Greece as a proving ground for corporate-backed nationalism.
On May 11, 2012, I posted a SitRep entitled Is There A Civil War in Greece’s Near Future? In that post I got some things right and some things wrong. Sure enough, a new election was called, the Greek people swung their vote more to the left, Golden Dawn lost seats in the parliament, and violence from the Golden Dawn party has increased. However, the Greek voters did not swing as far left as I anticipated and the increase in Golden-Dawn-backed violence has been more focused on immigrants than left-leaning Greek citizens. I believe the Greeks would have swung further left to give SYRIZA the narrow win but a not-so-veiled threat from German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble had its intended impact on middle-of-the-road voters with PASOK, New Democracy, and the Democratic Left forming another coalition.
I was premature to think that Golden Dawn members would immediately start attacking fellow Greek citizens when a more obvious target was easily available, immigrants. As this video shows, attacks on immigrants are becoming quite brazen in public and although the party is being investigated for impersonating police, voting numbers suggest it may not be impersonation but collusion. If there is collusion with Greek police and Golden Dawn, then the words of Golden Dawn MP Ilias Panagiotaros in this BBC video must be taken seriously and not dismissed as mere right-wing rhetoric:
Even though no one likes this, Greek society is ready to have a fight. A new type of civil war; on the one side there will be, let’s say, nationalists like us and Greeks who want our country to be like as it used to be. On the other side there will be illegal immigrants and anarchists and all those who have destroyed Athens several times… and Greece.
Golden Dawn is at war with the political system and the people who are representing it. We’re at war with domestic and international bankers. We are at war with all these illegal invaders [immigrants]… We are against everyone.
Panagiotaros goes on to claim that 50 to 60% of police are supporters of Golden Dawn and polls show that Golden Dawn is gaining popularity among the masses as well, jumping up to 14% of public support compared to the 7% it received in June’s elections. In the same poll, SYRIZA is again seeing the public support it enjoyed in the lead-up to June’s elections while PASOK, New Democracy, and Democratic Left are seeing their numbers drop as they try to pass more austerity measures, privatize more of Greece’s public infrastructure, and try to cover up the infamous ‘Legarde’s List’.
Austerity measures have sparked riots across Europe, but with the weakest economy in the EU, Greece is seeing a polarization of its population on a scale not yet found in other countries like Italy, Portugal, and Spain. As the general malaise in Europe deepens and more people find themselves squeezed by the economy, nationalist parties in Germany, France, England, and other countries will gain popularity. Greece is not the anomaly in this situation, it is the harbinger. If your German is up to it, a good overview to watch would be a documentary from the Swiss television network, Schweizer Fernsehen, entitled Europa in Zeiten des Aufruhrs: Hour of Nationalists or Europe in Times of Turmoil: The Hour of Nationalists. In the video Marine Le Pen, leader of the French party, National Front, says the Euro and immigration are the problem and similar political parties in other countries should join together against the loss of individual national identity and servitude to the EU.
Greece has been implementing austerity measures increasing taxes and decreasing incomes since 2010 causing a spike in the numbers of people considered to be at risk of poverty. In spite of the burdens placed on Greek citizens from austerity measures, the troika delayed the release of round three of the bailout loans even after the Greek coalition pushed through an austere budget that might have too high price politically. Several MPs of the coalition government voted in opposition and approval polls for the coalition parties plummeted while far left and right parties gain momentum. The troika leaders then took a begrudging stance towards the two-year extension needed for Greece to implement other austerity measures helping to fuel nationalist sentiment in Europe as a whole.
The Greek economy is expected to contract in 2013 by an overly optimistic 5%, but with the 2013 budget eliminating an estimated 10,000 jobs, the economy will probably contract even further. Greece and its creditors know that a contracting economy cannot pay back a debt burden that is currently 200% of GDP, so other means of paying the debt back must be undertaken, which could be why the current coalition government also passed a privatization law that made it easier for the Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund to continue its work as “the largest divestment programme in the world.” No investor is going to willingly take the repeated massive losses holders of Greek bonds have in the form of the absurdly named ‘haircuts’ without getting something in return. The return could quite possibly be the most literal form of debt/equity swap financial institutions have ever undertaken in the form of buying Greece, one asset at a time, in the privatization market through ‘private investors’ who go unnamed.
Unnamed entities buying Greek land, public services, and companies through a technocrat-run fund where the sources of funding are opaque at best could be seen by nationalists as an extension of the type of money-laundering taking place by the people on Legarde’s List. As Greek officials try to raise capital by selling off bits and pieces of the state to please their creditors, there is a strong possibility such moves will further alienate Greek citizens from backing them in the next election. Greek officials were in Shanghai earlier this month to lure 50 billion euros in privatization purchases from Chinese investors, an issue that nationalists will no doubt use to gain more votes in the next election if the economy continues to contract.
