The orchestrated right-wing campaign against Volksbühne and Each One Teach One has been successful, demonstrating once again how conservatives go at lengths to align themselves with fascists to undermine democratic culture and to recklessly endanger the safety of Black people. At the same time, the debate reveals the weaknesses of anti-racist social media activism and the lack of strategic discussions in the broader anti-racist movement.

Within hours, creators and commentators reacted to the unnerving clip of CDU politician Aileen Weibeler, expressing their rightful outrage. On her Instagram account, she can be seen posing next to Friedrich Merz. This fact, in combination with her not being a mere fan, but a party member, should have made everyone especially cautious of the aim their energy would be directed to. The issue is not that Weibeler is uneducated or unaware of structural racism and white privilege, and “feels discriminated against” as a white person. This is simply a bad faith argument employed for a “gotcha”-moment to start “a debate.” The next day, Weibeler explains in a second video that of course there is racism, and Black people definitely need safer spaces, her only issue is that those should not be paid by “taxpayer money.” This debate is of course even more disingenuous, but in line with the general direction of conservative adversity toward anything that could make a society more social. Women, children, queer and disabled people (surprise—these categories can as well intersect with being Black) are all structurally discriminated against, targeted by specific forms of violence and in need for safer spaces and protection. Given the program of Weibeler’s party, she would probably also not disagree in these cases, but argue that this as well should not be the responsibility of “taxpayer money” or the state. But again, this is not at all what this “debate” is really about.

The true dishonesty lies in the fact that even this debate about the spending of state funds is only employed to legitimize anti-Black rhetoric and the bourgeois hatred of popular culture. We already know that the discourse of the colorblind human family only serves to diverge attention from the fact that the color of one’s skin and the content of one’s wallet often coincide. That said, even without passport controls or language regulations that smack of colonial “blood and soil” ideology, conservative freedoms always come with a price tag that somehow none of us can pay.

I argue that this is a strategically orchestrated attack. CDU and AfD hate Black people that differ in any way from their romanticized “loyal Askari”, they fear Black empowerment and anything that would counteract their profit interests at home and abroad. They hate cultural spaces that at least try to be accessible and affordable, much like they hate that Black people have come to be visible and vocal within the arts.

If a similar video would have been made by a white man, it probably would have created a different reaction. This is not someone who needs any form of pedagogical treatment, because lack of awareness is not the issue. Demands like those put forth by activists are understandable, but out of touch with reality. Even if compensation by the CDU would be legitimate, it is unrealistic without some form of mass protest or at least measurable direct action. Similarly, an apology would only mean something if it were honest, and that would at least include dissolving the party affiliation. Further, the issue anti-racists have with conservatives is not that they don’t understand racism. They understand it very well to a point where they skillfully leverage its mechanisms to distract and deter our efforts. The same is of course true for the police. Racism is not a mere mistake, it is part and parcel of its logic.

Most of all, racism suffers nothing at all, if we spend our time trying to educate bad faith actors. We should instead direct our energy back to the streets, schoolyards, factory halls, shop floors, kitchens, hospitals and prisons, back to the people who really want to learn and with whom we share a common interest. Practical solidarity in everyday political struggles is the best teacher.