This is the intended dichotomy, yes. My point was that it is not understood correctly by a majority of people, and a systems intent doesn’t matter if it’s used differently.
And my original point was that, even in a king less eliteless system, with power flowing from the bottom, the system is still susceptible to corruption via authoritarianism. The beliefs that lead to this just come from a position of “what’s best for all happens to be painful for the few.” At some extremes, these beliefs can be used to justify oppression as equally as a merit-based, right wing authoritarian system.
This is the intended dichotomy, yes. My point was that it is not understood correctly by a majority of people, and a systems intent doesn’t matter if it’s used differently.
And my original point was that, even in a king less eliteless system, with power flowing from the bottom, the system is still susceptible to corruption via authoritarianism. The beliefs that lead to this just come from a position of “what’s best for all happens to be painful for the few.” At some extremes, these beliefs can be used to justify oppression as equally as a merit-based, right wing authoritarian system.