An Uncomfortable Truth

In a rare interview with a foreign media outlet before May's European elections, the Golden Dawn MP Ilias Panagiotaros told the Australian current affairs show 60 Minutes the group was involved in an "extremely ugly [war]" and that "in every period of time, there must be, there are, some people who are doing the dirty work."

There is clearly an extreme set of circumstances in Greece; Golden Dawn continues to play up their Neo-Nazi symbolism and beliefs.  That's troublesome enough.

But there's something all-too familiar with that notion of political operatives believing they are charged with doing the dirty work on society's behalf, bending the rules civil society isn't willing to so as to ensure the bad guys are kept at bay.

Stepping on throats is an unpleasant business, best done discreetly by folk like them - or so they tell themselves.

They being everyone from Golden Dawn to the NSA to a host of War Roomers.

It's too bad these types tend to be too self-indulgent, over-confident and paranoid to take a step back and realize that society doesn't need them to play dirty.

In fact, we'd all be better off if people like them would reign themselves in and show some respect for their opponents.  Whatever tribe they claim to be defending, the truth is they're a kind all their own.

They aren't part of the uncomfortable solution; rather, they're the source of an avoidable problem.