Basically modern-day Russia still uses Stalinist newspeak, and tankies take it in good faith. In Stalinist newspeak, "imperialism" meant "opposition of the Soviet empire".
Another thing is, tankies also think the USA is the only obstacle in a global communist revolution, and that social autocracies like Russia and China are not going hinder any attempt at it. China is now also exploiting the global south, and I cannot convince tankies that the Hungaran Fudan university isn't being gifted for free by the Chinese, but is on a loan that Hungarian taxpayers have to pay back.
Conservatives often want an in-group, that is protected by law, but is not bound by it; and an out-group, not protected by law, but bound by it. Get ready for this to get way worse in case of a Trump victory, alongside with crackpot dictators starting a dick measurement contest of who can ban the most harmless things in the shortest amount of time.