 |
| Photo by Jonathan Hartzell. Source. |
"Anti-Polish
Jews should be shot at. You've been welcomed here for centuries. Not anymore.
Go to hell."
The author of these words, found in response to an article on the internet about Polish-Jewish relations, self-identifies as a Polish Catholic. He gives his name as Daniel.
I reported these words to a group moderator and the author was ejected from the group.
I visited the man's facebook page and saw a fascist symbol and an interest in Wehrmacht motorcycles.
I wanted to rescue this young man from fascism, the way a folklore hero rescues a damsel from the mouth of a dragon. I practiced intellectual arguments against fascism, and thought of sending him these arguments.
But then I realized, people aren't attracted to fascism because of what they think, they are attracted to fascism because of how they feel. I could not communicate to him a sense of self-worth and empowerment, a sense of feeling a valued part of a valued human race, via an internet post.
The Nizkor Project lists the following factors in recruitment of young people by hate groups:
* "Disenchanted youth who are abused, angry, unemployed, dropouts or runaways, and who may be looking for someone to blame for their problems, are prime targets.
* Hate groups prey on lonely youth who are socially isolated by learning their weaknesses and drawing them into a group in which they feel accepted.
* They befriend students and invite them to meetings, making them feel wanted and important, providing membership cards, titles and a sense of belonging."
In other words, if a young person feels competent to address his problems, and if he feels that he is part of a cohesive, effective group, he is less likely to join a hate group.
Daniel said that nothing Poles had done to address negative stereotyping of Poles had worked so far, so more extreme methods had to be tried.
Maybe if Daniel could feel that he was a part of a cohesive, competent, vital, effective group of Poles fighting stereotyping in a civil way, he wouldn't have turned to fascism.
***
In response to a post by me mentioning stereotyping of Poles on National Public Radio, a facebook poster guessed that Jews were responsible.
This blog has repeatedly mentioned the Brute Polak stereotype as expressed by Dennis Miller – not Jewish. By Barack Obama – not Jewish. In a book published by the Catholic Orbis Press – very much not Jewish. And this blog has repeatedly mentioned Jewish support for Bieganski, the Brute Polak Stereotype. I just blogged about being invited to speak at the University of Wisconsin, Madison by the Jewish Studies Department there. Jews have significantly supported "Bieganski."
And yet still this irrational eagerness to blame the Jews.
***
A friend expressed frustration at the many incidences of the Brute Polak in American cultural life. She said that the best Poland could do would be to return to chauvinism. The chauvinism of someone like Roman Dmowski.
***
I said to the editor of a Polish American publication, "You know, I would like to read a Polish American publication, but I don't read yours. It's all about Curie and Chopin. Only about dead heroes I already know enough about. And then you have an article or two about polka dancers. I don't dance polka and I don't know anyone who does. I want to read about contemporary Polish Americans and their real lives, struggles, and accomplishments, on the stage of mainstream American cultural, political, and spiritual life."
He said that contemporary Polish Americans were not "Polish enough."
***
After Bieganski came out, I wrote to all the major Polish American cultural organizations with an offer to speak. None wanted me to speak. Some demanded free copies of the book. Some told me my work was meaningless because it was too dark and depressing and not about Polish heroes.
I used to think that that was just me … that it's me Polonia doesn't like. But then I started getting emails from other Polonian men and women, also working on stereotyping or World War II history or other contributions to Polonian culture, who also couldn't get invitations to speak, or who couldn't get their work published in Polish publications, or who contacted Polish groups in their efforts to protest egregious material like Maus, and got no reply from those Polish groups.
***
School syllabi record what students, from kindergarten to graduate school, are required, not just to know, but also to value. It is an open secret among teachers and students that many mediocre works of literature are on syllabi, indeed, have been admitted to the canon of "great" American literature, because those works are by members of variously defined interest groups who have pressed schools to include them.
If you are a member of one of these organized groups, you will be exposed to work by someone who is identified as a member of your group. You will be told that that work is great literature. You will be told that your group has produced geniuses. You will be told that your pain matters. That your worldview matters.
As far as I know, Polish Americans exercise zero power in determining what books American students read. Or don't read. Or how students react to those works. Polish Americans could organize and remove Maus as a text teaching WW II and holocaust history. Polish Americans could organize and demand that any number of books that present another point of view be included. Polish Americans don't.
***
All the disparate paragraphs, above, are connected.
