ALB
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Just read the Wikipedia entry on “eco fascism”:
“Ecofascism is a theoretical political model in which a totalitarian government would require individuals to sacrifice their own interests to the “organic whole of nature”. Some writers have used it to refer to the hypothetical danger of future dystopian governments, which might resort to fascist policies in order to deal with environmental issues. Other writers have used it to refer to segments of historical and modern fascist movements that focused on environmental issues.”
I expected to find something more substantial than “theoretical political model” or “hypothetical danger” of what some future government “might resort to”. The only substantial thing is that it was part of the ideology of historical fascist movements and governments.
Are there or are there not ecologists who actually advocate that without having any connection with historical fascist governments or current grouplets inspired by them? And if there are, calling them “fascist” would just be a way of discrediting them.
So, “ecofascism” is a useless term too.
In that interview Traverso is accepting that “fascist” is not an accurate description of the far-right parties that have managed to win an electoral following. To call them “post fascist” is to say that they are not or at least no longer “fascist”. But I don’t think that’s the word we are looking for.
“Eco-fascism” is not as bad as “fascism” on its own but the suggestion is still there that they are some sort of “fascist”.
Yes, Jack, I think that’s right. Here’s our analysis of the rise of Nazism from the 1978 edition of our pamphlet Questions of the Day though it was in previous editions.
The trouble is the word “fascism” has a history as a political term as has the term “anti-fascism”. It has been used as the ultimate “evil”, so evil that all non-fascists are duty-bound to unite against it. This was the line of the old CP in the 1930s and has been inherited by the SWP. It leads to the struggle against those designated “fascist” being considered more important than the struggle for socialism; to “popular fronts” and the like with openly pro-capitalist parties.
Capitalism, not fascism, is the enemy. In fact it was capitalist conditions in the 1930s that gave rise to fascism as a mass movement as a reaction to the inevitable failure of democratic reformism.
Of course there are a few real “fascists” about — people who see themselves in a direct line of descent from the Nazis and advocate the same policies and political regime, swastikas and all — but there’s not many of them and they are not a threat. I dare say some “eco-fascists” fit into that category. But the far-right parties with some electoral following do not. I don’t know what to call them. Nativists? Extreme nationalists? Eco-nativists?
I am reluctant to say so because I wrote the article he refers to but I agree with Marcos. We shouldn’t bandy about the term “fascism” like left wingers do completely out of context and giving the impression that fascism is worse than capitalism. With the danger of implying that the priority should be anti-fascism rather than socialism. Best to see “fascism” that has been and gone.
There’s also been rioting in the French West Indies but against not for vaccination restrictions. Apparently the trade unions there have been involved.
This report (in French I’m afraid but you can see the pictures) says the march in Brussels was led by a Flemish nationalist MP. Today’s Times reports that:
“Marching behind a banner stating ‘Together for Freedom’, the crowd included far right activists , LGBT+ rights campaigners and people carrying the Flemish flag.”
There is obviously something going on which we need to have something to say about.
Our criticism of Big Pharma is presumably that it is just another profit-seeking industry no better or no worse than any other?
And of course it is not just anti-vaxxer conspiraloons that criticise “Big Pharma” but many Greens who favour herbal medicine instead.
But I am still impressed that over 30,000 can turn out for a demonstration in Brussels.
He seems to want to keep the word “fascism” because if its negative connotations. Those he criticises
“have little or nothing to do with the legacy of Nazism. They are not totalitarian; not at all revolutionary; not based on violent mass movements or irrationalist, voluntarist philosophies. Nor are they toying, even in jest, with anti-capitalism”
In other words, not fascist but something else. He seems to be talking about so-called “ethno-nationalism”, the only thing those he criticises share with fascism.
Over 30,000 march against covid restrictions in Belgium ! That the same if not more than those protesting against climate change. Surely we must have something to say these discontented people? But if protests in this scale spread to Britain we need to have something to say them. I don’t know what but there may be some there more amenable to our message than the do-gooders and Christians on the “climate justice” marches.
Now the police are shooting anti-vaxxers in of all places the Netherlands. There must be a lot of discontent around beneath the surface using covid restrictions as the occasion to express it. Can’t think of any other explanation for this on the surface irrational protest.
It’s started. As usual in “civil disobedience” protests: once some have been jailed the emphasis shifts to protesting and to trying to get them out.
Notice that their main slogan is still the naive and misleading “Betrayed by My Government”
Pathetic as well as counter-productive.
Vauxhall Bridge is the main bridge you would take to get from north of the Thanes to get to our Head Office. So if they repeat this stunt next Saturday when South London branch meets we will go there to leaflet them.
But it looks as if some of them will be in gaol singing “I fought the law and the law won.”
Of course anyone who comes from those countries can put in a claim to be fleeing political persecution even if they are in reality economic migrants leaving those countries (some of whose economies have been ruined by western intervention and/or sanctions) to seek a better life in Europe. If I was from there I’d try to get out too and use ruses like pretending to be a Kurd from Turkey when you really from Iraq or Syria or vice versa. As I said, good luck to them. I hope playing the “political refugee” card works (as it has for some of our present and past members who are now UK citizens). That was the point I was making that they should have no compunction about lying to the state. And why should we accept that economic migrants are less worthy than political refugees ?
Actually, most of them will be economic migrants seeking a better life away from the countries where they were born, but that doesn’t matter. They are still victims of capitalism and its conflicts. If they can get away with being classified as “political refugees” good luck to them (nobody is under any obligation to tell a capitalist state the truth).
