Final answer:
Totalitarianism is antithetical to democratic values such as freedom of the press, individual privacy, and free assembly, which are core American values. It seeks to control every aspect of life and eradicates individual autonomy, contrasting sharply with the freedoms cherished in a democracy.
Step-by-step explanation:
Totalitarianism challenges the highest values prized by those in societies that hold democratic principles, civil liberties, and individual freedoms in high regard. With a totalitarian political system, there is an inherent conflict with core American values such as freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, and the right to privacy. Totalitarian regimes like that of Nazi Germany under Adolf Hitler or the Soviet Union under Stalin seek to permeate every aspect of life, from government to personal beliefs, suppressing the very idea of individual autonomy and promoting an extreme form of nationalism and social hierarchy. The regime's survival is predicated on eradicating notions of the individual and extending the government's reach into all aspects of life, including the media and private beliefs.
For example, a totalitarian state's control over the press directly conflicts with the American value of freedom of the press. Mass surveillance infringes upon the right to privacy, while mandatory participation in government-sanctioned events, as seen in totalitarian states, contradicts the freedom of assembly and speech, as it stifles dissent and forces expression of support for the regime.