The US (at least the Republican party & some supporters) possesses other authoritarian traits as well, such as using excessive force to quell protests, pushing a narrative which alienates outgroups (Mexicans, Muslims...), or widespread surveillance.

Obviously it's not as bad as China or Russia, but it's not exactly a bastion of hands-off governance either.

I can't think of a single country that doesn't exhibit some authoritarian traits. That doesn't make them authoritarian.

Indeed, it's a matter of degree. I wouldn't call it autoritarian relative to the world, but it's lagging behind Western Europe and a bunch of other countries.

No I think we meet all other reasonable measures also. The experience of freedom in the US is the freedom to make increasingly virtual and arbitrary consumer choices. That’s pretty much it. It’s not the experience of freedom of speech in practice, not free time, not freedom from usurious debt, not the freedom of rising prosperity, not freedom from opaque government interference and meddling.

When people use the word “authoritarian” they are just signaling that they believe the narratives that our media speaks with one voice about those bad, bad other countries.

Call them "Guantanamo's". Problem solved.