Sheldon Wolin and inverted totalitarianism.

I have just finished a long article in Truthdig by Chris Hedges that explains what has happened to our politics and nation. It is an older article so I include the link here:

https://www.truthdig.com/articles/sheldon-wolin-and-inverted-totalitaria...

This article should be required reading for every American. It describes our current state of affairs perfectly and succinctly. Here is a crucial paragraph:

Inverted totalitarianism is different from classical forms of totalitarianism. It does not find its expression in a demagogue or charismatic leader but in the faceless anonymity of the corporate state. Our inverted totalitarianism pays outward fealty to the facade of electoral politics, the Constitution, civil liberties, freedom of the press, the independence of the judiciary, and the iconography, traditions and language of American patriotism, but it has effectively seized all of the mechanisms of power to render the citizen impotent.

Because it describes the situation so well and thoroughly, I'm going to stop writing. I hope you will begin reading.

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detroitmechworks's picture

Sorry, just really scary to see the mirror of my own work showing up in articles.
The idea of the inverted pyramid as the centerpiece for how America Functions is a really jarring image which seems to show up again and again recently.

Edit: Reading through, I see that there are a lot of similarities to my thought process and this professors... I'm absolutely going to have to investigate this guy's theories more. Thanks for the article.

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I do not pretend I know what I do not know.

polkageist's picture

@detroitmechworks
Take comfort that you're in such good company. When I read this article it was as if I was listening to another version of my thoughts too. Wolin was far more erudite than I, so it was as if I had received an accolade. That is one of the privileges of being part of c99. You and the other people here see what is and are not distracted by the chatter around us. I look forward to your writings on this subject.

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-Greed is not a virtue.
-Socialism: the radical idea of sharing.
-Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.
John F. Kennedy, In a speech at the White House, 1962

Big Al's picture

Insert broken record here.

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Big Al's picture

@Big Al I shouldn't be so terse but it's difficult talking deep about what to do about the situation on line.

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polkageist's picture

@Big Al

Any difficulty you have is hard to see whenever I read what you have to post. As I said to Detroitmechworks, each of us brings our unique point-of-view to our common insights. I value this site highly because all of us bring sincerity, intelligence, and fairly unencumbered views to bear on our common interest. I don't post very much because so many of us say what I have to say before I get around to composing something. Thanks.

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-Greed is not a virtue.
-Socialism: the radical idea of sharing.
-Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.
John F. Kennedy, In a speech at the White House, 1962

travelerxxx's picture

For those who have never read Wolin, a great starting spot is his book: Democracy Incorporated: Managed Democracy and the Specter of Inverted Totalitarianism.

You won't regret buying a copy ... unless, perhaps, you purchase it from Bezos...

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GreyWolf's picture

@travelerxxx

Dowload page: Democracy Incorporated Managed Democracy & the Specter of Inverted Totalitarianism

Direct to download

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travelerxxx's picture