I still disagree with you, there's definitely some misfires and people misusing the term, but the majority of people who use the word know that it's a pejorative for exclusively authoritarian communists, usually specifically those who would look the other way when their "socialist" government commits atrocities.

[–] QinShiHuangsShlong@lemmy.ml 3 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

the majority of people who use the word know that it’s a pejorative for exclusively authoritarian communists

Yes in theory, but unless you are a diviner or mind reader identifying who is and isn't especially is short online debate is far from a science.

For example if you point out there is no Uyghur genocide even if you perform the 1000 prostrations, and explain the reality of the abuses how it was still terrible and inexcusable it doesn't matter what your wider beliefs are you will be called a tankie.

Which is exactly my point it is at its core a pejorative specifically to put down those who do not tow the anti-communist line just right by equating them with the straw man of some hyper evil pro genocide caricature.

[–] AlexanderTheDead@lemmy.world -1 points 1 hour ago (2 children)

Probably because saying it's not a genocide is literally just a tankie talking point that got turned into "uhmmm acskually theyre just doing all these humans rights abuses that result in cultural erasure, death, SA, etc. that's not TECHNICALLY genocide, somehow"

I mean, are you saying that the forced assimilation, reeducation camps, forced labor, forced sterilization, etc isn't a genocide?

[–] BrainInABox@lemmy.ml 1 points 53 minutes ago

Probably because saying it’s not a genocide is literally just a tankie talking point

Immediately abandoning your own claim about what "tankie" is supposed to mean.

[–] QinShiHuangsShlong@lemmy.ml 1 points 53 minutes ago

I think you don't have a solid grasp of what the abuses really were and what actually happened in Xinjiang.

forced assimilation

Uyghur is used in schools, all signage is in both Uyghur and and Mandarin, Uyghur is still widely spoken and cultural practices continue.

reeducation camps

If it happened in a white country you'd call it reformative justice. When you get sent to prison being taught vocational skills so that you can reintegrate into society once you finish your sentence is how it's supposed to work.

forced labor

Do you have a source for this. Xinjiang cotton farming for instance is some of the most automated on earth.

forced sterilization

This comes from Adrian Zenz (German evangelical on a self proclaimed mission from god to punish China (some of my favourite quotes from him

Through notions of gender equality…the enemy is undermining God’s unique but different role assignments for men and women”

… anti-discrimination laws put in place throughout the European Union … forbid employers to discriminate based on gender or sexual orientation. That way, it becomes illegal for churches or Christian organizations to refuse to hire homosexuals into important positions

) (whole other rabbit hole)) misinterpreting a table that said Xinjiang made up 8.7% of new IUD insertions as 80%. As well as the fact that the population growth rate fell by 84% but that's normal as developing areas develop throughout history. Also why bother exclude Uyghurs like the rest of us minorities from the one child policy if they were going to do this? It just doesn't make sense.

What happened in Xinjiang is categorically not a genocide. Both the UN and OIC agree on that. The actual abuses were much closer to what the US does to its people of colour, racial profiling, dragnet policing etc. still terrible and inexcusable but calling it genocide simply diluted the word and throws mud on the real grievances.

Being accurate on reality shouldn't get you labelled a tankie if it actually fits the meaning you prescribed it. Like I've been saying tankie is a pejorative used to apply a moral label to those who don't tow the anti-communist line properly.