JamesConeZone [they/them] @ JamesConeZone @hexbear.net

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5 yr. ago

What's a tankie and how do you differentiate yourself from them as a socialist

Wait so are tankies anti-NATO? All leftists are anti-NATO lmao

The last paragraph quotes fucking Ross Douthat, come on now

Lots of terms need defining. "Illiberal" just means not capitalistic, which yeah that's all leftists. What is authoritarian? Usually a definition that gets thrown around applies more to capitalist countries vs those listed.

So it's just a western communist that supports non Western communist projects? 🤔

Define tankie

No, it's because Prigozhin was a Nazi. No more complicated than that

Ah! Well, nevertheless

The beginning of that quote is worth adding for context for folks unfamiliar with Engel's argument here:

Why do the anti-authoritarians not confine themselves to crying out against political authority, the state? All Socialists are agreed that the political state, and with it political authority, will disappear as a result of the coming social revolution, that is, that public functions will lose their political character and will be transformed into the simple administrative functions of watching over the true interests of society. But the anti-authoritarians demand that the political state be abolished at one stroke, even before the social conditions that gave birth to it have been destroyed. They demand that the first act of the social revolution shall be the abolition of authority. Have these gentlemen ever seen a revolution?

And his conclusion:

Therefore, either one of two things: either the anti-authoritarians don't know what they're talking about, in which case they are creating nothing but confusion; or they do know, and in that case they are betraying the movement of the proletariat. In either case they serve the reaction.

The short entire essay is worth reading for other folks reading.

Traditionally, airlines would not charge for the first two pieces of checked luggage unless they exceeded weight limitation. But in February of 2008, United Airlines began charging $25 for the second checked bag. In July of that year, US Airways (LCC, Fortune 500) started charging $15 for the first checked bag

This was to offset high gas prices. Gas prices went down. Luggage charges stayed.

I don't understand your response. How is what you've described authoritarian, especially in order to achieve communism as op stated? Those were all communist governments.

I could be mistaken, but this sounds people in different revolutions at different times defend themselves differently against the threats of the bourgeoisie. I don't see how that is authoritarian, especially if the people are the ones involved, heard, and implementing decisions

I don't know a single communist who supports Russia or Putin. Why would they support a capitalist state? Do you mean that they argue why, in historical materialist terms, war between Russia and the West has been caused by western expansion? In that case, they are explaining geopolitical movements to our current situation, not supporting Russia if that makes sense. I can see how "critical support" against American imperialism (eg, support with heavy criticism) can come off as being "pro-Russia" from the outside, but it really is just explaining, contra the neoliberal take on geopolitical war, why war is happening. Communists don't approach international politics as good vs bad, they are far more nuanced which can be read as "pro" things they aren't. Does that make sense? I am inebriated

Communism is most definitely a political system as it has an inherent system of power relations, representation of workers, ownership of the means of production by the workers themselves, and distribution of decisions among the people until the state can be dissolved. Internationalism is a huge part of communism as is real politik, historical materialism, and other political approaches.

What I don't understand is what you mean by authoritarian? Do you mean a literal dictatorship like in Latin America? I don't know if a single communist country that has not had better representation than the USA as far as voting goes. I guess maybe the Khmer Rouge (I don't know anything beyond Wikipedia for that one)?

So, someone who supports totalitarian rule to achieve communism? Like... A revolution vs voting? I'm asking in good faith btw, I am legit trying to understand

What is a tankie

This was super helpful comrade, thanks for this post

What good would you like for us to say? What good things about the USA need discussing in the context of this article?

Paying for airplane luggage