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[Nikitas]

Bananiot, when a man champions the causes of minorities and then turns on some minorities because he happens to be able to rationalise a case against them, then that man is a fascist. Kapische?

Respecting minorities means respecting all of them even the ones you do not like.

[Nikitas]

Bananiot, apropos this point, when is a person entitled to use lies, which he knows to be lies because he makes them up himself, to promote his cause?

As a long term resident in Greece, and involved in the medial, let me assure you that things are not always as they seem. Presumably the same goes for other places, but here I happen to know details.

[Bananiot]

Would you care to elaborate Nikitas? What exactly do you mean?

[Nikitas]

Dimou is democratic and tolerant with groups and causes that fall within his sphere of understanding and share his values. IHis values are palatable politically correct and western liberal. You can see the true nature of the man coming out when he discusses people he assumes everyone condemns, like smokers for instance. Being against smoking is one thing, feeling superior to smokers as a whole is politically correct racism.

He also goes to incredible mental acrobatics to reserve a niche for his passions, even if they are obviously as bad if not worse than smoking. In Greece 2500 people die on the roads every year, thousand more are injured. ND loves his cars, and he writes about how driving fast on a winding country lane makes him feel like a centaur, as he listens to classical music.

Kind of two faced to condemn smokers as characteristic of the underdeveloped character of Greeks but project irresponsible and potentially deadly driving as en elevated and cultured pursuit. He even described how he could not drive from Athens to Salonica without breaking the speed limits. The laws apparently are made for others.

I gave a somewhat minor instance of inconsistency. But it illustrates the point.

As a cyclist and former neighbor of his, I have had my run ins with him when he was driving a supercharged little Reanault 5. He might write like a German liberal, he drives like a Greek peasant (my Cockney side wants to use another expression but I will resist the tempation).

I have lived the Greek "dianoisi" for 34 years, I need proof to believe what they write and say, and proof comes from actions, not pretty phrasing and impressive sites.

[Nikitas]

Bananiot- one more thought. Dimou was a succesful ad man, by some accounts he is the man who revolutionised Greek advertising. In other words his ads worked on the Greeks whom he regards as a half a level higher than garbage. What does that say about his ads?

You catch the inconsistency?

[Nikitas]

Cornelios Castoriadis: "many Greeks depart Orly airport as dwarves and land in Ellinikon airport as giants".

Not referring to any individual but to Greek "dianoisi" in general.

Or in the wisdom of the Greek peasant, it is easier to be first in the village than second in the city.

[Bananiot]

It seems you have an axe to grind against ND. You gave a couple of "minor" instances to underline the "fascist" nature of the man. I think his anti smoke venom and craze for fast cars and your assumptions will make the majority of the world proponents of the fascist ideology.

Why do you stress his ad background (he invented the "I do not forget" slogan-ad after the invasion, by the way) the man is also a philosopher and he always has something interesting to say. He is never boring and his caustic criticism of our shortcomings should be welcome at least, because one has to worry only of the flatterers. We have plenty of them and ND is simply an oasis in the Greek desert.

[Bananiot]

Yet, what I find mostly annoying, is the haste to criticise a man, rather than his propositions. I published a short essay ND wrote on being in the minority because me and DT embarked in an argument on minority/majority issues and suddenely, the issue is changed to ND. Nikitas, I am sure you can do better.

[zan]

Since when does the majority dictate to the minority?

Since around 450BC when Pericles laid the foundations of Athenian democracy...

I love the fact that you did not question the "Dictate" part...Riding over the minority rights is what you are all about mate........

[Nikitas]

Bananiot,

There are other philosophers who criticise our shortcomings, but without the glib self satisfied attitude of ND- Yannaras, Maronitis, Kargakos, Sarris, and many journalists who daily criticise the Greek approach to things.

What is annoying about ND, who is not a leftist but belongs in the same crowd as people like Iraklidis et al, is their readiness to see where our side is wrong, but hardly ever question the wrongs of the other side. In the Macedonian issue for instance they have overlooked the maps and other propaganda that show FYROM as extending all the way to Pella and Kavala. They have glossed over the constitutional provisions which refer to unliberated "Macedonians" in Greece. They focus on the name issue which is secondary but attracts attention.