So, this post about extinction rebellion led to a conversation about how eco-fascists can infiltrate climate movements that claim to âwelcome everyoneâ. So I thought Iâd also make it a separate post about ecofascism.
Ecofascism comes in roughly two flavors: identitarian and openly racist.
Identitarian fascism generally calls itself ânationalismâ, or âlocalismâ or âprotecting our cultureâ just identitarian. When dealing with the climate, it often connects âthe peopleâ to âthe landâ and claims that only those that have lived on a piece of land for generations can properly care for it. So it will claim that immigrants pollute more, etc. It draws parallels between nature and society, claiming that anything âforeignâ, be it a plant or a person, upsets the harmony of nature/society and so the best way to protect both is to keep foreigners out. A very prominent defender of this idea is Marine Le Pen from the french far-right Front National.
Now, those are the ecofascists that run for elections. On the more extreme violent side of this same ideology youâll find the openly racist, who sometimes call themselves fascists or strategically hide that word, depending on their audience. When dealing with the climate, these fascists will claim that the earthâs population should be very much reduced to restore the balance between humans and nature.
Theyâre often primitivist, romanticizing a world without technology, where manly men chop wood in the forest while obedient women have white babies etc. You get the idea. They often infiltrate deep ecology spaces and conversations. Theyâre also often involved in paganism⊠but like⊠a very conservative gendernormative all-white interpretation of it. Generally focused on nordic/viking traditions. Theyâll use the words ânordic traditionâ and âboreal cultureâ as code for white/âayranâ. When theyâre being less subtle, theyâll use the term völkisch and the term âblood and soilâ (your race ties you to the land, everyone should live in the same place forever, foreigners should die, etc.)Â
Once youâve accepted their view of depopulation and are hooked by their romantic images of man in harmony with nature, theyâll reveal that of course this means that only the best white genes should be allowed to survive the great dying of climate change. A common claim is that the âshipâ of humanity is sinking and there is only one lifeboat, so the best people should get on it and they should, in the words of eco-fascist Pentti Linkola: take the shipâs axe and sever the extra hands that cling to the sides.â
Which is what theyâve of course wanted all along: genocide. Even if they genuinely believe their own eco-fascism, the main thing they were always warming you up for is genocide. To them, the fact that climate change is mostly killing people of color is exactly what should be happening and if it doesnât all happen naturally, it should be carried out by mass murder. And ecofascists are already putting these plans into action: The Christchurch and El Paso schooters were both ecofascists who believed this.
Recognize ecofascism within a movement:
The idea that those born in a place are more motivated to care for it than those that moved there
An obsession with people as being 'rootedâ in a place where they have lived for generations
Anti-import and export as a way to cut carbon emission (but really they just donât want anything to cross borders)
If you mention meat eating, theyâll probably change the topic to Muslim traditions of halal meat.
Paganism, but like⊠a very conservative all-white interpretation of it.
Primitivism + gender norms.
A love of things 'nordicâ or 'borealâ
The term 'blood and soilâ
The idea of white people being replaced by immigration
Donât be fooled if you have some things in common. Some ecofascists are vegans, some ecofascists are squatters, some ecofascists live zero-waste lives, some love organic gardens and DIY green energy projects. Theyâre still fascists whose ultimate goal is genocide.
Make your climate activism loudly anti-fascist.
Make your climate activism loudly anti-racist.
Prioritize the voices of indigenous people and people of color from the regions hardest hit by climate change, which are directly experiencing the impact of climate change in ways that white people couldnât imagine. If you want to have a climate movement that isnât shit, you should be doing this anyway, but the fact that itâll also make your movement less attractive to fascists is a nice bonus.
Address fascist talking points for what they are. Talk to those that donât know what theyâre reproducing and kick out those that continue to sympathize with fascism.
Donât participate in calls to ban ritual slaughter of animals. This is just another way in which fascists push their bigotry into climate activism. Recognize that the meat industry is violent at every stage and donât single out religious minorities. Be suspicious of people in your movement who support this.
Resist the normalization of the âoverpopulationâ narrative. Make sure everyone knows that the richest 10% are responsible for 49% of CO2 emission while the poorest 50% are responsible for 10%.
If you see someone romanticizing a future in which most of the world population is dead, donât give that an inch of space. Make it very very clear that the 'population controlâ narrative lays the foundations for genocide. Destroy those foundations wherever you find them.
If youâre involved in paganism, make your paganism loudly anti-fascist. Know which symbols and practices are most popular among fascists and be ready to kick out fascists in your communities.
https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/david-orten-ecofascism-what-is-it
https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/janet-biehl-and-peter-staudenmaier-ecofascism-lessons-from-the-german-experience
https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/anonymous-introduction-to-the-apocalypse
Recent news on ecofascism:
https://insurrectionnewsworldwide.com/2018/01/29/italy-beware-of-the-intruder-the-italian-eco-animal-fascists/
https://www.newstatesman.com/science-tech/social-media/2018/09/eco-fascism-ideology-marrying-environmentalism-and-white-supremacy
https://www.theguardian.com/world/commentisfree/2019/mar/20/eco-fascism-is-undergoing-a-revival-in-the-fetid-culture-of-the-extreme-right
https://theintercept.com/2019/08/05/el-paso-shooting-eco-fascism-migration/
https://www.treehugger.com/corporate-responsibility/the-dark-threat-of-ecofascism.html
Resisting fascism paganism:
https://www.heathensagainst.org/
https://www.facebook.com/HeathensUnited/
https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2017/11/asatru-heathenry-racism/543864/
jbbartram-illu
vaporwave
kianamaiart
andulkaphoto
izzy806
ellievsbear
pixelskylines
