«You have no right to speak.» That's what Menios Koutsogiorgas addressing the then leader of the official opposition, Konstantinos Mitsotakis in Parliament, referring to the events of Betrayal against the government Georgios Papandreou in 1965. This phrase has been subject to many interpretations and misinterpretations over the years. Today, this phrase is used to describe the authoritarian demand to silence any voice that challenges the dominant narrative, that questions myths and dogmas, that challenges nationalisms and populist notions. Let us recall certain events:

-George Papandreou had been criticized because (in the early 1960s) he had uttered the infamous phrase «terrorize the terrorists,» referring to the terrorism that had led to the elections marked by «violence and fraud» at that time.

– O Konstantinos Karamanlis, during a meeting with the Archbishop Seraphim, raised for the first time the major issue of the separation of church and state. “Your Beatitude, I think it’s time we went our separate ways,” Serrai is said to have told Seraphim in his characteristic style. The Archbishop reportedly replied: “Mind your own business. Mine is a corner shop. I ordained you, and I will ordain others after you.” Similar attacks against him followed Andreas Papandreou, of Kostas Simitis, of Alexis Tsipras etc.
«Those who supported the separation of church and state were accused of being »anti-Greeks,« »antichrists,« »atheists,« and even »pagans.”.

- Ο Yiannis Boutaris, Mayor of Thessaloniki was attacked by a crowd of rowdy nationalists, led by well-known far-right figures, since just a few years ago anyone who dared to support the Prespa Agreement was considered, at the very least, a «traitor to the nation.» anyone who dared to support the Prespa Agreement was considered, at the very least, a “traitor to the nation.” There were attacks on homes, families, and businesses, as well as acts of violence against those who held a different opinion.

-«Turks,» «Muslims,» «supporters of Islamic terrorism,» and many other epithets were hurled at anyone who showed any form of understanding or solidarity toward immigrants. Leading this hateful campaign were far-right extremists, nationalists, and elements of the church. The Independent wrote at the time: «Real fascists, in black shirts, are patrolling Athens brandishing swastikas and lit torches, decimating and murdering ethnic minorities, while international governments seem alarmingly lax, as long as the Greek people pay off their debts»…

-Today, those who dare to defend the right of Koufontina Those serving their sentences at Korydallos Prison are «supporters of terrorism,» «ideological allies of the perpetrators,» and much more. This is not the first time an attempt has been made to link terrorists to the broader left. After his murder Pavlos Bakogiannis, Eleftheros Typos had run the headline «Everyone Points to PASOK,» while Vradini, following the assassination of Athanasiadis, ran the headline «Laliotis’s Friends Are the Terrorists.» Furthermore, according to reports from 1988, there was a classified report, drafted by General Nikos Gryllakis (an associate of Konstantinos Mitsotakis), according to which PASOK officials were linked to «November 17.» The names of Thanasis Tsouras, Kimon Koulouris, Antonis Tritsis, and Kostas Laliotis were listed…

Overall, the practice of «character assassination» is a very old one worldwide. Anyone who doesn’t conform—and even more so anyone who strongly opposes prevailing views—is subjected to coordinated attacks, which are, of course, amplified (or even created) by many media outlets. These attacks multiply (like the virus that’s plaguing us) through the «parrots» next door on social media.

The same tactic is used whenever society needs to be prepared (or persuaded) for anything. A prime example is the ERTFLIX series «The Loudest Voice,» which describes, among other things, FOX NEWS’s effort to portray Barack Obama as a «communist,» a «Muslim terrorist,» and whatever else… It also describes how they «pushed» Donald Trump as the «solution» after he even adopted the rhetoric of Roger Ailes (FOX’s founder) with the infamous “Make America Great Again.” It also describes how public opinion was prepared for the invasion of Iraq, portraying Saddam Hussein as «a threat to the entire world because he possesses weapons of mass destruction.».

There is also one thing all of these have in common: the attempt to manipulate public opinion by spreading messages of hate and division, occurs when the dominance of ruling groups is challenged or when a «difficult mission» must be carried out… Let’s consider today’s reality and draw our own conclusions.

I’d like to conclude with a personal account: I was serving my military service in the Presidential Guard in 1983 when I repeatedly refused to repeat nationalist slogans. Our drill instructor did something that was common practice (at least back then…) in the military: He ordered me to step out of line to «rest,» while the entire company sang those nationalist slogans, running and doing continuous push-ups. It was a very harsh prank intended to turn the other recruits against me. A few days later, I was transferred to Samothrace…

The attempt to impose on society as a whole «dominant narrative,», It poses a threat to democracy. «Trials based on intent»—and even more so, the attempt to criminalize any differing viewpoint—are totalitarian and ineffective methods. There will always be those who refuse to bow their heads and will continue to defend different views (whether right or wrong doesn’t always matter). After all, that is precisely the greatness of democracy: The freedom of an individual or a community to express their views and ideas without fear of opposition, censorship, or legal sanctions (definition from Wikipedia)….

(Yannis Koronaios is a journalist)