Polonians are hurt and outraged by the prevalence of the Brute Polak stereotype. People who are hurt and outraged often seek someone to blame, and often seek redress.
Some Polonians choose to blame Jews, even though that blaming makes no rational sense. As "Bieganski" shows, if, God forbid, all the Jews in the world were to disappear tomorrow, the Brute Polak stereotype would still go strong.
Some Polonians, seeking some effective, organized, cohesive, mutually affirming group action, choose chauvinism, or, worse, fascism.
It doesn't have to get that bad. We could engage in the kind of rational, civil, organizing that is recommended in the series of blog posts entitled "The Crisis in Polonian Leadership, Organization, and Vision."
Simple things.
Polonian organizations and Polonian publications could embrace and support contemporary Polonians working on Polonian issues. Polonians could work to get Polonian books on syllabi. Polonians could support Polonian authors. Simple things. Effective things.
Polonia is not engaging in these simple, effective, organizing strategies. And so we are targets. And so some of us conclude that only chauvinism or fascism can work.
The author of these words, found in response to an article on the internet about Polish-Jewish relations, self-identifies as a Polish Catholic. He gives his name as Daniel.
I reported these words to a group moderator and the author was ejected from the group.
I visited the man's facebook page and saw a fascist symbol and an interest in Wehrmacht motorcycles.
I wanted to rescue this young man from fascism, the way a folklore hero rescues a damsel from the mouth of a dragon. I practiced intellectual arguments against fascism, and thought of sending him these arguments.
But then I realized, people aren't attracted to fascism because of what they think, they are attracted to fascism because of how they feel. I could not communicate to him a sense of self-worth and empowerment, a sense of feeling a valued part of a valued human race, via an internet post.
The Nizkor Project lists the following factors in recruitment of young people by hate groups:
* "Disenchanted youth who are abused, angry, unemployed, dropouts or runaways, and who may be looking for someone to blame for their problems, are prime targets.
* Hate groups prey on lonely youth who are socially isolated by learning their weaknesses and drawing them into a group in which they feel accepted.
* They befriend students and invite them to meetings, making them feel wanted and important, providing membership cards, titles and a sense of belonging."
In other words, if a young person feels competent to address his problems, and if he feels that he is part of a cohesive, effective group, he is less likely to join a hate group.
Daniel said that nothing Poles had done to address negative stereotyping of Poles had worked so far, so more extreme methods had to be tried.
Maybe if Daniel could feel that he was a part of a cohesive, competent, vital, effective group of Poles fighting stereotyping in a civil way, he wouldn't have turned to fascism.
***
In response to a post by me mentioning stereotyping of Poles on National Public Radio, a facebook poster guessed that Jews were responsible.
This blog has repeatedly mentioned the Brute Polak stereotype as expressed by Dennis Miller – not Jewish. By Barack Obama – not Jewish. In a book published by the Catholic Orbis Press – very much not Jewish. And this blog has repeatedly mentioned Jewish support for Bieganski, the Brute Polak Stereotype. I just blogged about being invited to speak at the University of Wisconsin, Madison by the Jewish Studies Department there. Jews have significantly supported "Bieganski."
And yet still this irrational eagerness to blame the Jews.
***
A friend expressed frustration at the many incidences of the Brute Polak in American cultural life. She said that the best Poland could do would be to return to chauvinism. The chauvinism of someone like Roman Dmowski.
***
I said to the editor of a Polish American publication, "You know, I would like to read a Polish American publication, but I don't read yours. It's all about Curie and Chopin. Only about dead heroes I already know enough about. And then you have an article or two about polka dancers. I don't dance polka and I don't know anyone who does. I want to read about contemporary Polish Americans and their real lives, struggles, and accomplishments, on the stage of mainstream American cultural, political, and spiritual life."
He said that contemporary Polish Americans were not "Polish enough."
***
After Bieganski came out, I wrote to all the major Polish American cultural organizations with an offer to speak. None wanted me to speak. Some demanded free copies of the book. Some told me my work was meaningless because it was too dark and depressing and not about Polish heroes.
I used to think that that was just me … that it's me Polonia doesn't like. But then I started getting emails from other Polonian men and women, also working on stereotyping or World War II history or other contributions to Polonian culture, who also couldn't get invitations to speak, or who couldn't get their work published in Polish publications, or who contacted Polish groups in their efforts to protest egregious material like Maus, and got no reply from those Polish groups.
