Anthroposophy and Ecofascism VII

Turning now to the second paragraph of Peter Staudenmaier'sAnthroposophy and Ecofascism.

Peter Staudenmaier writes in Paragraph 2:
If this peculiar cosmology sounds eerily similar to the teutonic myths of Himmler and Hitler, the resemblance is no accident. Anthroposophy and National Socialism both have deep roots in the confluence of nationalism, right-wing populism, proto-environmentalist romanticism and esoteric spiritualism that characterized much of German and Austrian culture at the end of the nineteenth century. But the connection between Steiner's racially stratified pseudo-religion and the rise of the Nazis goes beyond mere philosophical parallels. Anthroposophy had a powerful practical influence on the so-called "green wing" of German fascism. Moreover, the actual politics of Steiner and his followers have consistently displayed a profoundly reactionary streak.

If this peculiar cosmology sounds eerily similar to the Teutonic myths of Himmler and Hitler, it is because it has been misrepresented here so as to appear so. The thesis of Staudenmaier's article is that anthroposophy contributed to National Socialism (among other reasons because both developed in the same location and historical period and must therefore be related). So in a presentation to readers unfamiliar with anthroposophy the similarities must be carefully brought out by any means necessary.

The statement "anthroposophy had a powerful practical influence on the so-called "green wing" of German fascism" is not proven in this article. What exactly Staudenmaier means by "a powerful practical influence" is not clear. "Practical" meaning "here's how to be a good fascist?" Or practical meaning "here is how to be a good environmentalist?" The statement seems to confuse the two. This confusion is at the root of the mistake that Staudenmaier and other authors frequently make. One aspect of anthroposophy has been at the vanguard of environmentalism (something many people would acknowledge as good and something anthroposophists, as a rule, are quite proud of). Aspects of this proto-environmentalism then influenced those among the German fascists who were also interested in environmentalism. The next, mistaken leap in this logic is: Since it influenced some fascists, it must therefore be inherently fascist. Convinced they have found a smoking gun, these authors overlook the significant fact that, except for a few individuals involved in "the so-called 'green wing' of German fascism," the remainder of the Nazi state was adamant that anthroposophy was irreconcilable with their fascist values.