We are living in chaotic, unsettling times. The pandemic and the muddled, contradictory imperfect response to it leaves people frightened, confused, and often impoverished. This isn't made any easier by the fact that a few people are celebrating the 'slowdown' and arguing that the disruption of 'business as usual' is good for the environment and therefore for all of us.

These conditions are providing an opportunity for the far right, and they are not wasting it. In Stroud we've had leaflets from the "classic" nationalist right shoved through doors in Paganhill and Rodborough. But lots of people who don't identify as any kind of nationalist - let alone as fascist - are helping to open the door to the far right. Every week we see - on the streets and on social media - organised campaigns against lockdown that spread misinformation about the virus and measures to suppress it. They're anti-mask, anti-lockdown, anti-vaccination.

It's not hard to understand why this can be appealing. Masks are uncomfortable. Lockdown brings real hardship (and we're in Lockdown for the third time in part because of the government's inept handling of the pandemic). Vaccination involves a big scary needle, and it's hard to understand the science behind it. The companies that make the vaccine, and other pharmaceuticals, have a long track record of greed, regulatory capture, deceit and cover-ups of their failures.

Those who believe in alternative and complementary medicine, and who stress the importance of lifestyle and connection with nature in promoting health and well-being, are predisposed to see the government's response to the virus as part of a bigger picture including increased personal and technological surveillance.

Of course your birkenstock-wearing friend is not an actual fascist. They most likely think that in speaking out against anti-Covid measures they are being some sort of anti-fascist resister. They're just not aware that behind the "scepticism" about lockdown and vaccines there's another agenda. Spend a little time researching the other views of the anti-lockdown folk and you'll find - along with a fear of big corporations and a concern for the poor and downtrodden that might be genuinely felt - climate change denial, and racist conspiracy theories that promote hatred of Jews, and Asian and Black people.

Piers Corby and Sandi Adams, who spoke at Stroud's anti-lockdown rally in Stratford Park, either write this stuff themselves or provide a platform for it. Both Adams and the actual 'classic' fascists promote the idea of The Great Replacement, whereby white people in Britain will be replaced by non-whites.

They're not aware, either, that the far right has a deliberate strategy of drawing people in this way, through 'good causes' like opposition to animal cruelty, and introducing them to the overall world-view only gradually.

Your birkenstock-wearing friend is not going to be wearing a swastika armband any time soon. Neither will most of the 'real' fascists; apart from a few re-enactment enthusiasts they mostly don't these days, and they won't while the memory of the Nazi atrocities remains strong (one reason why the real fascists seek to deny, or minimize, or relativize the actual history).

Remember that last time round real fascism wasn't obviously evil to everyone. It celebrated nature and beauty, it liked nature and organic food and kindness to animals. And fascist movements and regimes attracted support and loyalty from people who had no intention to commit genocide. Your birkenstock friend thinks they are standing up for freedom and nature; but they are being led down a path that leads to genocide. They yet may step off that path, but failing to recognise who they are hanging out with is not a good start.

Article by Jeremy Green

Birkenstock Fascists