Do YOU think totalitarianism (right-wing fascism or left-wing communism) is possible in 21st-Century United States?
Step 1: Actively read all the good lovin’ out of: Paxton, excerpts from ‘The Anatomy of Fascism’ [3 pages] Richard Hofstadter, “The Paranoid Style in American Politics” (1964) [5 pp] This is a VERY important article! Step 2: Write informal, yet cogent and thoughtful responses to any 2 of these 4 questions (about 1-2 paragraphs per answer): Regarding Paxton’s analysis: Q) Do YOU think totalitarianism (right-wing fascism or left-wing communism) is possible in 21st-Century United States? Why or why not? If you do NOT think an actual system of totalitarianism is possible in the U.S., then are there major attributes/tendencies do you think already do exist OR that could exist in the future? Explain your answer. Q) Do YOU think African-American racial supremacists or black-nationalists could or should be considered fascistic? What about dictatorial regimes in economically ‘under-developed’ nations? Why or why not? Regarding HOFSTADTER’s analysis: Q) Consider Hoftstadter’s analysis: what insight, if any, did he offer (in 1964) that helps you to make better sense of politics/society in the U.S. today (2018)? Q) Ryan, some or all of your questions suck. I think I’ll create and respond to my own question or questions instead. Credit-Plus Distinctions reserved for responses that thoughtfully integrate direct quotes from the text to sustain your analysis!