***
School syllabi record what students, from kindergarten to graduate school, are required, not just to know, but also to value. It is an open secret among teachers and students that many mediocre works of literature are on syllabi, indeed, have been admitted to the canon of "great" American literature, because those works are by members of variously defined interest groups who have pressed schools to include them.
If you are a member of one of these organized groups, you will be exposed to work by someone who is identified as a member of your group. You will be told that that work is great literature. You will be told that your group has produced geniuses. You will be told that your pain matters. That your worldview matters.
As far as I know, Polish Americans exercise zero power in determining what books American students read. Or don't read. Or how students react to those works. Polish Americans could organize and remove Maus as a text teaching WW II and holocaust history. Polish Americans could organize and demand that any number of books that present another point of view be included. Polish Americans don't.
***
All the disparate paragraphs, above, are connected.
Polonians are hurt and outraged by the prevalence of the Brute Polak stereotype. People who are hurt and outraged often seek someone to blame, and often seek redress.
Some Polonians choose to blame Jews, even though that blaming makes no rational sense. As "Bieganski" shows, if, God forbid, all the Jews in the world were to disappear tomorrow, the Brute Polak stereotype would still go strong.
Some Polonians, seeking some effective, organized, cohesive, mutually affirming group action, choose chauvinism, or, worse, fascism.
It doesn't have to get that bad. We could engage in the kind of rational, civil, organizing that is recommended in the series of blog posts entitled "The Crisis in Polonian Leadership, Organization, and Vision."
Simple things.
Polonian organizations and Polonian publications could embrace and support contemporary Polonians working on Polonian issues. Polonians could work to get Polonian books on syllabi. Polonians could support Polonian authors. Simple things. Effective things.
Polonia is not engaging in these simple, effective, organizing strategies. And so we are targets. And so some of us conclude that only chauvinism or fascism can work.
 |
| Mary Krane Derr and her beloved pet guinea pig, Gemma. Source |
I learned yesterday that Polish
American poet and writer Mary Krane Derr passed away. Mary sometimes signed her
notes to me Marysia Kiszka, Kiszka, she told me, was her family's original last
name before it was changed to "Krane."
Mary was a mother and a loving grandmother. She devoted a great deal of tender loving care to her pet guinea pig. Mary suffered from chronic health problems. She spoke of them openly on facebook. I was grateful to her for her frankness. Her frankness made it possible for me to be frank about my own life struggles.
Mary deeply loved her grandson, and spent a great deal of time with him. He was Polish, Irish, and African American.
Mary is representational of the Polonia I love and cherish.
When I lived in Poland 1988-89, one of my best friends was a gay man. One of my best friends was half Cameroonian, that is, half African, and half Polish. One of my best Polish friends now is a Jehovah's Witness. Two are atheist and leftist.
The Polonia that insists that Curie and Chopin and Catholics and dead heroes are the only Poles worth talking about is not a vibrant, living Polonia and it can't do anything to counteract the Brute Polak stereotype.
Polonia is alive with poets, writers, artists … who need only to be supported by their own.
Reject fascism.
Reject chauvinism.
After you finish reading this blog post, go to Amazon and buy a book or a DVD by a Polonian. And get it on a syllabus.
Don't mourn, organize.
Below please find the full text of a blog posting by my beloved friend, Mary Krane Derr. A Polonian every bit as worthy as Curie or Chopin.
***
Blog post by Mary Krane Derr. Mary's blog is here.
Wherever you have landed from, welcome here. Blessings upon you, of all sizes, shapes, colors, tones.
I am a poet of Polish-Celtic-Germanic descent from the United States, Chicago to be precise. I am not A Big Literary Celebrity. Nor am I a writer of such hip obscurity that hipsters fawn knowingly over the mere mention of me. I am not even in the know enough to know if hipsters still stride about in all-black clothes and behave all cerebral and ironic and anhedonic any more. I don’t even have any all-black clothes, except maybe some big ass cotton stretch pants from the sale bin.
So, what could an unfamous Midwestern dame in stretch pants possibly have to say? And in free verse at that?
Why, plenty.
Poetry writing is a calling that found me early, as a barely verbal, yet to be literate child. Within an often beset, even literally threatened life, one of multiple, serious chronic illnesses, I pursue it as much as I can.
Admittedly, though, I was too slow on the uptake to fully recognize and genuinely accept it until well into adulthood. Those sonorous words and phrases of mysterious origin that regularly emerged and chanted themselves to me? I did not know they counted and qualified as poetry, let alone my own poetry.
