OPINION

Holding GD at bay

Holding GD at bay

SYRIZA MP Makis Balaouras, who was chairing the House when far-right deputy Ilias Kasidiaris verbally and then physically attacked New Democracy’s Nikos Dendias, had to call security several times. All Golden Dawn deputies were ejected from the House after they had behaved in a nasty manner that reflected their uncensored hatred of democracy. To be sure, there is very little there in terms of culture or upbringing to filter their actions.

That said, safeguarding the fundamental institution that is the Parliament and democracy at large should not be the job of the police.

Rather, it is the duty of all democratic citizens – including those who voted Golden Dawn into Parliament and have long seen the nature of the forces they unleashed.

It is also the duty of all mainstream parties who must leave expedient politicking aside and forge a united front against the fascist party, which is obviously addicted to provocations and vulgarity.

The political class cannot afford to indulge in political speculation because such behavior will only feed Golden Dawn’s provocations and, in part, vindicate them. Similarly, Golden Dawn is strengthened when democratic parties exchange unsubstantiated barbs and accusations.

The propensity for bullying and the love of all types of violence is neither random nor sporadic for a neo-Nazi. Quite the opposite, in fact: It is the way in which they advance and seek to impose their ideas. This is what they know, this their way of exposing their emotional and rhetorical wealth. This is what they do.

What they do outside Parliament (swearing, beating, imposing silence through fear and bullying) is what they will bring into the House. Meanwhile, they will leave the knives and guns with their most fanatical supporters so that they can purge society of anything they see as un-Greek or abnormal.

There is no serious or sober version of Golden Dawn, and it cannot exist, for the simple reason that it would go against their beliefs. This should have discouraged from the very beginning any thoughts or efforts to build bridges with officials of Golden Dawn (supposedly aimed at training them in the ways of democracy). Such gestures smack of amorality and opportunism.

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