I’ve run across these terms several times, but without enough context to figure out what they mean. Could someone help me out, please?

ETA All of you are amazing! A huge thank you to everyone who responded, and an extra thank you to those who have provided links or explanations to further and/or related information. I am learning so much by reading all of these comments!

  • Move to lemm.ee
    7•1 year ago

    Hakim explains: https://youtu.be/LcJ5NrJtQ8g

    Vijay Prashad (regularly works with Chomsky) explains: https://youtu.be/tsqE9kEsDVY

    The Deprogram explains: https://youtu.be/YVYVBOFYJco

    In short, “tankie” is a thought-terminating phrase thrown into any conversations where people want to get others to terminate all thought coming from people to their left. It gets thrown at communists by other communists, it gets thrown at communists by anarchists, it gets thrown at all of the above by socdems, it gets thrown at all of the above by liberals, and it gets thrown at all of the above including liberals by fascists.

    Its function in actual practice is that it moves discourse and spaces rightwards. Anyone using the phrase should be completely disregarded as a person that wants you to keep your brain closed.

    EDIT: Downvoters literally downvoting actually published leftist internationalist author saying exactly what I just said here because they don’t want to stop using it as a thought-terminator and don’t consider the fact that all they’re doing is moving things rightwards when they use it.