i've never once seen someone who unconditionally swears to everything that happened in the USSR
often what people who are labeled as "tankies" are saying is:
- the US (and probably other western countries) used Red Scare propaganda that persists to this day, exaggerating the failures of the USSR
- i believe in violent revolution
- i respect many of the things the USSR did
then they're shut down with reductionism like this term by other Leftists. THESE COMRADES ARE NOT "BASICALLY FASCISTS!"