Greece is a cauldron of discontent caused by an abysmal economic situation, and from this cauldron has sprung not only the usual fascists and other extremists, but last weekend, actual Nazis in elected office with several ending up in Parliament. It turns out that Greeks by and large are not amused. The widespread shock and horror about Nazis emerging, as well as the very important recognition that these are the real deal…not just some people with extreme views and a penchant for angular designs in their fashion…has engendered the beginnings of a backlash.
From the Guardian:
Images of extremist parties strutting their stuff – this display celebrating the election result took place in Thessaloniki – have a certain apocalyptic fascination. Especially when Golden Dawn activists also reportedly yelled “Blood and honour” and sang martial anthems. They are not exactly hiding any echo of 20th-century political darkness – they also flaunt a symbol that unmistakably resembles a swastika.
There seems to be no reason for complacency or irony about what is happening here. This is the real thing, a political horror. And the social and economic factors behind it get ever worse. This week new figures revealed that youth unemployment in Greece reached 53.8% in February.
The Nazi echoes in images like this have hopefully done for Golden Dawn. It is reported that Greeks are shocked by the party’s true nature, as displayed since its election victory catapulted an obscure movement on to the national stage. Let’s hope so.
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Greg – do you really believe that there are no white supremacists in office somewhere in the USA? They are very similar, if not worse, than nazis. They dispise many more types (sorry, blanking out) of people than Jews. They hate anyone who is not lily white and not their brand of Chrisitanity (if they are Christian) and that covers a lot of people.
Louise, why on earth would you think I believe that? Indeed, the American WS and KKK movement and neo-Nazis are not really worse or not worse than each other; they have pretty much converged on each other. (Classic Nazis did not limit themselves to hating Jews, by the way.)
Are you suggesting that the existence of White Supremacists and Nazis and such elsewhere makes the Greek ones go away? I really don’t get your point, and I certainly don’t get where you would infer that I don’t know about these people in the US.
Just when I thought there wasn’t anything more amusing than Polish Neo-Nazis.
I’m just speechless. Especially in Greece. I could see it in a country that wasn’t invaded in WW2, but Greece was pretty hammered by the Axis powers.
Mind you the economic conditions are starting eeriely match per-Nazi Germany… There is definate reasons for concern
Russian, Belarusian or Ukrainian neo-Nazis would rank up with Polish neo-Nazis in taking the ironic Nazi cake.