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this post was submitted on 29 Sep 2026
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The fighting on this thread was completely and masterfully predicted and orchestrated by op. Bravo. A master craft lesson in left in fighting. πππππππππππππππ
Cheers, utter contempt for anti-voting clowns wins the day!
Thank you for your service π«‘
Tankies arenβt left wing. Theyβre authoritarians.
Tankies are the (Hyper-)Auth-Left.
People can pick apart the 2D political compass all they want, but it's definitely more useful than the 1D one.
Tankies are the intellectual equivalent and ideological opposite of libertarians. And nobody that isn't in high school should be ascribing to either.
At that point we have to get into the weeds about whether we're talking about American "libertarians" or libertarian on the global scale.
My understanding is proper, globally-defined libertarianism is the exact opposite of authoritarianism, which yes, is a critical piece of the auth-left AKA "tankies." But on that scale, they'd also be in direct opposition to fascism.
Contrast that to American libertarians, which tend to just be pot-smoking Republicans (because the US leans right in general).
TL;DR: Left-libertarians exist, but they're a rounding error in the US compared to right-libertarians.
Bullshit. That's a common conservative lie. Tankies are just conservatives in normal person's clothing. Every view they espouse is ultimately in support of conservatism.
Conservatism is the opposite of progressivism. Authoritarianism is on the conservative side of the spectrum and the opposite side from progressivism. Progressives (the opposite of conservatives) are very clear in despising authoritarianism. In fact, antiauthoritarianism is foundational to progressivism.
Tankies try to gaslight the normal people into thinking nazis and fascists were progressives. Every tankie talking point is based on conservative talking points and common conservative lies. Tankies are just conservatives trying to gaslight everyone.
When tankies start gish-galloping about their slanted views of history and what labels apply to whom, it becomes clear they are conservatives. Every word uttered by a conservative is deception or manipulation. Every. Word.
Again, you're oversimplifying the complexities of human political thoughts to a literal single dimension. Cue the scene from Donnie Darko when Donnie is asked to put every human action somewhere on the Love-Fear Spectrum.
I have never seen or heard a tankie make that argument; I've only heard it from MAGAs fairly recently - I saw it starting around a year ago.
It's not complex. Conservatives are people who espouse conservative views. Tankies are conservatives who are pretending to be authoritarian leftists and claiming "it's just too complex for dumb leftists to understand". Conservatives are pathological liars and calling themselves tankies is just one example of that. Tankies go on the same smoldering pile of carcasses as the rest of the nazis.
You're really bending the definition of "conservative" here.
"Tankie" is a negative exonym; I've never seen a tankie call themselves a tankie. See also "nazi;" they called themselves "national socialists."
With respect, I don't think you know what you're talking about and should therefore butt out.
You are dead wrong on both points.
Conservatives are simply those who espouse conservative positions. Tankies espouse conservative positions. They are the literal definition of conservatives.
Nazis frequently call themselves nazis. In 1940's Germany, you could be sent to a concentration camp for not identifying as a nazi. They used the word specifically. (Although in the 30's, nazis often just referred to themselves as "conservatives".) In the U.S., an official "Nazi Party" preceded WWII. A different American Nazi Party exists today and members still refer to themselvss explicitly as nazis. Proudly. In fact, there are currently several organizations whose members call themselves nazis or neo-nazis.
Conservatives are pathological liars. I do not respect my enemy, nor those who defend my enemy. So, without respect, "I don't think you know what you're talking about and should therefore butt out."
You are dead wrong on both points.
(Trying a tautology like you did. Does it make the following more convincing? No? Must be a waste of typing then.)
They do not.
Never head of that. My understanding is it was an anti-nazi slur, and they preferred the term "national socialist."
I never defended them; use your brain sometimes - you might find it fun.
I accept your concession.
Likewise!
I like horseshoe theory but I would describe it differently. Once you get far enough right or left you reach a kind of political singularity where what you are really advocating for is authoritarianism, which will only give lip service at best to any ideology other than naked control of power. Communists, Nazis, Tsarists, Monarchists, they are all the same and they do not represent the people.
This. It's why there's very little difference between them and MAGAs. Both wouldn't have problem sending tanks to murder protesters, both should be called tankies, honestly.
Blending terms for the sake of "they share some traits so we shouldn't have distinct terms for them" is how to confuse the hell out of any discussion.
See also: We don't call cars "horses."
The term "tankies" came from them backing using tanks on civilians.
The term was mislabeled, they always were authoritarians.
And my phone "rings" even though it has no bell, and I "hang it up" even though I tap a pretend button on a screen.
Terms change. "Tankie" means auth-left, not literally anyone in a tank.
The term for someone who crushes civilians with a tank in the Auth-Right is "fascist," even if they don't carry fasces.
Keep up. Pop open a dictionary every once in a while, or heavens forbid, touch grass or talk to people.
No one made that argument.
Okay, pedant.
Not literally anyone who has used a tank.
Feel better?
Authoritarianism and leftism are orthogonal concepts. You can be left and authoritarian, or right and not authoritarian.
Who needs COINTELPRO when weβve got Godric?
It's a true honeypot thread for all the accounts and instances to report to the admins.
Oh no, this is a community problem. I love this post. It should be shrined as an artifact for viewing for ages.
π report what? It's a shitpost, if it's bait can you really hold anyone accountable for the antics it provokes?
No I mean reporting all the comments from the annoying "leftists" who spring up every election and do everything in their power to make sure conservatives win.
Yeah this thread is great for the blocklist.