(Wikipedia) Totalitarianism is a form of government and a political system that prohibits all opposition parties, outlaws individual and group opposition to the state and its claims, and exercises an extremely high if not complete degree of control and regulation over public and private life. It is regarded as the most extreme and complete form of authoritarianism.

  • frankPodmore@slrpnk.net
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    1 year ago

    I can imagine an alternative, but the reality is that such an alternative has never arisen.

    The imaginary ‘good’ version of totalitarianism, I assume, is one where there’s a ‘good’ dictator who is also so intelligent they’re able to run everything very efficiently, where everyone enjoys or at least accepts the dictatorship because everything gets better for everyone. But that’s a very odd utopian daydream. In reality, being a dictator and being good are mutually incompatible.

    EDIT: Read this back and realised I’m describing the plot of Red Son!

    • dope@lemm.eeOP
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      1 year ago

      Not looking for a good totalitarianism. Looking for a thing that is good about totalitarianism.

      One example that has been offered in this thread is, “decisions can be made fast”.

      • frankPodmore@slrpnk.net
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        1 year ago

        There aren’t any, because if there were, there would be good totalitarianisms.

        I partially addressed the ‘fast decisions’ myth above in my comments about efficiency and in more detail here.