Political violence and fanaticism

Greece is currently in the throes of its most serious crisis since the reinstitution of democracy in 1974, which creates a pressing need to examine how Greek society ended up in crisis. We also need to ponder on the causes and nature of a crisis which manifested itself in a cultural and ethical crisis before undermining the economy, and to consider where we can go from here: which of the emergent opportunities are worth following up?

Political violence and fanaticism: A discussion prompted by Stathis Livathinos’ staging of Georg Büchner’s "Danton’s Death".
In Büchner’s play, which begins in 1790 and is set during the Terror, Danton—unlike Robespierre—starts to call for “less blood”, and ends up being executed after a parody of a trial. The Mob would at intervals demand the guillotine for those it had earlier hailed as saviours. How can someone demand justice without blood for the just and the unjust alike? How can violence and the extremes of fanaticism be avoided in times of great social upheaval? Is there such a thing as ‘necessary violence’? And more crucially still, do societies and political authorities have the flexibility required to see it coming and to change or prevent it?