Ideology Magazine

Ideology Magazine Ashley T

Collectivism Collectivism is on the left side of the political-economic spectrum and is based on the belief that the common good of society is above individual interests. Those who support this are concerned with the goals of the group and believe everyone must contribute and occasionally sacrifice their wants for the best interest of society. The government is very prominent in a collectivist society and may embrace any degree of a centrally planned economy. There is a large emphasis on equality and everyone in the group is responsible for the welfare of others, such as by paying taxes. The six key components in a collective society include public property, collective responsibility, collective interests, collective norms, cooperation, and economic equality.

Communism/ Communism and marxism are very similar and fall on the far left Marxism side of the spectrum, under a dictatorship. Communism is an ideology based on equality and cooperation. They focus on the “From each according to his abilities, interest of the state or society and strive for a classless society. to each according to his needs.” - The government has total control, all resources are publicly owned Karl Marx and entrepreneurship is not allowed which prevents competition and incentives. Discipline and authority are two large aspects that characterize this ideology Marxism is an ideology created by Karl Marx and is his interpretation of communism. He expresses his main beliefs in “The Communist Manifesto” which he wrote with Friedrich Engels. Communists desperately want change and will do anything to do it, even start a revolution. This ideology created a classless society where no citizen was better than another. There was equality between everyone which allowed for income gaps to decrease and gives them a fair chance at life. The increased involvement of the government allows more regulations over human rights and freedoms and their push for quick revolution gave people hope for a better life. But not everything is perfect in a communist society. In the past, people have been neglected by governments in control and their opinions would be punishable or not heard. The governments were not always focused on their people and would use their dictatorship to benefit themselves and stay in power rather than providing to the people. There were limited rights and freedoms in a communist state and this ideology has ultimately failed.

Leaders Miguel Diaz-Canel Joseph Stalin Diaz-Canel is a member of the Communist Party of Cuba and came into power in 2019 after Cuba’s National Assembly Stalin came to power in 1924 after the death of deemed him the best fit to be president. He draws his views Vladimir Lenin. He based his beliefs on Marxism, on Cuba from Fidel Castro and is in charge of an but because he had a strong desire for power he authoritarian dictatorship, increasing restrictions on rights interpreted important characteristics as oppression and freedoms. For example, he issued Decree 349 which and fear rather than revolution and freedom. This makes it mandatory that the culture ministry must approve created a new ideology called Stalinism. His all private and public cultural celebrations. This later led to obsession with one of the largest protests in Cuba in decades to occur in July of 2021. rapid industrialization for a wealthy country caused the deaths of around 20 million people due to starvation, execution, heavy labour, hypothermia, and more.

Communism Today With a progressive focus on human rights and freedoms, communism is now looked down upon because of the extreme amount of control placed in a single person or group’s hands. Although there are promises of a better future, emphasis on equality, and everyone gets the same resources, the government often does not make decisions for the people. A communist government has the power to take away rights and freedoms, which they often do so they can keep their control while silencing those who disagree. There are very few communist dictatorships alive today and none of which have seemed to reach the perfect collective society they strive for.

Utopian Socialism Utopian socialism is on the left side of the spectrum, although not as far left as Marxism or communism. The main goal of this ideology is to achieve a “perfect society” and like other forms of socialism, involves a high level of government intervention. People who support this idea are progressive and want change, but not at the speed of a revolution. The support of the government in the economy, politics, and social aspects is believed to allow citizens to prosper and develop their greatest potential. The cooperation and development of the people are thought to improve and be beneficial to society as a whole. Utopian socialists want everyone’s needs to be met while achieving equality for all their people. The high levels of government involvement mean there is mainly public property and the majority of the economy is centrally planned. Over the years, utopian socialism has developed into democratic socialism, which is very similar but with some more individualistic values. Utopian socialism tried to take away the inequality that was prominent in the practice of capitalism. The centrally-planned economy leads to competition being basically nonexistent and workers being treated with more respect. There was less of a distinction between classes because of the support the citizens received, and because utopian socialism enforced social and economic equality. This level of equality can mean that everyone has a lower standard of living.

Democratic Democratic socialism is also on the left side of the spectrum, Socialism although not as far left as utopian socialism. This ideology aims to create social and economic equality with the help and \"For us, there is no valid definition of cooperation of all citizens. A key idea of socialism is also socialism other than the abolition of many social welfare programs, which need higher taxes. the exploitation of one human being These programs allow for “cradle to grave” services as well as by another.\" - Che Guevara. a safety net of savings in the case of emergencies. The economy is mainly centrally planned and the government still has most of the control, but this form of socialism allows for more private property and individualistic values than utopian socialism. This ideology is progressive and desires change, but is not supportive of a revolutionary way of achieving it. Today, democratic socialism creates social and economic equality for its citizens, which limits the negative effects of the class system. Although it doesn’t completely destroy this system, it allows those in a lower class to survive comfortably while also allowing for more self-interest. The drive to meet personal desires keeps citizens motivated to work hard and improve the economy, which communism and utopian socialism tend to lack. Some countries that successfully embrace democratic socialism include Norway and Sweden.

