Word: authoritarianism
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With her usual authoritarian sweep, Author Ayn Rand strikes a basic blow for her consistent dogma of individualism. Though she is more a cult figure than a popular philosopher, her words mirror an attitude that is becoming more and more common in the U.S., particularly among public figures. Indeed, an increasing number of Americans seem to have concluded that the right to ego implies the duty to exercise it publicly. The result is something of a rout for the time-honored American taboo against tooting one's own horn. Today it is commonplace for Americans to come right...
California Democrat Alan Cranston complained that Lefever "seems to have a blind eye to human rights violations by right-wing military dictatorships." Indeed, Lefever has been an apologist for governmental repression in South Africa, South Korea and Chile-governments he defends as merely "authoritarian"-on the unsure ground that these allies are relatively more free than fully "totalitarian" Communist societies. Lefever said he deplored the Carter Administration's tendency to chide certain U.S. allies publicly about their human rights violations. "I don't regard myself as a one-man Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval," he told the committee...
Third World. Mitterrand is anxious to increase aid and trade with developing countries, and seems likely to strengthen French support for national liberation movements. He is strongly opposed to dealing with any kind of junta or authoritarian regime, no matter how pro-Western, and has sharply criticized U.S. involvement in El Salvador...
...without becoming too severe, then let's do so. But if all our reforms prove futile, then we will have to resort to harsher measures. Otherwise the American people out of desperation will eventually have to sacrifice their rights and liberties for the safety and security of an authoritarian state...
Distinguishing between authoritarian and totalitarian regimes, he added: "We tend to spend more time criticizing countries that are partly free, and making progress toward freedom, than those where little freedom exists." Finally, he argued, the greatest violation of human rights is the "new international terrorism, supported by various international networks." Novak concluded by promising the delegates that there would be no zigzagging on human rights by the Reagan Administration...