Abstract This paper traces the political life and views of Vaclav Havel, 1989 President of Czechoslovakia and President of the newly formed Czech Republic in 1993. The paper examines Havel's life-long struggle against classical dictatorship and analyzes his views on the subject in his work ?Power of the Powerless.? It looks at the terms classical dictatorship and post-totalitarian dictatorship and compares the two.
From the Paper "It superficially appears that both system types benefit from certain aspects of the system. In the case of a classical dictatorship, the strength of the system is might. Without use of force to suppress any opposition and open interpretation of law to determine crimes against the state, the dictator loses respect drawn mostly from a compromise of fear mixed with compliance. In the Post-Totalitarian system, centralization is the strengthening force. There is a State power structure to answer to and work with bureaucratically. The State is a sort of bastard mother or wet nurse who provides for her children while answering to their father world."
Abstract This paper explains that a dictator's abundance of power results in human rights violations, economic difficulties and an overall poor quality of life among the nation's citizens. The author points out that only 47% of all countries are considered free, which leaves 53% of the nations either partly free or not free at all translating into over three billion people being denied rights, justice and denied a chance at happiness. The paper describes the dictatorships in North Korea, Cuba, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Sudan, Vietnam, Turkmenistan, Burma and Zimbabwe. The paper includes an annotated bibliography.
From the Paper "No matter what method is used to come to power, the number of dictatorships has increased drastically since the early 19th century. Currently, Freedom House's extensive list of "not free" nations includes: Belarus, Burma, Cambodia, Chad, China, Congo, Cuba, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Laos, Libya, North Korea, and Pakistan. This, however, is only in addition to Qatar, Russia, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Thailand, Vietnam, and Zimbabwe, to only name the more popular few.These nations are infamous for having total control over their people and ways of life."
Abstract On 13 September 1923, General Miguel Primo de Rivera launched a successful and bloodless coup d'etat, beginning seven years of dictatorship in Spain. Primo de Rivera was a maladroit politician filled with the fervor of Spanish patriotism thought sufficient to navigate his dictatorship through the murky waters of politics. This paper will argue that the regime was more of a developmental dictatorship than one based in the usual fundamentals of autocracy. It concerns itself instead with describing the political realities in which the Primo de Rivera dictatorship was based, before moving on to discuss the objectives and achievements of the regime. The paper concludes by suggesting ways in which the dictatorship may have influenced the cataclysmic developments that drew the nation into Civil War less than a decade after the collapse of the Primo de Rivera regime.
Abstract An analysis of Stalinism, his dictatorship and personal style of leadership. The author examines the dictator's measures of leadership and their consequences on the social world.
From the Paper "One wonders what would possess a man to such extreme lengths of cruelty and severity. As Adam Ulam observes, "the poverty and harshness of Stalin's early life left indelible imprints on him. Quite early in life he became a crude, unsentimental, and mistrustful person, tormented by an inferiority complex and very ambitious. Always displaying contempt for the traditions of kinship and personal friendship, usually so important to Georgians"( Ulman 20)".
Abstract This paper examines the political theory of Niccolo Machiavelli. The author deals with his theory and writings on the use of dictators during war times and the citizens rights.
From the Paper "Niccolo Machiavelli's ideology toward popular government can be seen as him being against a democratic form of government. He says that dictatorship works best because ordinary people do not have the ability to govern themselves. A dictatorship is necessary because thee Prince is able to instill fear in the people the threat of punishment exists which makes it easier to govern. Dictatorship allows the Prince to decide what is in the best interests of its citizens. "Men love at their own free will, but fear at the will of the Prince"A wise Prince must rely on what is in his power and not on what is in the power of others.? (Mc Donald, 1986)"
Tags: discources, machiavelli, political, theory, dictatorship, power, govern
Analysis of the still-life paintings of contemporary Cuban artist Julio Larraz, which reflect the temperament and emotion of Cuban nationals under ruling dictatorships with vibrant color, profound symbolism and aesthetic grace and intensity.
1,625 words (approx. 6.5 pages), 3 sources, 2002, $ 52.95
Abstract The paper features an in-depth analysis of the still-life paintings of Cuban artist Julio Larraz, which combine deep symbolism and emotion in vibrantly colorful palettes and scenes infused with drama, humor and psychological references representing the perspective of Latin American life under oppressive dictatorship in the 20th century. Julio Larraz is a celebrated contemporary painter who began to exhibit his works in the U.S. after 1967: the paper closely examines a number of specific works produced during the 1980s. Julio Larraz is currently an active, prolific artist, exhibiting his works in the U.S. , Europe , and Latin America .
From the Paper ?Within his still-life paintings, Larraz achieves visual transmission of his sentiments through the handling and selective placement of the natural forms of everyday objects. The still-lifes feature objects derived primarily from nature such as vibrant fruits, flowers, and shells, usually placed within or upon a man-made vessel, pedestal, or table. Repetitive use of the containment of organic objects within such vessels in works such as Four Lobsters in a Tub (1984) and All Hands Aboard (1983) is reflective of Cuba's position in regard to U.S. "containment" policies of the Cold War era, isolation of Cuba as a Communist regime within a Latin American sphere striving to embrace democracy and develop free-market economies, the economic isolation imposed by the U.S. trade embargo of the 1960s, and the futile attempts to halt the continuous outflow of millions of Cubans to U.S. borders. Larraz also made reference to disguised elements within society in portrayals of baskets filled with a variety of colorful fruits, among which the viewer may glimpse such espionage hardware as a camera, his chosen instrument of exposure (The Spy Ship (1980) and Mango Boat (1986)).?
