Who hasn’t wanted to punch a politician?
But a fracas in Athens, Greece, yesterday, demonstrates that punching people, not to mention threatening them with firearms, is a bad idea, and too often apt to harm the wrong people.
In this case, the pugilist, Giorgos Germenis, was himself something of a “wrong person.” He’s one of 18 lawmakers in the Greek parliament representing the Golden Dawn Party, which is often described as “neo-Nazi” for its ugly nationalist, anti-foreigner sentiment — and for an awfully suspicious party logo.
Germenis had been part of a charitable effort held in Syntagma Square to hand out free food . . . but only to Greek natives! The government shut down the giveaway, and the scuffle, hours later, was part of the fallout. Reportedly blocked from reaching for his gun by security, Germenis threw a punch at Athens’s mayor, Giorgos Kaminis.
He missed the mayor, but hit a young girl.
Bruised, but not seriously hurt, the 12-year old did manage to escape becoming the centerpiece of the showdown between the anti-foreigner activists and the Athens City government.
Greece’s troubles don’t really have much to do with foreigners. Greek troubles, instead, have everything to do with Greek politicians, and the sad, once politically attractive but now quite bankrupt (fiscally and morally) habit of trying to live at the expense of everyone else.
Blaming foreigners is the wrong way out. (Here in America, too.)
Germenis’s group should have been allowed to give only to natives, but a hallmark of civilization is the respect for strangers, traders, wanderers. The Golden Dawners don’t have their hearts in the right place.
Which is shown by the wild punch and who it hit. An innocent. As usual.
This Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.
3 replies on “The Wild Punch”
Similarly many so called conservatives blame many problems on illegal immigrants, ignoring their contributions. Do you want housing prices to fall (and threaten banks further)? Just deport about 12 million illegals. Also falling will be all those employed providing goods/services to illegals.
Don’t get the idea I support amnesty because of this (I don’t). But to me, this is not a very important issue when compared to our fiscal situation, the huge deficit spending and borrowing, and the monstrous size of our government. People are hurting, not so much because of illegals, but because of our statist government.
And don’t get the idea that illegals aren’t causing problems: many of them are, just like many legal citizens cause problems for others.
The something for nothing philosophy is alive and wel , but interestingly, more among native born than immigrants, legal or otherwise. The best work on immigration is found on future of freedom (fff.org) and the Independent Institute. also Cato has done a lot of work. good articles can be found on FEE and Mises also. There is much misinformation out there also. Paul understand that the immigrants are scapegoats.
Our immigration situation is, bluntly, a mess. An example, a family that I know. Husband arrived ALMOST THIRTY (30) YEARS AGO, with his wife, on a work visa. His wife left him –no kids; she up and went. He found a lady that he had known, and they started living together. They have 3 children (1 married with a child of her own). In 30 years, he has had (brushes with the law–drum roll) TWO traffic tickets.
He had the same job for 17+ years; our government figured out that he was here illegally, and deported him. HE NEVER GOT FOOD STAMPS (EBT_; WELFARE OR ANYTHING ELSE. Paid ( and filed to pay) income taxes.
Yet, if he were a criminal–would get all sorts of benefits and care–look at the bombers.