"This country is becoming increasingly authoritarian. It's based on capital punishment"

In this quote, Kate Millett is revealing her concern about the direction in which the nation is heading. She thinks that the nation is becoming more authoritarian, indicating that there is a strong focus on stringent obedience to authority and an absence of private flexibilities. Millett recommends that this authoritarianism is rooted in the use of capital penalty, which is the practice of sentencing somebody to death for a criminal activity they have devoted. By connecting these 2 ideas, Millett is indicating that making use of capital punishment is a reflection of the nation's growing authoritarianism, which this is a cause for alarm.