I asked what you think I meant because I wanted to know whether you have a different view of this than I do or were simply uninformed. But between your accusations, your deflection, and your condescending responses to me, it's becoming pretty clear to me that you're not willing to discuss this in good faith. But maybe you can prove me wrong.

I have been acting in good-faith, you have been beating around the bush this entire time.

Let's start out with an easy one. What do you think I meant by "tankies"?

Communists, Marxists, Marxist-Leninists, etc. Anyone that actually defends AES and doesn't repeat US State Department Propaganda about the Global South.

[–] lengau@midwest.social -4 points 11 months ago (4 children)

You being anticommunist is what I thought you meant. Those aren’t unrelated.

So you think that what I meant by "I’m more worried about [some people who] make other communists look bad" was that I'm an anti-communist? That seems highly unlikely. If I were anti-communist, surely I'd love those people precisely because they make communists look bad?

I have been acting in good-faith

Literally your first response to me in this entire thread was uncivil condescension.

Communists, Marxists, Marxist-Leninists, etc. Anyone that actually defends AES and doesn’t repeat US State Department Propaganda about the Global South.

Yeah that's not what I mean by Tankies, and it's not what most people mean by tankies. Not all marxist-leninists are tankies, for example. In fact I'd go out on a limb and say most aren't. But those who try to sweep under the rug the bad things that nominally-communist states have done are tankies, and they give other communists, other marxists, other marxist-leninists, and indeed all other leftists a bad name. (As an aside, most of the time those things were done by state-capitalist governments, not communist ones.)

doesn’t repeat US State Department Propaganda about the Global South.

I'm actually from the Global South. I can promise you the US state department is full of shit. As are most Americans who speak about it, including most American leftists.

[–] Cowbee@lemmy.ml 4 points 11 months ago

So you think that what I meant by "I’m more worried about [some people who] make other communists look bad" was that I'm an anti-communist? That seems highly unlikely. If I were anti-communist, surely I'd love those people precisely because they make communists look bad?

"Left" anticommunism is a thing. People who claim to be leftists yet bash leftists.

Literally your first response to me in this entire thread was uncivil condescension.

I don't agree.

Yeah that's not what I mean by Tankies, and it's not what most people mean by tankies. Not all marxist-leninists are tankies, for example. In fact I'd go out on a limb and say most aren't. But those who try to sweep under the rug the bad things that nominally-communist states have done are tankies, and they give other communists, other marxists, other marxist-leninists, and indeed all other leftists a bad name. (As an aside, most of the time those things were done by state-capitalist governments, not communist ones.)

Mind explaining what "state-capitalist governments" that are supposedly supported by "tankies?" This is where I believe you're going for the "left" anticommunist bit. The whole "no true Communist movements" idea is "left" anticommunism.

I'm actually from the Global South. I can promise you the US state department is full of shit. As are most Americans who speak about it, including most American leftists.

Cool, that doesn't mean you can't be a "left" anticommunist.

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