Athena Andreadis is disgusted but not surprised at the spectacle of Golden Dawn spokesman Elías Kasidhiáris hitting Liána Kanélli in the face on a tv talk show the other day.
For those sequestered in silently running nuclear submarines, Golden Dawn got 7% of the vote in the May elections, gaining seats in the parliament – the first time such a thing has happened since World War II (not counting the junta). Its platform is the standard troglodytic garbage: ethnic purity, “natural” order – which includes the de jure disenfranchisement of women and Others – and bodily violence against those who disagree. Its members regularly assault immigrants, minorities and journalists as well as other “undesirables”, with tolerance (if not cooperation) from the police and portions of the media. Serial killer Anders Breivik listed Golden Dawn in his diary as the likeliest group to “cleanse” Europe.
The violence against those who disagree is not figurative violence, or “merely” threatened violence.
To anyone speaking Hellenic, it becomes obvious when you watch the video that Kasidhiáris was as well-informed as Sarah Palin. The two women, Kanélli in particular, let him know this. His response was standard: first he accused them of bringing “personal matters” (namely, his impending trial) into politics. Then, after a brief exchange of verbal insults, he flung a glass of water at Dhoúrou’s face. The three male politicians present sat through this like statues while the talk host made feeble mewling noises. The only one who did something was Kanélli, who went toward Kasidhiáris brandishing a newspaper.
To show that he doesn’t take guff from uppity broads, even ones old enough to be his mother, Kasidhiáris jumped out of his seat and hit Kanélli three times. On the face. The first was a slap. The other two were left-right closed-fist punches.
Yet again, I’m naïve. I’ve always thought that was taboo, and known to be taboo – at least taboo enough not to be done on television. Silly me.
He then threatened he would “return with reinforcements” and somehow managed to escape from the TV station to “parts unknown” (almost certainly the offices of Golden Dawn) to avoid the automatic arrest warrant for assault which, by a quirk of Hellenic law, expires within 48 hours of its issue. The police, not surprisingly, have been “unable to find him” – even though he issued a lengthy (and presumably traceable) statement from his ultra-secret location, in which he said that Kanélli should be the one to be arrested and face assault charges because she “attacked him first”. The head of his party stuck by him, arguing that the incident had been blown out of proportion and, in any case, the two women are really to blame because, well, they provoked him and what’s a manly man to do except respond (literally) two-fistedly?
The defense of men who beat up women everywhere – she provoked him. Bitchez always provoke.
Sound familiar? The tactics of cowardly bullies do not change across time and cultures. Yet even more mind-boggling is the enormous number of people who opined anonymously online that “the cunt had it coming” and “finally, someone put the fat ugly dyke in her place.” Kanélli infuriates many people because she won’t shut up or back down…
Uh oh.
I don’t know, maybe present good evidence and reason to support his case instead of attacking others when they point out the flaws in his position. Then maybe reconsider his position.
But yeah, hit people because that automatically makes you right.
Seems Greg Laden was right. That is nothing if not Nazi behavior.
Thank you for the signal boost, Ophelia. Here’s an update:
A representative of the Cypriot equivalent of Golden Dawn was asked on TV, “Do you consider it right to hit a woman?” His response: “Do you consider Kanélli a woman?” Beyond confirming how neo-nazis define “real” women, this particular rabid dog also conveniently elided that being “womanly” has never protected women from getting beaten, raped or killed by his ilk.
And one more update: The head of Golden Dawn stated that Kasidhiáris didn’t hit Kanélli, he “just kept her at a distance with his hands” — and what’s with this sudden chivalry, don’t bitches claim they want equal treatment? It would be funny if it weren’t chilling.
My pleasure, Athena.
Ah well exactly – the women who get punched in the face and/or called cunts and bitchez aren’t actually women, so punching them in the face is fine.
More and more I am beginning to think that we need to cull out certain elements from the human race. Can someone reassure me that the man above noted has not procreated?
By the by, it’s not only that ‘You shouldn’t hit girls.’ was missed in his rearing – it’s that ‘You don’t hit people!’ was obviously omitted.
I can understand his support from his confreres, albeit not forgive it. I will certainly be unable to forgive any radio or television station or organization that ever gives him a platform in the future. Shunning is the only appropriate response.
We are dealing with Eastern Europe, after all. It seems to me that his behaviour reflects on his country. Ah, well, another country crossed off my bucket list for being mysogynistic idiots. Pity, never to see the glory that was Greece nor the grandeur that was Rome – but I can only vote with my money.
Completely off topic – I am now registered for TAM. See you in July.
No, you aren’t in Kansas any more. What’s with the eugenics? Granted, some people make appalling parents, but please let’s leave the gene pool out of it.
OK, OK, it was irony.
But yes, this:
QFT. Women are people.
So are other kinds of people. It’s the Don’t Hit that’s important, not the variety of people.
I took the point to be not eugenics but people like that not raising children.
And that’s great news about TAM, Dorothy – so I’ll see you soon!
What part of “they’re fucking nazis!” was just too hard for some Greeks to understand? Does seven percent of the voting population want totalitarianism?
Dorothy: letting such people proliferate in the dark is even more dangerous.
Kagerato: if you are an American, consider that statistics show that the percentage of US citizens supporting the Teabaggers is about the same as that of Hellenes supporting Golden Dawn. And the US has not been squeezed as mercilessly as Hellas has. People tend to flock to the extreme ends of the spectrum in uncertain times. Fear is the mind killer.
