You've surely heard of the Kerry-Lugar bill, as well as the billions of aid we gave to General Musharraf, so it's difficult for me to see how you can say that the US hasn't supported the Pakistani military. Indeed, they continue to do so in the form of General Kayani, who most see as the true wielder of power in Pakistan, with Asif Zardari as his puppet.

Think of neo-authoritarianism as a kinder and gentler, Hill & Knowlton recasting of the classic version, in line with other updates, viz Neo-liberal economics and neo-colonialism.

Not to be cynical, but when we are able to see things properly though clearer understandings and definitions, it removes the frustration that comes when we try to kid yourselves about the way things are, and we can get onto working with the reality of things.

The only way we get away from the continuous consolidation of elite power at the expense of "little people", who have no real control over the means of production, is with a revolution. At best this amounts to a reset. Otherwise, all you get are delaying actions (ie, FDR's new deal, LBJ's great society).

The nature of for people to tend to their primordial relations: that's elite theory in a nutshell, and it's as much a given as Darwinism. George W. Bush got elected for a reason and if it wasn't him it would've been Jeb.

The US is an exception to the rest of the world only to the extent our elites realize their interests (may) be better served by not being so quick to press for redistribution to themselves domestically. They don't want to look as bad as these developing countries, and THEY are the ones that stand to be milked before turning their attention inward. It may not be nice, but that's just the way it is, and its why we as a country can afford to consume so much of the world's resources. Think of your own lifestyle and ask yourselve(honestly) how much you really want to complain.

We are indeed an exceptional country, in that we have not had such overt and overbearing elites. What we really are talking about through all this is nothing less than management style.

Again, I'm not trying to inflame things. It's just that when you look at things as they are, it becomes far easier to do whatever you can with the circumstances, otherwise you become effete.

Don't believe this no-zero-sum rhetoric for a minute. The nature of reality is the zero-sum game, whose object is ALSO to put distance between you and the losers, and in a dog-eat-dog world you cannot have too much space.

So, just play the game. Odds are anyone reading this is in the upper 1% of the world population in terms of overall opportunity, and you have nothing to complain about. If you (or your relations) fall behind the power curve, its your own fault.

Sounds like historically typical neo-colonial rule, the subvervient version of what occurs with more fluidity in the U.S.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2010/mar/18/venezuela-election/print

March 18, 2010

The anti-Venezuela election campaign: Venezuela's election is not until September, but the international campaign to delegitimise the government has already begun
By Mark Weisbrot – Guardian

The definition you gave of Semi-Authoritarian regimes fits the current situation in the US to a "t". We have political parties and we appear, on paper to have some democratic attributes but like other semi-authoritarian regimes the power elite (the super rich and Corporate Executive class) "makes sure it remains in power and reduces the 'democratic' activities to a shadow play".
I'm sure your realize that this is the only explanation that makes sense for the disconnect between the polls on war sentiment and the actual actions of the US.

The truth is Washington is NOT committed to democracy in Middle East or in Muslim World.

Everyone knows it's very easy for Americans to control the election databases in Iraq

Welcome to the American Democracy, we only choose our SLAVES.