One State: Political Analysis

One State: Political Analysis
• In your groups, analyze characteristics of each governmental descriptor and the content of We to determine ways One State is totalitarian, fascist, communist, and conservative or liberal.
1. Is One State Totalitarian ? How did that contribute to its rise and weakening?
2. Is One State Fascist ? How did that contribute to its rise and weakening?
3. Is One State Communist ? How did that contribute to its rise and weakening?
4. Is One State Conservative or Liberal ? Which describes MEPHI? How did these stances contribute to the groups’ effectiveness?

Characteristics of Totalitarianism
• Autocratic (oppressive) government
• State aims to control not only economics and politics, but all facets of society and daily life – attitudes, values, beliefs
• Citizen’s duty to the state is paramount
• Goal of state: to build perfect society
• Ideologically driven
• Real-world examples:
– Communist regimes of Soviet
Union and China sought fulfilment of humankind through establishment of a classless society
– German National Socialism, driven by belief in superiority of so-called Aryan race
• a single party as a
• dictator
• support of system by voting compulsory
• party monopoly on economy and education
• dissent suppressed by secret police
• Real-World Causes:

Characteristics of Fascism
• Nationalism
– e.g. overt displays of flag
• Disdain for human rights
– arbitrary arrest
• Enemies as scapegoats
• ‘us vs. them’ mentality
• Cult of the military
• Controlled mass media
• Obsession with national security
• Religion and gov. are one
– language of religion used
• Labour power suppressed
• Disdain for the arts, liberal expression
• Obsession with crime and punishment, police power is paramount
• Cronyism and corruption
• Fraudulent elections with the complicity of the judiciary

Characteristics of Communism
• Political theory advocating community ownership of all property, the benefits of which are to be shared by all according to the needs of each.
• The theory was principally the work of K ARL
M ARX and F RIEDRICH E NGELS .
• Their “C OMMUNIST M ANIFESTO ” (1848) further specified three phases of converting:
– a “dictatorship of the PROLETARIAT ”
– a transitional stage Marx called SOCIALISM
– communism was the final stage in which not only class division but even the organized state—seen by Marx as inevitably an instrument of oppression—would be transcended

Characteristics of
Conservativism and Liberalism
• Conservative (adj): holding to traditional attitudes and values and cautious about change or innovation, typically in relation to politics or religion.
• Liberal (adj): open to new behavior or opinions and willing to discard traditional values

One State: Political Analysis
Collaborative Paragraph Writing
1. Determine how specific characteristics of One State’s government contributed its rise and its weakening.
2.Analyze the political critique
Zamyatin puts forth in We.