But judging from others’ responses, it is not all just my own personal crazytalk I had best keep entirely to my bad self.
I still have not published a chapbook or full-length collection, but am otherwise fortunate. My poems have appeared individually or in small groups in a number of publications from the US, Ireland, Great Britain, and India. I have read in the US, South Africa, and India. My poetry has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize, the Best of the Web Award, Best American Poetry, and Best Spiritual Writing, featured on public transit, and translated into Hindi, Farsi (Persian), and (soon) Odia (the prevalent language of Orissa State, India).
Some kindly listening souls have remarked on the “musicality” of my work. As well as a poet-in-transit-and-translation, I am a musician-in-progress. I studied voice for about three years (I’m a mezzosoprano) with the late Jane Sullivan. I am now learning composition and music theory. I have yet to discover any bright line, or dim one, for that matter, between poetry and song.
Much gratitude to the All-and-All, and everyone else on both sides of the veil, who all together now have brought me safe thus far.
Mary was a mother and a loving grandmother. She devoted a great deal of tender loving care to her pet guinea pig. Mary suffered from chronic health problems. She spoke of them openly on facebook. I was grateful to her for her frankness. Her frankness made it possible for me to be frank about my own life struggles.
Mary deeply loved her grandson, and spent a great deal of time with him. He was Polish, Irish, and African American.
Mary is representational of the Polonia I love and cherish.
When I lived in Poland 1988-89, one of my best friends was a gay man. One of my best friends was half Cameroonian, that is, half African, and half Polish. One of my best Polish friends now is a Jehovah's Witness. Two are atheist and leftist.
The Polonia that insists that Curie and Chopin and Catholics and dead heroes are the only Poles worth talking about is not a vibrant, living Polonia and it can't do anything to counteract the Brute Polak stereotype.
Polonia is alive with poets, writers, artists … who need only to be supported by their own.
Reject fascism.
Reject chauvinism.
After you finish reading this blog post, go to Amazon and buy a book or a DVD by a Polonian. And get it on a syllabus.
Don't mourn, organize.
Below please find the full text of a blog posting by my beloved friend, Mary Krane Derr. A Polonian every bit as worthy as Curie or Chopin.
***
Blog post by Mary Krane Derr. Mary's blog is here.
Wherever you have landed from, welcome here. Blessings upon you, of all sizes, shapes, colors, tones.
I am a poet of Polish-Celtic-Germanic descent from the United States, Chicago to be precise. I am not A Big Literary Celebrity. Nor am I a writer of such hip obscurity that hipsters fawn knowingly over the mere mention of me. I am not even in the know enough to know if hipsters still stride about in all-black clothes and behave all cerebral and ironic and anhedonic any more. I don’t even have any all-black clothes, except maybe some big ass cotton stretch pants from the sale bin.
So, what could an unfamous Midwestern dame in stretch pants possibly have to say? And in free verse at that?
Why, plenty.
Poetry writing is a calling that found me early, as a barely verbal, yet to be literate child. Within an often beset, even literally threatened life, one of multiple, serious chronic illnesses, I pursue it as much as I can.
Admittedly, though, I was too slow on the uptake to fully recognize and genuinely accept it until well into adulthood. Those sonorous words and phrases of mysterious origin that regularly emerged and chanted themselves to me? I did not know they counted and qualified as poetry, let alone my own poetry.
But judging from others’ responses, it is not all just my own personal crazytalk I had best keep entirely to my bad self.
I still have not published a chapbook or full-length collection, but am otherwise fortunate. My poems have appeared individually or in small groups in a number of publications from the US, Ireland, Great Britain, and India. I have read in the US, South Africa, and India. My poetry has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize, the Best of the Web Award, Best American Poetry, and Best Spiritual Writing, featured on public transit, and translated into Hindi, Farsi (Persian), and (soon) Odia (the prevalent language of Orissa State, India).
Some kindly listening souls have remarked on the “musicality” of my work. As well as a poet-in-transit-and-translation, I am a musician-in-progress. I studied voice for about three years (I’m a mezzosoprano) with the late Jane Sullivan. I am now learning composition and music theory. I have yet to discover any bright line, or dim one, for that matter, between poetry and song.
