this post was submitted on 11 Aug 2023
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[–] oatscoop@midwest.social 5 points 1 year ago (4 children)

Authoritarianism:

A form of government in which the governing body has absolute, or almost absolute, control. Typically this control is maintained by force, and little heed is paid to public opinion or the judicial system.

A form of government in which the ruler is an absolute dictator (not restricted by a constitution or laws or opposition etc.).

Maybe something was lost in translation, but I don't care if Marx himself descended from the heavens and tattooed that on my forehead: no. Anyone willingly to unquestioningly submit to authority isn't worthy of consideration or respect. Leaders need to be questioned and held to law and decency. My issue is with the people that follow leaders that don't head the will and well being of others.

I'll happily be an "enemy" of anyone that takes issue with that.

[–] GarbageShoot@hexbear.net 38 points 1 year ago

Letting liberals write your political theory isn't doing you any favors. I don't give a shit what sect you are, you're no better than a Blairite. All states are maintained through force and that judicial bit is 100% extraneous because, if the judicial branch has observable sway, it will be declared to either be kabuki theater or part of the oligarchy (see: people talking about China's Supreme Court).

So you are basically just saying "undemocratic" but with a pretentious buzzword sanctioned by liberal morons and hucksters.

Here's a fun one though: if that's the only relevant measurement, China does great because it has immense public approval even according to hostile western polling!

So you would therefore need to admit that it wasn't a good fit for the term "authoritarian," right?

[–] heartheartbreak@hexbear.net 37 points 1 year ago

A form of government in which the governing body has absolute, or almost absolute, control. Typically this control is maintained by force, and little heed is paid to public opinion or the judicial system.

This definition of "authoritarian" applies to everybody. And literally none of the leaders of the Soviet union or the dprk qualify as dictators according to your definition either lmfao.

Please, please read State and Revolution. There are a lot of confusions that you have that that reading would do a lot to clear up. You have no historical materialist understanding of the state and frankly I think a lot of the disagreements that you have are not in actuality disagreements on principles but of confusion on the topic.

[–] JohnBrownsBussy2@hexbear.net 35 points 1 year ago

I disagree with your definition of authoritarianism. 50.5% of a population voting to elect a representative or enact a referendum versus the 49.5% is authoritarianism. The same if the margin is 67-33, or 80-22 or 99.9 to 0.1. In any case, the minority is imposed upon by the majority. The individual is imposed upon by the collective, or even merely another individual.

Like Engels said, the revolution is certainly an authoritarian endeavor. The original expropriation was authoritarian, and the counter-expropriation would be a counter-posing authoritarianism. How can you take something from someone without imposition? If asking nicely worked, then we wouldn't be posting here.

The opposite of authoritarianism isn't democracy, but pure volunteerism. That would be nice.

[–] Frank@hexbear.net 16 points 1 year ago

Please try harder. This is really tedious. Posting half baked "definitions" of political boggarts makes it hard to take the piss. I need you to give me something to work with here.