Greek Election Today

The left will win over 70% of the vote in today's election.  But that isn't the story.  It is those damn "right wing Nazis" (the Golden Dawn party) that will take a larger share - maybe 7% - than they've taken in the past.

Ushanka Rule # 38:

When Liberals Progressives Communists call others "Nazis," they are trying to distract from those of us who call them Commies.

I don't know Golden Dawn's stand on eradicating the Jews from society or their desire to invade their neighbors.  I assume I would have seen something in the old media had they made either of those announcements.

But I have come to understand European politics.  And like the US, any non-leftist (read non-communist) political party is deemed "Nazi."

True, Hitler campaigned against the communists.  He asked voters, "Do you want to bring the destructive policies of Russia here?"  That kind of campaigning will take you from a 1% minority party to a massive majority is less than a decade.  As it did for Hitler, a socialist.

In Left and Right terms, Europe has the same Left that we have here with Obama, Hillary, and Bernie Sanders - Heavy Socialism.  Or my preferred label: Soft Communism.  Where they differ is on the Right.

Elections are won on 'either-or." EITHER you like them more and give them your vote, OR you like us more and will give us your vote.  Each party frames their value with this choice.  Yes it is simplistic, but voters are, um, more inclined to respond to simplistic options as we learned in 2008.

But the European-to-American translation of "Left-Right" is where small-minded useful idiots (Democrats) go off the rails.  Europeans have always, always, always been limited in their choices.  EITHER Communism, OR something slightly better.  They have never had a party of the Right as we have, which is one reason America became the greatest nation on the planet in less than 200 years.

So when The Telegraph tells us Golden Dawn is "Far right / neo Nazis" who will take third place in today's election, they are perpetuating a falsehood common with old media outlets.  Golden Dawn is, actually, just slightly less Left wing than Syriza, the failed majority party that made today's elections possible with the resignation of their failed leader, Tsipras.

Syriza's position: Total Socialism funded by other European economies.
Golden Dawn's positions: Total Socialism funded by other European economies, and stopping immigration.

Greece is doomed just as Detroit, Chicago and California - they keep electing the Left.  I have no sympathy for their suffering, but I do have some advice:

Lindsey Graham will soon be suspending his campaign here in the States.  He'd be an incredible improvement over any Greek politician, and he'd appreciate the interest.  

My $0.02.

U/T: Matt Forney.

UPDATED 2:30pm:

The results are in.  Reuters:  Greek voters return Tsipras to power with strong win

Golden Dawn got 7%.