Inspired by recent discussions, I think Hexbear has a lot of good information about socialism but I wonder if the relentless defense of AES on Hexbear means shooting ourselves in the foot, since many potential leftists have been thoroughly primed to react negatively to AES states?
We’re not getting our messages out when progressive instances have already pre-emptively blocked us and calling us “tankies”.
People are being turned away without even taking the opportunity to read some of the stuff here, because they already have a pre-conceived notion about Hexbear being filled with “crazy tankies who defend totalitarianism”.
I know there have been a lot of propaganda and fabrication being perpetuated about socialist countries, and it feels “right” to defend them against these false accusations, but I wonder if this is doing more harm than good for the present day nascent socialist movement, at least in the Western countries?
We can remain on the current course and feel indignant about the tankie accusations, but will forever remain as a niche “tankie” community.
Or, we can open ourselves up, by toning down the admiration for the socialist states so we are not being treated as hostile by the other instances, and thus opening up the opportunities to have productive interactions with users (and potential leftists) from other instances?
(I do have my own position, you probably know which one it is, but I’m willing to hear from others and reevaluate my own opinions if needed).
EDIT: Thanks to everyone who responded. All points are well taken. Thank you.
You have observed real problems but are interpreting them the wrong way. Should we take different positions? Absolutely not. Should we not always pick fights on this when there are (within a given conversation) sometimes more useful things to focus on? Sure.
Never, ever lie and agree that "reds killed trillions" "haircuts are banned in communist north korea" etc, and if that's all someone has to say, then leaping to find some conciliatory subject is not helpful, but realistically in a given conversation you can only discuss so many things at once, and you are unlikely to get to every point you could make, so it makes sense to prioritize relevant topics of practical importance and fundamentally the USSR is usually not the very highest on that list if you are discussing literally anything to do with the modern day.
But fundamentally we must support the DPRK in its historic struggle against American imperialism and people who don't understand why this is should eventually learn it, because there is a palpable difference between people who get this and those who don't. In the context of people on this dumb agglomeration of websites, there is no such thing as an anti-imperialist ideology that does not hold this position, just social chauvinism at best.
Our infamy remains to our advantage, because the neoliberal idiots at the core of other userbases make us out to be monsters even though our positions are much more humane. You are right that it can be a wedge, but it is often a wedge in our favor as well!