...In 1964, Mao Zedong published “Selections from Quotations from Mao Tse-Tung” to justify his and his party’s actions and its place in China and the world. In the book, Mao Zedong focuses on his ideas of a revolution within China and in the world. In those ideas, he called for the Chinese people-- especially the lower class-- to join his party and to lead a revolution against the enemies of his party: the imperialists and the bourgeoisie of China. Mao advocated the Communists’ place in China and believed it will strengthen the unity of China. He strongly opposed the non-Communists and portrayed them as an “unhealthy manifestation” and “detrimental to the unity between the Party and the people” (Chapter 3: “While continuing to…”). Moreover, he...
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...religion. However, while a movement is working to politicize or publicize an idea or belief, the movement is not necessarily equivalent to, or perhaps even relevant to, the idea that underlies the movement. Much of this is true with the frequently overlooked distinction between McCarthyism and the more general anticommunism. Properly defined, anticommunism is an ideology that holds that communism is morally and politically wrong. Regardless of whether the communist regime is legitimate or not according to the standards of Western democracy, the anti-communist believes that government is fundamentally wrong and should not exist. Because anticommunism is an ideology (that is, is based on an idea), any person regardless of country or place in government, can be an anti-communist by virtue of the fact that an anti-communist is, by definition, nothing more than a person ideologically opposed to the idea of communism. Being opposed does not specify any action on the part of the person, however. In other words, being anti-communist does not mean a person will participate in marches against communism or boo communists in public debate. Simply put, anticommunism is a structure of ideas, not behavior, and does not contain elements of action, behavior, or demonstration. In contrast, McCarthyism was a particular political movement in the United States at a particular period. Joseph McCarthy, the notorious Senator from the state of Wisconsin, ascribed to a particular form of anticommunism...
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...Communism. This word is seen as an evil in American society, a plague that must be eradicated. Throughout history, it has struck fear into the American people. Such anxiety can be seen in the film Brave New World (1980), directed by Burt Brinckerhoff. The movie was not only an adoption of the text, but also a social commentary of what was occurring at the time. During this period, the Vietnam War was being fought and the United States thought that if Vietnam were to become a communist country, all of Asia would soon follow. The movie was a manifestation of the terror that was sweeping across the nation as people were uncertain whether or not they would wake up tomorrow and see that they are under the control of the Soviet Union. The film illustrates what was happening at the time, and what would happen if the USSR had won the war and the world had fallen under the rule of communism. In Brave New World, everyone had a function from the Epsilons to the Alphas. This is similar to how in a communist system, everyone has a role and serves a purpose, and if this service were not to be met, then those in power would take...
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...Edexcel A2 Political Ideologies 3 Socialism A Short-answer questions 1 Why did Marx believe that capitalism was doomed to collapse? • Capitalism is doomed to collapse because of its own internal contradictions. • Capitalism embodies its own antithesis, the proletariat, seen by Marx as the ‘gravedigger’ of capitalism. • Capitalism is defined by the creation of profit. This is only possible by the exploitation of the proletariat — that is, by the extraction of surplus value from the workers by the bourgeoisie. • Marx believed that the inherent contradictions of capitalism would cause the proletariat to achieve revolutionary class consciousness. This would occur as capitalism went through a series of deepening crises, leading to the immiseration of the proletariat. This would inevitably result in a proletarian revolution which was destined to overthrow capitalism. 2 Distinguish between fundamentalist and revisionist socialism. • Fundamentalist socialism rejects capitalism entirely and seeks to abolish it. It usually attributes the flaws of capitalism to private property for private profit, and seeks to establish socialism in the form of common ownership and very substantial equality of outcome. The Marxist or communist tradition is the clearest example of fundamentalist socialism. However, some fundamentalists pursue their goals by the parliamentary road — i.e. it is possible to be ‘fundamentalist democrats’ in the parliamentary sense. Eurocommunists...
