On media and ecosocialism

Image credit Ecologise.in

It now seems impossible to imagine that a genuinely left-wing party could win elections across an entire country. We have seen repeatedly, particularly in Africa and Latin America, that governments truly committed to economic sovereignty, social justice, and greater economic democracy have been overthrown by coups backed by the US and other empires.

Convincing people of the virtues of leftist policies and socialism has become even harder following the appropriation of socialism by the Soviet Union and undemocratic regimes, combined with widespread institutionalized disinformation of the west of what communism and socialism really is. Believing that winning elections guarantees political change is naive and dangerous—it can literally cost you your life. Capitalist elites can tolerate democracy only if they retain most benefits and continue capturing the majority share of a pie that will soon start shrinking, either by design or necessity. They may acknowledge basic LGBTQ+ rights and accept minimal public services to maintain productivity, but they will not tolerate economic democracy or, to put it plainly, the collective control of the means of production.

It is crucial to understand the game we are playing. The rising violence and the far right indicate an acknowledgment by elites that maintaining the status quo requires more repression and less democracy. Within a few years, contradictions will become so acute that the only apparent solution will be modern fascism. They will deport activists and migrants, cut funding, and punish anyone daring to challenge this system of increasing scarcity, genocide, and ecocide. Their hope is that we will wage war amongst ourselves—majorities against the even more vulnerable—instead of uniting against the ruling capitalist elite.

Time is running out; every day brings more genocide and ecocide, and we remain few and fragmented. It seems we still hope for governments to temporarily restrain capitalism, as they briefly did when COVID-19 was their priority. The pandemic showed that capitalism cannot function without essential workers and exposed the minimal contributions of those whose days consisted mainly of Zoom calls and consumption. This period offered many lessons: since the second world war in Europe, it represented the most significant reduction of personal freedoms and the implementation of a wartime economy, with support and coordination from the masses.

It is astonishing how quickly populations, such as Germans who fiercely oppose speed limits as an infringement of freedom, accepted severe restrictions on mobility and assembly. COVID-19 was the ultimate case study in manufacturing consent. Media continuously covered the crisis, placing experts at the center of public debate, while continuously reporting and tracking developments. A massive vaccination campaign was initiated—although deeply unjust and racist in its distribution—highlighting rapid vaccine development and reductions in mortality. Mistakes and ineffective policies occurred, and the same or more lives could have been saved with fewer restrictions, yet COVID-19 demonstrated clearly the media’s role, in concert with the state, in implementing profound societal transformations.

We are rapidly approaching an existential crisis. Many of us will likely perish from climate catastrophe or state repression rather than old age. Eventually, even capitalists may recognize the necessity of a war economy, as capitalism itself cannot survive on a dying planet. However, it remains unclear how many lives they will sacrifice or how just their policies will be. What is clear is that mainstream media will actively undermine fairer alternatives and manufacture mass consent for this war economy. Therefore, we urgently need a strong, successful ecosocialist party that defends universal access to basic services within planetary boundaries and a strong media aligned platform. By media I mean not only mainstream channels and platforms, but also podcasts, social events, novels, series and cultural expressions. We need to regain those spaces of hegemony by making the utopia seem irresistible and necessary.

Only with both can we secure the essential changes required to preserve life on this planet with justice, ensuring people do not turn against each other but rather unite against elites and corporations profiting from their misery. If we are to dismantle capitalism and implement economic democracy globally, it will need control not only over the means of production and reproduction, but also the means of communication. Sooner than expected, a window of opportunity will open. If we have the right party and media outlets, we will not only win but also persuade and sustain lasting change. Let’s prepare—ecosocialism is around the corner.