Proselytizing children and adolescents to fascism – Greece’s Golden Dawn “spiritual awakening” seminars

Europe has a tradition in democracy.

Democracy was born in Athens, Greece.

However, today democracy is having a really tough time in its own birthplace.

The town of Artemisia (Loutsa) is 20 km east of Athens.

In this low to middle income sleepy town, the extreme right party of Golden Dawn has started proselytizing children and adolescents, claiming that they teach them history.

“Ta Nea” (The News) newspaper reports today that on Saturday, 23rd February the Artemissia (Loutsa) office of the Golden Dawn party issued a statement that they started a program of “spiritual awakening” that is addressed to children and adolescents.

According to the article written by Yannis Papadopoulos, the program is based on the book “Propaganda – Methodology and techniques of the manipulation of the masses”, written by the Propaganda Minister of the Colonel’s Greek Junta Georgios Georgalas back in 1967.

On the website of the newspaper one can find also interviews with 14-14 year olds who say that “whenever they meet a Pakistani they run after him”. The argument they use is convincing: “If the Golden Dawn (adult) members do it, why shouldn’t we?”

Attacking – and even murdering – “foreigners with dark skin color” is happening in the country that gave birth to democracy.

Golden Dawn is the third most popular party according to the polls after New Democracy and SYRIZA.

The leaders of the fascist party make open and clear statements regarding their view of democracy and its institutions.

Recently Golden Dawn invited in their offices in the Greek Parliament German Neo-Nazis.

In spite of all that, Golden Dawn is today a legally recognized party that benefits from all the rights of – whatever remains of – the Greek Democracy.

This attitude of tolerance – or rather cowardice – towards the fascists I find as one more sign that Greece is rapidly becoming a society that has lost its democratic bearings. With potentially disastrous implications.

Why New Democracy, PASOK, Democratic Left and SYRIZA do not ask the institutional court of the country to outlaw Golden Dawn?

My question should be read as technical. I am not a constitutional expert. The procedure may be different, but the fact is that if these parties wanted, they could outlaw Golden Dawn.

The fact is that they do not do it.

“We should therefore claim, in the name of tolerance, the right not to tolerate the intolerant. We should claim that any movement preaching intolerance places itself outside the law, and we should consider incitement to intolerance and persecution as criminal.” Karl Popper, Philosopher.