Leaders Jagmeet Singh Robert Owen Singh has been the leader of the NDP party in Canada since 2017 and became the representative Owen was a British industrialist of Burnaby South. His main goals include a progressive tax system as well as a focus on social who owned textile mills in New issues and changes including adding information about LGBTQ+ into the education system. He is also Lanark, Scotland. In a time where an advocate for environmental issues and supports increasing electric car usage, decreasing carbon capitalism was popular and the mistreatment of the emissions, and getting rid of the usage of coal. working class was common, he was a firm believer that business owners were responsible for effectively running their workplaces while treating their workers well. In his factory, he created improved living conditions, opened schools for the children, and provided basic healthcare to all. His main idea was that without the workers, there would be no products to sell so if he created a good community and embraced utopian socialism, there would be a perfect balance.

Centre/ Moderate Those with moderate views take certain aspects from collectivism and individualism and fall in the middle of the political-economic spectrum. They are focused on trying to find the happy medium between caring for the common good of society while also limiting the sacrifices individuals must make for this. These societies try to provide enough support to those who need it to live comfortable lives while reaching their full potential, without taking too much from those who do not need as much support. Governments that embrace a moderate society also embrace a mixed economy, where they take the benefits of a free market while being more involved by owning a small number of resources and enforcing more rules. These societies have different variations of the six aspects on each side of the spectrum.

Liberalism Liberalism is the ideology at the center of the spectrum and their main belief is that nations and individuals are rational “The spirit of liberalism is to create free and have the right to self-determination. Equality, rights, and men; it is not the regimentation of men.” freedoms are all the main goals of this ideology and are held - Herbert Hoover by any government that embraces it. They draw from both collectivism and individualism in that they want their people to have enough support to survive while protecting basic rights and freedoms and encouraging individuals in reaching their potential. Liberals recognize that change is important and impossible to avoid, they just want to change slowly. Liberal countries also tend to implement a mixed economic system. Today, liberal governments embrace the three key qualities; life, liberty, and property. This ideology balances individual and collective interest by protecting individual rights and freedoms unless in extreme circumstances such as a time of war while providing support and social services to those who are in need. These services and welfare systems are paid for by taxes, which are less than socialism and allow more room for pursuing individual interests.

Leader Justin Trudeau Trudeau has been the prime minister of Canada since 2015 and the leader of the Liberal Party since 2013. He has a slightly progressive opinion on climate change and wants to reduce Canada’s carbon emissions, but also supported the construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline for increased jobs. Diversity and equality are important to him and he has added more leaders a part of minority groups into the cabinet, as well as increasing immigration to Canada from countries that are suffering. After taking the role of prime minister from Stephen Harper, a conservative leader, he increased taxes and spending into welfare programs to provide more support to Canadians in the form of basic healthcare and more.

Mixed Economy A mixed economy is in the centre of the economic spectrum and draws aspects from centrally-planned and market economies. Resources are both private and public, although the degree varies per system based on the political leader. There are some taxes and the basic needs of society are met by government support. The economy tends to be more stable because, in times of change, the government and banks have the power to alter taxes and interest rates to fix the issue. There is also usually a social safety net to fall back on in times of need. Mixed economies allow for the best aspects of both sides to be implemented. The market side allows for more privatization which increases incentives, the pursuit of self interest, the standard of living, and overall makes workers work harder to improve the economy. The centralized part allows for the creation of support programs and ensures people have their basic needs met and therefore supporting the common good of society.

Individualism Individualism is on the right side of the political-economic spectrum and is based on the belief that each individual is important and in order for the group to thrive, the individuals should be able to develop their potential. These people believe everyone is responsible for themselves and that you get what you work for. Individualists do not like to rely on other people or the government and in this type of society, government involvement is very limited while embracing a free-market economy. Individualistic do not believe there is any circumstance important enough to sacrifice their rights or freedoms, even if it is best for others in the group. The six main aspects of individualism include private property, rule of law, individual rights and freedoms, competition, economic freedom, and self-interest.

