redditors currently discovering that the drawbacks of calling everyone left of bernie a tankie is that people just stop caring about the word tankie

If tankies can will the term to no longer be shameful then why can't we insist that it still is? Do the tankies have a +1 rhetoric buff that we don't or something?

Do the tankies have a +1 rhetoric buff that we don't or something?
Yeah it's called theory
Yea turns out not giving a shit what a bunch of liberals with so little political knowledge they call Bernie a communist think is basically a secret weapon.
- The OG tankies were correct, so that's not even an insult in the first place.
I've been workshopping the idea "I'm a commie and not the nice kind"

Oh look, libs, the great deadening force of liberalism that steamrolls all political distinction into shapeless paste, has you suddenly concerned that your false equivalence bullshit has cheapened a term that, while already meaningless to you, relied on other people giving a shit to give it meaning and purchase while you smugged your way through life.

You got what you want and you hate it. Not my problem. Eat up, libs. You spineless stand-for-nothing cowards. I'll put the slop bowl on the floor so you can reach it

GOOD post

lmao these people talk as if they're actually doing anything on the ground. At least anarchists fight proud boys.

For real, and even among anarchists on the ground I've only met like 3 who used the word tankie. All three were weird though. One guy said the library next to where we hand out food is a "tankie library" because there were Marx and Lenin books in the socialism section. Another guy used the term tankie but I don't think he knew what it meant, since he'd refer to the cops as tankies. The other person would say tankie as shorthand for militant atheists.
But in all those three cases those people still hand out food and help people so they're light-years ahead of the bozos on r*ddit
- Another guy used the term tankie but I don't think he knew what it meant, since he'd refer to the cops as tankies
  Using "tankie" to mean "someone who has tanks" kinda rules. I like this guy's energy.
- i saw some lib calling sherman a tankie and someone else saying julius caesar was a tankie once. tankie is when youre a famous historical person and use violence to do things
- "cops are tankies" is an incredible take that acts as a potent distillation of radlib vibes based analysis
- Another guy used the term tankie but I don’t think he knew what it meant, since he’d refer to the cops as tankies
  I mean, working backwards through a gamer lens I could see someone calling the Cops "tankie", as in, they can tank a lot of damage, lol.

Wrong. I care about being a tankie. Mostly because when a lib calls me a tankie that's how I know I'm doing something right

It's a great term because like "woke" you can immediately figure out where they stand politically, and it also tells you that their opinions are completely worthless and can be ignored.

"We anti-authoritarian leftists should not allow these people to exist."

That is a hell of a way to close your post unbidden.

Especially after suggestion a whole ass group shouldn't exist and waxing poetic about using red-fash, which is in and of itself, a fascist fucking dog whistle.
E: dog whistle might not be the right word?
- E: dog whistle might not be the right word?
  A fascist version of
Sounds like they want to exercise….AUTHORITY? HMMM?

This is an Anti-Tankie reddit. The message you sent is either tankie/authoritarian "socialist" apologia or can be easily seen as such. Please, refrain from posting stuff like this in the future.

When your brand of anti-left leftism is so coherent and robust that you need an automod to delete posts that might disrupt the circlejerk

Sounds authoritarian [Where's that damn emote of the person in a well? lol]

- hell yeah

what should we do?

Log off you weird fucking dweebs.

Nice try Tankie, but touching grass is exactly what the Red Fash Winnie the Pooh CEE CEE PEE wants us to do!

I was literally just now saying to @emizeko@hexbear.net that this is why we need to formalise the tactic rather than just breaking down individual uses of the tactic like "tankie".

This tactic is in use in so many ways. It's being popularly referred to as "thought-terminating cliche", which might end up the name of the tactic when it's formalised. Things like calling everyone a "terrorist" to stop any thought about what they're doing or why. "Tankie". "Woke". "SJW". Etc etc. This tactic is in significant usage and any time you break down the usage of an individual word they create a new one, so you're always going to fight this battle that way.

To fight this properly we need to go one step higher, don't attack just the individual usage but attacking the tactic itself too.