Much gratitude to the All-and-All, and everyone else on both sides of the veil, who all together now have brought me safe thus far.
http://www.kritya.in/0411/En/name_of_poetry.html
ReplyDeleteThat's a link to Mary Krane Derr's poems in one of the two Polonia issues of kritya, a poetry magazine based in India. I met up with Mary's poetry while co-editing this on-line journal with John Guzlowski. I can't believe I have only known Mary such a short time. Her life was packed with meaning and caring. I am going to miss her very much over the years. I had hoped that she would find a publisher finally for her first book. She was just nominated for a Pushcart for her poem Transit of Venus online at New Verse News. Christina Pacosz
The chauvinism of someone like Roman Dmowski.
ReplyDeleteThe problem with Dmowski is that people are constantly reducing him to his nationalism (which was not racial,btw), some left-wing extremists in Poland have even compared him to-Hitler, whom he allegedly had praised (of course,that is impossible-Hitler was just 13 years old back than.Of course, they have never read anything by Dmowski) instead of also acknowleding that some of his ideals like having most of the industry and banks in national hands, having a strong middle class, having values (instead of endless liberalism), a strong army is indeed s.th Poland needs.
Not only Poland- other countries as well, all over the world. No one is advocating a return to the stupid stuff that was also Dmowski, not at all.
Poland should definitively re-read Dmowski and take these positive sheets out of his book.
Roman Dmowski was openly anti-Semitic. He was also a Social Darwinist, an ideology utterly at odds with Christianity, as the Vatican made clear.
DeleteAnti-Semitism has never done Polonia any good, and it is not doing Polonia any good now.
Dmowski's followers publicly beat Jews in the prewar era. That did not do Poland any good.
Even if you don't think about the ethical problems in beating up innocent Jews, you have the public relations problem. Poland was depicted in the press as the country where Jews were beaten by Polish nationalists.
Not good for Poles or Poland. In fact, news coverage of this did Poland great harm.
Dmowski's Boycott Jews program was based on dimming someone else's light, rather than enhancing one's own light.
Polonia needs to stop attempting to dim or damage real or perceived enemies. Polonia will benefit from focusing on enhancing its own light.
In the real world: people who go on and on about how the Jews are hurting Poland don't do Polonia any good.
Who does do good for Poland? People who get the story out there through books, museum shows, films, and school curricula, and those who support those who get the story out there.
Attempts to rehabilitate Dmowski sidetrack Polonia.
Getting our own story out there and supporting those who do enhance Polonia.
ReplyDelete///And yet still this irrational eagerness to blame the Jews.
The sad thing is- it is not entirely irrational. There are indeed people of Jewish faith (mostly Americans) who are very vocal about their hatred towards Poles (google Debbie Schlussel). To make things worse-these very people are posing as if they would indeed speak for “the Jews”. They don’t, still, they are spreading hatred among f.e young people of their group.
This has become so sickening that now, even some rabbis in Europe have started to wonder why on earth Poles are abused in such a way and by such people. Especially Polish rabbis are very worried and angry- because of the unfairness/hypocrisy and the fear that they could be blamed by mere association.
Interestingly, one Polish rabbi I have met in Poznan told me that he believes that, the less religious such a person is the more hatred he/she is spreading-these people are not really Jewish and a disgrace to Judaism. He believes it would be high time for Jewish authorities to address this issue- but as there is no central authority in Judaism this is a difficult task indeed.
. People like Schlussel know that they will get away with this- because we live in the time of political correctness-or, as it was satirized in Southpark: “in this day and age it has become impossible for black people to do anything wrong.No one –xxxxx- with black people,no one!” I have come to believe s.th else-maybe it would be better to, instead of fighting the demons of PC, to imbue our Polish youth with patriotism and ethnic pride, and support a political change in Poland (towards a patriotic government centered on national interests)?
And than: Hope and wait until the “progressive” racists just start to target another victim group? (I think Chinese or Muslims might just be the next). I know, its sad, but after having studied the topic for some time now I believe that humanity is just too stupid to mend its ways.
It needs s.th/s.o to hate- http://www.spiked-online.com/site/article/12520/ (at least the German Nazis weren’t packaging their hatred in the hypocrisy of “anti-racism”…)
ReplyDelete///You will be told that your group has produced geniuses. You will be told that your pain matters. That your worldview matters.
When I have first read a book by Thomas Sowell (who is way more black than Obama) I thought that he was just pulling everyones leg (f.e a black history museum, where the „great inventions“ by blacks (like the door-knob). Than I have learned that it was for real. Sowell believes that this “identity politics” stuff is racist and dangerous.
