The entire principle of authoritarianism is either public support or public apathy. An authoritarian regime is only as stable as its populace.

A government that butchers its people against the will of the populace cannot survive even if it is democratic. A government that butchers people with the will of the populace will survive regardless of whether or not it's authoritarian.

See: Israel, America, Canada, Australia, UK

There's no fundamental difference between a democratic and authoritarian government in this regard. The primary difference is (and has always been) whether property is managed as a function of the state (monarchies, socialism) or as a function of the individual (democracies, anarchy).

Well, that and the "people" that get killed in democracies are usually of a different skin colour than you, so maybe you just don't care?