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Don’t Blame Youth: Political Scientist Warns Against Repeating Pandemic-Era Scapegoating in Rise of the Far Right
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A growing trend of attributing the surge in far-right ideologies to young peopel is dangerously misguided, echoing the flawed narratives of the COVID-19 pandemic, warns political scientist Alicia Valdés. The Asturian-born scholar,author of Politics of Unrest and curator of thought-provoking public forums,argues that focusing blame on youth distracts from the systemic issues fueling extremism and ignores the complex realities of a generation grappling with broken promises and a bleak future.
A State of Malaise and the Need for Subversion
Valdés paints a stark picture of the current political climate, asserting that a true state of well-being is unattainable amidst a crippling housing crisis. “We live in a state that is now bad,” she states plainly. “We cannot talk about well-being when we face a housing crisis that does not allow us the most basic conditions to be well.” This sense of pervasive unease, she contends, necessitates a constant questioning of the status quo.
“If we don’t think in terms of how something can be subverted and changed, I don’t know why we’re here,” Valdés explains, advocating for a proactive approach to dismantling oppressive systems. She emphasizes that failure is not inherently negative, but rather an certain component of societal progress. “We must talk about the idea of failure,which we always see as negative. Failure is not bad.”
Lessons from 15M and the Limits of utopian Visions
Valdés’s own political awakening occurred during the 2011 15M protests in Spain, while studying politics at Complutense University. She acknowledges the initial energy and optimism of the movement but also reflects on its limitations. “The 15M was a beautiful moment, but it was also a moment of a lot of naivety,” she says. “We thought that if we occupied a square, everything would change.”
This experience led her to question the pursuit of utopian visions, recognizing that systemic change requires more than just idealistic aspirations. “We have to be very careful with the idea of utopia,” she cautions.”Utopia is a good place to start, but it is indeed a bad place to end.” She believes that focusing on concrete improvements and addressing immediate needs is more effective than striving for unattainable perfection.
The Appeal of Extremism and the failure of the System
Valdés argues that the current system, characterized by economic insecurity and a lack of prospect, creates fertile ground for extremist ideologies.”Young people are told, from the moment they are born, that they are going to be failures, that they are going to be exploited, that they are going to be broke it, they have already been told that their life is going to be shit.”
Valdés argues that the prevailing individualistic system, focused on wealth accumulation, fails to offer young people a compelling vision for the future. She also highlights the lack of positive male role models, contributing to the appeal of extremist narratives. “
Politics as Entertainment and the Left’s struggle for Engagement
Valdés observes a troubling shift in the political landscape, noting that politics has increasingly become a form of entertainment. “15 years ago the programs with the most audience where the pink sauce ones and now they are the political ones,” she notes. While acknowledging the need for accessibility, she cautions against the “spectacularization of everything.”
She also critiques the often-pessimistic tone of left-wing discourse and the exhausting nature of customary activism. “sometimes the leftist speeches are hopeless and the ways of doing militancy, like a four-hour assembly on a Friday afternoon, are tiresome and that’s it,” she says. She contrasts this with the more engaging and inclusive approach of feminist and environmental movements, which prioritize joy and community.
Desire, Destruction, and the Search for Alternatives
Valdés identifies a “drive for death and destruction” underlying the rise of the extreme right, citing her experience working on the campaign of Javier Milei in Argentina in 2023. She believes that offering option, desirable visions is crucial to counter this trend.
However, she also cautions against the illusion of fulfillment, arguing that true desire is inherently unachievable. “We are at a time when we think that the wish can be fulfilled. And that is a problem. If desire could be fulfilled,you would stop desiring and what a sad life than a life without desire.”
