How do you know you're living in an authoritarian dictatorship? Below are my criteria. What are your criteria? How many of them have already been met in your country?
* You're not allowed to leave the country without government permission.
* You can be arrested and imprisoned indefinitely without trial.
* You can be tortured in prison.
* You can be executed without trial.
* All of your possessions (savings, house, car) can be seized without trial.
* You're not allowed to work without government permission.
* The government controls most schools in the country, and forces children to attend and learn government approved coursework.
* All forms of communication are wiretapped (phone, email, IM, mail) by the government.
* The government controls most of the economy, and what it doesn't directly control, it heavily regulates.
* Many kinds of businesses are banned entirely.
* There are shortages of many necessities.
* The government has imposed price controls.
* The government surveils all financial transactions, and imprisons those who offer financial services without reporting to the government.
* Citizens must abide by curfews, and can be arrested and fined if found outside after curfew
* Sales of self-defensive weapons and ammunition are heavily restricted to government officials and politically connected cronies.
* The government has a monopoly over the money supply, and is rapidly inflating the currency (to the tune of trillions of dollars) to subsidize/bailout cronies.
* The government tries to bribe the public to support the regime by giving out money and rations.
* Citizens are encouraged to snitch on each other if they notice anyone who doesn't follow government policy.
* Government dictates shift from day to day, and one can be imprisoned or heavily fined for following dictates that were government policy just a few days before.
* Government controlled supplies of vital goods are allocated according to loyalty to the ruling party.
* You can be fired or put in prison for expressing opinions considered taboo or disloyal to the government.
* Whistleblowers who report on government malfeasance are imprisoned or tortured.
* Journalists who print articles critical of the government are imprisoned, tortured, or killed.
* The government has seized control over all the banks.
* The government has imposed capital controls limiting the movement of money and other assets out of the country.
* Prisoners are kept in crowded and inhumane conditions.
* It's impossible to count all of the laws, let alone avoid breaking the law. The government can always find a charge to arrest anyone, if motivated enough.
* The government engages in endless wars of aggression.
* The government targets ethnic minorities as scapegoats.
* Merely possessing contraband books can get you thrown in prison for a decade or more.
* It's illegal to use software that doesn't have back doors which the government can enter at will.
* Surveillance cameras track the movements of every citizen at all times.
* All citizens must present identification papers upon command or risk arrest.
* You're not allowed to leave the country without government permission.
* You can be arrested and imprisoned indefinitely without trial.
* You can be tortured in prison.
* You can be executed without trial.
* All of your possessions (savings, house, car) can be seized without trial.
* You're not allowed to work without government permission.
* The government controls most schools in the country, and forces children to attend and learn government approved coursework.
* All forms of communication are wiretapped (phone, email, IM, mail) by the government.
* The government controls most of the economy, and what it doesn't directly control, it heavily regulates.
* Many kinds of businesses are banned entirely.
* There are shortages of many necessities.
* The government has imposed price controls.
* The government surveils all financial transactions, and imprisons those who offer financial services without reporting to the government.
* Citizens must abide by curfews, and can be arrested and fined if found outside after curfew
* Sales of self-defensive weapons and ammunition are heavily restricted to government officials and politically connected cronies.
* The government has a monopoly over the money supply, and is rapidly inflating the currency (to the tune of trillions of dollars) to subsidize/bailout cronies.
* The government tries to bribe the public to support the regime by giving out money and rations.
* Citizens are encouraged to snitch on each other if they notice anyone who doesn't follow government policy.
* Government dictates shift from day to day, and one can be imprisoned or heavily fined for following dictates that were government policy just a few days before.
* Government controlled supplies of vital goods are allocated according to loyalty to the ruling party.
* You can be fired or put in prison for expressing opinions considered taboo or disloyal to the government.
* Whistleblowers who report on government malfeasance are imprisoned or tortured.
* Journalists who print articles critical of the government are imprisoned, tortured, or killed.
* The government has seized control over all the banks.
* The government has imposed capital controls limiting the movement of money and other assets out of the country.
* Prisoners are kept in crowded and inhumane conditions.
* It's impossible to count all of the laws, let alone avoid breaking the law. The government can always find a charge to arrest anyone, if motivated enough.
* The government engages in endless wars of aggression.
* The government targets ethnic minorities as scapegoats.
* Merely possessing contraband books can get you thrown in prison for a decade or more.
* It's illegal to use software that doesn't have back doors which the government can enter at will.
* Surveillance cameras track the movements of every citizen at all times.
* All citizens must present identification papers upon command or risk arrest.