It isn’t people’s desire for freedom that threatens autocrats. Most people do very little with their freedom anyway. It’s the desire for accountability and equal application of the law that terrifies them. The autocrats do not see themselves as equal to people- but as above them.

For most people, they’re fine living with an autocrat while they have slowly improving stability, but of course autocrats can’t sustain that, and engage in corruption that plunges their countries into stagnation and economic decline. Then keep committing crimes to stay in power.

It’s at this point- when the autocrat leader’s desperation to stay in power and all the corruption and crimes committed to try to ensure it - that people start to come to the streets and by that point it’s not lower bread prices/gas subsidies that’ll pacify the crowds anymore.

For years someone I know was happy to live under an autocrat when his life was good. He saw the “freedom” of the US as risk and chaos. Now as his country’s economic situation deteriorates, as all the chips are against him, he sees life in America as clearly better.