Wardens of Civilisation: The Political Ecology of Australian Far‐Right Civilisationism

Abstract

The notion of a superior “civilisation” has been a hallmark of the politics of Western institutions and fringe white supremacists alike. Known ideologically as “civilisationism”, it has occupied a prominent position in the ideology of the Australian far‐right. Paying tribute to their settler‐colonial origins, the far‐right has consistently promoted “white civilisation”, even inspiring terrorist attacks. Despite this propensity for violence, far‐right civilisationism remains largely unexplored. Through investigating a dataset of Australian far‐right content, this paper reveals civilisationism as a significant part of their ideology, an ideology which relies on the idealisation of European technologies and environments to render Indigenous land and people uncivilised. A critical narrative analysis of the data illustrates the ways that these ecological factors are drawn into narrative to articulate Australian far‐right civilisationism, an ideology inseparable from the political ecology of European history and colonialism, that today represents a particularly virulent version of its legacy.

Introduction

“…Thomas raises some uncomfortable questions about the links between the ideology of the eco-fascist fringe and the culture of purportedly benevolent, enlightened Whiteness in New Zealand. A similar connection between Whiteness implanted through settler-colonial aggression and a concern to protect and preserve the fruits of the land (for some) is found in South Africa, the case studied by Lisa Santosa (see also McFadden, 2023). Back in the erstwhile metropolis, White men can ruminate on how best to purify themselves and their environment from polluting elements.…”

Afterword – extinguishing the flames

“…These fringe groups are a symptom and an echo of the fossil hegemony and white Eurocentrism that define Australian politics. The settler colonial project that founded Australia was a civilizationist project, and far-right actors are driven to protect and project these sentiments of white technological and ecological dominance (McFadden, 2023). Fossil extractivism is seen as a natural consequence of superior white technology, which entitles White Australia to an unchecked supply of ecological resources.…”