Eco Fascism – Dying for Earth’s Sake
The impact of Covid-19 on our climate discussed.
In times like these one searches for the good things in life. We all have seen the numbers of infected people in Germany and the deaths. We have all seen the empty supermarkets and heard of how soon the hospitals will have reached their capacities. Which is why a lot of people try to find positive news and headlines. But more and more often headlines can be seen that state that coronavirus is healing and bettering the environment and that we, the people, are the real virus, but how true is that and what does this statement actually mean?
The principal of eco fascism
In a sense it means that people who are dying are in a way good for our environment, and that these deaths are bettering whatever capitalism caused. But how does that relate to eco fascism? Well, generally speaking eco fascism is a possible political system, in which an authoritarian government controls the behaviour of people for a better ecosystem.
But eco fascism isn’t just a political system that supports environmental problems, but it also blends with white nationalism. The theory also especially supports the control of people of colour, immigrants, the working class, poor people and generally just economically disadvantaged people in order to reverse climate change, which was largely created by capitalism. And the people who actually built and uphold the system and cause environmental problems are the ones who get the best care as fast as possible, while people who don’t have access to these resources are under a higher risk of seriously being harmed. This waters down to the theory that the weak, vulnerable and disadvantaged will have to die for the sake of the environment.
Eco fascism and Covid-19
And calling the virus, it generalises humans and their actions, while implying that all humans are equally at fault, forgetting the sacrifices many have made. Going back to the topic of Covid-19, these type of headlines are saying that the people who are dying, which often are people with underlying health conditions, older people and people who don’t have access to health care, are the cure of climate change, which also just aligns with a lot of fascist ideology. Additionally, the effects of “a better environment”, like less pollution and cleaner water, we’re currently experiencing is not directly because are people dying of the virus, but because the structures surrounding capitalism are on a halt.
Not a new concept
But this type of thinking is not a new concept. A lot of it stems from the romantic period in the 19th century, but also had a very prominent role in the green politics of the NSDAP. Also, in recent times eco fascism has played a role, as the shooters of the Christchurch shooting and the El Paso shooting, both self-aligned themselves with ecofascist thinking and politics. They both committed these mass murders, one targeting Muslims and the other Mexicans, for the sake of bettering the environment.
It of course must be said that most of environmental activism is not automatically eco fascism, as people who try to save the planet from human recklessness are not the same as the people who actively oppress vulnerable and disadvantaged people under the disguise of curing the planet.
Doesn’t justify the deaths of Covid-19 affected
In conclusion it is not a bad thing to look for positive things, but news that say that Covid-19 is a good thing, just disregard the fact that the most people who are actually dying are not the ones responsible for the outcomes, people claim the virus is curing. And it also reinforces the idea that disadvantaged people have to die for the sake of the earth, which is absolutely not a thing to be celebrated. But on a happier note there are actually positive things to celebrate, for example the many cases of recovery, the fact that in some countries the amount of new cases is going down or at least levelling and that everywhere in the world scientists are looking for an effective vaccine.
