Uh, fascists and communist are polar opposites, but authoritarianism has nothing to do with communism by definition. If Stalin implemented an authoritarian regi

Uh, fascists and communist are polar opposites, but authoritarianism has nothing to do with communism by definition. If Stalin implemented an authoritarian regime while using the term "communism", that does not make communism a regime based on authoritarianism. It's nice to remember North Korea consider themselves a "People's Republic" but I'm sure you do not believe it is a democracy just because of a name or official designation; likewise, late stage western capitalism consider themselves "Representative Democracies", but a solid argument could be made comparing those nations with nazifascist states of the 1930s. Things are not so simple and simplifying such complex topics is what leads to populist governments rising. I believe we should not dumb things down. Instead, we should believe people are capable of critical thinking and we must help them see the whole picture for themselves instead of spreading McCarthist stories about the communist boogeyman.