The Patriot Post® · Let's Talk About the Word 'Authoritarian'

Leftists often use language as a weapon against their enemies. For example, if you don’t agree with their social agenda, you’re a racist or a homophobe. If you don’t agree with their political ideals, you’re a Nazi. We hear these childish accusations so often now that we’ve become numb to them — to the point where these once potent insults are now basically devoid of all meaning.

The latest word that the Left has tried to redefine and pervert to its own ends is “authoritarian.” Whereas authoritarian was once used to describe an iron-fisted, top-down government run by a military-minded strongman, it is now being used to describe anyone to the right of Hillary Clinton. If you’re not a Democrat, and you don’t support their increasingly radical policies, then you must be an authoritarian.

To this end, The Washington Post published a rather lengthy screed in which much virtual ink is spilled creating parallels between Vladimir Putin and American Republicans. The article fancies itself as a reasoned think piece that examines the political state of affairs around the world, pondering the origins of several right-of-center political movements in the U.S., Italy, Brazil, and elsewhere. But mainly, this piece is hogwash.

The Post piece is indicative of the larger trend among Democrats and their media friends to label anything Republicans do as authoritarian. They take Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis, and others out of context to make it appear as if these men admire real authoritarian leaders like Putin and Chinese strongman Xi Jinping. They frame the populist revolt against big government and failed Democrat policies as an attempt to seize power akin to the Nazis in 1930s Germany. They paint the movement that supported Trump in 2016 as a cult of personality focused on nothing but raw power. Democrats also spill crocodile tears about how GOP election deniers could lead to the fall of the Republic in the 2022 and 2024 election cycles.

When it comes to denying elections, Hillary Clinton remains the heavyweight champion thanks to her 2016 shenanigans. Clinton’s overwhelming sense of entitlement was evident throughout that contest, during which she all but openly wondered why she couldn’t just skip the whole election silliness and just proceed to the White House. Her hubris, along with her lousy political skills, equally lousy governing record, and barely masked disdain for everyday people, ultimately sank her campaign. But by suggesting that Trump’s victory simply didn’t add up in her conceited little mind, Clinton set in motion a no-holds-barred campaign to undermine his presidency that is literally still taking place two years after he left office.

Trump, of course, was no deer in the headlights. His own mouth got him into plenty of trouble, and he’s also a medalist in the Hubris Olympics. However, the Russian-collusion hoax, the two impeachments, and the incessant drive in the media and by just about every Democrat in America cast a shroud over his presidency that barely allowed him to govern. It’s a wonder he was able to accomplish what he did.

Joe Biden has also done his part to deny elections that don’t turn out his way. During the 2020 election and during this midterm cycle, he stated several times that any outcome unfavorable to Democrats had to be fraudulent. Georgia political gadfly and career gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams built her national reputation on election denialism, refusing to concede her own defeat after a lackluster 2018 campaign.

Elections aside, the authoritarian label sticks much better to Democrats, who have controlled the White House for all but four of the past 14 years. Our own Mark Alexander has charted the rise of the socialist authoritarian Left in recent years, noting several examples in which Democrats have used and abused the Constitution and our laws by whatever means necessary to strengthen their grip on power.

Some of the most recent examples of true authoritarianism in America include Biden’s onerous COVID vaccine mandates, his attempts to unilaterally wipe out student loan debt, and his actions to strip away border security to allow a massive influx of illegal immigrants. These actions are ultimately about trolling for new voters. He has also moved to rewrite an ObamaCare provision to bring us one step closer to a single-payer, socialist healthcare system.

None of these actions has been done with the approval of Congress, which has the constitutional power to make laws. Biden is following the playbook of Woodrow Wilson, Franklin Roosevelt, and Barack Obama, using the power of the presidency to push an agenda that the legislative branch cannot. When the political opposition proves too strong, the leader takes it upon himself to ram through his agenda by other means. That’s authoritarianism.

Leftists have tried to redefine authoritarianism in an attempt to smear their opponents and the people who support them. It’s a classic trick of true authoritarians. Don’t be fooled by the rhetoric. Just take a look at the record.