this post was submitted on 18 Aug 2026
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It is honestly pretty simple:
US = bad -> anti US = good
Add to that the idea that revolutions are inherently violent and killing of some traitors is fine and you have your tankie. For dictators being somewhat anti American is a pretty good strategy. The US propaganda is pro democracy and that is a great enemy for a dictator, the US also does a lot of evil shit and the fact that your country is poor is all to blame on the US and absolutely not on the dictators stealing everything. That btw is also why "socialism" never worked for tankies. As in it would have been perfect, but the US destroyed it.
As for many of the best stories, there is a good bit of truth in it. As in the US actually does a lot of evil shit and 100% fights leftist movements. However it is not always the bad guy and two bad guys can fight each other and do so all the time.
And (neo)liberal democracy is working as intended in the US. Except it is a lie because capitalism, the news media, the voting systems and the institutions are all flawed.
There is a fundamental question about the value of democracy and capitalism that liberals refuse to even entertain. Which is a problem. They can't not see themselves as good guys.
So when you equate an "authoritarian" regime with a "democracy" you get called an authoritarian. Not someone for a higher form of democracy.
I do agree there is a reactionary element in trying to rehabilitate Stalinism and the immense state violence during the great purge. If you'd want a revolution and clean up in the USA, how many people do you think you'd have to execute or put in prisons / gulags? But even so (when led by a paranoid sociopath) it's not the same because the underlying ideology actually does make a difference. So horseshoe, schmorshu.
This is objectively true. Tell me one big societal change that is achieved without violence?
Democrats and Republicans, i.e. Libs and MAGAts
Most of the time those "dictators" are dirt poor themselves (see maduro or gadaffi). I dont know where you got this assertion from.
Socialism absolutely worked and it was 100% destroyed by USA most of the time.