To what extent do historical authoritarian strategies employed in European contexts parallel contemporary governmental methodologies aimed at marginalizing minority groups, specifically focusing on the African American community in the United States, and how do these shared patterns shape societal and political frameworks? This question probes the project on the existing linkages between historical authoritarianism and modern strategies of the government to segregate minority groups, mainly focusing on African Americans in the US. This dimension bears profound relevance in present political dialogue, using one framework to observe how the cycles of domination and constraint continuously reshape the social and political order. The exploration depicts the enduring legacy of authoritarianism and links the power structure of historical times to the nuanced ways it is exercised in the modern world. Consequentially, it plays a vital role in unveiling societal injustices, and to achieve social justice and equity, the inquiry serves as a critical tool.
One key thing to remember is that historical context is critical in understanding power relations in modern reality. Lauren Derby’s seminal work on the Trujillo regime in the Dominican Republic is meticulously documented in “The Dictator’s Seduction: The paper “Politics and the Popular Imagination in the Era of Trujillo” (Derby and Duke University, 2009). Authors such as Derby hint at the strategies the old anti-democratic regimes used in manipulating public opinion. This style has had its approximation in new political tactics coming in as contemporary. The critical component of the narratives in modern American politics, especially the election campaigns, is the targeted elimination of a given group, e.g., the African-Americans. Their magnetism for exerting influence and control was remembered in the same way in the past. Through this process, the historical roots become understandable, thus having an in-depth understanding of the present course plot that connects with the previous techniques of repression and containment. By such clarification, the eternal knot of authoritarianism and its significant place in modern power distribution is brought to light. So, the role of the excluded and oppressed people in it is made evident.
Secondly, Steven Feldstein’s comprehensive examination of digital repression in “The Rise of Digital Repression: “Technology, Power, and Antagonism: How Technology is Generating a New Situation about Power, politics, and Opposition” indicates that technology is critical in modern phenomena of oppression. Historically, when governments needed to control free speech, they usually implemented censorship and restrictions in their resource-oriented communication networks. More advanced today’s digital world is filled with surveillance technologies and social media platforms that provide the tools for the government to oppress free speech. Through this technological evolution, historical processes used in the past by oppressive regimes will be further reiterated as a natural phenomenon that is just subjected to new methods to gain continuity. So, with these technological tools accessible to the government, the majority population is further oppressed, and their ability to organize, interact, and demand their rights will be significantly limited. The curtailment of digital spaces decreases avenues for dissent and activism and worsens those that they are experiencing. Consequently, technological reformations perpetuate power inequities and embody new challenges to the struggle for equality and social justice.
Moreover, Masha Gessen’s in-depth analysis of the resurgence of totalitarianism in Russia, outlined in “The Future Is History: The Works of Timothy Snyder “On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century” and “Curtailed by the State: Competing Authoritarianism Across Regions” by Steven Levitsky and Lucan A(Masha Gessen, 2018). Within the scope of their comparative perspective as to the direction of global authoritarian regimes, these systems penetrate different areas across the world, the systematic study of the pain and suffering of the oppressed people, such as the situation for example of the African Americans minority population in America result in a discovery of the reoccurring trends which makes clear the fact of oppression and resistance. Through such a lens, the story of the revolt against totalitarian rule acquires its universal validity, emphasizing the meaning of solidarity among subjugated people in their war with the oppressive system. The findings of these studies suggest that the leadership style is indeed authoritarian from diverse directions. It still bears the face of tyranny with similar resistance, and the more united common action, the better for the defense of democratic values and the respect of human rights on global issues.
Additionally, Kevin Passmore’s exploration of fascism in “Fascism: Amid these, the book titled “A Very Short Introduction” by Melanie J. Armstrong and Syria’s Studies by Lisa Wedeen offer relevant background and context into the notion of authoritarianism and the various ideological and symbolic aspects associated with it. The book examines the fundamental doctrines and ideas of fascism that drive the enforcement of censorship and silencing the footnote among the majority.
Authoritarian states, be they fascist, totalitarian, or otherwise, are known to be characterized by patriarchal beliefs and ethnocentrism. These belief systems form an organizational structure where certain groups are put on top while the rest are condemned to a supposed subordinate position or oppression. Authoritarian governments strive for a common identity and solidarity that help them legitimize their rule and muzzle opposition. Moreover, they may also have symbolic representation, such as national flags, anthems, and slogans used to ensure the government and propagate amongst the people.
Moreover, the US government sponsors the documentary, called “Superpower”, which is an attempt to stir controversy. The authoritarian regimes are more oppressive and repressive than their democratic counterparts, further supporting the idea of censorship and propaganda as the authoritarian regimes’ tools of power. Propaganda structures sectarianism, exclusionism, and segmentation as is widely recognized. By taking away from people the right to act out what they think and controlling how people get their information and stories. Distorting them in their favor, governments are suppressing dissent by way of censorship, and consequently, a cycle of oppression and loyalty is being continued and preserved.
Finally, the question raised provided a complete picture of the resemblance between the methods used in the past authoritarian regimes and modern government techniques of discrimination, which interests a particular group in front, mainly African Americans in the USA. Reading a varied collection of readings covering several contexts in the past can better understand the recurring patterns of oppression and resistance that link historical past and present-day realities. As a result of this study, we can understand why authoritarian regimes keep the masses oppressed and tightly controlled and focus on the disassembly of such systems of subordination and inequality simultaneously.
References
Derby, L., & Duke University. (2009). The dictator’s seduction: politics and the popular imagination in the Era of Trujillo. Duke University Press.
Masha Gessen. (2018). The future is the history of how totalitarianism reclaimed Russia. New York Riverhead.
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