Covid-19, the far-right, and the fruits of neoliberalism.
“In the long run, the practice of solidarity proves much more advantageous to the species than the development of individuals endowed with predatory inclinations.” -Pyotr Kropotkin, Mutual Aid: A factor of evolution.
If there is one thing that has become apparent since the arrival of Covid 19 (C19) in our lives, it is that society needs to change. The pandemic has thrown into stark relief the inequities of a social system that fails to provide for the needs of members of the community, not just to survive but to thrive. As communities and individuals become ever more disenfranchised and disaffected, with scant confidence inspired by our “leaders,” is it any wonder that so many people are willing to march behind far-right organisers who have the ability to offer them what the current social system cannot and will not: recognition?
C19 arose as a result of a society that has become increasingly disconnected from the natural world, viewing other animals and the environment as resources to be managed and exploited under capitalism in a seemingly limitless capacity. Human and social welfare is scaled within neoliberal economic paradigms such as GDP; the higher the GDP the better the alleged social outcomes. These paradigms pitch individuals and communities against one another in competition for resources. Infinite growth is made dependent upon those finite resources; as such the more rapacious demands on the Earth and its inhabitants are resulting in the sequestering of wealth in the hands of an elite few whilst causing extreme harms to humans, non-human animals, and the environment.
In Australia we are seeing the fruits of this inequity unfold before us. Throughout July thousands of people joined marches in cities and towns across the continent, many in defiance of public health orders, to protest for their “freedom.” Online debate has been fierce, with attendees slammed for being irresponsible and endangering the broader community, especially in areas currently experiencing C19 outbreaks such as Sydney and Melbourne. What is known of the organisers of these rallies is that they are a loose network of grassroots far-right individuals (read here and here). Their views on social issues vary between and/or include antisemitism, support for Trump and One Nation, and a belief in the conspiracies promulgated by Qanon.
Certainly people who uphold the ideals and beliefs of the organisers dominated the protest space. Banners declaring “Trump 2020/24”, USA flags, placards denouncing the elite as pedophiles, or declaring the various dangers of 5G, vaccines, and microchips as part of a new world order depopulation agenda were prominent at many of the events. Prominent far-right identities were identified among the crowds. More than one swastika tattoo was observed.
But there were others who attended whose concerns were not far-right talking points, nor were aligned with conspiracy theory. Small business owners impacted by ongoing lockdowns who faced economic instability, casual workers who have been forced into poverty by lockdowns enforced without adequate welfare support, and parents whose children’s lives have been adversely affected by intermittent and confusing school shutdowns were also in attendance. People whom the system had left behind.
Most of these people would not have been drawn to a far-right protest event had social equity guaranteed their interests during the course of the pandemic. Had JobKeeper been appropriately shared across small businesses rather than winding up in the pockets of the likes of Gerry Harvey, whose company Harvey Norman posted an almost 116% increase in profit-after-tax, amounting to $438 million so far this financial year. Had those reliant upon welfare been lifted out of poverty with the rise in JobSeeker (the “dole”) payments, and been kept out of poverty with a permanent raise. Had the increasing casualisation of the workforce been pre-emptively addressed, providing workers with job protections that would have seen them safe during the lockdowns and disruptions. Had schools been provided with clear and concise messaging, with all students able to avail themselves of the necessary technology, academic resources, and mental health services required to combat social isolation and pandemic anxiety. Perhaps then many people who attended these marches but did not sympathise with far-right ideology might not have attended. But they did, and their concerns which have gone largely ignored by government at a state and federal level were given recognition and validation even as they were exposed to antisemitism, nationalism, and white supremacism.
These marches offered the everyday concerned citizen not just recognition and validation, but a binary expression of solidarity that is simplistic and readily accessible in format. It’s “us” against the ever present “them.” The “them” is an amorphous conglomerate comprising of government and politicians, of the elite, of the police, and of other nameless and faceless powers that be who are pushing a “scamdemic” for their own nefarious purposes. Qanon, for example, have been particularly adept at promoting a “good vs. evil” binary even before C19. There is no room for nuance in this binary, no room for critical analysis. And it is a binary that can be easily manipulated by the far-right, as the “they” becomes refugee or migrant communities, the LGBTQI+ community, “dole bludgers,” and other assorted perceived threats to society. Through this binary it is possible to manipulate people into moral panic. Competition is further entrenched, as we struggle against one another instead of striving forwards together in solidarity.
A cared for and caring community is a community vaccinated against extremism and extreme actions. And I include myself in this assessment, though my politics sit far to the left. Corporate governance that persists in committing great harms against human, non-human animal, and environmental communities for profit have forced me to undertake extreme courses of action. No matter the intent or how peaceful the action itself, it is an extreme act to chain one’s self to machinery full in the knowledge that any movement in that machine will result in injury and potentially death. It is an extreme act to enter slaughterhouses, to blockade government buildings. These are all acts I have been driven towards because corporations and governments do not provide adequate care and consideration for the communities I seek to defend and assist into liberation. Risking physical, emotional, and legal safety is a course of action I have repeatedly been driven to by a society that does not care for community nor fosters caring within the community. I can see how easy it is to take ordinary concerned citizens and use their alienation and disenfranchisement as a mechanism through which to radicalise them. The difference is that some of us are fighting for a future and a community that supports everyone equitably and sustainably; others have an entirely different agenda altogether.
