Today's Mike Luckovich cartoon

[rampartd]

6. what made the communists "totalitarian?"

copilot went straight to britannica

Totalitarianism, in contrast, is an extreme form of centralized authority that seeks to dominate every facet of life. Totalitarian regimes enforce a rigid ideology, mobilize the entire population to achieve state goals, and control not only political and economic spheres but also culture, education, and private beliefs. Citizens are expected to fully conform to the state’s ideology, leaving little room for independent thought or social autonomy
Encyclopedia Britannica
En

trumpism is often described as authoritarian. but from school books to smithsonian i'm gettin totalitarian vibes.

jeanne kirkpatrick

The Kirkpatrick Doctrine, articulated by Jeane Kirkpatrick in her 1979 essay "Dictatorships and Double Standards", distinguishes between authoritarian and totalitarian regimes. Authoritarian regimes, often right-wing and pragmatic, primarily seek to control behavior but generally respect existing social structures, private property, and community institutions. Totalitarian regimes, typically communist or ideologically rigid, attempt to control both behavior and thought, using propaganda, re-education, domestic espionage, and mass repression, often dismantling traditional social institutions


what do you think? where does this cult fit?