Chapter 5 REJECTIONS OF LIBERALISM: 20 TH CENTURY

A.Totalitarianism  Seeks complete control over every aspect of the people’s lives – both public and private  Hierarchy  Single political party  One leader (or small group of elite)  Radical: (Soviet Union) move towards the far left side of the economic spectrum (equality, classless society) and complete rejection of the traditions of the past  Reactionary (Nazi Germany – Fascism): move toward an idealized past and an acceptance of economic inequality (some are naturally better than others)  As an ideology, it used all the elements (past, present, future) to target the needs/desires of the people o Also used: propaganda, coercive power, strict control of citizens o Conformity (and acceptance of beliefs) were achieved using:  Secret police and terror  Youth groups and other organizations to promote the ideals  Extensive organization: locally, regionally, nationally  Indoctrination (education)  Censorship  Redirecting popular discontent (scapegoats) – more extensively used in Nazism Attempted, at all costs, to hold off/reject the values in Liberalism and the worth of the individual

B.Communism vs. Nazism: Theory and Practise  Nazi Germany and Communist Russia, although both using totalitarian ideas, were very different in their ideologies and beliefs about human nature  Fascism – supports totalitarian government  World is divided into good and evil with nothing in between  Nation must work together for common and spiritual goals – individually they cannot survive  Need a strong leader (dictator) to achieve this Similarities Dictatorship Both often arise when democratic gov’ts fail (Mussolini) – crisis theory Leader is the bearer of collective good Differences Communism – people are rational (Rousseau), Fascism – people are irrational (Hobbes) Communism – uses reason to motivate people, accept technology and science as a means to building the future Fascism – emotions, hate, rejects reason and science and looks to the past for its model

C. Karl Marx  Developed his political and economic ideals that attempted to provide an overall philosophy of life  Wrote the Communist Manifesto (with Fredrich Engels) and Das Kapital  The story of humanity was a history of class conflict between the owners of the means of production and the workers  All aspects of life are determined by how you are related to the means of production (owner, worker)  Believed that the Industrial Revolution caused inhumane treatment of the lower class or workers  Created 2 classes of society 1. Proletariat – workers  Exploited 2. Bourgeoisie – ruling class  Exploiters  Selfish, owned the courts, police, media, government  Believed that the proletariat should rise up in revolt against the ruling class to create ONE class (equality)

D.Karl Marx – view on Capitalism  Central feature of capitalist system was that workers must “sell” their labour to those who owned the means of production  Bourgeoisie became wealthy because they didn’t pass the profits onto the workers  Condemned the profit motive and private property – caused conflict between the classes  It exploited and degraded workers  Prevented humanity from achieving its potential - humans are creative and capitalism doesn’t allow for this to be fostered  Lead to economic depression, imperialism (taking of land), wars, and revolution by the proletariat

E. Karl Marx – Role of Government  One class, dictatorship of the proletariat  The state would have: - Central planning, increase production, equality (distribution, economically), work for society - “from each according to his ability to each according to his need” – motto  after transition period crime/poverty would stop, state would “wither away” (bourgeoisie power – not in structure) Pure Communism  No capitalism  Would work because you wanted to work – to better society  No need for a formal government structure with no more ruling class – live in a voluntary and cooperative society

 Lenin – used Marx ideas to rise the peasants up in revolt against the Tsars in Russia – Russian Revolution of 1917

USSR: UNION OF THE SOVIET SOCIALIST REPUBLICS

A.The Russian Revolution: 1917  Marxist theory: Russia was an unlikely place for revolution because it was only in the process of industrialization and had not completed it  Tsars (before 1917) and Russian Government was authoritarian, inefficient, and repressive o Problems that sparked revolution  only in beginning stages of industrialization - poor working/living conditions, low standard of living, poor economy  famine  WWI: hundreds of thousands of lives lost, starvation of people and soldiers, soldiers poorly trained and equipped, continued to fight for 3 years of war  High food prices, rising inflation, striking workers, many soldiers deserted army and/or would not stop protestors

 Lenin and Bolsheviks promised “peace, land and bread” o made peace with Germany in WWI - Brest-litsovik Treaty o crushed civil war in Russia in 1918 to take control o 1921: founded 1 st communist party in Russia  Lenin is considered “Father of Communism”  1922 : Union Of Soviet Socialists Republics formed (USSR)

B. Joseph Stalin  Ruled : Made the Soviet Union the second most powerful nation  most “successful” dictatorship: -TOTALITARIANISM: using terror, force and propaganda to control all aspects of peoples lives and all aspects of country  greatest achievement: rapid industrial development of Soviet Union (SU)  to industrialize, SU needed 3 factors of production - land, labor, capital  In 1928, Russia had:  Increasing population (labor)  Abundant amount of resources (land, cotton, minerals, oil, gas, lumber etc.)  Russia did not have the money to industrialize – Stalin needed to find the money to do complete industrialization (no capital)  with goal of increasing standard of living of people  believed capitalist powers would try to crush Soviet Union - developed and strengthen military/control

C. Stalin’s 5 year plans:  Stalin created five 5 year plans dating in order to industrialize his country  The Third plan was interrupted by WWII – concentrated on the war effort instead  The Fifth plan was stopped by his death  Main goals of his 5 year plans: -Build up heavy industry -steel, coal, machinery, production of weapons -changed to oil, air crafts, chemical  Came at the expense of consumer goods – no choice, very few products for everyday life were created  Standard of living fell – especially for farmers

 Collectivization of Farms (collectives)  Peasant farmers had to give all production to the state  Tried to rebel - were quickly stopped/killed  Execution/exiling of all “enemies of the state/people”  Anyone opposed to his rule  As well, millions of peasants were dying from starvation  Fall in standard of living – hunger, fear, rising prices of goods  Defended country from Western Capitalists and created a strong state by controlling and owning all means of production

Note that between 1922 and 1953, Europe was being lead by 3 of most notorious leaders: Mussolini, Stalin, Hitler

CENTRALLY PLANNED ECONOMIES

A.Centrally Planned Economy - Theory  Also called: Command economy, planned economy  Public or state ownership of all factors/means of production  Based on Socialism – governments owns all ‘for the people’ – to create more equality  Two main types of Socialism: 1.Democratic Socialism – Sweden – free elections, some individual rights, profit motive, but gov’t ownership of key industries and high taxes 2.Communist system – total public ownership, no democratic rights  Politically - 3 “isms” that fall under umbrella – Communism, Fascism (mixed), democratic socialism (mixed)

B. Centrally Planned Economy – Key Characteristics:  Collective Property: Property is owned by an entire group of people (gov’t), not individual  Cooperation  Collectivism – produce and distribute goods together  Group Incentive: Incentive refers to planning which offers the group a reward, not the individual  Central Planning  Committee of economic experts (elected or not) makes all economic decisions  Either the government themselves or a group acting on behalf of the government  Answer the economic questions - employment, who gets goods/what to produce rather than supply and demand  Must consider scarcity