If so, what are some misconceptions or seldom known facts?

  • 1rre@discuss.tchncs.de
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    1 day ago

    What made you think I thought the US isn’t authoritarian?

    Authoritarian means the government deciding what people can do or say beyond preventing actual harm to others, or causing harm to their subjects to promote the government’s interest to the detriment of the people.

    Overthrowing other governments is imperialism, not authoritarianism - I’d define thr latter as largely internal, exceptions being eg. Singapore’s laws applying to Singaporean citizens and residents even when they’re outside of Singapore.

    • Cowbee [he/they]@lemmy.ml
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      1 day ago

      I never said you didn’t think the US was authoritarian. My point is that western media portrays other countries as “authoritarian” if they don’t play along with US economic interests, and will portray brutal dictators as defenders of democracy and freedom if they do play ball.

      In the final analysis, “authoritarianism” is a matter of perspective, what matters is which class is exerting its authority, as all existing states are class states.