In order to do this we need to formalise this tactic in language and popularise it in order to drastically undercut its ability to be used. By formalising it as a bad thing (like fallacy shit) the libs and debatebros start calling it out when they see it. This way we could weaken its ability to be used considerably.

We need the technique to be picked up and talked of by orgs and academically. We need some people to write about the phenomenon/tactic itself so that those articles can then be pointed to as sources for its existence, and then wiki and other shit can get made for it to further cement it as a recognised formal language thing. From that point onwards it's just a matter of repeatedly pointing to the articles and shit to spread it more and more and more. It'll take on a life of its own and considerably wreck the tactic.

I think this is actually really worthwhile doing as it's one of the most common tactics of the US information and thought control system.

There is a very clear process of steps we can take.

As someone with a background in writing (like every other commie), I'd be happy to contribute in some way to this. However, I don't really know what actionable step could be taken.
I also worry that the technique would be pretty quickly coopted, and the terms "fascist" and "racist" would be defined as thought terminating cliches. It's already started with the "not everyone you disagree with is a fascist" line
- Actionable steps here are more concretely achieved by orgs or people with current access to existing various published things (blogs, newspapers, etc etc). But I think something like Prolewiki might be able to be a spark point for something like this, depending on whether Prolewiki participants/management are willing to be the creation point of something rather than just a documenting and citing site.
  I see some things pop up on Medium that successfully spread but I'm not sure how often those do that. Could be that's a handful of things among tens of thousands that just waste their time. Likely depends on whether big networks reshare content and that momentum keeps going.
  Generally the point here is to write something that's clear enough for people to link to it frequently, and also potentially inspiring enough for others to also write about the phenomenon. If something can be written that also gets others to write about it then you get momentum.
  Really the most meaningful thing here is to get a few places to write about something like this and then put it on natopedia, where it is then going to gain the automatic credibility of being on natopedia in the eyes of libs and debatebros, those people will then take part in opposing the tactic whenever they recognise it. Once you get those people on board with opposing it because they're rules-perverts and will consider it against the "rules" the whole tactic may effectively collapse, in the online space at least.
  So really the limitation here is access to a resource, that resource being article publishing online.
- The thing is, if we believe we are on the side of reason, the nature of such an argument should only be considered a nuisance to us rather than catastrophic. If I want to prove that Israel is fascist and someone hits me with the "not everyone you disagree with is a fascist" line, then I can simply ask them to give me a set of criteria and either argue the criteria being incorrect or argue that Israel meets it (depending on the criteria, context, etc.) What our comrade is proposing is a way of opening discussion so that preconceived notions can be challenged more thoroughly.
  Socialism is the ruthless criticism of all that exists; if a socialist can't produce a justification for their ideology, this isn't an argument they should be getting into (they should be studying, whether through reading or investigating the world).
Ironically, the person who coined the term "thought terminating cliché" was describing the language used by the CCP.
- CPC
- lmao noice, I use it a lot lmao
Since the point of this technic is to convince themselves and other to not look at idea that threaten the status quo by convincing them that if they do that they will become part of some nebulous threat to "fundamental values of our society", it should be given a name according to that.
Something like "Status quo leashing" or "Overton leashing".
This is a good plan. Other than Hexbear I do have access to some small commie publications. Its also a topic I've thought about a lot.
I can probably write a thousand or more words on it. Maybe if other people can do the same, explore the topics and come up with names, etc., we can bring it back here to discuss in more detail.
Idk you've really inspired me so I'm going to run with it. Maybe you or @RedQuestionAsker2@hexbear.net or other HBs can get busy with it and start some discussions.
Is this actually a new thing because to me this is just a basic ad hominem'ing?
- It sort of is, but I think it is also distinct from your average ad hominem and widespread enough to deserve it's own name. You don't call someone "tankie", "woke", "SJW" and the likes the same way nor for the same reasons you would call someone an idiot or a pig nor does it have the same kind of implications. It's not just any kind of common name calling, it imply the target is an active part of some nebulous group that is inherently assumed to be a threat to some "fundamental value of our society", it is specificaly reserved for peoples who are a threat (or at least perceved threat) to the status quo.
- Ad hom isn't intended to specifically thought-terminate people. It's just a thing you sling at people.
  The use of "tankie" or "terrorist" is to define [person speaking or being spoken about] as a "baddy person" and therefore absolutely anything and everything they say can and should be disregarded, otherwise you are also a baddy person and thus not a good person. It's intended to reinforce group-think. The reactionary right use "woke" with the intent of preventing their members from listening to something a "woke" person might say, to make sure that they thought-terminate and do not think about whatever is said. The purpose is to function as a shield against anything that might change their views. It's to shut down their brains to anything people might say to them.
  It has the appearance of ad hom, but it has a specific higher function.

