I keep hearing the term in political discourse, and rather than googling it, I’m asking the people who know better than Google.

  • BussyCat@lemmy.world
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    12 hours ago

    Not all leftists are tankies the same way not all right wingers are fascists. A tankie is an authoritarian leftist

    • Cowbee [he/they]@lemmy.ml
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      1 hour ago

      All states are authoritarian in that they uphold one class and oppress others. It’s a good thing when the class in charge is the working class, throughout history socialist states have resulted in dramatic improvements in living standards for the vast majority of society. These socialist states, and the ones who support them, are labeled “authoritarian” whenever these states practice land reform, nationalize industries, etc, and are met with mountains of hostility and slander from the west.

      Even an anarchist revolution is “authoritarian,” as it involves violently taking control. In practice, “authoritarianism” is more of a vibe than an actual thing we can measure or a policy to be implemented. It’s used as a club against socialist states by those who’ve lost property to land reform or nationalization.