Confronting the Rise of Eco-Fascism Means Grappling with Complex Systems
Alexander Reid Ross and Emmi Bevensee
In the third CARR Research Insight, Alexander Reid Ross and Emmi Bevensee explore historical and contemporary forms of eco-fascism.
Abstract:
The white-supremacist Christchurch and El Paso shooter who he influenced both promoted ecological and anti-imperialist tropes in their manifestos. While this appears contradictory to the fascist project they pursued to its ultimate end, this article offers an explanatory framework for the representation of such ideological terms. The fascist movement’s ecological tendency has developed and adapted over time, from the völikisch movement, through the Third Position, to an important part of an interconnected international movement with both vanguardist and populist strategies. These eco-fascist lineages exist in complex syncretic tension with both the modern right and left. Being rooted in a worship of simplicity, eco-fascism fails to address the complex problems posed by climate change which require complex solutions. As such, addressing climate change requires concerted efforts to block fascist entryism in green movements.
Keywords: eco-fascism; entryism; green politics; Völkisch.
Read the report here.