If you live in a country dominated 99.98% by the rightwing and you spend all your time online crusading against “tankies” and punching left you are just an anti-communist chud

Reddit brained nonsense. These all suck.

- So anti-authoritarian
- For real though, the most these people could ever accomplish is to be modern Rosa-killers.
- "Make sure to mention if you suspect any of them are Jews"
"Guantanamo landlord"
Oh yea rhats deffinitly something that would piss off socialists, criticizing guantanamo bay.
- They might actually think Cuba is in charge of Guantanamo.
This person has never once called someone any of these things to their face or even online without being anonymous. They've never stood up to or for anything. I would put money on the fact they nevee discuss politics offline, fearing any kind of conflict. They likely take their bosses abuse and kiss their ass for it in return, then go home to their keyboard to play act owning an imaginary boogeyman with a bunch of other cowardly online weirdos.
- I had an old friend come into town and he had made transphobia his personality. He hit me with some shit about manipulating children and I hit him with my old reliable "what the fuck are you talking about?" and he folded. It's like three steps to be offended by that shit. You'd need to recognize what they're talking about, recognize it as an insult, and choose to react to the insult. It's literally easier to steamroll past it than to engage on inane insult. The alternative is to ask them about the name and get a history lesson from someone you don't like. This shit is not how people talk outside of a work by Aaron Sorkin.
- This person will never confront a "tankie" in real life. These people are cowards, afraid that they might be outclassed by someone who has read theory and history. Their own words would strike hollow against someone who believes in something.
meat cube applicant
- i think it comes from some
Is this person 12? I didn't make it very far into his school yard insults but I def hope it's the stupidest shit I read all day.
I'm this close to going on reddit and tagging his name with RES flair just so I know not to even bother engaging with this absolute child ass human.
I feel embarrassed for this person.
The only thing any of these terms would get me to feel is disdain
and unsurprisingly most of these terms are also racist
- and unsurprisingly most of these terms are also racist
  That's because the person is, but if you told them that they'd lose it.

I feel like it's a decent bet that neither the OP of that post nor the majority of people replying have ever even given food or money to a homeless person.

I haven't but that's because I live in authoritarian tankie land without any homelessness
- smdh authoritarian tankies denying the human right to die in a gutter

shidding and pissing liberals: they aren't offended by the name we're calling them, what should we do?!

meanwhile, tankies

average left anti communist

Cracker or Gusano?

Langley worshippers growing increasingly uncomfortable with the implications of their astroturfed ideology

legitimate threat to freedom

Whomever you think the "tankies" are pose no threat to anyone or anything you absolute dweeb, they're nerds posting on the internet just like you are

Tankies (and Palestinians) are the only people actually organization around Palestine in the US right now

That reminds me, I wanted to make a right wing Twitter account that just comments on Steelers tweets, attempts to flirt with porn phishing accounts, and calls centrist liberals "tankie"

new Type Of Guy just dropped
Pro or anti Tomlinson?
- I don't know who that is but I looked that name up on Google images, and the answer is DEFINITELY anti-Tomlinson
This is good

congrats hexbear, we don't even have to reply to win this posting war

they're just that bad at posting

Doing a linguistic Nedellin catastrophe to themselves in the pursuit of a punchier epithet

they proclaimed the term

Reclaimed?

TANKIES!

I think these modern liberals would refer to those original British Trots as tankies, the ones who coined the term. Decades of propaganda and a weakened left in the west has resulted in these oddball social democrats who claim to be far more leftist than they actually are, because revolutionary socialism is too scary or something. Or they think foreigners are scary.

