anti-nationalism | For a left-wing criticism of the state

Berlin-Kreuzberg, 1995: On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the end of the World War in Germany, “anti-German” and “anti-national” groups called for a demonstration. The motto: “Never again Germany” Photo: dpa/Matthias Bein The dispute over Vanessa Emde from the Left Party, who was elected to the House of Representatives in Berlin as a direct candidate, continues. Much of the media has labeled her an “Israel hater.” Even in the Berlin Left faction, Emde is now seen as an obstacle to taking over government. Their position that not states, but only people have rights, has been advocated for many decades by anarchists as well as by many other leftists critical of the state.

If states own and grant rights, then they only guarantee the oppression of individuals, according to the anarchist creed. With reference to Marx, communists emphasize that state apparatuses primarily cement the rule of the capitalist class. Today's leftists would add that the state apparatus also stabilizes the oppressive conditions of racism and patriarchy. Marx already knew that the breakdown of the state machinery is the basis for a liberated society. In this respect, the failure of nominal socialism is primarily due to the fact that the state machinery did not collapse, but was actually strengthened. It would therefore behoove a party like the Left to support such anti-state positions. This should also be a consequence of the move away from authoritarian socialism. Or is there a contradiction here to participating in parliamentarism as a party?

For their part, Vanessa Emde and other critics of the state should heed the left-wing principle that the supreme enemy is always the “own” state. In this respect, the residents there should decide on the future of the Israeli state. Some in Palestine solidarity seem to forget that this also includes Jewish people, who only view the conflict through a supposedly anti-colonial lens. Some left-wing anti-fascists were even further ahead 20 years ago: They advocated the dissolution of all states and added that Israel would actually come last. They combined this with the idea that anti-Semitism would only disappear in a non-capitalist world society and that Israel would be necessary as a refuge for Jewish people until then.

20 years ago, Antifa, which shows solidarity with Israel, directed its anti-state criticism primarily against Germany. They therefore vehemently rejected any reference to German reasons of state. Leftists in solidarity with Israel should build on this today, such as Nikolas Lelle and David Uhlig: In an - otherwise good - article in the Taz on October 20th, they describe the left-wing criticism of the German reason of state with regard to Israel and anti-Semitism as a pure strategy to distract from their own anti-Semitism. This verdict is unlikely to apply, at least to those on the left who are hostile to all states and Germany in particular and for that reason alone do not want to have anything to do with German reasons of state.

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