theoryHopefully this defuses the "lemmy is a tankie network" rumour once and for all
AshyrA tankie is not a fascist. He denied being a genocidal fascist.
I've seen a lot of pro-China propaganda coming from Lemmy and I suspect tankie is still on the table.
NadyaAnother phrase for Tankie ideology is Red Fascism.
I'd specifically like to highlight that someone who was imprisoned in a Nazi concentration camp - so has firsthand experience with a fascist regime - described the Soviets as the following, emphasis mine:
Kurt Schumacher, who was imprisoned in Nazi concentration camps, but survived WWII to become the first post-war SPD opposition leader in West Germany, described pro-Soviet communists as "red-painted fascists" or "red-lacquered Nazis"
So in what ways exactly is a tankie not a fascist?
a political philosophy, movement, or regime (such as that of the Fascisti) that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition
that exalts nation
"We did not hesitate to shoot thousands of people, and we shall not hesitate, and we shall save the country." - Vladimir Lenin
often race
https://www.britannica.com/event/Holodomor
that stands for a centralized autocratic government
The State
headed by a dictatorial leader
Lenin;Stalin
severe economic and social regimentation
Five year plan
forcible suppression of opposition
Cheka secret police.
If Tankies are not fascists - then neither were Nazi's.
Communism is on the left, Fascism or on the right. Purely from an academic perspective talking about Red Fascists is like debating virginity of a prostitute lol
I mean if you want to get academic about it - I suggest you talk to some people in academia. Nearly all of those who say "Fascism is different." self-describe themselves as Marxists or are Stalinist apologists - such as Michael Parenti or Sheila Fitzpatrick. Gee, I wonder why Marxists would want to distance Communism (and more specifically - Stalinism) from being compared with other fascists regimes like the Nazis. Maybe they don't like how it makes them look bad?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_Nazism_and_Stalinism
No really - read the above link and anyone who is cited as saying Stalinism isn't fascism check their wiki profile. Without a doubt they're a self-described Marxist. They're quite literally the only people who deny that Stalinism was a form of fascism and play apologists for all the atrocities that took place.
A disturbing amount of Communists see attacks on Stalinism as an attack on Communism and so make all sorts of mental gymnastics to defend Stalinism.
Edit:
I much prefer the "That wasn't real Communism!" brand of Communists over the "That was real Communism and here's why the mass murder they did was justified or never happened (despite being well-documented by the Stalinists/Maoists themselves)!" brand of Communists.
