As I speak ET1 the Greek equivalent of BBC1 is showing a speech by members of the neo - nazi Crysi Aygi (Golden Dawn) party. So far the speaker as announced an economic program that comes right out of Mein Kampf, celled for the ethnic cleansing of the northern province of Thrace and claimed that the only people who can call themselves Greek are those who have a direct blood line. How on Earth is this nazi filth being broadcast on prime time TV by a state run television channel?
Chysi Aygi supporters have a rich history of violent attacks on immigrants, political opponents and anyone they suspect of opposing their twisted views. Yesterday singer, Sofia Papazoglou was attacked by their thugs for throwing away a leaflet she had been handed while at an Athens tube station. Last november American film maker, Ray Pride was beaten by Chysi Aygi members in the centre of Thessaloniki during a party rally.
As you can see this is not a group that can be trusted with even the slightest form of power. The more they get the more violent they become.
Recently the Greek government testified to the United Nations Human Rights Commission that no such groups exist in the country. Now they are promoting their sick program.
6 comments:
You suggest cencorship?
@ Petros
1. Refusing privileged communication to a fringe group does not have to be censorship.
2. Still, everybody has the right to voice opinions, even opinions that are despicable and plainly wrong. But they do not have the right to commit crimes. These guys are criminals, not alternative thinkers.
3. Whether they are on TV or not is a small issue compared to the fact that if we had a truly independent, democratic police force, they should be in jail already. You can't go on TV when you are in jail. (Well, I wouldn't actually put that past Mr Triantafilopoulos, but that's a different matter...)
It's quite simple, as far as I understand.
Chrisi Aygi takes part in the forthcoming elections (no explicit law to forbid far-right-wing parties from doing this) and every party has (by law) it's five prime-time minutes on state TV.
Altough I do see your point of view and where it comes from, you need to understand somethings:
It's far more dangerous to start censoring each extreme voice, and there is plenty of those, than to let them speak.
Because if you fall in the trap of "protecting" the citizens "for their own benefit", then you will protect them e.g. ... from communism (not so long ago, 1974 this was still the case!)??
Citizens are mature and educated (OK, the vast majority), or they have memory and can feel what's right. They can decide for themselves what to believe and what not to.
Those are the elementary principles of democracy.
And so far, the citizens have decided against Chrisi Avgi: it's at 0,1% (give/take some)...
So, don't underestimate the citizens and don't over-react.
I am a SYRIZA voter, so, you understand, I personally get sick when I look at those fascistoids. But I will not trap myself and my side, into censoring them. If we do, we will be next in line.
To take this to the next step: I believe it's DANGEROUS for our freedom of speech that France outlawed "denial of holocaust" for Jewish and Armenians.
Because, what's next?
e.g. When will they outlaw speaking against the EU?
When will they outlow speaking against capitalism and the large corporations?
It's quite simple, as far as I understand.
Chrisi Aygi takes part in the forthcoming elections (no explicit law to forbid far-right-wing parties from doing this) and every party has (by law) it's five prime-time minutes on state TV.good keep it up....
Democracy suggests, right or wrong, that everyone has the right and should be given the chance to speak. No one has the right to do crimes of course. Also, I hope we are intelligent enough to see right from wrong.
Post a Comment