Gavin Mueller (University of Amsterdam), "'Tankies' as a Digital Political Subculture"

This presentation will discuss "Tankies" as a digital political subculture. Historically, "Tankie" is a term used to refer to Western anti-imperialist Marxist-Leninists who remained loyal to the Soviet Union through the Cold War. In the context of contemporary digital culture, Tankies represent a significant, but understudied, presence in digitally-rooted activism and political discourse, which manifest in a variety of online content genres, from memes to online influencing. Understanding "Tankies" helps develop a greater understanding of the relationship of digital culture to extreme politics, as well as how digital culture reshapes Marxist theory and politics.