He is right-I think the first Muslim to take part in the majors election in several “European” cities will be voted into office by virtually all Muslims.For being a Muslim, not for any qualifications.
///Polish Americans don't.
I agree-still, I believe there is way more going on that we dont see. I have come to believe that there are cultural currents (f.e today, its nearly impossible to be a Christian/conservative when being in Hollywood).
Todays cultural current is left-leaning liberalism. These people are at power. They will not help us Poles, we are not Jewish (although, Israel is despised,too), not black, not gay-if they help us,they wont feel being better humans.
I believe what should be done is the following: educate ourselves/our youth, also through supporting Polonian scholars!, expose (not only to them!) the hypocrisy of the current culture, forge new alliances with conservatives-because this very group will be the next in line to rule (because people are more and more fed up-the culture will change and we can be a part of that.
If we stick to being ourselves-trust me, it will become cool again one day the way patriotism has started to become avant-garde in Poland again)
Still-organizing will help greatly in these tasks :-D therefore it is important.Still, we should conserve our energy for the most worthwile causes (like getting the demeaning Maus of the curriculums).
Actually, Dmowski was opposed to violence against Jews. It was an extremist offshoot off his movement that accepted and practiced violence against Jews. Dmowski was also strongly anti-Nazi.
ReplyDeleteI fully agree with "Anonymous" that people should read Dmowski for themselves and, regardless of how they feel about him, should study what he actually said and not what others have said about him. As with all other historical personages, we must also place them in the context of their times (e. g., as with anti-Semitism, and Social Darwinism). For the same reason, we should not be condemning Jefferson and Washington for condoning slavery and owning slaves.
For the benefit of your readers, I have provided a list of self-reviewed books by Dmowski. This list can be accessed by clicking on my name in this specific posting.
Most of all, if nothing else, Dmowski should be understood correctly.
Hmm, I thought I had made myself clear. I will try again:
ReplyDeleteI have read Dmowskis books,all of them. He had some criticism that was correct-a part of the Jewish community was not well integrated into society.
He was completely off as to why this was the case (Polish partitions, the large influx of Russian-speaking Jewish people helped by the Russian government in order to diminish the number of Poles in the Russian-occupied territory-where Dmowski was living,
He was, as the rest of Europe, believing that Jews were running the show, that they were generally harming the state.
For this, he is rightly criticized.
You have written: Dmowski's followers publicly beat Jews in the prewar era.
This was,unfortunately, true. The ones doing this, the original ONR, was banned in 1934 for their outrageous behaviour.By the way,
right now, we are having Italian nationalist in several Italian cities throwing rocks at the windows of clothing stores owned by Chinese- as the ONR they are claiming that the Chinese are taking over everything.
Several Chinese were already beaten up this year.
To me, the very same thing is repeating itself. I would like to stress that, in my eyes, it does make a difference if a group is disliked because of its (perceived) wealth or because of its “race”.
This is one side of Dmowski. Then there is the other side of him: a patriot with the best intentions for Poland, who fought like a lion in Versaille for the sake of the Polish state and s.o with very sound ideas with regards to how to build a strong state.Rightfully,for this, his statue is standing tall in the center of Warsaw.
I just think it is not fair to focus on one side and completely ignore the other one- this is done to Poles because they are not defending themselves.
Let me paraphrase what You have written above: If Dmowski were to disappear, Bieganski would not.
I do agree- we should focus on different matters,don’t mention Dmowski,especially not the stupidities he wrote about Poles of Jewish faith. But I also do believe that Dmowski needs to be seen through the lenses of his times and his personality judged by comparison with others who were his contemporaries.
Why? Because Dmowski will not disappear-he will be ALWAYS taken out of the closet to morally beat Poles into submission.
Therefore, just telling the truth- that, yes, Dmowski did not like Jews, like the rest of Europe, but he never advocated depriving them of their humanity. He was no nazi. And he did a lot of good things for the Polish society,as well- will not only be fair towards him but also disarm everyone wanting to use the “Dmowski-proofs-Poles-are-horrendous-anti-Semites-club”.
People who are "going on and on about Jews hurting Poland"- are,obvious, idiots.Its called "internet-hate-machine" for a reason...
Anonymous said: "Because Dmowski will not disappear-he will be ALWAYS taken out of the closet to morally beat Poles into submission."
