[Nettime-bold] Re: <nettime>Christianity &the myth of democracy

[gwen <dog_spice@yahoo.com>]

Dear Ian

I especially liked your points about the common ground between neo-liberals
and born-again Xians, and the idiocy of resistance to *all* forms of
authority (whatever that might be defined as).

The current anti-state and anti-technology movement in the States does,
however, have deep roots in Western culture. For example in the early C20,
various groups in Germany and Central Europe resisted modernisation,
industrialisation, and what they saw as 'impurities'. These groups, such as
the Youth Movement and Freundschaftsbuenden (Friendship Groups) united
elements of the pacifist, vegetarian left, and the far right (later to
become the Nazis). Again, they were opposed to vaccinations, inoculation,
blood transfusions and their main platform was blood-and-soil antisemitism.
They were often Christian (here, Protestant) who flirted with ideas of
paganism and 'authenticity' through things like outdoor activities,
gymnastics, and so on. There are, of course, obvious differences: they were
not armed and revelled in a racialised cult of the body, but the romance
with conspiracy theories was still fundamental.

So, the militias and so on in the States do see themselves as anti-Western,
but they also draw from Western culture in order to do so.

Bests,

Gwen


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