Political ideologies a comparative approach - Research Paper Example

Political ideologies a comparative approach Core Beliefs of Fascism Though in most cases Fascism is regarded as an ideology, Analyst have critically looked it with the criterion of what ideology is and have cited several faults in fascism to qualify to be an ideology. Fascism is regarded as being devoid of coherency and cogency but a collection of ill-assorted ideas that lacks systematic ideological issues that can be adhered to. Fascism is also implicated for the political activism witnessed in many parts of the world, and in this regard, it can be best described as either a political movement or religion but not a politically structured and ideological presentation (Rejai, 1995). Fascism also appears to be so amorphous that identifying its core principles is becoming a task. Fascism have manifested different characteristics that identifying the original and genuine fascism has become a problem and in most cases most of the regimes cited to have embraced fascism have become difficult to relate to the knowledge known about fascism. For instance, the imperial regime that existed in Japan, Germany, Spain, and France can hardly be classified as fascist given the amorphous nature of fascism (Rejai, 1995). Notwithstanding the diversity of fascism, there are some of the core principles of fascism that are believed to be manifested in any form of fascism and they include; Anti-rationalism In should be realized that fascism was borne mostly after the Second World War. Given this situation, fascism was necessitated by the upheavals and thus became anti rationality. This is corroborated by what Friedrich Nietzsche said that human being is motivated by nothing other than the ‘will power’ and not the rationality of the mind. Fascism then seemed to have consumed this as their driving force and a core belief. In another instance, the Italian dictator Benito Mussolini also coined a slogan from the same belief and believed in ‘Actions not talk’ and that the state of inactivity is analogous to death. Mussolini devalued the intellectual life and described it as cold, lifeless, and dry (Rejai, 1995). This connotation shows how fascism was against rational and objective minds. Struggle The other core principle of fascism was the struggle, those who subscribed to the fascism believed in the role of struggle to achieve the desires and liberation. Given the context in which the movement was borne (after the Second World War), it is understandable that the movement was hatched in the aftermath of a struggle and had to follow suit. Leadership and Elitism Fascism appreciated the endowment of different people with different abilities and believed in the role of elitism as the ruling class even if they are the minority. Fascism contradicts the conventional political thoughts and radically believes in the rejection of the principal of equality. In Fascism, there was the belief of three castes of leadership in the society; the one who possess the unrivalled authority was regarded as the first layer and the warrior forming the second class and finally the masses that majorly comprised of those described as the inert, weak, and ignorant with a characteristic unquestionable obedience (Rejai, 1995). Socialism Even though fascism and socialism had different ideological difference and became rivalries, fascism had unexplained affinity for socialism. Both Mussolini and Hitler showed great involvement in the socialist ideology and this can be manifested by their role in socialism. Hitler developed the philosophy of socialism and Mussolini at some point became the editor of the Avanti newspaper that was owned by the socialists. Fascism also believed in ultranationalism as their core principle. These core principles define the beliefs of the fascism that reigned in most of the countries soon after the Second World War (Rejai, 1995). Core Beliefs of Feminism Feminism has been defined as the collection of the likeminded ideological and movement that are aimed at giving women equal right in the social, political, and economic issues in the world. The place of the women has been asserted and protected. Feminism movement started long time and become more palpable in the nineteenth century. Feminism also looked at the right of the women in terms of the employment and education (Rejai, 1995). Mary Wollstonecraft in her publication Vindication of the Rights of Women is regarded as the modern feminism and has championed for the right and the place of women in the society. In that regard, the movement has the following beliefs describing their core beliefs; Feminism has demonstrated reactionary forces to the traditional and the custom position of the role of women in the society. They have made the society to rebel the perception of women as a weaker gender in the society and that the position of the women should be revived and made to equalize that of the male. Some of the socio-political changes that have resulted from these reactionary forces in clued the women suffrage accorded to the women following their relentless quest for equality (Rejai, 1995). Chronological category of Feminism In this category, feminism is described by the timelines and the reasons that motivated the movement. In the first wave, mainly contributed by Wollstonecraft and John Stuarts Mill, the movement generally lamented on the consideration of women as second-class citizens with no equal right in the society as men. The second and the third waves were rather specific and accurate in what the women lamented about, the movements were widespread in the US and they mostly agitated for the women inclusion in the political and economic issues. Women were poorly represented in these sectors and were even disenfranchised (Rejai, 1995). Conceptual Category of Feminism Considering the conceptual category of feminism in the fight for the equality of the women, several categories were drawn which includes; the liberal feminism was mainly influenced by the ideas and the values that underlay liberalism. The socialist feminism had a contrary view of the problems of the woman in the society and stated that they were more than those of the political and economic were but were more of the social consideration of the women in the society. It stated the social role of the women is responsible for their non-inclusion in the