right discourse strategies
Why lateral thinking and Fridays for Future shout the same slogans
The lateral thinking movement has been using conspiracy theories against corona measures for years
© Marc Vorwerk/SULUPRESS.DE / Picture Alliance
For weeks, songs and slogans from the left and green spectrum have been heard at the demonstrations of the lateral thinking movement. How does the communication of the opponents of vaccination work and why do they adopt the slogans of the political opponent?
All over Germany, thousands of opponents of the Corona measures still take to the streets every week – despite bans on assembly and incidences at record levels. The fact that the movement has existed two years after the outbreak of the global pandemic is also thanks to an organized communication strategy, says political scientist Johannes Kiess star-Interview. He has observed the lateral thinking scene since it emerged in spring 2020.
Kiess draws a differentiated picture of the opponents of vaccination: Many people who primarily have an anthroposophical-esoteric worldview would go along with lateral thinking, but right-wing extremists are also always involved. What connects the two groups is their rejection of modernity and a questionable understanding of democracy. “The anti-vaccination movement is not dominated by a uniform right-wing extremist ideology. However, the heterogeneity was more pronounced at the beginning than it is now,” describes Kiess. In the two years of the pandemic, a certain worldview has solidified that reproduces anti-Semitic conspiracy theories.
Lateral thinking: the influence of right-wing forces is increasing
Right-wing populists have been actively involved in the organization’s success since spring 2020. They are represented in large numbers at the anti-vaccination demonstrations, but also organize walks and actions against the police. This was also the case on November 7 in Leipzig, when right-wing lateral thinkers broke through barriers, threw objects at police officers and sprayed them with irritants. However, the extremism researcher sees a particularly large part of her work in communication within and outside the movement. The right-wing populists distribute information to those who criticize the measures and communicate between the individual splinter groups.
It seems as if the lateral thinking protests are increasingly being inspired by political opponents. A few weeks ago, a slogan was heard in Goslar that was clearly assigned to the Fridays for Future movement – “We are here, we are loud because you are stealing our future”. This reputation has now also prevailed on walks in other cities. Several activists from Fridays for Future then distanced themselves from lateral thinking and called for counter-protests.
The left scene is most affected by this phenomenon. “Don’t give AIDS a chance” turned into lateral thinking “don’t give Gates a chance”. Instead of “Refugees Welcome”, “Unvaccinated Welcome” stickers are now stuck to Berlin street lamps. Motifs that stand for solidarity and enlightenment are misused for conspiracy theory slogans. A few weeks ago in Hamburg, the organizers of Quermachen even played the Internationale, an anthem of socialist labor movements from the 19th century.
“Don’t give Gates a chance” button at a Corona demonstration on Berlin’s Alexanderplatz
© Christophe Gateau / Picture Alliance
Confusion between “left” and “right”
The political scientist Natascha Strobl recorded this strategy of the New Right in her blog a few years ago. Instead of completely banning a term from the political opponent, it is filled with new content. It does not matter whether this is completely contrary to the original meaning. In this way, the power to define common terms and symbols is fought for. Meaningful slogans and images become interchangeable mainstream phenomena, such as Che Guevara’s likeness.
The reversal of the left-right scheme has had system on the right spectrum for many decades. With the statement that it is not about left or right, it is difficult to politically classify conspiracy theory content, such as that of the lateral thinking movement. Right-wing positions are increasingly finding their way into mainstream society, as the boundaries between left-wing, conservative and right-wing populist content are blurring.
Universal terms such as freedom, the integrity of the body and self-determination are also consciously reassigned. “Freedom is defined as something very selfish,” explains Kiess, “health is given a Darwinian reading, which very quickly leads to natural selection.” Free expression of opinion becomes a formula to insult those who think differently and to question human rights – without it to be allowed to be criticized. Anti-Semitism and anti-feminism are also given a twisted legitimation in this way. “I think if some participants could resign, they themselves would probably be shocked by what they are actually saying.” This development of the debate leaves room for misinformation and anti-scientific.
Enemy of science
Another similarity in the public appearance of lateral thinking and the New Right can be seen, particularly in their aversion to science. In her book “The Rhetoric of the Right”, the author Franziska Schutzbach deals with the hostility towards science of right-wing populist movements.
In addition to disliking modernity, it establishes a connection to anti-establishment history. On the one hand, medicine, like climate research or the humanities before it, is politically criticized and defamed as a “left-green ideology”, on the other hand, funding with public funds or the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation results in a new narrative of “we” versus “they elites”.
For Kiess, science is politicized because it represents modern society. For him, it is therefore clear that even after the pandemic, movements such as lateral thinking will poison public discourse with false information. Right-wing movements need crisis situations to be heard. If the restrictions actually fall at the end of March, you will have to look for a new enemy. By then at the latest, conspiracy theorists and Fridays for Future could also meet more often in terms of content.
In the ranks of the demonstrators there is already a large faction that questions a man-made climate catastrophe. “Last summer, climate change denial played a role again at these events,” reports Kiess. The questioning of experts and the aversion to scientific facts in the corona pandemic have prepared the ideal breeding ground for doubts about climate policy. First migration, then Corona and finally climate change. It turns out that the topic is interchangeable, the resentments towards modernity remain.
Sources:Goslarsche.de, TAZ, butterfly collection, MDR