TOTALITARIANISM NEW POLITICAL PARADIGM SHIFT?

In modern history, every breakthrough and change in the international balance of power came first from a different perspective on international politics. Oftentimes the new paradigm subverts and outmaneuvers the old one. The most famous example of this was Otto von Bismarck’s Realpolitik, which in its time had outmaneuvered the rigid diplomatic traditions of the balance of power and even Woodrow Wilson’s morality-based politics that came after it. Unfortunately, it requires an incredible amount of effort, skill, and downright genius at times to execute. A failed execution resulted in the seminal catastrophe known as World War Two.

Today we will look at a new paradigm shift that has been gaining popularity among developing nations: Totalitarianism. The defining characteristics of this paradigm have been the centralized models. While decentralized systems (such as the system we have today) have proven time and time again to be the most effective way of dealing with internal issues. It cannot be denied that the ability to economically hurt any smaller entity on the spot and have them kneel to one’s whims is a powerful tool indeed, (e.g. NBA in china and Activision Blizzard in China). This is of course not a tool available to free-market democracies.

In the past 20 years, many nations have used their ability to convert their economic and military power into diplomatic or other types of power through the use of their wide reach. This has allowed them to gain power in the reg es in a wide variety of circles where you would not expect them, such as the  UN. The United Nations  Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) elected Saudi Arabia (the country that allowed women to drive only a year ago) to the U.N. Commission on the Status of Women.

The way it works is simple; in the west, we believe in the separation of powers, and, for the most part, business from politics for the most part. Totalitarian regimes, on the other hand, believe they are all appendages of a single entity, which is true, but the extent of it is different from democracies. In a democratic regime, if an executive is put in jail for crimes they committed, the country may or may not issue a request to extradite. A totalitarian regime, on the other hand, will see this as an attack on their economy, or an attack on the entire country. It will retaliate with full force, especially if it is in its best interest. An example of this is the Huawei heir being arrested in Canada, consequent actions taken against Canada on a national level, and the hostage diplomacy initiated by China.

This is the fundamental difference between the two.