this post was submitted on 19 Nov 2024
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[–] PotatoesFall@discuss.tchncs.de 41 points 3 days ago (154 children)

nowadays tankie just means someone who shills for china/russia with a communist background

[–] Cowbee@lemmy.ml 36 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (137 children)

Communists support the PRC as a Socialist state run by Marxist-Leninists, yes. No Communist supports the Russian Federation outright, however, only reserved, temporary, and highly critical support for Russia's anti-US Hegemony stance, which it only adopts for its own survival and not out of any moral superiority. No Communist "shills" for the Russian Federation.

[–] PotatoesFall@discuss.tchncs.de 30 points 3 days ago (136 children)

If China is a socialist state worth supporting then I'm a donkey with a laser dick :P But I'm more anarchistically inclined so different perspective.

I see your point though. What I'm saying is not that communist = tankie, on the contrary. I'm saying that tankies claim to be communists but spend all day parroting their favorite Russian or Chinese state propaganda because they believe everything else is clearly controlled by Obamna™ himself. They rarely actually talk about communism, they just roam Lemmy all day calling everybody who disagrees with them a liberal :D

[–] yogthos@lemmy.ml 11 points 3 days ago (1 children)

It's always hilarious to see how the most ignorant libs are always the most confident. You might as well believe you're a donkey with a laser dick as it makes as much sense as everything else you believe.

[–] PotatoesFall@discuss.tchncs.de -3 points 3 days ago (2 children)

hehe Yogthos I was actually thinking of you when I mentioned China stans :P no offense

I really don't like being called a liberal though :( what makes me come across like a liberal? Is it my anarchism? My hatred of capitalism, colonialism and western hegemony?

[–] TheOubliette@lemmy.ml 8 points 3 days ago

It is your repetition of radlib talking points to punch left.

[–] yogthos@lemmy.ml 5 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Anarchists are liberals who like LARPing as leftists. You share the same ideology and focus on individualism above all else.

[–] PotatoesFall@discuss.tchncs.de 3 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Okay we might have a different definition of liberal. (ironically under a post where I'm arguing about the definition of tankie lol). I'm talking about people who think capitalism can work or can be made to work. People who conflate capitalism and the fake meritocracy sold by the American dream with actual freedom.

If liberal just means somebody who believes that freedom is important, then yeah I'm a liberal. But maybe you have a different definition? (genuinely asking, not trying to be standoffish)

You have a misconception about anarchism being about individualism though. Anarchists focus on community and communes. Most anarchist theory I've consumed laments the individualism that capitalism tries to sell because it destroys culture and community.

[–] yogthos@lemmy.ml 7 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Liberalism is fundamentally an ideology of private property ownership and that's why it always inevitably devolved into fascism in times of crisis.

Therefore, whenever economic liberalism finds itself under threat from “populism”, it quickly jettisons the principles of political liberalism to which it is theoretically tied.

In other words, these “principles” are not principles at all, just convenient postures designed to cloak the unpleasant reality of the economic liberals’ capitalist system.

https://orgrad.wordpress.com/articles/liberalism-the-two-faced-tyranny-of-wealth/

Anarchists talk a lot about community, but reject actual practical way to organize communally and combat capitalism. And the argument for rejecting practical means is that these approaches restrict individual freedoms. Anarchists place their individual freedom above collective good, and thus align with liberal capitalists in action.

[–] PotatoesFall@discuss.tchncs.de -1 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Liberalism is fundamentally an ideology of private property ownership and that’s why it always inevitably devolved into fascism in times of crisis.

What does this have to with anarchism, which rejects private property?

Anarchists place their individual freedom above collective good, and thus align with liberal capitalists in action.

Anarchists believe that it is neither a supreme ruler nor the majority that decide what collective good is. I reject your idea that the collective good is something we have to decide on collectively and then force upon those who disagree. Anarchists have been brutally repressed in Western countries, they in no way align with liberal capitalists in action.

[–] yogthos@lemmy.ml 2 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Everything anarchists do in tangible terms helps maintain liberal capitalist rule. That's the reality of the situation. Hence why anarchists are just LARPing without any tangible plan of action. Anarchists love moaning about being brutally repressed, but refused to take any action against the repression.

[–] PotatoesFall@discuss.tchncs.de 1 points 3 days ago (1 children)

IMO, building support networks and communities is better than meeting in dark rooms and planning revolutions. Or what is your plan of action? (Genuinely asking)

[–] yogthos@lemmy.ml 3 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Nobody is talking about any dark rooms, just go look at what PSL is doing very much in the open. If you look at any successful revolution it has always started by building support networks and organizing communities. It's kind of wild that you are not aware of this. The difference with communists is that we understand that an organized dictatorship of capital requires organization and education to fight against. So, along with building out support networks we also focus on political education, organization, and long term goals.

[–] PotatoesFall@discuss.tchncs.de 2 points 3 days ago (1 children)

That sounds like we're quite aligned with our methodology actually. So why are you so standoffish?

[–] yogthos@lemmy.ml 4 points 3 days ago (1 children)

The whole context for this thread is you claiming that an actually existing socialist state is not really socialist because it doesn't pass your purity test.

[–] PotatoesFall@discuss.tchncs.de 1 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Well it was originally me starting a mud fight about the meaning of the word tankie, but then we got sidetracked.

IMO, anarchists and communists have more overlap than we might think we do.

[–] yogthos@lemmy.ml 5 points 3 days ago

Sure, anarcho-syndicalism seems very compatible with Marxism for example. The main disagreement tends to be around what is actually to be done about the dictatorship of capital that we all live under in the west.

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