Abstract This paper examines one of the ways in which the Chilean armed forces have continued to exert power and influence in post-dictatorship Chile -through the National Security Council, a quasi-governmental institution given the role of convening to discuss threats to national security. This paper shows how, due to the failures of the council to engage in legitimate national security discourse as well as the symbolic nature of this tool of military intervention, it is in actuality a body that is not conducive to the furthering of unity, stability, and democracy within Chile.
From the Paper "Although the power and influence of the military has been diminished since the end of the Pinochet dictatorship in 1990, the Chilean armed forces nonetheless have managed to maintain a substantial political and civilian role in Chilean society after the transition back to democracy. One of the most important manifestations of this lingering power and influence has been the National Security Council, a near-perfect representation not only of the Chilean military's perpetual political ambitions but also of its fixation upon the notion of ?national security.? The symbolism of this institution has consequently cast the very existence of the National Security Council in the national spotlight, and it has been one of the most debated and controversial issues of contemporary Chilean politics, especially in the current administration of Socialist Ricardo Lagos. The negative consequences of a sustained opportunity for military involvement in civilian and political affairs, even on a seemingly small scale, such as exists with the National Security Council in its present form is not conducive to further democratic growth and unity in Chilean society. What this paper aims to do is identify the importance of the National Security Council in its implications on civilian-military relations, national unity, stability, and democracy, and to explain how it is an obstacle to these principles."
This paper looks at the two books: Rigoberta Menchu's "I, Rigoberta Menchu: An Indian Woman in Guatemala" and Beezley and Ewell's "The Human Tradition in Modern Latin America".
Abstract The paper claims that these two books read together give a full picture of the history of women who have refused to be silent and passive in the face of oppression from individuals or socioeconomic conditions or military dictatorships. The writer looks at examples from both books that illustrate this thesis.
From the Paper "Another significant feature of the Indian culture to which Menchu belongs is the belief that all children belong, in a sense, to the community. In other words, from their earliest memory, a child feels herself an intimate part of her culture, her surroundings, her community. This sense is deepened by the relationship of the child to the land and to nature (Burgos-Debray 7). A deep respect and love for her culture, for her people, for the land and for nature was instilled into Menchu at an early age. The people's religion is tied to nature through such aspects as the nahual (Burgos-Debray 18). In other words, religion to Menchu was not a separate aspect of life, any more than culture or economy or nature was something separate. When she later studied the Bible, she drew from its stories the same sense of connection with culture and ancestors that marked her own Indian culture (Burgos-Debray 131). These factors played a central role in her development as a committed leader of her people in Guatemala and later as an exile. She developed a sense of duty not only to the living but to those who had suffered and died."
Tags: military, dictatorship, culture, oppression, Indian
Abstract This paper examines how, during the French Revolution, Robespierre suppressed the people's freedom in order to assert his power over France and how by doing so, he excessively punished anyone who opposed his regime's rules and regulations, which ultimately led to his downfall as many people fought to save France from falling into the hands of an evil dictator. It attempts to explain how cruel Robespierre and his colleagues treated the people, as well as some of the people's responses to these treatments. It also looks at the fall of Robespierre and his government as many people rose up to fight against his tyrannical, totalitarian dictatorship.
From the Paper "Some people were so sensitive to seeing these unjust trials and punishments inflicted on their fellow citizens that, in some cases, they would both cry and plead for the victim's mercy. For instance, when at the initial Tribunal, the first victim who was summoned before the judge was condemned to death for emigration, many people were both shocked and horrified. No one could possibly have imagined that a man who had done no harm to anyone would be sent off to the guillotine. The thought of a man being condemned to death for something that was not considered a crime struck the citizens in the court room as cruel, shameful, and extremely unjust."
Tags: paris, republic, revolution, guillotine, louis, death
Abstract This paper examines the book, "Negotiating Democracy" by Gretchen Caspar and Michelle Taylor, which sketches the different phases of the conversion period of the democratization progression. It looks at how the book explains in depth how the present government and policy makers are attempting to substitute dictatorship by working together to establish the democratic governments and how the bulk population can affect the procedure.
Outline
Purpose of the Book
Theoretical Concern
The Concepts Used in the Book
Variables Used in the Book
Logical and Scientific Explanation
Strengths and Shortcomings of the Book
From the Paper "This book concentrates on two subjects: First, the book highlights the reasons behind certain states establishing democratic systems after a catastrophe pressures to end dictatorial administration, at the same time as others states or countries perceive a continuance of dictatorial administration. Second, the book highlights the reasons behind the development of contemporary democracies in the direction of consolidation, as, at the same time others either stop or breakdown. This book subsequently highlights the three likely results of the administration preference procedure: persistent dictatorial administration, conception of democracy, and strengthening the democratic system. The book demonstrates that there are separate paths for each of these results, and recognizes the ways by understanding the dialogue and discussions across the procedure."
