The rotten ideologies of a system in decomposition

Where is the world heading? With the war in the Middle East, many are asking themselves this question in the face of the utterly irrational rhetoric coming from the leadership of the states concerned, particularly within the world’s most powerful nation: the United States. Of course, there is the traditional obscurantism of religious fundamentalists in Iran – that of the mullahs, the Revolutionary Guards or Hezbollah in Lebanon – designed to control, recruit and mobilise the population for war; but there is also, in Israel, the ethnic cleansing propagated by radical Zionism, which aims to restore the biblical ‘Greater Israel’, having got rid of its non-Jewish population. Finally, on the US side, the strategic justification for the conflict has remained very vague, shifting and even contradictory. Above all, the Trump administration’s war propaganda has promoted a delusional messianic narrative, such as that of the ‘Secretary of State for War’, Pete Hegseth, who propagated the idea that America is entrusted with a divine mission to defend Western Christian civilisation by military force (the ‘American Crusade’, with Americans as the new crusaders defending the West).

However, the phenomenon cannot be reduced solely to the stupidity of bourgeois factions such as those of Trump or Netanyahu, for example. In fact, behind these expressions of irrationality lies a materialist basis, the social dimension of which is reflected in particular by the decay of the ruling class’s ideological superstructures – those arising from a capitalist world in decomposition, a world without a future.

The rise of irrational ideologies in society…

For several years now, we have been witnessing the rise of deeply irrational political theories and worldviews: the ‘sovereign citizens’ movement, libertarianism, various forms of religious radicalism, and so on. These phenomena are no longer the preserve of isolated internet users or marginal fringe groups: they are now championed by central sectors of the bourgeoisie and widely disseminated amongst the population.

Among the most visible manifestations, particular mention must be made of the loss of trust in science, which manifests itself through various trends:

- climate scepticism: for decades, scientists had predicted that the greenhouse effect, caused by the exponential increase in the release of greenhouse gases (notably CO2) into the atmosphere, would lead to global warming, resulting in a rise in the Earth’s average temperature, which, in turn, would trigger climate change characterised by a proliferation of extreme events, such as cyclones, torrential rain, famines and droughts. These predictions have been amply and painfully confirmed over recent decades and, most recently, by the early heatwave of 2026. The economic consequences, as well as those in terms of human life and health – particularly for the future – will be incalculable. The aim here is not to explore why the ruling class has done virtually nothing to curb these effects[1], but rather to note how, despite scientific arguments and the empirical verification of these predictions, there exists – in defiance of all the evidence – a well-established climate denialist movement[2].

- the ‘anti-vax’ movement: during the coronavirus pandemic, we have seen, across the world, quite a number of people who have not merely doubted the Covid vaccine[3], but who have called into question the validity of vaccines in general – both those that have been in use for decades, such as the polio vaccine, and others that have nevertheless saved millions of lives.

This lack of trust in science is in no way rational; it is not based on counter-experiments or reasoning capable of substantiating this mistrust, but on a conspiracy-theory-style conviction – yet another manifestation of irrationality that denies the findings of science, which is accused, in a wholly irresponsible manner by fanatics, of spreading lies in the service of shadowy forces said to harbour even more sinister intentions[4].

Another concept linked to conspiracy theories is the ‘Great Replacement’ theory: This is a completely unfounded and irrational idea that has gained traction in recent times, according to which the ‘mass arrival of refugees’ is, once again, the result of a plan by shadowy forces seeking to replace the ‘local populations’ of a nation (or even a continent such as Europe) in order to ‘subjugate’ them. This theory, the spread of which is politically exploited by states – particularly by the populist right and the far right – is fuelled by a (carefully cultivated) fear of the unknown and of foreigners, and by the search for scapegoats in a society that is sinking ever deeper into poverty and violence.