Because Greece requires the largest amount of outside intervention to keep its economy within the Eurozone, it has become the proving grounds for a reemergence of nationalism in Europe. The left is at a serious disadvantage in this fight because the past governments have been left-leaning at a minimum and the failed economic policies of Greece are fully attributed to PASOK and now SYRIZA. As Greece gets sold off to the highest bidder, those newly invested in the country will not tolerate the thuggery of Golden Dawn’s anti-immigrant actions, nor the Molotov-loving riots of the far left as such actions hurt profits. Both ends of the spectrum are opposed to austerity and privatization. Those who invest in Greece via privatization will be the new rulers of Greece while political parties will become subservient to their needs, not the public at large.
If privatization is allowed to continue as projected then Golden Dawn will have the advantage in gaining power. Those who seek to buy Greece, if I may paint with so large a brush, come from a right-leaning (or at least authoritarian) background, will need security to protect its holdings, and will need a voice in the political realm. Golden Dawn, especially as an upstart party in need of benefactors who can help legitimize the party, can easily meet the needs of the potential, new owners of Greece. Yes, Golden Dawn represents a serious concern for Greece and Europe, but it is only a party that gains power in economically-troubled times. The real threat is actually being welcomed in with open arms by the left to buy Greece piece by piece in a vain attempt to correct bad economic decisions of the past.
C. Ryan Knight
Michael Ross
From what understand multicultural politicans in combine with immigrants/illegal immigrants and leftists is turning Athens into a city of shifting front lines. And Golden dawn are helping the Greeks that suffer from it. With everything from food to protecting old Greek people from racist illegal aliens robbing them. This if of course declare “nazi” by multicultural media. Just as any time people of European descent organize themselves to protect their ethnic interests is labeled “nazi”/”racist”/”fascist” by those who ironically call themselves for “anti-racist”(They are actually Anti-whites)
By now, 2012 it has of course become painfully obvious to most Europeans that, multiculti media labels any white person opposing them for racist/nazi/fascist/xenophobe. I suppose that is why parties like Golden dawn explode in popularity, despite 100% of the western media corporations screaming “nazi” at them. By now many white people has come to recognize, that when politically correct journalist scream nazi at a white person, that generally just means that journalist in question is a liberal anti-white turd. And is if anything, much closer to being an actual nazi then the white person being accused.
And of course, Golden dawn are not “nazi” their ideology is nothing like nazism, and they openly reject nazism, as often, is a termed used by their enemies(actual nazist/racist) to describe them, just as the leftists would use it to describe any person of European descent that does not want to become a minority in her own country. l That does not want to see her children face racial discrimination with affirmative action.
Golden dawn does not want to invade Russia to create Lebensraum. All they want is to stopp mass-immigration into their own country so that their people will survive. Again, this is only referred to as “nazi” by mulitcultural media when the country in question is white. Certainly you do not hear multiculti media call jews in Israel nazi for wanting a “jewish state” or Japanese, south korea, Iran, Mexico, and so forth.
Golden dawn does not want to establish a dictatorship. They already live in a multicultural dictatorship called EU, where they cannot elect their own leaders.
Golden dawn does not believe Greeks are aryan super humans that has a right to enslave and exterminate slavic people and other Europeans or other races.
Regarding the blatant lies “Golden dawn attack immigrants BS”.
That tens of thousands of Greek men, women and children are beaten, raped, assulted by racist immigrants every year. This gets no coverage in multicultural media. But when one immigrants get a slap, that is world news, and gets titles such as : “Ultra-mega neo-nazi fascist homophobe gang attack poor refugee.”
But lets have a look what is behind the actual stories. Once such story that is often spread is that Golden dawn beat down african vendors. This story generally has the title : “Neo-nazi violently attack immigrants stand.” Well what actually happend was that illegal aliens was selling contraband, and the local Greek vendors, after not getting any help from the police, turned to Golden dawn for help. And Golden dawn members, went from stand to stand, and ask the illegal aliens to show their ID and their permission to have a stand, and those who were illegal were kicked down. As I said, this is portrayed in leftist media as : “Neo-fascist strike at poor brown skinned vendors.”
Another famous multicultural lie or “spin” as they like to call it. Is Golden dawn protect old Greek people that keep getting robbed by racist illegal aliens everytime they try to go outside and buy food. This is in multicultural media report by : “Greek nazi beat up refugees”-
Another instance is Golden dawn throwing out illegal aliens that was selling drugs at an school, they did this at request from worried Greek mothers. Again of course. In the multicultural media this becomes : “Fascist ruthlessly attacks africans.”
And so on and so on, please people, if anyone actually take these multicultural lies seriously. Rememeber, Golden dawn is an anti-multiculti party, and these are multicultural media. These exists not a hint of objectivity. And multicultural media are already famous liers. No greater liers in human history can be found then these people.
Golden dawn is the party of the oppressed Greeks, the raped Greek women, the robbed and abused Greek men and children. This party is a party of the victim against the oppressor. It was not create to “oppress” other races, it was create from the oppression of the Greeks by the multicultural goverment, EU, the international banks robbing the Greek people. This is the party of the hungry, the starving, the beaten, raped and robbed. The victims of multiculturalism. But because they are white, they are of course describe as nazi. This by multiculturalist that support racial discrimination agaisnt whites, and genocide thru population transfer and replacement(Mass-immigration)
White american minority 2042 -US census bureau.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/aug/15/population.race
The majority of victims from hate crimes are white.
http://www.wnd.com/2006/02/34888/
British minority 2066 -Telegrap.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/immigration/8142176/White-Britons-to-become-minority-by-2066.html
73% of Brits do not agree with the genocidal aims of the multiculti.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1334271/Eight-want-tighter-controls-immigration—Lib-Dem-voters-want-cap.html
Nil,
I see that you are passionate about this topic. Unfortunately, I think you miss the fact that I purposefully do not use the terms “nazi” or “fascist” in my post, so I really can’t respond to your comment.