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...S. leaders’ decisions and unite Americans in the war against the Soviets (Kirby, 2003; Grimshaw, 2011; Winsboro 2009; Gaddis 1997). Emerging out of studies of the cultural dimension of the Cold War, the “religious Cold War” has become a subject of focus for scholars in the past two decades. Dianne Kirby, a professor of history at the University of Ulster, is the primary voice in the literature surrounding religion and the Cold War. Kirby argues that ideology, specifically the religious component, is key to comprehending “perceptions of and responses to the Soviet Union,” beyond the traditional realist lens of analysis, which relies on geopolitical considerations (Kirby, 2003). Religion’s revival in America, the use of religion to frame Communism as a great evil, and U.S. leaders’ reliance on appeals to religion form an encompassing picture of the religious Cold War. In political science literature, religion, if discussed at all, often becomes a black-box term entwined with ideas of belief, culture, and faith. Mike Grimshaw, a professor of sociology for the University of Canterbury, acknowledges the difficulty of defining religion and suggests that attempting to isolate it from culture “reduces religion to a sectarian identity and role” (2011). Religion at its core is a component of cultural identity which binds individuals possessing similar sets of beliefs to one another, contributing to the establishment of a sect, or more broadly, a rudimentary form of community. French sociologist...
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...In 1953 Guatemala was in the midst of having democracy, when the CIA came and took it all away just like they had to Iran. President Eisenhower, John Foster Dulles and Allen Dulles came to the conclusion that the democratic government is actually Communist, therefore they must shut it down. Guillermo Toriello, the Guatemalan Foreign Minister could not understand how the Unites States was categorizing Guatemala as a communist country so he came up with his own thesis. Guillermo Toriello quotes “The United States was categorizing “as ‘communism’ every manifestation of nationalism or economic independence, and desire for social progress, any intellectual curiosity, and any interest in progressive liberal reform” (Killing Hope 73) This is what...
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...Thomas More’s Utopia is a work of ambiguous dualities that forces the reader to question More’s real view on the concept of a utopian society. However, evidence throughout the novel suggests that More did intend Utopia to be the “best state of the commonwealth.” The detailed description of Utopia acts as Mores mode of expressing his humanistic views, commenting on the fundamentals of human nature and the importance of reason and natural law, while gracefully combining the two seemingly conflicting ideals of communism and liberalism. The presence of satirical irony and contradiction clearly defines Utopia as an unobtainable goal, though goal that all societies must pursue nonetheless. In essence, Utopia is a written manifestation of More’s humanist beliefs. Many of these views are vicariously present in the character of Raphael Hythloday. For example, Hythloday comments on the unwillingness of Kings to take advice from others, claiming they are “drenched as they are and infected with false values from boyhood and on” (More, 2011, p. 28). The idea of “infection” implies that a man is not naturally corrupt or sinful, but rather pure at heart and simply influenced by the environment an individual is exposed to. This is a key humanist concept, which suggests that human nature is malleable and inconstant, and therefore can be positively influenced to do good. Raphael later states, “Pride is too deeply fixed in human nature to be easily plucked out” (More, 2011, p. 98) Though this...
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...rHow Does US Popular Culture Present the Communist Threat? United States pop culture instigated identification with the anti-Communist cause through presenting Communism as an affront to the American dream, the Catholic church, and the patriarchal order. This conservative bent exemplifies how the dominant values represent a return to the conservative values of the past. By advocating conservative values, pop culture retreated from the more anarchistic dominant genres of the 1940s, the film noir and the family melodrama: two genres that explored the breakdown of the patriarchal order. In lieu of the noir and melodrama, pop culture, especially television, “offered a bland menu of quiz shows and westerns during the late 1950s, [in which] McCarthy-era anxieties clearly played a role” (84). Not only was the Communist threat presented as a threat to the American dream, but the way in which it was presented represents the antithesis of the stability of the American dream: Communists are framed as dangerous because they are passable as ordinary people and moreover, because they control the systems of technology: science, mass transportation, and mass media. Thus, in order to overthrow the Communist threat, films such as Red Planet Mars (1952) and television shows such as “I Led 3 Lives” filter the American anti-Communist effort through the defeat of Communist-controlled technology and the restoration of the conservative American Dream. Both Red Planet Mars and “I Led 3 Lives” portray...
