Does it really make sense in context of the worldview, or is it an ex-post facto rationalization they're making solely because of all the communist/socialist di

Does it really make sense in context of the worldview, or is it an ex-post facto rationalization they're making solely because of all the communist/socialist dictatorships in the past (tankies would be the ones doing this)? I have socialist beliefs but I hate the blatant authoritarianism that a lot of people on the left espouse. I hate to make a slippery slope argument, but limitations on free speech scare me simply because what is "unacceptable" will (in my mind) assuredly grow larger and larger until perfectly reasonable beliefs are persecuted. If your society can't exist with free speech, it probably shouldn't exist at all. Because at that point, you've become the oppressor. I know a lot of the hate towards "liberals" among those on the left is due to their opinions on capitalism and such, but given the original meaning of the term liberal (one who believes in liberalism, generally personal liberty) I fail to see why anyone would actually oppose that.