this post was submitted on 06 Jul 2025
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The Democratic People's Republic of Tankiejerk

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Dunking on Tankies from a leftist, anti-capitalist perspective.

Rules:

  1. No bigotry of any kind.
  2. No tankies or right-wingers. Liberals are allowed so long as they are aware of this
  3. No genocide denial

We allow posts about tankie behavior even off fedi, shitposts, and rational, leftist discussion.

Curious about non-tankie leftism? If you've got a little patience for 19th century academic style, let a little Marx and Kropotkin be your primer!

Marx's Communist Manifesto, short and accessible! Highly recommended if you haven't read it

Kropotkin's Conquest Of Bread

Selected works of Marx

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[–] Bamboodpanda@lemmy.world 34 points 5 days ago (11 children)

"Whataboutism" is one of the most prevalent logical fallacies. It never makes any sense.

[–] jaupsinluggies@feddit.uk 5 points 4 days ago (2 children)

However it can be used to point out someone's hypocrisy. If country A is genociding people from country B, while screaming about people from country B genociding people from country C, "what about your genocide" is an appropriate response.

[–] Bamboodpanda@lemmy.world 8 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Calling out hypocrisy can be valid but it must further discussion, not shut it down. In your example, if country A is committing genocide while condemning country B for genocide, the problem isn't just country B’s actions. It's that country A is deflecting from its own crimes instead of addressing them.

Saying 'what about your genocide' only matters if it leads to accountability for both. If it's just used to avoid taking responsibility, then it's whataboutism. It shifts the focus without solving anything.

To reiterate, whataboutism is deflection meant to shut down further discussion.

[–] stickly@lemmy.world 7 points 4 days ago

Appealing to hypocrisy is a fallacy, full stop. Someone can be a hypocrite but that has no bearing on whether an action is justifiable for both/neither.

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