By Pantelis Boukalas

The PASOK fans were not at all original when they shouted the slogan "Down with the Karamanlis junta" in Veria the day before yesterday. They didn't have to strain their brains or spend money resorting to advertising opportunities, skills in slogan making. They found the slogan ready and adopted it with a small change at the end: "Down with the PASOK junta" passionately shouted the members of the ND. while we were heading towards his election 2004. "Down with Karamanli's junta" PASOK are now shouting with the same passion. Το γεγονός ότι οι περισσσότεροι φωνασκούντες είναι μιας ηλικίας που δεν τους επιτρέπει να έχουν μνήμη της δικτατορίας δεν αποτελεί άλλοθι για κανέναν· οι ανιστόρητοι δεν είναι αθώοι.

Προς τιμήν τους, the leaders of the two parties do not agree with their judicious audience (on the contrary, years ago, Mr.. Voulgarakis, as Minister of Culture, had enthusiastically adopted the vulgar sexist slogan of the blue-collar students against Mr. Papandreou). Their refusal, however, to adopt such dangerously stupid slogans has the same pedagogic effect as loudspeaker exhortations to the teams' fans to stop unleashing abusive 'chants'. The fans, parties or associations, only for a short time they rest, and again they are drawn to insults. Deep down they know that even when their leaders react, they don't even want to be silenced, especially if the slogans, however extreme, λειτουργούν συσπειρωτικά και ενισχύουν τον κομματικό πατριωτισμό.

Ακριβώς ο κομματικός πατριωτισμός είναι ο παραγωγός και διακινητής συνθημάτων τα οποία, despite the mask of burning passion for democracy they wear, they are unable to hide their deep anti-democracy: The loyalist of one or the other party in power is educated in such a way as to identify his faction with democracy, the truth and the nation, and to consider the party opponents miasmas and enemies of the country. For the party loyalist, democracy exists so that he can exclusively enjoy its gifts. For this reason, the state is treated as a booty by those who take turns in its reins, like a booty to be tasted only by "companions", in proportion to their strength, of course. With such a "worldview", it stands to reason that the fanatical party follower considers it a "perversion of democracy", "junta" or anything else a government that removes him from the spoils, from the loot. In his eyes, democracy is entitled to have only one color: his party color. He is "revolutionary" because he dreams of his own regime.

news.kathimerini.gr Publication date: 17-03-09