this post was submitted on 04 May 2026
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Many people on lemmy.ml deeply respect and admire authoritarian governments and organizations.

Iran, China, North Korea, Soviet Union...

The West has many flaws. But our flaws are nothing compared to these guys.

Iran hangs homosexuals. Iran shot 30,000 people in less than than 2 weeks. The Soviet Union had to build a fucking Iron wall to prevent people from escaping. The Soviets lied about the Chernobyl nuclear explosion. China censors the internet. China wants to eliminate Islam. North Korea is a totalitarian hellscape. Watching anime is a crime.

Why is lemmy.ml so fascinated with authoritarians?

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[–] nymnympseudonym@piefed.social 11 points 12 hours ago* (last edited 12 hours ago) (4 children)

“America and the West are doing evil things, so their enemies must be the good guys”

It's illuminating. I used to be a hardcore anarco-capitalist/radical libertarian and that community had exactly the same thought pattern:

  • Vietnam/Middle East show how USA lies for domination
  • Snowden showed how CIA/NSA lies for control
  • Markets showed how the Fed lies for moneyed elites

... and so on, so that it becomes a given truth that everything the government says is a lie, no matter what.

So then COVID comes along and all the libertarians are "FAUCI LIES! COVID IS JUST FLU!"
A few months (and a lot of Russian influence ) later, these people are believing that mRNA vaccines cause heart disease, etc etc etc

ANYWAY, what's interesting to me is how these two diametrically opposed ideological communities -- Tankies and AnCaps -- have almost exactly the same group dynamics pathology.

[–] Malyca@lemmy.zip 1 points 1 hour ago

I can't help but laugh at the absurdity of "anarcho-capitalists". Glad it's past tense for you.

[–] orbituary@lemmy.dbzer0.com 15 points 11 hours ago (1 children)

Wait until you read what real anarchists think of AnCaps.

[–] nymnympseudonym@piefed.social -4 points 11 hours ago (1 children)

ofc you understand AnCaps feel the same way about AnComs; that they're fundamentally a contradiction

[–] SarahValentine@lemmy.blahaj.zone 12 points 10 hours ago

If one lacks compassion, then of course they won't understand how someone can choose to support their community even without the government making them do it.

[–] AskewLord@piefed.social 8 points 12 hours ago* (last edited 12 hours ago) (2 children)

it's because they want to feel special.

the root of so much of the people that get caught in these delusional thought pattern is simple massive insecurity. and by clinging to a delusion you can mask it with a feeling of superiority because you KNOW THE TRUTH.

same reason people get recruited into cults. the cultists specifically target insecure people they can emotionally exploit and isolate. they are not interested in secure people who are grounded in reality, because there is nothing for their manipulation tactics to work on.

extremist politics also always become quasi-religions, or merge with fundamentalist religious belief.

[–] nymnympseudonym@piefed.social 4 points 12 hours ago

superiority because you KNOW THE TRUTH

Oh God yes, this this this!!

The Conspiracy folks all really get off on being Smarter Than You because the have Access to the Secret Knowledge. Once you have seen the evidence (eg "Fahrenheit 451") and started associating yourself with "like-minded people", then you too will become an Anointed One.

Culty culty cult

It is very seductive for people who feel their intellect and insights are not being seen.

[–] hakase@lemmy.zip -4 points 10 hours ago* (last edited 5 hours ago)

Relevant Contrapoints: https://youtu.be/teqkK0RLNkI

Edit: lol at the .mls downvoting this