I think we are conflating two different things: the state’s foreign policy stance and its domestic structure.

You are correct that ‘authoritarian’ is often a propaganda label used to justify sanctions or invasion. However, refusing to use the word to describe any state in the Global South implies that the only form of oppression that matters is Western imperialism. That effectively erases the lived experience of people in those nations who might be jailed or disappeared by their own government.

The term ‘authoritarian’ shouldn’t mean ‘enemy of the US.’ It should mean a system where the people have no mechanism to hold their leaders accountable. By that definition, a state can be anti-Zionist and still be authoritarian toward its own citizens. Do you believe there is any word we should use to describe a government that silences its own working class, or should we just stay silent about that to avoid sounding like the US State Department?

A state necessarily exercising authority changes nothing about how violently and uncompromisingly any particular state goes about it. So I’m guessing calling a state plainly authoritarian is essentially saying nothing at all, but if I say your country is as authoritarian as North Korea, you know exactly what I’m saying and that I’m certainly saying something that is neither doublespeak or propaganda, right?

I don’t have a real solution, but for me I just try to be exceptionally mindful of precisely what you already described. On my way home I try to think of a few productive things I could possibly muster before compromising/collapsing back into idleness

Now we just need this in song form which is how I was taught lol

I know this is just thebad.website comic, but I’m genuinely curious (and an idiot) to know what the connection is with generally racist-inclined folk love for saying that everything is common sense. What makes them think in this way?

It’s the backbone of their every argument–no matter what it is, if I ask, “Why do you think x, y, or z is the case?”
It is without a doubt their instant reply, ‘It’s just commonsense!’

ok, I really didn’t know when I made this comment, but I’m pretty sure it’s project manager and no one said it outright so here

no matter what divides us we will share the same graves✊

Preventative maintenance? Post moderator? Pickup mailman?

Prime Minister? Prime meridian? Protocol maintainer?

what is vtuber? am old sry

What did I actually just read?? What is happening? Do they even know?

It’s all gotta get commodified

Small group of powerful individuals left, isn’t it?

Who isn’t getting sued at this point?😆

I assumed that’s what /j meant, was I wrong? I assume way too much

But the shareholders already reinvested so much in the shitty office spaces for their excessive tax write-offs! /j

That’s enough lemmy today😮‍💨

This reads like satirical copypasta, do you really do all of this? If you’re joking, pls forgive me I’m kinda an idiot

Should be close to 100 trillion by the end of the decade at this rate

“Rumor has it he’ll have gas under 2$/gal by December”

• coping magats