Season 4, Ep 2: Our vulnerabilities sit where our infrastructure collapses with Mario Peucker
“Our vulnerabilities sit where our infrastructure collapses: Where are our skateboard clubs?”
What are the social conditions that make people susceptible to the lure of the far right, and what might we do to change these conditions?
Mario Peucker is an Associate Professor at Victoria University and the author of Democracy Strikes Back: Understanding and Countering the Rise of the Far-right. Mario is an expert in the rise of the far right and is interested in asking better questions about the links between democratic and social infrastructure and the growth of far right nationalism. The conversation explores the importance of all of us getting better at making space for conflict and grievances in ways that allow fears to be heard, but that don’t fuel the fire of division. Mario also speaks the value of the infrastructures of belonging, that is the clubs and playgrounds and networks that give people purpose and connection.
This is a conversation that doesn’t offer a neat answer, but it does offer some practical pathways for pushing back against the far right – practices that all of us can begin to implement immediately.
As we watch the rise of One Nation and other far right groups, this is an important and timely conversation.
This interview was recorded on the beautiful lands of the muwinina people here in lutruwita, Tasmania. We pay our deep respects to elders past and present, to the palawa community who continue to have this amazing connection to country, land, sea and culture. And we acknowledge that sovereignty was never ceded. Always was and always will be Aboriginal Land.
Show notes
Useful links
Democracy Strikes Back: Understanding and Countering the Rise of the Far-right – Mario’s book
Not as Fringe as We’d Like to Think: Building Broad Resistance to Far-right Mobilisation – a short article by Mario drawing on the themes of his book
Reclaiming our Purpose: It’s time to talk about the public good – work by Australia reMADE on the public good and the themes of care, connection and contribution
Doppelganger – a fantastic and relevant book by Naomi Klein referenced by Millie
Angrynomics – a book by Eric Lonergan and Mark Blyth referenced by Mario