I would say that many American institutions are far more authoritarian than their Chinese (or erstwhile Soviet) counterparts. Authoritarianism is not the opposite of democracy; you can have an elected despot just as much as you can have a usurper despot.

This is why it's important that words have consistent meanings; any inconsistencies will be used by the interests of capital to create inversions.

"If you’re not careful, the newspapers will have you hating the people who are being oppressed and loving the people who are doing the oppressing."