I don't think "authoritarian" is a meaningful category. If it just means "place in which decision-making is generally done from above," that's every country 95% of the time. If it means "place in which decision-making is generally done from above, but more than in the United States" (which is what it usually really means," then, what, there is no difference between Nazi Germany, China, North Korea, Viet-Nam, and Cuba?
Anywway, the problem with the Nazis was not that they were authoritarians. The problem with the Nazis was that they were genocidal warmongerers.
--- On Tue, 6/16/09, Michael Smith <mjs at smithbowen.net> wrote:
> From: Michael Smith <mjs at smithbowen.net>
> Subject: Re: [lbo-talk] One or two flawed historical analogies (was Re: Stratfor: Western Misconceptions Meet Iranian Reality)
> To: lbo-talk at lbo-talk.org
> Date: Tuesday, June 16, 2009, 6:00 AM
> On Mon, 15 Jun 2009 23:42:49 -0400
> Itamar Shtull-Trauring <itamar at itamarst.org>
> wrote:
>
>
> > (Left this bit out) ... but I do think it holds up
> pretty well. The
> > authoritarian idea won out in Weimer too...
>
> Where is Godwin's Law when you need it?
> --
>
> Michael Smith
> mjs at smithbowen.net
> http://stopmebeforeivoteagain.org
> ___________________________________
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>