They're blind apologists for the various left regimes that have identified themselves as leftist, anti-imperialist, anti-western, sometimes even including North Korea and Cambodia under Pol Pot. Often they align themselves with right-wing governments like modern Russia and Iran, because they're against the geopolitical west.
The term was coined after the USSR rolled tanks into Hungary in the 50's to squash pro (Socialist) democracy protests. Some leftists stuck with the Soviets as they matched into Hungary and Praugue, and others spoke out against what they saw as tyrannical repression of democracy.
Try explaining how to do that to your non-techie relatives, especially the older ones who like reading. Yes, this makes is more difficult to switch.