No matter an individual’s political stance Americans are noticing the United States isn’t as united as it used to be. Chaos and controversy now run through this country as blood runs through our veins, and our government is the cause of this. Our democracy is steadily becoming a totalitarian rule.
Imagine the United States as a country with a political system where the government has control over all aspects of a citizen’s life. Including the economy, education, media, beliefs, and behaviors. This system will repress individual freedom and human rights which can result in the suffering of a population. Now stop imagining and look at the reality of this situation.
“The difference between a totalitarian and a dictator, as I understand, is: a dictator tells you what he wants and he’ll kill you if you don’t do it. But totalitarianism means it gets into the totality of your life,” Jonathan Haidt, an American social psychologist, pursues, “We are going to control how you raise your kids, what you think, what food you eat, the science. Everything, control everything.”
During the First and Second World Wars, the United States would use propaganda to influence people’s opinions and promote our country’s fight in hopes citizens would contribute. The Second World War ended on September 2nd, 1945, yet our government continues to use propaganda. This time, the purpose isn’t for citizens to contribute to war but so the citizens remain under the government’s grasp. This issue is one of the first signs of totalitarianism.
Mary Erickson, a former public school teacher, claims, “Propaganda is a means by which others teach you what to think rather than how to think. Propaganda is a means by which others “tell” you or “persuade” you into believing what they want you to believe rather than allowing you to decide on your own. If you want to be easily manipulated, because you can’t understand or identify propaganda, remain ignorant of propaganda techniques.”
Propaganda infiltrates our lives through media, newspapers, and articles on an almost daily basis. However, most citizens fail to recognize the dismissive behavior directed towards other countries, politicians, and rulers. A thorough examination of this behavior reveals its constant and direct impact on our society.
“I remember when I was a kid in school listening to my history teacher brag that America did not use propaganda. Stalin’s Russia did, Hitler’s Germany did, but America was above all that. Unfortunately, the United States has become everything we hated the most in our enemies. We use propaganda, we must carry I.D. at all times, we are fighting for our right to freedom of speech, the right to defend ourselves, our right to privacy, etcetera. What happened? Why did we become the enemy,” Erickson expressed.
When consuming news, Americans expect the truth, but we are often exposed to subtle propaganda and white lies that manipulate us into believing they are the truth. This can be attributed, in part, to media bias. Media bias is defined as “journalists or news organizations allowing their own opinions to affect the news that they report and the way they report it.” according to Metropolitan Community College.
Media used to be a safe source of information that would deliver data to shape public awareness and uncover social, political, and economic news. Except recently, the media has begun revolving around higher officials. TitleMax, an American title lending business, explains, approximately fifteen billionaires and six corporations own the majority of media outlets in America. Take, for example, billionaires like Rupert Murdoch and Michael Bloomberg made their fortunes through the news business. Then, you have people like Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, who purchased publications like The Washington Post after growing a fortune in another industry. The information media provides is gathered, composed, revised, and distributed by people who advocate for higher taxes for lower and middle class citizens than for themselves.
What does that say about the information you retain from the news?
“Billionaires own part or all of America’s influential national newspapers, including The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, and the New York Times, in addition to magazines, local papers, and online publications,” former staff of Forbes, Kate Vinton, said.
When citizens stop having the desire to know the truth then they begin to believe statements filled with lies. People may feel they have a reason to believe these statements because they serve their beliefs.
Rod Dreher an American writer expressed.
“It’s not the truth but it fits the ideology.”
In simple terms, Dreher means that although the statement or information being presented may be false or misleading, it still supports the broader principles or ideas held by a particular group or individual.
Beyond media manipulation, the government’s actions have resulted in the violation of numerous human rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) adopted by the United Nations in 1948. Incidents of human rights violations have increased significantly in the United States in recent years.
The UDHR contains fundamental human rights that are automatically inherited by every person globally. These rights include the Right to Privacy, Equality Before the Law, No Discrimination, and All Humans are Free.
After the devastating Nashville school shooting on March 27th, 2023, gun control advocates gathered at the state capitol on March 30th, before 8 a.m. The Tennessee House GOP expelled two of three Democrat representatives for participating in this gun control protest. Rep. Justin Jones and Rep. Justin Pearson, who both were black, were expelled. Gloria Johnson, who also participated in the protest, is a 60-year-old white woman who didn’t get removed. She believed that the votes were racist and that both Pearson and Jones were questioned by lawmakers in a “demeaning way.” After chaos and rage escalated between citizens, Pearson and Jones were then both reinstated.
The situation in general is a violation of human rights, and specifically to all humans being free and equal. The people who voted to have Pearson and Jones expelled did not, in fact, act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
“The USA re-engaged with international human rights institutions when it was reviewed by the UN CERD Committee for the first time since 2014.” Amnesty International said.
With that, the USA is lacking in addressing several issues like sexual and reproductive rights. In June 2023, the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade which allowed US states to ban access to abortion. The US also lacks in addressing LGBTQI+ individuals’ rights, Freedom of Assembly, Excessive Use of Force, and more. How long are citizens going to allow this? The government controls us as if we are their puppets.
In the United States, students must attend primary and secondary education until they graduate and earn a diploma. In certain states, education is compulsory until a child reaches the age of sixteen. Teachers are obliged to adhere to and teach a curriculum established by authorities. Consequently, our learning is confined to what the government deems necessary for us to know.
Our school systems mandate students to acquire historical knowledge, yet the perspective we are taught is primarily from an American viewpoint. For instance, Christopher Columbus is often portrayed as the founding father of the United States. However, the reality is that he arrived in the United States and played a role in the tragic genocide of indigenous populations to claim the vast lands. Despite this historical truth, our education system has not fully evolved, and I believe it might be intentional to keep us in the shadows, presenting America as superior to other nations.
Our education system should encourage students to explore and learn from diverse perspectives, but instead it often imposes a closed-minded viewpoint, shaping citizens’ opinions and beliefs.
American education is biased and degrading toward other countries. Take, for example, in history class students learn that Communism is a negative solution even though they aren’t taught the correct definition. A writer from Investopedia named James Chen constructed a definition for communism.
“Communism is an economic ideology that advocates for a classless society in which all property and wealth are communally owned, instead of by individuals.”
Personally, I wouldn’t suggest it to countries with large populations due to various complexities. Although small countries like North Korea, Laos, and Cuba are all examples of communist countries, they represent more of a dictatorship than a true communist state as previously defined. As of July 16, 2023, North Korea’s population was 26.1 million people, Laos had a population of 7.6 million people, and Cuba’s population stood at 11.1 million people. To illustrate the vast size of the United States in comparison to these three countries, the population of the United States stands at approximately 338 million people.
Although switching government designs may not be the answer to the problems the United States currently face, we need to strive to be better.
In this critical moment, we must envision a future where independence and freedom become more than mere dreams. The government’s increasing control over our economy, education, media, beliefs, and behaviors is pushing America towards the clutches of totalitarian rule.
Awareness is our key to safeguarding our freedom before it’s too late. As citizens, we must stay informed, challenge propaganda, protect human rights, and foster an inclusive education system that encourages open-mindedness and critical thinking. Only then can we preserve the values that make America truly united and free.
