Here's your change: Totalitarianism

[Gowen]

My wife ran across this, does this describe obama and the DNC or what?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Totalitarianism

Totalitarianism (or totalitarian rule) is a political system where the state, usually under the control of a single political organization, faction, or class domination, recognizes no limits to its authority and strives to regulate every aspect of public and private life wherever feasible.[2]  Totalitarianism is generally characterized by the coincidence of authoritarianism (i.e., where ordinary citizens have no significant share in state decision-making) and ideology  (i.e., a pervasive scheme of values promulgated by institutional means to direct the most significant aspects of public and private life)[3].

Totalitarian regimes or movements maintain themselves in political power by means of an official all-embracing ideology and propaganda disseminated through the state-controlled mass media, a single party that controls the state, personality cults, control over the economy, regulation and restriction of free discussion and criticism, the use of mass surveillance, and widespread use of state terrorism.

[griz]

Nope.  I'm not an Obama fan, but our government with him in charge doesn't come close to that standard.  We still have free elections, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and even people on quasi gun boards can critize the administration.

[P5 Guy]

Mussolini would be proud of BHO Franco too. Not complete as of yet but taking a giant step toward the goal of Fascism.

[kgbsquirrel]

While we may still be a few free speech zones away from true totalitarianism perhaps I can suggest another label then. Fascist Dictatorship. Though I say this partially tongue in cheek, it does have an unfortunate basis, even partially, in truth. Lets look at these separately first...


Dictator. The basis for this term is quite simply the Executive Orders and their enforcement as law. By definition this is by fiat. You have a single person requiring no consent from others to institute these. One particular E.O. stands above all others for it's oppression of Americans citizens. It is number 9066 and was enacted by Franklin Roosevelt. This order allowed military commanders to declare portions of the United States as "military areas" "from which any or all persons may be excluded,". This allowed the forced relocation and internment of American Citizens of Japanese ethnicity. So, the power to unilaterally create law. Dictator.


Fascism. A socialist philosophy that incorporates policies, tactics and tenets from both left and right wing politics. Primarily it advocates a strong central government with far reaching powers and denigrates both capitalism and communism. Specific to this argument however is the interaction of private enterprise and the State in so much that the enterprise maintains the image of private ownership and control while in reality being reined in by the state. The example of ownership in this case is the massive purchase of various private financial institutions in the U.S. while still presenting the appearance of private ownership. An example of the control was the firing of Rick Wagoner, former CEO of General Motors Corporation, at the behest of Barack Obama. Let me cover this portion again, a private citizen, chairing a supposedly private company, being removed from that position by the request of Government. Fascism.


There are doubtless many other examples that can be brought to heel, and countless more to counter, but the preceding is my argument for the appropriate allocation of the label of Fascist Dictatorship.

[PTK]

...

[Jamisjockey]

Nope.  I'm not an Obama fan, but our government with him in charge doesn't come close to that standard.  We still have free elections, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and even people on quasi gun boards can critize the administration.

Yes, but, the simple goal of the creation of an entitlement class surpassing 50% of the population is to secure a voting block that will never bite the hand that feeds them.  When this goal is reached, the Progressives/liberals/democrats/RINOs will have pretty much absolute power. 

[griz]

Yes, but, the simple goal of the creation of an entitlement class surpassing 50% of the population is to secure a voting block that will never bite the hand that feeds them.  When this goal is reached, the Progressives/liberals/democrats/RINOs will have pretty much absolute power. 

While it does appear that we are well on our way toward destroying the wealth of our nation by strangling everybody that is successful, is that really totalitariaism or just voters too stupid to realize where all the "government money" comes from?

[makattak]

While it does appear that we are well on our way toward destroying the wealth of our nation by strangling everybody that is successful, is that really totalitariaism or just voters too stupid to realize where all the "government money" comes from?

http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/dpp/news/local/homeless_assistance_10609

[Jamisjockey]

While it does appear that we are well on our way toward destroying the wealth of our nation by strangling everybody that is successful, is that really totalitariaism or just voters too stupid to realize where all the "government money" comes from?

Too stupid.  But, it still gives the government free reign to do as they please.  Just like in every other nanny state. 

[Viking]

While it does appear that we are well on our way toward destroying the wealth of our nation by strangling everybody that is successful, is that really totalitariaism or just voters too stupid to realize where all the "government money" comes from?

Oh, I think they know. They just don't give a crap. After all, it squeezes the rich, so many from the entitlement class sees it as a double win I guess - they get money, often without any work done at all from them, and those who work and become successful gets less money. 

[Battle Monkey of Zardoz]

Totalitarianism. Not quite there, yet. But it's coming over the horizon.

[Gowen]

Viking, many in they lower income class rejoice when a rich man gets his.  They forget that just about everyone of them work for what they would call a rich man.