The anarchists (if they studied the subject) would note that none of Trotsky's objections to Stalinism had to do with the degree of state repression and Trotsky's common position on repressive actions was "I'd have done that, but better". If they were cogent enough about USSR history to understand why it mattered, they'd note that Trotsky was just as much in agreement with Lenin as Stalin on the subject of the Worker's Opposition and that the roots of Stalinism were not on the silly debate over Socialism in One Country or Amorphous Posturing Internationalism, but in the rejection of the program of the Worker's Opposition. If "tankie" meant anything anymore, they'd note that basically everyone on the left agreed that stopping a fascist revolution in Hungary was a good call. If "tankie" meant anything anymore and they bothered to study it, they'd note that it was initially used against British Trots.

Unfortunately, we live in a really, really dumb world.