A Final Note on Authoritarianism

Let me add as a final note that I welcome the appearance of authoritarianism, both the word and the concept, into our discourse. There is a danger to it, that the term will lead to a game of labeling anyone we dislike as "authoritarian" or (worse) "double high." But it is a danger I am willing to accept. If one believes (and I do) that the present-day Republican party contains many leaders of a profoundly undemocratic outlook who pose a danger to our institutions, then those leaders have to be called something. By all means, let us call them authoritarians (or double highs). The term is a whole lot more accurate, less inflammatory, and more easily defined than fascist. If some sort of insult is to be thrown about promiscuously (and face it, it will be), then by all means let it be authoritarian (or even double high) and not fascist.