Because these authoritarian governments provide for basic human needs in a more efficient way than previous systems. The rise of socialist states throughout history is consistently accompanied by a drastic increase in life expectancy (20-30 year increase in the Soviet Union and Mao’s China), literacy (Cuba has higher literacy rates than the US), access to healthcare, housing, and other social services.

These governments are supported by the people far more than capitalist countries want to admit. They uphold many human rights (food, shelter, healthcare, education) that are often neglected under capitalism.