this post was submitted on 18 Jan 2026
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askchapo

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This might be a silly question, so I want to preface it with an apology in advance and if you think there is a better place to ask please let me know.

I’ve come across a large number of self-described “anarchists” or “non-communist leftists,” or the like, mostly online,thanks to where I live (谢天谢地). But whenever you look a bit closer, the pattern is the same: underneath the aesthetics and language, it’s just liberalism. Pro-NATO positions, contempt toward the global periphery, and extremely reactionary responses when imperialism or capitalism are seriously questioned.

So my question is: Is adopting these leftist identities a kind of defensive mechanism (an attempt to distance themselves from the real-world damage caused by liberal ideology) or am I misunderstanding what’s actually going on?

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[–] FunkyStuff@hexbear.net 14 points 1 day ago (1 children)

There's lots of anarchists here on Hexbear that are more well read than you might expect! Definitely more well read than me, at least.

[–] yunqihao@hexbear.net 10 points 1 day ago

However unfortunate tho typical it may be that most of the rest of the internet is generally only home to different flavors of "anarchist" .

I look forward to interacting with the real deal!