What unites all these irrational theories? And what fuels them beyond the propaganda of the populist right? The uncertainty generated by the decaying capitalist system – the uncertainty that dominates social life – the lack of confidence in the future, and indeed in the very possibility of a future, and thus an escape from reality and from rational thought, seeking refuge in mystical, esoteric and conspiracy-theory beliefs. Faced with a reality that we can neither accept nor understand, we refuse to offer a rational explanation for it.

…And in the bourgeois political hype

These irrational theories are not confined to certain sections of the population; they have become an integral and significant part of the policies of certain political parties and governments, which means that their consequences are severe and have international implications. Nowadays, the most outlandish theories and the most delusional ideas are affecting the highest echelons of the world’s most powerful states, as illustrated by the following three examples:

The questioning, or even rejection, of science: mistrust is spreading amongst political leaders and influential figures within the ruling class, who are launching direct attacks on science, even promoting policies that are harmful and dangerous to their own populations. For instance, Trump appointed Robert Kennedy Jr., a self-declared anti-vaxxer, as Secretary of Health, which severely undermined vaccination campaigns: “The United States is facing a measles outbreak that continues to grow, slipping through the gaps in an increasingly stretched vaccination net. As of 17 July, 2,260 cases had been recorded by the Centres for Disease Control since the start of the year – as many as in the whole of 2025 (2,288 cases) and ten times as many as in 2024. This surge is expected to cost the world’s leading power, at the next assessment in November, its status as a country that has eliminated measles, a status it has held since 2000. On 10 November 2025, Canada had already lost this status; followed by six European countries, including the United Kingdom and Spain, on 26 January. ‘This is the biggest outbreak since 1989–1991; the situation is out of control”, explains Patsy Stinchfield, director of the Measles Collaborative’” (Le Monde, 23 July). One can only imagine the disaster that could ensue in the event of another Covid-style pandemic (something scientists consider highly likely).

The attack on science is also tragically evident in the face of climate change: Trump has always maintained that “climate change is a hoax, a scam”. This is what enabled him, in February, to shamelessly announce a rollback of regulations on greenhouse gas emissions (in line with his slogan ‘Drill, baby, drill’). In Argentina, President Milei, a Trump supporter, has taken identical stances; as have certain factions within other governments, such as Salvini’s Lega in Italy.

Refusing to implement measures to combat global warming – or putting them off indefinitely – is not merely a matter of this outrageous denialism; it is also reflected in the lack of resources and the impasse of capitalism, which can only render the ruling class powerless in the face of disasters.

Messianism is gaining ground and is being strongly promoted by powerful figures within the ruling class: Musk, the world’s richest man, presents himself as a new Messiah, claiming to want to ‘save humanity from extinction through technology and space travel’. These are not merely the delusions of an inflated ego, for this megalomaniac supports all the forces of the populist far right in Europe that propagate these delusional ideologies. Blending evangelical faith with traditionalist Christianity, Donald Trump, the president of the world’s most powerful nation, presents himself as the ‘Saviour’ of the United States, as the man ‘chosen by God for this mission’, whilst Hegseth, his ‘minister of war’, has symbols of the ‘Crusaders of the West’ tattooed on his body. These ideologies, widely shared by the MAGA movement which paved the way for Trump’s electoral victory, serve to justify the Trump administration’s domestic and foreign policies:

- domestically, by instilling blind and absolute loyalty to the ‘leader’ (which leads him to select aides not on the basis of competence, but on the basis of personal loyalty); externally, by adopting a brutal, blind and predatory imperialist policy, as seen in Venezuela, with the war in Iran or with his ambitions regarding Greenland, but also on the economic front with the tariff war or economic threats against certain countries.

