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Totalitarian ideologies

Reader comment on item: A Better World[, Explains Michael Mandelbaum]

Submitted by Anonymous (Italy), Dec 27, 2002 at 04:58

Fascism and communism despised democracy and freedom. The individual was subordinated to the state and the ideology governed every aspect of her life. War became a central theme in totalitarian systems and society was heavily militarised. Obedience to the state was paramount and -in the name of the state- every atrocity could be justified. Marxism-Leninism despised the individual and saw it as a very unimportant player in modern life. Both fascism and communism (at least in Stalin's Russia) were characterised for a basic contempt for humanity.

Now that 20th century ideologies have disappeared, Militant Islam is the only coherent ideology left. The majority of Muslims are very decent and honest people. However, some support the totalitarian ideology of Militant Islam (not to be confused with real, peaceful Islam). Militant Islam is expanding and yet Europe and America are not recognising the threat. Muslim Extremists are targeting innocent people all over the world: New York, Bali, Pakistan, India. Muslim Extremists believe in a totalitarian ideology and their aim is to beat the world into submission. They hate Jews, Christians and homosexuals; they use violence as a mean of achieving their goals; they intimidate their opponents. Sudan should provide a good example of what this totalitarian ideology can do: Sudanese society has been militarised; children are forced to learn the Koran; slavery has made a come-back; Christians are killed on daily basis. In the beginnigng, nobody took Stalin seriously; as a result of that millions died. How many people have got to die this time?
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Reader comments (17) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
3The strength of democracy [250 words]Brian JacksonFeb 1, 2003 16:576231
Mandelbaum Premature? [440 words]Ruben PerlmutterJan 2, 2003 18:295434
4Democracy is dictatorship by the majority. [125 words]Goh Heung Yong.Jan 1, 2003 19:435393
Democracy [126 words]B DormanAug 31, 2006 20:335393
A Question of Race [44 words]Rophe OmegaMar 6, 2011 13:095393
Islamic history contradicts [30 words]Charles CouryJan 1, 2003 15:355384
Limited Government key [21 words]Ricardo PedrazaJan 1, 2003 13:345379
UK [112 words]IsaDec 28, 2002 10:455223
Peace, Democracy and Free Market [45 words]Muhammad SiddiquiDec 28, 2002 01:115211
Great Disaster [273 words]Dr Mac BarksdaleDec 27, 2002 23:095204
1Good ideology [250 words]MottyDec 27, 2002 20:575199
Re: peace, democracy, and free markets [212 words]David RomeroDec 27, 2002 18:105189
Mandelbaum [91 words]Martin SchulbergDec 27, 2002 16:075178
Islamic facisim [144 words]Glenn KlotzDec 27, 2002 14:205171
Vehement Disagreement with Mandelbaum [138 words]Sy SteinbergDec 27, 2002 10:425163
Too optimistic [190 words]Benjamin StephensonDec 27, 2002 09:105160
Totalitarian ideologies [252 words]AnonymousDec 27, 2002 04:585156

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