this post was submitted on 02 Sep 2025
619 points (85.5% liked)
Memes
52175 readers
621 users here now
Rules:
- Be civil and nice.
- Try not to excessively repost, as a rule of thumb, wait at least 2 months to do it if you have to.
founded 6 years ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
Look up the definition of authoritarianism. Bombing other countries is not the defining feature of an authoritarian government.
Terms like Authoritarianism and Totalitarianism were defined or entrenched by a lot of western supremacist authors, who needed to twist terminology in such a way that excluded the US (capitalism's worldwide enforcer and the cause of so much death and destruction) from any wrongdoing, while demonizing the colonial world who fought back against the US for their own sovereignty as "authoritarian".
I highly suggest reading Losurdo's - Western Marxism, for an in-depth analysis of some of these white supremacist authors, and how they demonize the anti-colonial struggle.
So, authoritarian is when they don't bomb other countries, and libertarian is when they bomb every day?
Nope didn't say that at all, nice try though. You can be authoritarian and not bomb other countries and you can be authoritarian and bomb other countries.
Foreign affairs dont necessarily effect that determination.
The US I'd say is authoritarian and imperialist.
A country like Saudia Arabia or North Korea is just Authoritarian and tend to at least only meddle with boarding nations.
You might be interested in a book by Lenin titled: "Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism".
That's cool and all but still irrelevant to the original point. You can be authoritarian to your own citizens domestically without invading other nations.
The US is both imperialist and authoritarian.