Libertarianism[5], this nihilistic and ‘anti-state’ movement, represents another manifestation of the spread of irrationality within bourgeois society. It is a major influence on the Trump administration’s policies and has come to power in Argentina with Milei, the ‘chainsaw president’. Libertarianism extols individualism, private property and deregulation – some of the most striking manifestations of a capitalist system in decay: the glorification of individualism corresponds to the explosion of the ‘every man for himself’ mentality at all levels of society, against a backdrop of the disintegration of the social fabric and the intensification of clashes on all fronts between imperialist powers, both large and small. As for deregulation, it runs counter to the entire policy of the bourgeoisie to tackle the irremediable decline of its system: state capitalism, because only the state has the political and economic strength to prop up an economy in permanent crisis. The vandalistic behaviour of a Trump, who, in the name of the fight against the ‘deep state’ (that is to say, the various branches of state power), sabotages and paralyses the US state by dismantling competent services, trampling on competitiveness, attacking cutting-edge research and scholarship, and sacking the most competent experts to replace them with ignoramuses or mere ideologues, is a clear expression of that theorisation of the putrefaction of capitalism represented by libertarianism.

A product of decomposition and a lack of perspective

This whole outburst of irrationality in the thinking and life of contemporary society can only be understood on the basis of an analysis of historical materialism, the marxist method. Every society, in fact, has its material basis in the dominant relations of production. Upon these relations of production is built an ideological and legal apparatus designed to justify these very relations of production, in line with them. Thus, for example, in the emerging phase of capitalism, when the bourgeoisie was beginning to assert its dominance in the economic sphere, philosophical thought developed the positions of the utopians and rationalists, a positive worldview that recognised in human reason the capacity to move forward and free itself from the religious prejudices which had hitherto served to justify the immutability of a hierarchy specific to the feudal mode of production. The idealist philosophical thought that followed, in its early phase, remained a positive form of thought, justifying existence as a pure development of the mind[6]. In the 19th century, the positivist movement affirmed its confidence in science and in humanity’s capacity for infinite progress and development. However, towards the end of the 19th century and especially during the 20th century, this rationalism, which had become firmly established, eventually entered a crisis, heralding ‘the end of certainties and spreading agnosticism and pessimism.

All this could be summed up in Marx’s formulation, according to which, under certain conditions, ‘it is not consciousness that determines being, but being that determines consciousness’. (The German Ideology). As with the analysis of the past, it is in the objective situation of capitalism today that we must seek the root cause of the growing irrationality of bourgeois thought.

The current state of capitalism (for the past century) is one of historical decline, of historical crisis, of an inability to continue developing the productive forces, and of an inability to offer humanity a positive future. But if irrationality has developed even further in recent decades, it is because decadent capitalism has entered its final phase—a phase we have termed the period of its decomposition. A phase in which the bourgeoisie is unable to impose on society the only solution it knows to its historical crisis—world war—because the proletariat, despite its current weaknesses and difficulties, is not prepared to submit to this extreme sacrifice[7]. In these circumstances the ruling class is unable to organise itself accordingly in a world that is tending to fall apart. And this is despite the fact that the proletariat has not yet been able to politicise its struggles, nor has it demonstrated its capacity to offer an alternative to capitalist barbarism: the communist revolution.

This impasse in social relations, resulting from the historical crisis of a system in its death throes, is reflected in the fact that society is rotting from within. Nowhere is there a glimmer of a way out; in short, society as a whole lacks a perspective. Like any class that has become obsolete, whose interests clash with the contradictory development of society, the bourgeoisie is sinking into immediacy and irrationality. The very existence of a class and a system condemned by history can only be justified in ever more irrational terms as this system sinks deeper into its historic crisis, with its mystical delusions, its moral decay and the frenzied individualism that unfolds within it.

This phenomenon also affects the other classes, which are likewise deprived of any perspective. The petty bourgeoisie, the quintessential class without a perspective, is particularly vulnerable to it, notably through libertarianism and reactionary forms of anti-statism or tax revolt. The working class, although by nature more resilient, does not entirely escape it: its most vulnerable sections, failing to conceive of a proletarian historical perspective, in turn take temporary refuge in simplistic and consolatory theories (denial of the climate crisis, messianic expectations…) or in the search for scapegoats supposed to explain the crisis (the ‘elites’, foreigners, Jews, etc.).