Abstract This paper examines how many critics and theorists have speculated about the reasons behind fascism and the horror of the holocaust in Nazi Germany before and during the Second World War, how violence was prevalent, and how Hitler used it to alternately intimidate and incite his followers. It attempts to determine the roots of these causes by examining the historical and social context that made Germany so ripe for fascism and dictatorship by 1933.
Outline
Historical Context: The Weimar Republic
World War 1 and Political Upheaval
The Treaty of Versailles
The Economy
Hitler and the Socialist Workers? Party
The Golden Era
The Rise of Hitler and Fascism
Social Context: Functionalism
Structural Functionalism
Function
Structures
Interdependence
Equilibrium
Consensus
Conclusion
From the Paper "The German political structure in World War I (from 1916) had been subordinate to the military. At this time the country was an Empire, ruled by the Oberste Heeresleitung (OHL), or the Supreme Army Command. The Chief of Staff at this time was Paul von Hindenburg. At the end of the War the OHL installed a civil government for the benefit of the remainder of Germany after the war. The 1971 constitution was then amended. The Reich (Empire) had become a parliamentary democracy. The Parliament, or the Reichstag, instead of the Emperor, was now responsible for the political welfare of Germany. Such welfare was almost unattainable however, as the end of war meant returning soldiers. The fact that many of these soldiers were wounded both physically and psychologically brought chaos to the German society."
Abstract This paper discusses the phenomenon of state terrorism. The paper defines state terrorism as violence upon a national population committed by national governments or their proxies. The paper presents identifies internal state terrorism as forms of dictatorship and suppression of democracy. The connection between state terrorism and leaders is examined in the paper.
From the Paper "As such, we may associate state terrorism with two different manifestations: internal state terrorism, where the terror mechanisms are directed towards the population of the respective national state, and external state terrorism, when terror is used on foreign citizens in order to destabilize foreign regimes. I have emphasized this difference as it may appear that the role of the leader is somewhat different in these two cases. Indeed, if we refer to internal terrorism, the role of the leader is always central here. When we are referring to internal terrorism, we are generally referring to forms of dictatorship and suppression of democracy. Perhaps the most eloquent example in history is the Soviet Union. From the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917 up to Stalin's death, which may be identified as the period of terror use at its highest levels, the Soviet political scene was dominated by two emblematic figures that were to remain in history as two of the most ruthless: Stalin and Lenin."
Abstract This paper explains that the United States of America is a constitution-based federal republic with a strong democratic tradition. The author points out that Egypt has been politically organized since its early civilizations; in modern time, from 1923 to 1952, Egypt was a constitutional monarchy, then military officers seized control of the government and it became a republic in 1953; however, it essentially remained a military dictatorship dominated by a single political party although in 1978 a multiparty political system was instituted. The paper relates that the most obvious difference between the governments of Egypt and the United States is Egypt's adherence to Islamic Law within its legal system; the commonality is that both countries have similar political structures based on individual constitutions.
From the Paper "The main political parties are the Democratic Party, the Republican Party, the Green Party, the Independent Party and the Libertarian Party. The constitution provided for a separation of state and government, therefore there is no government religion in the United States, although the majority of the population adheres to Christian doctrine however, because the U.S. is a country founded on basically on immigration, the landscape is comprised of many religions and many cultures. The U. S. has welcomed some fifty million immigrants, more than any other country, and admits approximately 700,000 persons per year."
Abstract In this paper the author examines the changes that have occurred in Korea over the past fifty years. In his paper, the author starts with the history of Korea and the circumstances behind the divide into North and South. The author looks at both Koreas and what happened to them during the Second World War. He examines the economic and political aftermaths of the war and provides an overview of the political and economic situation today. The author details the conflicts that arose between North and South Korea; in particular he notes military efforts by North Korea over the years to infiltrate the South. The paper does point out that few societies have changed as rapidly, however, as South Korea's, in the past fifty years. He highlights how a nation of mostly poor peasants under the control of Japan has evolved into a dynamic industrial society. The paper concludes with a look at the difficult task of uniting both Koreas, which the author believes is near impossible unless there is a power struggle in the North, which would eliminate the current dictatorship
From the Paper "So, what was the aftermath of the Korean War? "The ideological significance of the Korean War was never in doubt; it was essentially a Cold War eruption fuelled by an American intervention designed to prevent a popular revolution." This from an author who seems to have pro-North sympathies. Yes, it was a Cold War eruption, and yes, it was to keep an American ally, Syngman Rhee, in power. As briefly mentioned above, Rhee was able to use the War as a means of tightening his control over south Korea. In fact, by 1956, he was able to force the Korean legislature to reverse the two-term Presidential limit, so he could continue in power. Rhee controlled the press, fomented violence against dissenters with youth gangs, and, under the umbrella of being "needed" by the Western powers in their fight in the Cold War."
