I'm not one to post often. I'm not really one to rant to strangers online often, even. But, after migrating from r*ddit to lemmy, I've had this on my mind and this seemed like the place to vent.

I see discourse about tankies constantly on Lemmy. This struck me as odd. Why are these so called tankies such a threat? Why do I see people calling themselves left-wing and attacking tankies more voraciously than neoliberals and, sometimes, even fascists?

I think I know the answer, just as well as most people who will read this. These are the Zizeks of the world: people who do indeed think in a left-wing oriented way, but fail to recognise that they're also Western to the core and the biases that come with that.

I sincerely care about this much less than the actual reason I'm making this post. That is: why don't these people notice that their talking points, left-oriented as they may seem, always end up supporting US allies or attacking US enemies? I mean, do these people not see that Ukraine winning the war is a boon to the US, regardless of who is "right" in that conflict? Many other such cases, but I think I've made my point, or, rather, my confusion, clear.

That's it. That's the post.

  • HumanAnarchist
    ·
    3 months ago

    I've gone through a very similar story. I've realized that anarchists and tankies are not enemies are really want the same end goals. I'm still an anarchist because I truly do believe that hierarchy is fully avoidable BS but hexbear has worked it's magic on me. I now call myself an anarcho-tankie.

    Hexbear introducing me to the concept of critical support was what fully awakened me to the idea that tankies and communists and everyone else aren't the bad guys. Anyone who opposes the US Empire deserves my support, because the US empire is responsible for the most oppression worldwide.

    Side note: I find that the stereotype that many online anarchist spaces are largely ignorant, white, suburban teenagers to be largely true. (Source: I was one) However, I don't find this to be a reason to shed the anarchist label because of people like andrewism.

    ~hope any of this made sense, was just a little brain dump~

    • Angel [any]
      ·
      3 months ago

      I fucking love Andrewism, and I still watch him quite regularly even though I'm now a Marxist.

      He's from Trinidad and Tobago, which is where my family comes from. I feel really connected to lefty content from someone like him as someone born to Trinidadian/Tobagonian immigrants who are quite conservative.

      I'd never be sectarian, but I'm definitely over the deeply unserious anarchists that'd rather be "anti-authoritarian" edgelords than push for actual effective leftist action. Thankfully, a good deal of anarchists, especially ones you encounter IRL, are not like that.