A tightly bureaucratic authoritarianism, albeit sometimes allowing a degree of political opening and a a focus on controlling or coercing elements of society seen as tied to the old order, sometimes through staggering violence, are among the common traits
A Taliban member speaks to a journalist at the airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Tuesday, Aug. 31, 2021. Insurgents who seize power tend to be authoritarian but pragmatic, desperate for legitimacy and ruthless toward classes they see as hostile.
Image: Jim Huylebroek/The New York Times
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