Sheldon Wolin - Inverted Totalitarianism - Corporate State

ꕤ Article SOURCE http://www.commondreams.org/views/2015/11/02/sheldon-wolin-and-inverted-totalitarianism Article by Chris Hedges Summary Sheldon Wolin US political theorist / academic d. 2015 America:  'Inverted totalitarianism' + other More  Sheldon Wolin US  political theorist Prof. politics Princeton (1973 to 1987) + other posts - 40 years https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheldon_Wolin Wolin books: >> 'Democracy Incorporated: Managed Democracy & the Spectre of Inverted Totalitarianism' >> 'Politics & Vision' Wolin discusses: 1. Bankrupt democracy. 2. Decline US Empire. 3. Rise: corporate power  -- ie “inverted totalitarianism” Ahead of his time: Sheldon Wolin / theorising: heavy statism forging --> neoliberalism / centralized govt control re economic planning &  policy Wolin: statism --> neoliberalism -->  fusions of economic with political power -->  poisoning democracy at its root Wolin last book: 'Democracy Incorporated' -- details American peculiar form of corporate totalitarianism. Wolin: “Democracy Incorporated” / US corp. totalitarianism No USA  institutions can be accurately be described as democratic Wolin #USA undemocratic: --> highly managed national institutions --> money-saturated elections Wolin #USA undemocratic: -> lobby-infested Congress -> imperial presidency -> class-biased judicial + penal system -> media Sheldon Wolin: 'Inverted totalitarianism' -->  is different from classical forms of totalitarianism. Sheldon Wolin: 'Inverted totalitarianism' = within:   faceless anonymity of corporate state NO demagogue or charismatic leader Wolin: American 'Inverted totalitarianism' effectively seized all mechanisms of power to render citizen impotent 1/3 Wolin: 'Inverted totalitarianism' seized all mechanisms of power: outward façade of: electoral politics Constitution 2/3 'Inverted totalitarianism' seized mech. power: civil liberties freedom of press independence of judiciary iconography 3/3 Wolin: 'Inverted totalitarianism' seized all mechanisms of power --> traditions language of US patriotism Wolin: 'Inverted totalitarianism' Corporates --> effectively seized all mechanisms of power -->  to render citizen impotent Hitler's NSDAP (Nazi) govt -> life uncertain for wealthy + privileged -> providing social programs for working class & poor 1/ Unlike NSDAP (Nazi), inverted totalitarianism exploits the poor  ... 2 2/3 Unlike NSDAP (Nazi) totalitarianism, inverted totalitarianism reduces or weakens health programs + social services 3/4 Unlike NSDAP (Nazi) totalitarianism, inverted totalitarianism regiments mass education for insecure workforce 3/4 Unlike NSDAP (Nazi) totalitarianism, inverted totalitarianism *threatens working class --> importation of low-wage workers Sheldon Wolin: 'Inverted totalitarianism' working in high-tech, volatile & globalised economy as precarious as the Depression Sheldon Wolin: 'Inverted totalitarianism' projects power upwards --> antithesis of constitutional power Sheldon Wolin: 'Inverted totalitarianism' projects power upwards to create instability =  citizenry off balance & passive Sheldon Wolin: 'Inverted totalitarianism' rational system economy of fear / feeds uncertainty Wolin: 'inverted totalitarianism' --> perpetuates politics all time endless extravagant show elections politics w/out politics Wolin: 'inverted totalitarianism' 'Citizen' is NOT participating in power --> is invited to have ‘opinions’ Wolin: 'inverted totalitarianism' 'Citizen' opinions: --> are measurable responses to questions pre-designed to elicit them. Wolin: 'inverted totalitarianism' political campaigns rarely re real issues --> focus political personalities, empty rhetoric, PR Wolin: 'inverted totalitarianism' Money has effectively replaced the vote --> citizen of US Empire irrelevant spectator. Wolin: 'inverted totalitarianism' IMPOTENT CITIZEN --> permitted empty vote & forgotten once election carnival over. Wolin inverted totalitarianism elections serve up pliant legislators for lobbyists to shape misrepresentative or clientry govt Wolin: inverted totalitarianism elections --> produce lobbyists' puppets = depoliticisation of citizenry = antidemocracy system Wolin inverted totalitarianism: --> public is DENIED use of state power trivialization discourse = corp. power - UNCHALLENGED Wolin inverted totalitarianism: trivialization discourse =  tactic: fragmentation, emotions, antagonism --> corp. unchallenged Wolin inverted totalitarianism: Cultural Wars --> NOT strong political involvements Cultural Wars = SUBSTITUTE Wolin inverted totalitarianism: Cultural Wars --> POLITICS OF THE INCONSEQUENTIAL / substitute exploited by MEDIA & politics Wolin inverted totalitarianism: Cultural Wars --> DISTRACTS ATTENTION trivialization discourse --> corp. unchallenged Wolin inverted totalitarianism: Ruling groups --> tools to UNDERMINE PUBLIC COHESIVENESS =  public POLITICALLY INEFFECTIVE Wolin classic totalitarianism: economics subordinate to politics / inverted totalitarianism: ECONOMICS DOMINATES POLITICS Wolin inverted totalitarianism: POLITICS DOMINATED BY ECONOMICS --> in varying forms of ruthlessness Wolin inverted totalitarianism: POLITICS DOMINATED BY ECONOMICS -> USA showcase of MANAGED democracy (suppression not visible) Wolin inverted totalitarianism: corporate state --> legitimated by elections it controls Wolin inverted totalitarianism: corporate state Extinguishes democracy rewriting & distorting laws (once supported democracy) Wolin inverted totalitarianism: corporate state --> basic rights REVOKED --> by judicial & legislative fiat (sanction) corporate state Courts & legislative bodies, in the service of corporate power Wolin inverted totalitarianism: COURTS --> interpret laws to strengthen corporate control & abolish corporate oversight Wolin (Nazis negated constitution) BUT inverted totalitarianism: exploit porosity & legitimate power --> by law interpretation Wolin inverted totalitarianism eg. EXPLOITATION law --> HUGE contributions protected under 1st Amendment (speech) Wolin inverted totalitarianism HIJACKS 1st Amendment to treat HEAVILY FINANCED LOBBIES & CORPS. like PERSON petition govt. Wolin inverted totalitarianism harsh & violent control measures avoided AS LONG AS:  dissent remains ineffectual Wolin inverted totalitarianism elites -- especially ** intellectual class ** HAVE BEEN  BOUGHT OFF --> various methods - list Wolin inverted totalitarianism / intellectual class OWNED: *govt contracts *foundation funds *joint projects: uni. + corp. Wolin intellectual class OWNED: joint projects w/ wealthy donors intellectuals -->seamelessly integrated into corp. system Wolin inverted totalitarianism will become as brutal and violent as past totalitarian states if RIGHTS / privacy etc eroded Wolin inverted totalitarianism 'War on Terror' - pre-emptive / released re restraint --> PRESUMES STATE POWER CAN TURN INWARDS Wolin inverted totalitarianism -- claimed power domestically --  projected powers abroad --> measure NOT by CONSTITUTION Wolin inverted totalitarianism POWERS claimed not by measure of Constitution but by OFFICIALLY DEFINED 'terrorism' Wolin inverted totalitarianism = corporate state 'legally' harass & kill citizens with impunity --> eg police VIOLENCE / poor Wolin inverted totalitarianism *militarized police *wholesale surveillance *extra-judicial police killings for underclass Wolin inverted totalitarianism reality for underclass will BE reality for US ALL IF we begin to RESIST FUNNEL OF POWER UPWARD Wolin inverted totalitarianism / We are tolerated as citizens ONLY as we PARTICIPATE IN ILLUSION of PARTICIPATORY DEMOCRACY Wolin Corporate State inverted totalitarianism --> will eventually look like classic totalitarianism Wolin -- on African-American prison pop criminal justice -->strategy of political neutralisation + channel of instinctive racism Wolin Corp. monochromatic media pundits set agenda & parameters --> those changing context dismissed or labelled 'extremist' Wolin Corporate State inverted totalitarianism illusions disseminated  --> myth dominates decisions -->  DISASTER ON EMPIRE Wolin Myth cannot govern decisions in real world: ambiguity + stubborn facts abound --> disconnect between actors & reality ---------------------- ꕤ ---------------------- COMMENT Really enjoyed this article. Sheldon Wolin sounds like he was an interesting guy (died 2015). ꕤ