Many countries include ‘Democratic’ or ‘People’s’ in their names, even though they are not democratic and do not serve their people. Examples: Democratic People’s Republic of Korea Lao People’s Democratic Republic People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria Democratic Republic of the Congo And German Democratic Republic (East Side) in 1949–1990. None of these states are democratic, power and wealth are concentrated in the hands of a small ruling elite. Who are they fooling with these names?
Because authoritarian states aren’t going to call themselves authoritarian. They’re going to use the softest-sounding name they can to make themselves appear benevolent.
For example, from a historical perspective, Joseph Stalin isn’t generally considered a fascist, even though there are significant similarities between his regime and fascist regimes in terms of authoritarianism, political repression, state control, and cult of personality. Stalin was a self-proclaimed socialist who nonetheless created one of the most authoritarian states in human history.
There’s a whole other issue with objectively horrible people being allowed to self-identify as whatever they claim to be. From a historical perspective, that’s absolutely asinine. You determine what a regime or ideology is by examining its actions, institutions, and consequences, not simply by accepting the label its leaders give themselves. I’m sure Joseph Stalin considered himself a benevolent leader. History says otherwise.