Soft power." Foreign policy 80 (1990): 153-171.

Wolin, Sheldon. "Inverted totalitarianism." Nation 276, no. 19 (2003): 13-13.