Two things to remember here; firstly, when the Nazis achieved their final accession to power in the elections of July 31st 1932, they were nowhere near achieving a majority of the vote. The highest they achieved was 37.27%, an increase of 19.02% from their previous best of 18.25% of the vote. So you don't need to win an election or even a majority to subvert democracy and Golden Dawn has apparently doubled its share of 'positive opinions' from 12% to 22% in Greece, by providing a range of community services that the government no longer does.
Secondly, fascist parties never come to power on their own, if not with the help of the 'orthodox conservative' power structures of government, media and elites who are more than happy to join in with racist finger-pointing when the economic situation is deteriorating, to divert attention away from their responsibility for the deteriorating situation:
“Since the election the conservative-led coalition government has been accused of jumping on the racist bandwagon by launching a sweep of thousands of illegal immigrants in Athens and other cities, detaining them in closed camps to await deportation.” (Greece grapples with shadow of Golden Dawn http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/7f797fde-f778-11e1-ba54-00144feabdc0.html#axzz27CN2FLoP Why Greece's Neo-Nazis Are So Popular http://www.businessinsider.com/popularity-of-golden-dawn-2012-9)
This 'enabling' can take a variety of different forms depending on socio-cultural difference, but in the UK for instance using the Border Agency as an anti-migrant club serves two purposes; firstly it supports and promotes the anti-migrant rhetoric of the BNP and the EDL, and secondly the Border Agency is acting as doorman for the same businesses that use illegal migrant labour in the first place ("Do as you're told and work for the wage I choose to give you or I'll turn you in to the Border Agency").
We live in exceptionally dangerous times..
<http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/7f797fde-f778-11e1-ba54-00144feabdc0.html#axzz27CN2FLoP>
Dr Jon Cloke
LCEDN/MEGS Research Associate
Geography Department
Loughborough University
Loughborough LE11 3TU
Office: 01509 228193
Mob: 07984 813681
