This diary may very well get me banned, but I feel it still needs to be written.
I am shocked that so many ‘liberals’ are okay labeling anyone not towing the absolute ‘Kos’ line in reference to the Russia’s attack on Ukraine as a “tankie” … it seems that anyone that expresses even mild criticisms of Ukraine are labeled as ‘in the tank’ for Russia or “tankies”.
How is that different from Iraq war/Vietnam war critics being called “commies” or told “USA, love it or leave it”?
Putting a label on people like “tankie” is meant to do one thing and one thing only … shut down any opposition or differing opinions.
WHEN HAVE LIBERALS EVER SUPPORTED THAT?
I don’t feel I need to defend my liberal bonafides (I remember being called a “communist” in the 6th grade for being against the Vietnam war), but recently because as much as I believe in Ukraine’s right to self determination, I’ve been attacked and called a “tankie” here because I don’t believe that Ukraine is perfect and above criticism.
Why isn’t it okay to criticize Ukraine? I don’t think that Ukraine needs to be perfect in order to deserve autonomy, but I also don’t think that that means we should close our eyes to the reality of the Ukrainian government’s flaws.
It seems as if people here want to ignore the fact that Ukraine is under Martial Law, that they’ve banned political parties, restricted media, banned Russian books and music, arrested critics, that all men between 16-65 have been forbidden to leave the country, that Amnesty International found that they were placing their military amongst civilians, that they did in fact place a car bomb in Russia that killed Darya Dugina … does ANY of that mean that Russia is in the right?
Of course not, but it does mean that we need to have our eyes open about Ukraine.
I believe that Russia is in the wrong, I believe that that the US should help Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression, but I also want Ukraine to be held accountable and I want the truth … not just feel good propaganda.
When anyone portrays one side as ‘all evil’ and the other side as ‘all good’ … you can bet your bottom dollar that you are being fed propaganda.
If calling me a “tankie” makes you feel better … okay, but IMO you’ve lost your right to call yourself a “liberal”.
lib·er·al
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1.
willing to respect or accept behavior or opinions different from one's own; open to new ideas.