society. The roles it stated perceived women as sex objects, giving birth to the human species and active in production, and responsible for the upbringing of the children (Rejai, 1995). In the radical feminism, the right of the women were to be fought for and legal action taken to redeem the societal perception of women. Mary Wollstonecraft position in the feminism is considered as Liberal feminism, this is because in her argument, she wanted women to be given equal opportunities in areas like education to enlighten the women as much as men are. According to the Wollstonecraft, she will be satisfied with the state of the women in Canada today given the much effort given in the education of the women just like men in the country. Since she believed in the enlightenment as a way of liberating the women, the current situation of the woman in Canada will be in tandem with her requirement. Core Beliefs of the Socialism Ideology of social democracy was precipitated in the twentieth century due to the western socialist parties inclination in the adoption of the parliamentary strategies and revision of the socialist goals. Social democracy therefore endeavored to strike a balance between the state intervention and the market economy. In this regard, social democracy manifested the following salient core beliefs and principles. The liberal democratic principles is accepted in the social democracy and at the same time subscribe to the fact that there can be a political change achieve in a constitutional and peaceful way. On the other hand, capitalism has been criticized for the inequality and unequal distribution of the resources, wealth, and power. It is characterized with the monopolization of the market, exploitation, and oppression of the workers (Rejai, 1995). Most of the socialist have low opinion about capitalism, as being responsible for the unplanned economies and several contradictions in the production that otherwise should be under the control of the public policy. Capitalism has been blamed for facilitating inefficiency and wastefulness. Distinction between Marxism and Social Democracy One of the clear distinction between the two is; Marxism is theory based in nature while socialism in more of practical in nature. When critically observed and discerned, Marxist ideologies are politically motivated unlike those of socialism that are economically motivated. The proponent of the socialist ideology argue that the ideology roots for a system in which the means of production are owned and controlled by the public and aim to consolidate the means of production. On the other hand, Marxism believes in establishing equanimity between the poor and the rich by using the historical concept in the implementation of the ideologies. The other difference between the two is that in socialism there is need to improve the state of production for use, in Marxist in this regard endeavors to uplift the poor to be at par with the rich. Socialism does give a blend of the revolutionary and reformation agenda. It can then be ascertained the two ideologies hold distinctly different views. The Core beliefs of Conservative The conservatives always fight for the retention of the traditional forms of the institutions that in their political and philosophical statements. The conservative can be looked into two arrays, those who endeavor to preserve the institutions and things the way they exist and are regarded as promoting stability and continuity. The other reactionaries are opposed to modernism and are in constant effort to maintain the status quo. This term was first coiled in the 1819 and was mostly used in the political context after the French revolution (Rejai, 1995). The term has had an association with the right-wing politics. It should however be noted that there are no single policies that defines what conservative is and that they different from one part of the world to the other at different times depending on what is regarded traditional in the place at the time. It is therefore worth noting that conservative do differ from one place to the other. The following describes the core belief of conservatives in the US. With regard to immigration, the conservative believes that immigration has contributed to the American vibrancy while at the same time has contributed to the increased terrorism activities in the country following the influx of individuals in the country unchecked. With reference to the supreme court, the conservatives believes that the court’s mandate should be confined to examining the fact that the federal and the state laws as well as the decision of the lower courts do conform to the written constitution of the land. The conservatives believe that the Supreme Court should only interpret the law when there is an overlap in the ruling given the federal and the state laws. The conservatives also have an interesting position on taxes; they believe that the government is a poor manager and that lower taxes are the precursor to the development of the people (Rejai, 1995). The conservatives are against the government imposing punitive taxes and again controlling the use of the taxes. The conservative also believes that the people in the society belong to two characters, the good ones and the bad one and that the law in the society should be formulated such that the bad people and put under checks and balances while the good ones are allowed to thrive and flourish. On security issues, the conservatives are pro possession of guns in the civilian hands, they argue that denying the people possession of the guns will only allows such possessions in the hands of the outlawed. They compare the situation with the Nazi of the Germany, what may take place if a totalitarian government hinders her people not to possess firearms. Michael Oakeshott is considered a conservative given his publication ‘On Being a Conservative’. In the publication, Michael has enumerated several positive attributes of conservativeness as being the only way the government can manage the people and the institutions to maintain their integrity and survival. Throughout his life, Michael has shown support of the conservatives both in writing and in deed. This explains his position on the controversial conservative as an ideological policy. Reference Rejai, M.. Political ideologies a comparative approach. 2nd ed. Armonk, N.Y.: M.E. Sharpe, 1995. Read More