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...“Explore the ideas of Karl Marx, discussing his theories and views toward capitalism. Discuss how these matters compare to modern day economic conditions, and consider the ethical and sustainability matters that are raised for today's managers.” Karl Marx; an economist, sociologist, revolutionary and historian, whose theories continue to influence economic thought for managers today. Karl Heinrich Marx (May 5,1818 – March 14, 1883) put forth many theories with regards to economics, politics and society that established the base on which Marxism was formed. His critique of the philosophies of other theorists and critical analysis of capitalism has influenced economic perception, and contributed largely toward the current understanding of capital and labour and the relationship that exists. In Karl Marx’s criticism of capitalism, he discussed many social matters such as ‘alienation’, the dominance by the ‘bourgeoisie’ over the ‘proletariat’; issues with regard to labour, such as the de-skilling and dehumanisation of workers as technological advances came about and capitalists strived to maximise ‘surplus value’ through the ‘exploitation’ of human labour. Although times have changed and this type of work environment is not as common, it is still an ever present situation in places such as China and India where cheap labour is employed to maximise the return for those in ‘control’. Advancements in technology continue, to the extent where the duties of workers can be performed...
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...the indigenous Miskito population and English-speaking populations of the Atlantic Coast region, who were politically and commercially oriented toward England and the United States, and conservative rural populations who, as Christians, thought the political content of the Sandinista revolution was too closely associated with atheistic communism. Bugajski argues that the Literacy Crusade enabled the Sandinistas to spread their political control to the most remote rural areas behind the “façade of a progressive humanitarian crusade”. As a development program, the literacy crusade sought to free the illiterate population from their ignorance and provide them with the means to pursue an education and set them on the path towards reaching the standard of living enjoyed by the literate population. To the Sandinistas the illiteracy rate that plagued the country was an outcome of the Somoza dictatorship which had kept the far too much of the population ignorant. The lack of educational facilities, along with other amenities – including electricity, running water, transportation and communication networks, and basic health services – was a manifestation of the exclusion of the rural populations, as well as the urban working class, from the societal decision making that would allocate greater resources to them. Extending education to these groups represented a conferral of citizenship rights. The literacy campaign was a way of integrating the rural and urban poor with the middle and lower-middle...
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...Norms of Morality Prof. Fernandino J. Pancho Definition •Norms of morality ◦is the criteria of judgment about the sorts of person we ought to be and the sorts of action we ought to perform. ◦the quality of things manifesting their conformity or non-coformity with the norm or criteria. (that which conforms is good or moral, that which do not conform is evil or immoral) ◦The subjective norm of morality – Conscience ◦The objective norm of morality – Law (natural) •Both natural law and conscience are rooted on Eternal Law, the ultimate norm, thus, there is only one norm. Loading... Conscience •The subjective/proximate norm of morality. ◦It is proximate because it is what directly confronts an action as good or bad. •Function: to examine/investigate, to judge, to pass punishment on our moral actions. ◦It approves & commends; reproaches & condemns; forbids & commands; accuses & absolves. •Synderesis – it is the quality by which man naturally perceives the truth of the self-evident principles of the moral order. Conscience - definition •Derived from the Latin words “con” plus “scientia” which means “with knowledge” of what is right or wrong or “trial of oneslf” both in accusation and in defense. •It is the “inner or little voice of God in man” crying out man’s moral obligations and telling him what to do and what to avoid in the moral order. •It is an act of the practical judgment of reason deciding upon an individual...
