As an Eastern European, also on the spectrum, this nature of passive aggressive communication proliferating especially in the Bay Area really grates me. I prefer to resolve conflicts directly; it's more efficient.
I'm not too fussy about efficiency, but one of the things about passive aggression that drives me crazy is the pretence. Passivity makes the communication as though it never happened, except everyone knows that it did. To many autistic people this seems literally insane.
Central Asian is a good balance between Eastern European directness and rudeness, and Asian politeness. It is about as polite as English culture but direct when necessary (perhaps due to long Russian influence).
it might be your preference, but what happens when you can't? e.g. when someone you can't confront directly says or does something that's really not to your liking?
You mean can't as in "directly affects the outcome of the present situation"? Like when I'm at a bureaucrat's office and he's going to hand me the document I need? Or trying to close a deal? Then I just shut up.
Or do you mean can't as in "the person is in a more powerful position in general"? Then I'll tell them directly but in a polite way. In the worst case we won't make business together.
