This new zine explores the resurgence of Tankism and authoritarian Marxism. If you have been confused by the resurgence of hammer and sickle imagery on the Internet, this zine will help explain the phenomenon.
From the intro:
This zine was compiled with the goal of making accessible a critique of “tankism,” a reactionary ideological position that seems to be trending on the Left. Much like the alt-right, which in 2015 appeared to be an internet phenomenon with little potential to gain a foothold in the streets, tankies have fared well in the era of ascendant nationalisms. In North America they are making the jump from Twitter to our offline communities.
Those of us who believe in a world of radically expanded freedom and the end of domination must contend with the zombified corpse of the 20th Century’s authoritarian Left.
In “Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Tankies, But Were Afraid to Ask,” Mike Harman uncovers the history of the term “tankie” and its relationship to various strains of Marxism-Leninism. Then “Ending the Idealization of the Other” draws on Su-lin Yu’s critique of Orientalism to explain why some queer people of color in North America support repression when it is committed by “socialist states.” Finally, in “Is Genocide Denial Anti-Imperialist Now?” Darya Rustamova confronts the fetishization of the USSR while expounding on the harm caused by those denying or minimizing genocide and war crimes.
Thanks to the folks who wrote it – it’s long overdue!