Definitions
- Referring to a person who supports or defends the actions of authoritarian communist regimes. - Describing someone who is ideologically aligned with Stalinism or Maoism. - Talking about a person who denies or downplays the human rights abuses committed by communist governments.
- Describing a government or system that exercises complete control over all aspects of society and individual lives. - Referring to a political ideology that advocates for such a system. - Talking about a regime that suppresses opposition and dissent, often through violence and propaganda.
List of Similarities
- 1Both words are associated with authoritarianism.
- 2Both words have negative connotations.
- 3Both words are used to describe political ideologies or regimes.
- 4Both words are related to communism or socialist movements.
What is the difference?
- 1Usage: Tankie is a colloquial term used mainly in left-wing circles, while totalitarian is a more formal term used in academic and political discourse.
- 2Focus: Tankie emphasizes support for specific communist regimes or leaders, while totalitarian focuses on the broader concept of a government exercising complete control over society.
- 3Connotation: Tankie can be seen as a pejorative term used to criticize extreme left-wing views, while totalitarian is a neutral term used to describe a specific type of government or ideology.
- 4Scope: Tankie is a narrower term that refers specifically to supporters of communist regimes, while totalitarian can be applied to a wider range of political systems, including fascist and authoritarian regimes.
- 5History: Tankie has its origins in the British Communist Party's support for the Soviet Union's invasion of Hungary in 1956, while totalitarian has been used to describe various forms of authoritarianism throughout history.
Remember this!
Tankie and totalitarian are both words associated with authoritarianism and negative connotations. However, tankie is a colloquial term used mainly in left-wing circles to describe people who support or defend specific communist regimes or leaders, while totalitarian is a more formal term used in academic and political discourse to describe a government or system that exercises complete control over all aspects of society and individual lives.