The best response for these people is to mock them. “Oooh, poor baby neo-nazi was threatened by some paper. YOu know paper cuts can be dangerous. He may even need a band-aid.” “Poor guy. A woman throwing paper can be a very frightening experience.”
I still don’t understand the people defending him. When it comes down to it. The guy just looks “plain nuts.” I am a psychiatrist and that is my official diagnosis
Laura: some people actually said that he got an instant and acute allergic reaction from the newspaper (because of course it was a leftist newspaper). At the same time, the easiest way for a woman to get hurt or killed is to make fun of a man.
Technically I don’t think Breivik is a serial killer. A mass murderer, yes, but there was nothing serial about his tactics.
Perhaps that was the problem. He felt too much like a little boy being scolded by mum.
Sili: if you read my entire article, you will find out that the other politician he assaulted was close to his age. So no. The guy is just “insulted” by women as human beings who utter opinions, period.
Things like this make me shake my head like the Roman guards in the stoning skit in “The Life Of Brian”
Even though Liana Kanelli is a member of the communist party, she is an adherent of the “greek orthodox exceptionalism” bullshit. Which is at best baffling, at worst insane because during the last dictatorship we had, when things were not exactly hunky dory for the communists, the “motto” of the military dictatorship was “Greece (of) Greek Christians”.
Things, if possible, get stupider.
During the Yugoslavian Civil War, members of Golden Dawn had gone to “assist our Orthodox Brothers” and took photos of themselves with Karatzic in front of the massacred Sebrenitsa Muslims. There is actually a pending court case on exactly what their role was for these crimes against humanity. Back then, Liana Kanelli was publishing a magazine called “Nemesis” and she was defending the actions of those Golden Dawn members because, hey, christian orthodox exceptionalism, dontcherknow.
In any case, this is not just a pitiful display from a member of parliament, this is first and foremost an unfair fight. Kanelli is old, obese and a heavy smoker. Kasidiaris is 31-years-old and a body building afficionado.
The reason why people in Athens overwhelmingly voted for Golden Dawn is that especially downtown is extremely rife with crime perpetrated by illegal immigrants and the police are doing nothing. Old pensioners who want to collect their pensions unmolested call members of Golden Dawn to escort them to the bank, Golden Dawn members helped cornershop owners from looters back in the 2008 riots, there isn;t a house that hasn’t been burglarised and everyone has someone in their circle who has been attacked in downtown Athens in broad daylight, with the most notable case being a father to be stabbed to death practically on his doorstep by three illegal immigrants for the purpose of stealing the video camera he was taking to the maternity hospital…of course people voted for the ones that made them feel safe. We have brought this on ourselves
Somewhere in Greece, I mention in my article that the politics of the Greek Communisty Party have been bizarrefor a very long time. Kanelli is no saint (nor is she “old” at 58 — she’s at late middle age), but that does not excuse what happened or what people said to excuse it. And, incidentally, Athens voters voted overwhelmingly for SYRIZA, the socialist party. Only police-heavy precincts voted for Golden Dawn.
Correction — strictly, speaking, SYRIZA is not the socialist party per se. But I used shorthand for non-Hellenic readers.
Oh, I know. Sorry, if that wasn’t clear.
It just sounded as though her age should have somehow led him to treat her with more deference, and I was groundlessly assuming that he had mommy-issues in addition to being a raving fascist.
“Laura: some people actually said that he got an instant and acute allergic reaction from the newspaper (because of course it was a leftist newspaper). At the same time, the easiest way for a woman to get hurt or killed is to make fun of a man.
“Laura: some people actually said that he got an instant and acute allergic reaction from the newspaper (because of course it was a leftist newspaper). At the same time, the easiest way for a woman to get hurt or killed is to make fun of a man.”
I agree. In the heat of the moment it is better to back down and avoid any escalation of aggression. Sometimes it helps to point out that a certain behavior is frightening. But that comment is for people who are reasonable and sympathetic underneath their emotions.
My thinking was more in response to the people who are defending Kasidhiáris. When people started making fun of the Ku Klux Klan it took their power away. There always be those die-hards who will defend this guy or the ku klux klan.
It is telling that Kasihiaris had to hit her instead of commenting on the behavior or saying he looks down on people who fling papers at others. He has a need to externalize his inner conflicts and the woman becomes the bad self that must be punished.
@Athena: sorry, bad syntax. I meant Golden Dawn was overwhelmingly voted for in Athens. The greater Attiki area gave that party 8 of their total 21 parliament seats and the jump on the number of voted they had was massive.
KKE is not so much a party as it is an experimental play that got out of hand. SYRIZA is even more of a joke, especially now that the members of PASOK that were the blight of the country all these years are going to it en masse. I mean, seriously. Fotopoulos? Fotopoulos?!?
As for Kasidiaris beating LIana Kanelli. Both are very objectionable individuals and it just goes to show that even though they were ideological bedmates during the Yugoslavian civil war didn’t stop Kasidiaris from beating her. Make no mistake about that, the members of Golden Dawn will beat anyone who not just argues with them, but does not whole heartedly supports them. And people like them for it. Do you know that in the hospital where I work patients threaten doctors with “I’ll get Golden Dawn here to beat you up”? Just how sick is that?