Conservatism Conservatism is on the right side of the spectrum and some key aspects of this ideology include traditions, “Conservatism is about freedom, yes. But it is also authority, and minimal government involvement. They view about the institutions and attitudes that shape the people and society in a negative light and do not believe responsible citizen, and ensure that freedom is a they are good, the status quo is also very important to benefit to us all. Conservatism is therefore also about them and they resist change. If there is any change, it is the limits to freedom.” - Roger Scruton very slow. The economies of conservative countries tend to be more of a market economy, because they believe in limited government involvement and believe people should be responsible for themselves. They heavily embrace individualism and believe people receive what they work for and need to provide to themselves, which is why social or welfare programs are limited. Conservatism gives individual freedom and allows for more self-interest regarding purchases. Not much money goes towards taxes so the money that is worked for goes straight to the individual and they choose what to do with it. This also means there is no support for those who are not as fortunate and they have to rely on charity from others instead of programs for the government. This means the income gap can be very large and other people will have a lower standard of living.

Leaders Herbert Hoover Stephen Harper Hoover was the president of the USA during The Harper was the Great Depression. He embraced laissez-faire capitalism and believed the market would heal itself prime minister of Canada from 2006 to 2015, and if the government stayed out of it. There were no the former leader of the Conservative Party. He government programs created by him to help those lowered taxes and while there was a deficit, he was who were suffering, because of his individualistic able to get the Canadian economy out of it. He also worldviews. improved the market with free-trade agreements and focused on the Canadian economy, but did not take as much initiative in terms of environmental action. Although he embraced conservatism he upheld some social programs such as basic healthcare, while focusing on the pursuit of an individualistic country.

Capitalism/ Capitalism and classical liberalism are on the right side like Classical Liberalism conservatism, but slightly farther. They share many qualities such as fewer taxes, less government involvement, “survival of the fittest”, and individualism. It emerged and became very popular during the Industrial Revolution in the mid-1700s. A large part of it is the market economy with little intervention from the government. They believed with the “invisible hand”, those who worked for self-interest would inevitably improve the economy. There is free enterprise and production is based on supply and demand rather than what the government chooses. Competition is very important in capitalism and monopolies are not allowed, which allows for lower prices and improving profits. This ideology allowed for the best products to be sold at the best prices set by the sellers, and for those who were business owners to make a large profit. Although, the majority of citizens who were in the working class worked in horrible conditions, were treated inhumanely, had limited rights, and did not make a livable wage. Since the government was not involved and there were no labour laws, business owners had the power to make wages, enforce 14+ hour workdays, hire children, and enforce other rules that would not be allowed today.

Leader Adam Smith Smith was a large influence on the creation of laissez-faire capitalism during the Industrial Revolution. In 1776 he wrote a book called “The Wealth of Nations”, which rejected the current mercantile economic system and introduced classical liberalism. He believed that with little government involvement, people could work for themselves and because of the “invisible hand” their efforts would inevitably improve the economy. These characteristics could only work if the people were free to compete and pursue their self-interest.

Fascism Fascism is the ideology on the far-right of the spectrum. Some key aspects of this include discipline, nationalism, “Fascism is not in itself a militarism, and racism. The ruler of a fascist country would new order of society. It is be a dictator who uses fear, the threat of force, propaganda, the future refusing to be indoctrination, censorship, scapegoats, and secret police to born.” - Aneurin Bevan maintain power. The government still has a large influence on the economy, but they control it by directing the private enterprise. Unions and workers’ rights are also not allowed in a fascist state because the strength of the nation is more important than individual rights and freedoms. Inequality is a large part of this ideology and many countries who have embraced it share the belief in a superior race and goal of “racial purity”. Fascism mainly benefitted those who were of the race deemed superior by the dictator and supported them. Those who were minorities and who questioned the leader are usually heavily discriminated against by the public and suppressed by the secret police, sometimes by torture or killing.

Leaders Italy Adolf Hitler Hitler was the fascist dictator of Germany during World War II. He viewed the northern European “Aryans” as the superior race and spread his ideology to the German people by getting rid of opposition, propaganda and censorship. Eventually, his views spread and became popular enough that he was able to capture, torture, murder, and send members of minority groups to concentration camps. The secret police were used to identify and find citizens who did not meet his “standards”, as well as anyone who opposed these actions. He used these minorities as scapegoats and indoctrinated the youth of Germany with his views. His dictatorship limited the freedoms of his citizens and ultimately cost 11 million innocent people their lives

Leaders Jair Bolsonaro Bolsonaro’s beliefs are far right on the spectrum. He is very against homosexuality, abortion, affirmative action, drug liberalization, and atheism. His beliefs are mainly beneficial to Brazilian or white males, which make up most of his supporters. He is opposed to gun legislation, environmental regulations, and has supported the Brazilian military regime which has consistently violated human rights. He does support torture methods, the death penalty, privatization, and has expressed support for previous dictators of Brazil.