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...The Truman Doctrine [Student’s Name] [Name of Institution] [Date] The Truman Doctrine Introduction The fall of the Soviet empire has presented various political and economic opportunities and threats to the world, for these reasons it’s considered one of the major events taking place since the Second World War. The Soviet fall besides various internal factors has been facilitated by US and Western counter parts to attempt to contain further Communism. The Truman doctrine was a US strategy to halt expansion of Soviet Union in the course of the Cold War. In this doctrine the then US President Harry S. Truman vowed to contain the spread of communism in the world particularly in Europe. This doctrine encouraged the US to back every country with both economic and military assistance if the Soviet Union or communism threats its stability. The aim of this paper is to review The Truman Doctrine was one of the significant historical approaches deployed between 1945 and 2008 that has had both negative and positive outcomes for the world. Historical Background In order to analyze the Truman doctrine and its different elements, it is necessary to consider the complex historical context in which it originated, and one that explains how a president such as Harry Truman, laid the foundations seated on the principles of the emerging American political realism after the Second World War (Bostdorff, 2008). The creation of international organizations like the UN itself and its Security...
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... Religion raises a moral question of rights: to what extent are we justified in contending that a religion founded on lies like Bokononism is a good thing? I think that major religions like Bokononism, with clear hierarchies are equally valid and are relatively benign breeds of religion. However, when religions become highly politicized, highly radicalized and highly corrupt, its goodness and meaningfulness are compromised. However, I also believe that this can generally exist with any system. As a power hierarchy, religion has a tendency to make people ready to accept dogma, but so does a government. Some manifestations of forms of government like the governmental structure of San Lorenzo can be monstrous, without making it explicit. For instance, while highly socialized systems of government have been increasingly beneficial for nordic states, extreme forms of communism were also used to justify genocide and the opportune redistribution of wealth in favor of those in power. This is not a fault of socialism, but a fault of corrupt, power hungry people in the upper echelons who used the power of politics to power to that effect. Religion can be rationalized through the method demonstrated, one that presupposes a belief the moral agency of humans and their respective power structures. It can also be rationalized through reducing it to a moral system. As a result, I do believe that even a religion founded on lies like Bokononism can be benign for instilling the beacon of hope...
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...able to explain the marxist concept of ideology p.6: First, ideology is about delusion and mystification: it perpetrates a false or mistaken view of the word, what Engels later referred to as 'false consciousness'. Second, ideology is linked to the class system. Marx believed that the distortion implicit in ideology stems from the fact that it reflects the interests and perspective on society of the ruling class. The ruling class is unwilling to recognize itself as an oppressor and, equally, is anxious to reconcile the oppressed to their oppression. Liberalism, which portrays rights that can only be exercised by the propertied and privileged as universal entitlements, is therefore the classic example of ideology. Third, ideology is a manifestation of power. In concealing the contradictions upon which capitalism, in common with all class societies, is based, ideology serves to hide from the exploited proletariat the fact of its own exploitation, thereby upholding a system of unequal class power. Finally, Marx treated ideology as a temporary phenomenon. Ideology will only continue so long as the class system that generates it survives. The proletariat, the 'grave digger' of capitalism – is destined not to establish another form of class society,...
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...himAnarchism Core themes: against the state Prefer a stateless society in which individuals manage their affairs by voluntary agreement. However it is based upon the assumption that human beings are moral creatures, instinctively drawn to freedom and autonomy. Therefore its efforts have been directed more towards awakening moral instincts rather than analysing the system of state oppression. Anarchism has a dual character as it overlaps with both socialism and liberalism because of their end goals of a stateless society. It can therefore be interpreted as ultra-liberalism or ultra-socialism. Anarchist supporters are united by a belief in anti-statism, utopianism, anti-clericalism and economic freedom. Anti-statism; * Authority is an offence against the principles of freedom and equality whilst oppressing and limiting human life. * Endorses absolute freedom and unrestrained political equality * Authority damages and corrupts those who are subject to it and those who hold it. * Since humans are free and autonomous creatures, to be subject to authority is to be diminished * To be in authority is to acquire an appetite for control and domination * The state is a sovereign body that exercises supreme power over individuals. It is unlimited and restricts behaviour, thinking, activity and economic life. * The state is compulsory and individuals are subject to it because of where they are born. * The state is a coercive body whose laws are backed...
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