Authoritarianism—GOP Style

College of Political Knowledge

Remember back in the day when everything you heard about the now defunct USSR was just how authoritarian they were?  How the people had very little say in the direction of the government and the country.  How if you were a politician and not on board with the current leadership you were eased out…..by eased I mean imprisoned, poisoned or in a tragic car wreck…..remember those days?

Everyone agrees that the USSR was an authoritarian regime and unacceptable…..but just what are the aspects of governing that made it so?  An authoritarian government is the form of government based on the principle of requiring obedience to the authority of one person or a small group of people. Other people must be obedient to the will of the government and they have little or no influence over the decisions made by the government. Authoritarian government involves a “top-down” command structure.

Is that what you were thinking it meant to be an authoritarian government?

Authoritarianism emphasises the rule of the few,it often includes election rigging, political decisions being made by a select group of officials behind closed doors, a bureaucracy that sometimes operates independently of rules,which does not properly supervise elected officials, and fails to serve the concerns of the constituencies they purportedly serve. Authoritarianism also tends to embrace the informal and unregulated exercise of political power, a leadership that is “self-appointed and even if elected cannot be displaced by citizens’ free choice among competitors,” the arbitrary deprivation of civil liberties, and little tolerance for meaningful opposition.  (Thanx to wiki for the help)……..

I have been watching the antics in Washington for many years now and I see a disturbing trend developing…….It is a scary thought but I am beginning to think the GOP is moving toward the authoritarian position…I know you think I am just paranoid….but let me explain why I feel that way and then you decide if I am paranoid or not…….

Let us look at some of the characteristics of authoritarianism…..

Election rigging……the GOP in many states are trying to enforce laws that would make it harder for people to register or even to vote….by making it harder to vote because of ID problems or no transportation and making it harder to register by eliminating certain types of ID or a time limit for getting paper work in…..

Secrecy in decision making……politicians meet behind closed doors to decide what is important for the country….like a debt debate when the country needs jobs…..to decide that the opposition has NO good ideas that can be met with compromise……

Elected officials are not held accountable for their actions or decisions….like breaking the law with a hooker and not being prosecuted or allowed to fondle pages, etc……representatives think they are above the law of the land….

Taking away of civil liberties…like freedom of association….freedom of independent thought……

They see no way to tolerate meaningful opposition….trying to eliminate the opposition by restricting the funds that they are able to access….

And finally, follows a path of their choosing and not one of the need of the people….and the people’s desires are NOT important as retaining power….

I know that many of my GOP acquaintances will tell me how idiotic all that seems and that it can be explained as democracy at work……but as an observer I say…CRAP!  There is NOTHING democratic about the antics of the GOP and its Tea Party handlers……..if this situation is not checked then I can see a day when it will be a one party that is as authoritarian as anything that was found elsewhere……(wink…wink…..you know where I mean)……..