The current Greek government led by the center-right New Democracy Party came to power in June vowing to keep Greece on the path of immiserating economic reforms mandated by European Central bankers in exchange for debt relief. Its nearest contender was the opposition Syriza, a coalition of leftist parties challenging the dominant logic of starving society to feed the bankers.
Less noticed, on this side of the Atlantic at least â were the political gains of the neo-fascist Golden Dawn party, which won 18 parliamentary seats on an anti-Europe, anti-immigrant platform. Less noticed, even when its thuggish MPs led phalanxes of blackshirts to physically assault what they called "immigrant scum", with the collusion of the police, and openly called for violence against the state and against political opponents. The U.K. Guardian reported police standing idle while Golden Dawn members beat a journalist at the opening of a gay-themed play, and Athens police arresting and torturing opponents of Golden Dawn.
Meanwhile, new polls show that Golden Dawn is more popular among Greeks than ever, opening new branches throughout the country, and even in New York City. We were joined from London by Maria Margaronis, just back from a 5-day reporting trip to Greece. She broke the story of police torture for the Guardian. That story at and more at:
With Maria Margaronis, an Anglo-Greek journalist and London correspondent for The Nation magazine and a frequent contributor to the British newspaper, The Guardian, and to the BBC .
Radio interview by Amy Grunder, first aired live on Sounds of Dissent on WZBC 90.3 FM Boston on October 13, 2012. --- Sounds of Dissent has aired since 1998 on WZBC 90.3 FM in Greater Boston. Catch us every Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Eastern Time. Live streams & archive links at wzbc.org.