another way to say "thanks", because "thanks" is so played out. {taken from the hit show "Gullah Gullah Island"}
by El_Scorcho September 5, 2003
Get the tanky tanky mug.A hardline Stalinist. A tankie is a member of a communist group or a "fellow traveller" (sympathiser) who believes fully in the political system of the Soviet Union and defends/defended the actions of the Soviet Union and other accredited states (China, Serbia, etc.) to the hilt, even in cases where other communists criticise their policies or actions. For instance, such a person favours overseas interventions by Soviet-style states, defends these regimes when they engage in human rights violations, and wishes to establish a similar system in other countries such as Britain and America.
The term is used to distinguish the rare individuals with these kinds of beliefs from communists more broadly (including Communist Party members), whose adherence to Soviet doctrine and attachment to existing "socialist" states is somewhat weaker.
It is always more-or-less abusive in the sense that those termed tankies do not use the term themselves, but it doesn't have any particular bite (unlike, say, Trot).
The term derives from the fact that the divisions within the communist movement first arose when the Soviet Union sent tanks into communist Hungary in 1956, to crush an attempt to establish an alternative version of communism which was not embraced by the Russians. Most communists outside the eastern bloc opposed this action and criticised the Soviet Union. The "tankies" were those who said "send the tanks in".
The epithet has stuck because tankies also supported "sending the tanks in" in cases such as Czechoslovakia 1968, Afghanistan 1979, Bosnia and Kosovo/a (in the case of the Serbian state), and so on (whereas the rest of the communist movement has gravitated towards anti-militarism).
The term is used to distinguish the rare individuals with these kinds of beliefs from communists more broadly (including Communist Party members), whose adherence to Soviet doctrine and attachment to existing "socialist" states is somewhat weaker.
It is always more-or-less abusive in the sense that those termed tankies do not use the term themselves, but it doesn't have any particular bite (unlike, say, Trot).
The term derives from the fact that the divisions within the communist movement first arose when the Soviet Union sent tanks into communist Hungary in 1956, to crush an attempt to establish an alternative version of communism which was not embraced by the Russians. Most communists outside the eastern bloc opposed this action and criticised the Soviet Union. The "tankies" were those who said "send the tanks in".
The epithet has stuck because tankies also supported "sending the tanks in" in cases such as Czechoslovakia 1968, Afghanistan 1979, Bosnia and Kosovo/a (in the case of the Serbian state), and so on (whereas the rest of the communist movement has gravitated towards anti-militarism).
I wouldn't be surprised if the tankies even defend Saddam Hussein.
Some of the people round George W Bush used to be left-wing, but they haven't really changed their views much; they were mostly tankies.
Some of the people round George W Bush used to be left-wing, but they haven't really changed their views much; they were mostly tankies.
by Andy April 20, 2004
Get the tankie mug.Have you seen the Video of Ushanka Kid? When he said Stalin would be better than Trump he was a real Tanky
by Comradekennedy March 11, 2019
Get the Tanky mug.An apologist for dictatorial regimes with atrocious records on human rights, so long as those countries are not the US. A person who thinks that because the US is flawed, and has done bad things, that that means that countries that are or have traditionally been our adversaries (generally communist countries) are actually perfectly fine places to live, and everything bad that you hear about them is a Western lie. Someone who goes beyond just being a communist or socialist, into defending some truly awful regimes, a tankie throws out the baby with the bathwater.
John thinks Stalin was awesome, says China isn't oppressing the Uyghurs, and believes that everything bad you hear about North Korea is a lie that the American media wants you to believe. John is a tankie.
by q359 March 2, 2023
Get the tankie mug.A type of communist who generally supports the Soviet Union and Stalin. Often includes support for North Korea and Maoist China as well.
In 1956, Hungary tried to leave the Soviet orbit to start its own fully independent communist state. The Marxist world was split on whether Stalin should allow this to happen, or whether he should "send in the tanks." Those who supported the latter were dubbed Tankies.
Tankies are contrasted with the modern descendants of Eurocommunism, which rejects Leninism/Stalinism in favor of a more soft-handed, humanitarian, pluralistic approach.
In 1956, Hungary tried to leave the Soviet orbit to start its own fully independent communist state. The Marxist world was split on whether Stalin should allow this to happen, or whether he should "send in the tanks." Those who supported the latter were dubbed Tankies.
Tankies are contrasted with the modern descendants of Eurocommunism, which rejects Leninism/Stalinism in favor of a more soft-handed, humanitarian, pluralistic approach.
This tanky believes North Korea is actually a wonderful place, and that the rest of the world must be lying.
by Karwash June 30, 2022
Get the Tanky mug.by AFuckingAnomalyOnUrban July 25, 2022
Get the Tankies mug.When you do something cool, difficult or impressive it would be tanky or if you’re really big and hench then you’re a tank
“Woah he’s a tank he just downed that drink in 3 seconds”
“Her playlist is called crackers, that’s so tanky”.
“Her playlist is called crackers, that’s so tanky”.
by The owl and the pufferfish March 28, 2020
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