If someone is "authoritarian tankie trash" (which is a form of Othering FYI), then they're not actually communist are they? They're Authoritarian.

Authoritarian and Totalitarian organisations/governments have been co-opting "communism" and "socialism" for many years as a way to doublespeak legitimise themselves. But they can label themselves communist/socialist until the cows come home, doesn't make it true.