Democracy versus Totalitarianism

Which is Better, Democracy or Totalitarianism? Zain Ali WRI 102 Mr. Zytoskee 9th April 2013

Democracy versus Totalitarianism Advantages of Totalitarianism Totalitarianism is a form of government which exercises on control by one supreme leader. This supreme leader has the right to make any decision which he or she feels is good for the country. As the name suggests, it is based on total control by an undisputed and

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Comment [A1]: How about The Benefits of a Totalitarian Rule? Formatted: Space After: 0 pt

Comment [A2]: How about beneficial instead of good??

unquestionable leader. Totalitarianism, by definition, seems a very harsh form of government where it is believed that the people have no freedom and are slaves to the government. The concept of freedom is what drives the people to choose democracy instead of tTotalitarianism. The truth is democracy does not grant people freedom, only the law can do that. Totalitarian rule is also based on equality where everyone is equal in terms of wealth and social status. This is one of the beauties of a totalitarian rule because when everyone is equal, negative behaviour such as jealousy, hatred, greed and the concept of corruption is eliminated from the society. Totalitarianism is a much better form of government compared to democracy because it is based on the idea of equality and decisions are made much faster in a totalitarian government then a democratic one. People may argue that tTotalitarianism does not allow people to choose for them as all the decisions are made by the government, whereas the situation is adverse in a democratic rule. This may be true, but democracy also has many restrictions to it as well. America is known for having blocked websites like YouTube and Facebook many times whenever they saw fit. Democracy has rules similar to the jungle, which is to eat or be eaten. The poor remain poor and the rich are getting richer. Murder and greed prevails in a democratic government. Ibn Khaldun once wrote that humans would start living like animals unless controlled by a supreme authority (as cited in New York, 1964). Equality in a totalitarian government removes these negative attitudes since everyone is equal and no one has power over the other.
Comment [A3]: Good!! =)

Comment [A4]: I think it would be good if you mention here whether America has a totalitarian a democratic rule.

Comment [A5]: Very good! I like the comparison. =)

Comment [A6]: Write Ibn Khaldun, a famous sociologist/philosopher, (whatever he you want t write) to give an idea of who he was. =) Comment [A7]: Not New York, you should write the last name of the author.

Democracy versus Totalitarianism Ancient Greek and Roman civilizations also adopted a totalitarian rule. These civilizations lasted longer and were more successful than any democratic government. Progress happens much faster in a totalitarian government than in a democratic one. The US health bill is an excellent example of a democratic crisis. It took months before the bill was actually passed by Barack Obama on the 21st of March 2010 (Time, 2010). If this decision was a matter of life and death, it would have been a lost cause. In a totalitarian government, this decision would have been made in a matter of seconds. China is an excellent example of a developing country which is under a totalitarian rule. Statistics show that Chinas Gross Domestic product is 7298.097 billion US dollars. whereas India, which is a democratic country, has a GDP of 1847.982 (Trading Economics, 2013). When these results are compared Chinas GDP exceeds Indias by three hundred and ninety five percent. Both developing countries have a similar population with China inching ahead of India and both are developing countries. This shows that in a totalitarian rule such as Chinas the people

Comment [A8]: I added than in a democratic one because the sentence seemed too short. =P

Comment [A9]: Again, write the last name of author/reporter.

Comment [A10]: Last name of author here. =)

work like brothers and sisters for the betterment of their country, whereas in India, which has a democratic system, people are at war with each other, crime rates are increasing by twenty five percent each year (Zee News, 2011) and less progress is being made. People are too busy with their own problems tothat they do not have the time to think about their countries future. A new concept which has evolved over time is Soft Totalitarianism. This form of government is evident in countries like tThe United Arab Emirates. This government is similar to totalitarian governments but people in these countries are not exactly equal in terms of wealth like in a totalitarian rule, and the situation is not similar to a democratic rule where the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. A supreme leader still exists who makes the decisions, but this decision is first consulted with the leaders advisors before being passed, this is to ensure that the decision favours everyone and helps in the development of the
Comment [A11]: Last name of reporter. =)

Democracy versus Totalitarianism country. United Arab Emirates is also a very successful country with a low population compared to other countries and their balance of payments is a surplus. It has grown from an area of sand dunes to be the home of the worlds tallest building, biggest mall and other

astonishing feats in a matter of forty-one years, which are extremely difficult for countries the size of UAE in a matter of forty one years. It is also one of the top tourist destinations according to Booking.com chief executive (UAE Interact, 2013). The speed of decision making and the concept of equality which removes jealousy, crime and other behaviours which might cause chaos are just some reasons why totalitarianism is better than democracy. The new concept of Soft Totalitarianism has proved to be far more successful than democracy and the UAE is proof of that. John Adams once said: Democracy... while it lasts is more bloody than either aristocracy or monarchy. Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There is never a democracy that did not commit suicide. (1814).
Comment [A12]: Last name of author.

Comment [A13]: How about negative attitud

Comment [A14]: I think it would be more effective if you add one or two more countries he

Comment [A15]: I like your ending. But try to add one or two more sentences to make it a bit longer. Good work! =)

Reference http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1973989,00.html http://www.tradingeconomics.com/china/gdp http://www.uaeinteract.com/news/default3.asp?ID=20 http://www.tradingeconomics.com/india/gdp http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/democracy.html

KRITZECK, J (1964) Anthology of Islamic Literature, from the rise of Islam to modern times. New York,

Democracy versus Totalitarianism 1964. Cf. pp. 274-84.