The bourgeoisie turns its own decomposition against the proletariat. The only future lies in the revolutionary perspective

For the time being, the bourgeoisie still manages to turn the putrid effects of its society’s decomposition against the working class. The left, in particular, exploits these ideological aberrations to call for the ‘defence of democracy’ and the bourgeois ‘rule of law’, or for ‘responsible leaders’.

We have seen this in the United States during the ‘No Kings’ demonstrations, in Germany with the protests against the AfD, and in various countries around the world with demonstrations against government corruption (in Nepal, Bangladesh, etc.), particularly amongst young people, ‘Generation Z’. All these demonstrations, championed mainly by left-wing parties or far-left groups of the bourgeoisie, are nothing but deceptions designed to make people believe that one can fight for a ‘fairer’, more ‘democratic’ and supposedly ‘greener’ form of capitalism. Yet this system cannot be reformed; it must be destroyed!

In the face of the decadent ideology inherent in capitalism in decline—marked by the ruling class’s inability to offer humanity a positive outlook—there exists another analysis, another way of viewing the history of societies: a positive, rational vision that offers an alternative to the barbarism of capitalism—that of marxism.

Marxism articulates the perspective of a class of society other than the one that dominates and destroys us: the proletariat. It is the only exploited class capable of overthrowing capitalism and ushering humanity into a new era of history: a period that will be characterised by cooperation and the end of exploitation, by abundance and the end of poverty, by solidarity and the rejection of competition and the ‘every man for himself’ mentality. In this sense, marxism is not merely one philosophical system amongst others (as is taught in schools), but the weapon of a class-conscious working class that has nothing to defend in this society and a whole new world to build.

Today, this class does not yet have the capacity to carry out openly revolutionary action, but through its struggles and its fight to defend its daily living conditions under attack from the crisis of capital, through its experience in the struggle and, above all, thanks to the propaganda and intervention of revolutionaries, it will be able to politicise its struggle. And when “theory seizes the masses, it becomes a material force” (Marx).

Helios (26 July)

 

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[1]  See our Manifesto on the ecological crisis, ICC Online

 

[2] Here we are referring to those sections of the population who subscribe to these denialist theories, and not to the bourgeois politicians who use these theories to conceal the negligence of the ruling class, whose actions are guided solely by the pursuit of profit rather than the defence of social needs and human life.

 

[3] This vaccine was produced rapidly, but it has served to curb the spread of the infection. It has not been possible to carry out rigorous studies into the contra-indications and/or possible side effects associated with the use of the vaccine, which could explain – though only in part – this lack of trust.

 

[4] One cannot fail to notice how this conspiracy-minded attitude, even if not directly fuelled by significant sectors of the ruling class, serves the interests of the latter, because it shifts the blame for humanity’s suffering onto obscure forces that cannot be identified.

 

[5] “It is an ideology and political philosophy developed in the United States around a ‘set of theories that give strict priority to freedom and natural law, emphasising freedom of choice ,individualism and voluntary association over other values such as authority, tradition and equality. Libertarians share the view that the state is a coercive, illegitimate, even unnecessary institution, and they value individual freedom and voluntary association. They seek to build on economic liberalism, practised within the framework of capitalism without regulation, and a minimal state (minarchism). (…). The aim, in their view, is to achieve a society that would respect, to the greatest possible extent, individual freedom and, more specifically, private property”. (Wikipedia)

[6] Marx recognised that Hegel’s dialectic represented a step forward in thought, but that it simply needed to be reversed, to be ‘turned on its head’.

 

[7] The struggles of recent years demonstrate this: the proletariat is not prepared to passively accept the economic sacrifices imposed on it by the bourgeoisie, and, of course, even less so to accept the ultimate sacrifice of dying on the battlefields of bourgeois war.