Also "this influences the real world and people's movements" lmao no it does not. Calling someone a tankie on Twitter repeatedly doesn't do shit. This is really a good insight into how these bozos think, isn't it? They think debates online do anything.

This is also why we occasionally get ledditors coming in here saying that we should be nicer and less aggressive in order to do "less harm to our movement." The idea that there are significant swathes of the user base here actually engaged in real world praxis and that this place is mostly somewhere for us to shitpost with like-minded people is unfathomable, because to them arguing on the internet is the pinnacle of political activity (along with turning out to
).
They think debates online do anything.
Liberals think political debate online is the peak of "free speech" as they let fascists gain power

Wow, what an unexpected twist

Universal healthcare being called socialist made me a socialist.

I think there might be something to this. Like rightwingers used to call everything COMMUNIST DISSENT, so even people who are not communists start calling themselves COMMUNIST DISSENTERS to piss off rightwingers. And then maybe they get to wondering about communist dissent a lil, and maybe they read the Manifesto. Y'know, just for the bit...

Calling everyone that is a left adjacent non westerner a ''tankie'' has the same equivalent in calling every brown person with a gun a terrorist

It's political stupidity at best and racism at worst

I for one think both the teacher and the schoolyard recess monitor need to be made aware of the depredations of these red fash tankies. It's that serious.

I'm calling an emergency student council meeting because the duplicitous tankies stole all the Cheetos from the vending machine in the teacher's lounge

God what a fucking dork. This is the political equivalent of the Tetris effect. I need to go outside, but this loser needs to GO OUTSIDE.

When we called right wingers chuds, 4chan was all "a chud worked out today, it was me." If you ever wanted to engage, it seems like it would serve you to relish in the title. A tankie is going to start a union vote today or an anarchist is going to work ALONGSIDE a tankchud, it's me. Even on some looks like my sexual pathology got the best of me. Give me your toothbrush. Someone with an axe to grind about authoritarianism can't balance that with the irony. If they could they'd probably have something better to do.

mayocide worldwide

Tankies are being a threat to domestic security by naysaying the 4th reich sending more tanks into ukraine! We must eradicate these TERRORIST AUTHORITARIANS

say it loud, tankie and proud

Tanks are inherently, like, super freakin' rad. idk why anyone would ever think it is an effective insult lol i wish i was in a tank right now (or at least one of those cool 8-wheeled gun carrier/APC thingies)

Tank is not an offensive weapon anymore.

I'm not going to stop calling tankies red fascists because words don't have meanings they only have emotions and I'm very upset at them

Now I just reply to them that I'm an adult who wears a diaper and I hate tankies too. No matter what Stalin Big Spoon tantrum follows, I just wholesale agree with it as an adult wearing a diaper.

This is unfair to all our ABDL comrades
- It's not a fetish thing. I just feel safer, like tankie disinformation can't reach me if I'm wearing my diaper. I can sit there in my diaper and support Ukraine in peace.

Love how this all relies on the belief that posting is praxis, and that by posting "tankie" you are saving the world from a future unspecified global dictator.

I think they are a legitimate threat to freedom

Lol. Feel like you should be prioritizing the legislators taking away your freedom and not some guy with a Stalin profile picture making fun of Europeans for buying marked up Russian oil from India

Bringing back memories of "the just stop killing people you fucking dicks" meme that would surface on reddit over a decade ago.

Left of Bernie is far too generous. I've seen Trumpsters and even other liberals called tankies by internet libs for not supporting nuking Russia. More like left of Reagan, Thatcher, and Himmler.

If you are more concerned with "authoritarian" (read: "practical") leftism than you are with actual nazis then you have my utmost disrespect.

For real if this is what keeps you up at night you need to touch some grass and get some perspective.

Not to be that guy, but

*reclaim

These people probably also use hand sanitizer and antibiotics 100% of the time

Fun-fact, using anti-bacterial hand wash all the time is not only harmful to your skin and presumably the environment, it is also redundant (because soap does all the work anyway), and may result in the development of anti-microbial resistant bacteria.

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TANKIES!