this post was submitted on 12 Apr 2025
218 points (83.9% liked)

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.

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[–] [email protected] 97 points 1 week ago (4 children)

Ah, yes, the famous democratic soviet elections with a single candidate.

[–] Phil_in_here 28 points 1 week ago

There would be plenty of other options if they stopped falling out of buildings or suffering sudden terminal illness!

[–] [email protected] 12 points 1 week ago

Just stop and let tankies dream of mass genocide in peace.

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[–] [email protected] 51 points 1 week ago (22 children)

China would be a democracy if the candidates put on the ballot for public approval weren't chosen by the CPC. In theory, their voting system is more fair and democratic than first-past-the-post (which is objectively the worst voting system).

[–] [email protected] 51 points 1 week ago

Unfortunately, that's a pretty big barrier to being democratic.

But I agree that FPTP is one of the worst systems, and desperately needs to be replaced.

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[–] [email protected] 25 points 1 week ago (10 children)

Reading about tankies while being from the post soviet bloc is especially aggravating since we all remember and some still have to endure our drunk parents glorifying the „good old days” when milk was a luxury item and people listened to your phone calls.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I mean people still listen to your phone calls even in western countries and egg is looking to become a luxury item.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Well you are comparing one totalitarian regime to another. The US is no longer a „western” country.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 week ago (3 children)

Nah, it totally is. Being western isn't signified by "Good Values" it's signified by its location on the map.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 week ago

And cultural-geopolitical factors.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 week ago

That’s why I put western in quotes. It’s a dumb but helpful classification like the „first world”.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Plenty of western countries are located in the eastern hemisphere. Australia is considered a western country...

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[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I mean in the USSR, you definitely had choice when it came to voting. There was the right choice and the wrong choice. You'd better choose correctly.

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[–] [email protected] 25 points 1 week ago (12 children)

This will spark valid discussion and not invoke weird tribalism that ignores the fact that we're all ruled by the rich under all of those systems. No siree. Just valid, non-divisive, discussions happening for this one.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

"We're ruled by the rich in all of these systems!" when the issue being talked about is some basic level of democracy is missing the point entirely, jfc.

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[–] [email protected] 24 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Not entirely sure any of those are democracies.

[–] [email protected] 30 points 1 week ago (22 children)

Well, some are markedly more democratic than others. I still wouldn't give the US high marks for democracy, but "The ability for the majority of the population to freely choose a candidate of their choice" is miles ahead of "There is one candidate and the Central Committee approved them", even with all the other fuckery that goes on.

[–] [email protected] 19 points 1 week ago (3 children)

I'll be honest with you, "there are two candidates and the two party central comittees approved them" sounds only marginally better.

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[–] [email protected] 20 points 1 week ago (1 children)

So China is a democracy where virtually everyone just happens to vote for the incumbent?

[–] [email protected] 13 points 1 week ago

We prolly gonna have to get the guy to define democracy first. It likely ain’t what we think he thinks it is.

[–] [email protected] 19 points 1 week ago (8 children)

In communism, you can vote so long as you vote for pre-approved candidates.

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[–] [email protected] 18 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

I love how I'm just suppose to trust the official texts on China and Cuba, but not the US. That's what these "do your own homework" posts always imply.

[–] [email protected] 17 points 1 week ago

It’s not a democracy unless the official name of the country includes the word “democratic”.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 1 week ago

not going to go full tankie and praises those democracies, but without a doubt, the US democracy is a farce.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Serious question, what truly successful, stable and properly representative democracies are there?

Like, even if we remove the major issues around capitalism, the US democracy is as far from representing the people as democratically possible. Heck, even if you remove the electoral college it would still be a super unrepresentative democracy because of the two party system and other factors.

So what countries are out there that have functional democracies that truly represent the will of the people while being stable?

[–] [email protected] 16 points 1 week ago (6 children)

Serious question, what truly successful, stable and properly representative democracies are there?

Most of the EU. Aussieland and New Zealand. Canada. Taiwan. Mongolia. Mexico and Brazil, if you'll allow a little wiggle room in 'stable'. Possibly SK and Japan, depending on your definitions of 'properly representative'.

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