If we are to create a society wherein communities are protected from extremism, and where people are not driven to extreme action, we must establish cared for and caring communities. Which necessitates systemic overhaul beginning at the grassroots. It would mean social services that are designed to adequately and appropriately support people according to the needs they have for not just survival but to thrive. For example, education in this country must be made equitable. Every single child entering the school system should be given the same opportunities as everyone else, but also be afforded the individual support services necessary according to their needs. Elitism must be removed from the system; all schools should be funded equitably and enabled to have state-of-the-art facilities and technologies available to students. Nor should a person’s income determine the quality of the healthcare they are able to access, or whether they can pursue a tertiary education or further training opportunities, or whether they have a safe place to live, or whether they have access to nutritious food. Small businesses should be prioritised over corporate giants in times of crisis when government intervention is necessary. The welfare system must be redesigned to bring 3.24 million Australians above the poverty line, rather than being made ever more punitive by neoliberal politicians who uphold the social Darwinist view that welfare recipients are impoverished due to their own choices and perceived inherent moral weakness.
But perhaps we need a more radical understanding of community provision. That it becomes the standard practice to look over the fence (metaphorically and literally) once in a while to check on our neighbours and ensure their needs are met. And to extend our understanding of what community actually is, beyond those people to whom we naturally gravitate due to ideals or personality, or the demographic to which we belong. Community needs to include not only those people we “like,” but those of different idea, species and environmental groupings. Community can include connections to places and to non-human persons. And at its fundamental core, community must mean that no one is left behind. Not left behind to navigate the anxieties and complexities of a global pandemic with limited to no coherent social service support. Not left behind to struggle with no income and no support, facing income loss, houselessness, starvation and poverty. Not left behind to become disenfranchised and alienated within society.
Not left behind to be predated upon by extremists who are adept at manipulating fear and disaffection into hatred of the “other.”
C19 cast into stark relief the inequities of a society designed to benefit the few at the expense of the many. These failings could have provided us with the opportunity to establish new systems that are equitable and supportive, to strive together in solidarity towards a future that centers community. Instead it has become a nightmarish landscape that is being used as a recruitment tool for the far-right and may drive society ever further into individualism, conservatism, and inequity.
Perhaps my musings are all (plant-based) pie in the sky. But I cannot help but feel that if as a society we had considered Kropotkin’s reasoned theories of solidarity between individuals and communities, we could have seized upon C19 as an opportunity to strive together rather than brawling in supermarket aisles over toilet paper. And there were signs of this solidarity in action.
When Victoria Police descended upon housing towers in Melbourne that were predominately occupied by migrant, refugee, and low income people, locking over 3000 people inside their homes without warning, the community rallied. Left-wing, anarchist, and grassroots networks not only protested for the rights of those imprisoned inside, but attempted to create food and resources donation drives. The food and goods provided by government services were inadequate, inappropriate, and often inedible or unusable; community tried to fill that space. Communication between the authorities and non-English speaking occupants was inadequate; community action groups stepped in trying to connect the people inside with the information they desperately needed.
This solidarity with community was evident here in Tasmania. In Hobart, Animal Liberation Tasmania initiated a food drive to supply the Hobart Women’s Shelter with much needed food and cleaning products for occupants of crisis housing. Loui’s Van, a local mobile food kitchen, stepped up their efforts to provide people experiencing houselessness and food insecurity with warm, nourishing meals. People all across social media declared their commitment to providing what they could to assist those most harshly impacted by lockdowns and job losses. Food was made and delivered. Blankets and coats were donated to people who could not afford to run their heating through the middle of a Tassie winter. The community demanded and actualised a moratorium on rental evictions. For a fleeting moment there was a real sense of solidarity, and the idea of true community was visible.
It is easy to look upon the marches that have occurred globally and despair. But would it not be better instead to combat that despair with action? When the Federal government doubled the Jobseeker payments bringing hundreds of thousands of Australians above the poverty line, they (albeit unwillingly) proved that poverty can be effectively combatted with the stroke of a pen. That’s all it took to guarantee food on the table, clothing and basic resources for individuals and families across the country. When we worked together to ensure as many people as possible were fed, warm, working together on food drives or with community advocacy groups, we proved that no one needs to be left behind.
Imagine the possibilities if we used that community solidarity to demand better of governments, to demand that they address poverty, social alienation, and disenfranchisement. And to fill the gaps where they appear with our own labour and resources collectives. There will always be fringe elements in society. But we can undermine their recruitment bases by affording disenfranchised individuals and communities the recognition, validation, and support they need to not only survive but to thrive.
That’s how you vaccinate a community against extremism.
