"Evil Bogus Poles Marched Jews to Their Deaths": Bieganski and Meat Trade News; Guest Post by Danuta Reah

Source. 

Steven Fry

World War II is portrayed by the Western Allies as a straightforward fight: good against evil. Those who read more widely into World War I and subsequent social, political and financial chaos, see something different: the inevitability of a train racing towards a collapsed bridge, knowing there is no hero struggling towards the locomotive to pull the brake before the abyss. Those of us who understand history even a little feel a shiver of déjà vu as we contemplate the world today.

However, the basic chronology and the observable facts of the 39-45 conflict are clear and available. We know who invaded whom, we know the nature of the occupations and we know how many died and how.

You'd think so, anyway.

In 1939, Hitler and Stalin invaded and occupied Poland. The Nazi occupation of Poland was savage beyond belief. There are many accounts of that occupation. One recent book: "The Eagle Unbowed: Poland and the Poles in the Second World War." Around Over five million Poles died, including three million Polish Jews. Hitler's Nazis killed them by slavery, starvation and ultimately by shooting and gassing in the death camps. These were German, Nazi death camps, built on occupied Polish land.

It's a matter of historical fact.

But not for everyone. In 2009, Stephen Fry, the well-known British comedian, writer and pundit, said on the British TV Channel, Channel 4: "There's been a history, let's face it, in Poland of a right-wing Catholicism which has been deeply disturbing for those of us who know a little history and remember which side of the border Auschwitz was on." He seemed to think that the death camps were rooted in "rightwing Catholicism," rather than a creation of Nazi Germany, built, initially, to terrorise the Polish population in general. Fry did apologise for his comments, but he is much revered in the UK, both as an amiable man and a very well-informed and intelligent one. Things you say, when you are in such a position, cannot so easily be erased.

On December 1st, 2012, that well-known organ of historical research, the Meat Trade News Daily, published an article about the Polish government's ban on ritual methods of slaughter. The headline of the article (which has now been removed) gives its flavour: "These Evil Bogus Animal Lovers Marched 4 Million Jews to Death Camps God Forgive Them."

I e-mailed the site, pointing out politely that the Poles, far from marching Jews to their deaths had been victims of the Nazis themselves, and the death camps were not Polish, they were built by Nazi Germany. I received this prompt and measured response from one William Hayes:

"you have been claiming to be victims for 70 years its time you stood on your own feet

the court ruling was last Tuesday and today as a democracy you are responsible and get the government you deserve.

Therefore you are all culpable, before you talk about Kosher and Halal what about castrating all your Roman Catholic priests to stop them buggering little boys and girls in Poland

I would have their balls out in seconds now there is a good job for your courts"

Now what to make of this? Not much, really. I suppose I could contact David Cameron and ask him if we could legislate to have Roman Catholic priests castrated, as Mr. Hayes suggests but a) I have no animosity towards Catholic priests per se and b) I doubt David Cameron would see this as a proper use for our courts.

Clearly there are too many ill-informed people out there, and rather too many idiots. Beyond that, I conclude that eating too much meat is bad for brain development. If Mr. Hayes can be seen as an exemplar, it certainly doesn't lead to clarity of thought and the ability to formulate an argument.

Go veggie, Mr. Hayes.

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For the record, Bieganski the Blog takes no stand on vegetarianism. It is opposed to the castration of Catholic priests, and even William Hayes or Steven Fry.

Bieganski the Blog has long recommended organized action as the best response to the pervasive Bieganski, Brute Polak stereotype. Please read this series of blog posts on the Crisis in Polonian Leadership, Organization, and Vision.

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Danuta Reah is a crime writer living in England. A review of her excellent book "Forest of Souls" can be found here.

A previous guest blog post by Ms. Reah addressing prejudice and demonization of the other can be found here.

Link to Meat Trade News Daily here.