Is there a particular point in my post you would like to discuss?
Granted you don’t and that is refreshing. Yet you do refer to GD’s “anti-immigrant actions”. Those “immigrants” are essentially huge numbers of illegal immigrants, uninvited, unwanted and unneeded in a country that is entirely broke and can barely look after it’s own. Any self respecting country controls immigration and confines it to skilled people it deems necessary to have and can not allow a free for all invasion of destitutes. Golden Dawn are the only party offering Greeks their self respect back.
Patrick,
I have to disagree with your assertion that Golden Dawn is offering Greeks self-respect through a change in immigration policy. Greece’s economy is in tatters not because of immigrants and refugees, but because of poor political and fiscal decisions on the part of the Greek government and those outside of Greece who were all too happy to expand the EU’s control over a decade ago. Attacking immigrants, illegal or otherwise, is not a means to self-respect, it is just focusing on the wrong problem the wrong way.
I will say that Greece has gotten the short end of the stick when it comes to large numbers of refugees and immigrants straining social services. I think Daniel Trilling’s article in The New Statesman entitled A Warning from Athens does a good job of summing up Greece’s immigration problems in two paragraphs:
As my post notes, Golden Dawn leadership has been quoted as being “against everyone.” Such a stance has little chance of garnering long-term support when members post videos online of attacking immigrant stalls instead of videos showing Golden Dawn members helping the community. Even if Golden Dawn is co-opted by those looking to privatize Greece, it will eventually go the way of anyone who does the dirty work and will be unceremoniously villanized by its one-time benefactors. There will be no self-respect for the Greeks when that happens.
Perhaps against everyone Michael but for Greeks, ordinary Greeks, that had no hand, act or part in their countries undoing but are suffering hugely for the misdeeds of others.
Patrick,
You say that ordinary Greeks had no hand in their country’s undoing but are suffering for the misdeeds of others. Who are the ‘others’ specifically?
Good article on the subject from Reuters:
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/17/us-greece-media-idUSBRE8BG0CF20121217
Patrick,
A good article that I think meshes with the argument in my post. But if the Greek media and other corporations are the culprits of Greece’s economic problems, why is Golden Dawn attacking immigrants instead of corporate leaders? While immigrants may take lower-paying jobs and put strain on social services, they are not anywhere close to being the main reason for Greece’s economic woes.
If Golden Dawn is truly against everyone except “ordinary Greeks”, then why do they focus their violence only on immigrants instead of everyone who has hurt Greece?
See Michael there’s the problem, the “immigrants” you talk about are illegal immigrants and there are apparently over a million of them running amok in the country. Hell knows what they are living on but it has to be on the backs of hard pressed Greeks who would be happy to take those low paid jobs and unlike illegal immigrants, pay their taxes. I’m sure there have been some attacks on these illegals and each one of these (whether manufactured or not) will make international news whereas the almost constant assaults on Greeks by destitute illegals makes precisely no international news and is also ignored for the most part by even the Greek media. I note in the latest polls that Golden Dawn’s popularity continues to rise.
Patrick,
Yes, many of the immigrants in Greece are in an illegal status, but that does not justify violence against such people. And I have read of immigrants attacking Greeks, but you are right that such reports do not generate as much media attention as Golden Dawn attacking immigrants. Golden Dawn is gaining support because the people are frustrated and they see Golden Dawn as a type of release valve for their frustration. But like I argue in my post, violence against immigrants is diverting attention from the true threat of corporate greed and privatization of Greece.
It seems that Golden Dawn members are starting to focus their violence on Greek political leaders as well as immigrants. Time will tell if this was an isolated incident or a shift in Golden Dawn’s violent tactics to gain more political support.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/dec/17/syriza-attack-on-mp
The Guardian is a ludicrous rag when it comes to discussing nationalism. Needless to say this article does not allow for replies or backchat. A previous piece they published on GD was remarkable for the level of censorship of readers comments, they apparently had some hidden hand deleting replies day and night in an operation that would have made Goebbels blush. No, I think we can forget about the Manchester Guardian.
Patrick,
My reason for posting the link wasn’t to discuss the Guardian, but to note Golden Dawn members (allegedly) attacking an MP from Syriza. For someone refreshed about my not calling Golden Dawn a Nazi-like party, you are quick to throw out the name Goebbels concerning the Guardian. There is a little irony your dismissal of all media that views Golden Dawn in a negative light while choosing to link to an article that, while I agree with it, supports your viewpoint.
But in an effort to bring in another viewpoint, here is an AP article about the same attack: Greek leftist legislator attacked at soccer match