This is true, but when the anti-commies say it they usually mean something like Xi personally hands down dictatorial decrees and imprisons anyone who might dare to talk back to him.
The issue with “authoritarian” as a label is not that it’s wrong per say but that it’s a vacous meaningless label that adds nothing to any analysis of value and only serves a single real purpose of fear mongering.
What I’m saying is that authoritarian (much like regime) holds a negative stigma while adding nothing of value. Just like how regime is just a stand in for government from “designated bad country™” authoritarian just means there is a state (which is guaranteed in class society). Both while not being technically incorrect labels add nothing of value outside of their stigma, used by those who subscribe to the hegemonic ideology (liberalism in modern times) to signal their allegiance.
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This is true, but when the anti-commies say it they usually mean something like Xi personally hands down dictatorial decrees and imprisons anyone who might dare to talk back to him.
The issue with “authoritarian” as a label is not that it’s wrong per say but that it’s a vacous meaningless label that adds nothing to any analysis of value and only serves a single real purpose of fear mongering.
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What I’m saying is that authoritarian (much like regime) holds a negative stigma while adding nothing of value. Just like how regime is just a stand in for government from “designated bad country™” authoritarian just means there is a state (which is guaranteed in class society). Both while not being technically incorrect labels add nothing of value outside of their stigma, used by those who subscribe to the hegemonic ideology (liberalism in modern times) to signal their allegiance.
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Perhaps but that’s it’s use there’s a reason it’s the Iranian regime, Chinese regime etc but always German government, American government etc.
What Americans call authoritarian is calling out the bullshit of imperialists and silencing them.
Who isn’t authoritarian, it’s a buzz word now where whoever I don’t like is more authoritarian than people I like.