ReplyDeleteVery true! Which is why I don't think that we should play this left-wing game of either condemning or rehabilitating historical figures. To me, it is a silly game to begin with, and moreover one that is stacked against the Poles in any case.
The ONR should not be confused the mainstream Endek movement. I also do not recall Dmowski ever saying that "Jews run the show".
The aloofness of most erstwhile Polish Jews to the Polish national cause was not solely caused by the Russians. It was also a deliberate choice by most Jews themselves. Their movements, especially Zionism and Yiddishism, accentuated and politicized this aloofness. In stating this, I am not condemning the Jews. I am merely stating historical facts.
Dr. Goska said, "Dmowski's Boycott Jews program was based on dimming someone else's light, rather than enhancing one's own light." Let us pursue this reasoning. What if someone's else's light takes up so much electricity that one's own light cannot shine?" What if Jewish economic dominance had been so entrenched, and so strong, that there was no other way to ameliorate it, and create economic opportunities, for Poles?"
In saying this, I am neither trying to rehabilitate, nor condemn, Dmowski. I am merely bringing this matter up for thought and discussion.
I would like to just add that I believe the point of D's post was about Polonia supporting its own and commemorating the life of a wonderful person, Mary Krane Derr - make that Marysia Kiszk.
ReplyDeleteI love a good debate but it won't stop the B stereotype. It's preaching to the choir or worse preaching in a closet.
Organizing yourselves, showing solidarity and supporting your living artists and scholars as a unified front will. Stick the injustice under the noses of the Liberals and the Nazis alike.
Otto
Thank you Otto
DeleteThis note is for the man who sent in several posts that did not end up appearing here.
ReplyDeleteComments to this blog are moderated. I never filter comments on the basis of the commentator's position. It's obvious that I disagree with many comments here, but I post them.
I do filter posts on the basis of civility.
You sent in several posts today. You said rude things about me, about my friends who post here, and about the blog in general.
Other of your posts had interesting content.
Once someone sends in rude, verbally abusive posts, it is less likely that anything they send in will be posted. I just see the name associated with the previous rude post and end up deleting the whole lot.
After I blocked some of your comments I skimmed them and saw that they had substance, but it was too late.
If you care to, please do send in new comments. Please refrain from verbal abuse. Please don't insult people posting here. Please be civil. Please post comments with substance, rather than just snide insults.
If you consistently send in comments with substance, rather than random insults, in the future, your comments are more likely to appear.
If you continue to send snide, insulting, empty posts, your comments are much less likely ever to appear.
I think Danusha is giving very good advice here. We need to keep "the law of loving kindness" on our tongue. If we do so, no matter what the provocation, we will please our Creator, and we will be much more effective.
ReplyDeleteAs I am very much not the: "If at first you don't succeed, try, try, try again" type; and and much more the: "If at first you don't succeed, give up, and go and do something else" type (with the exception I hope of the Christian preaching work - must not give up with that!) - I try to stay well out of Polish-Jewish issues.
If whoever it was who unlevelled the playing field wants to level it up again, then maybe I might try again.
Though I admire the bravery and patience of those Poles/Polonians who do feel able to enter the debate.
Re Daniel, Danusha, you say:
"But then I realized, people aren't attracted to fascism because of what they think, they are attracted to fascism because of how they feel. I could not communicate to him a sense of self-worth and empowerment, a sense of feeling a valued part of a valued human race, via an internet post."
And, yes, I think that is exactly right. So the answer to fascism, (and all the other ghastly "isms"), lies in reaching minds and hearts, in a truthful and loving way - trying to get everyone to understand how much their Creator values them. I did ask Daniel if he would please read Psalm 37. It is such a powerful antidote to these feelings.
I must get back out on the door to door preaching work as soon as my knees will agree to come along with me and hold me up.
Sue, thank you for reaching out to Daniel. I hope it does some good.
ReplyDeleteI am a Polish American who has read various Polish American newspapers and websites for years and am a firm believer of Polish Americans fighting the Nazi subhuman intelligence stereotype of Polish people which was imported into the US (early 1960's by Hollywood and TV media) and RENAMED as "Polish jokes".
ReplyDeleteThe good news is that in comparison to the 1970's...TODAY this anti-Polish stereotype is not tolerated in open mainstream media/American society the way it was in the 1970's. Case and point people like the late powerful PA Arlen Spector and the Ohio State president....BOTH APOLOGIZED for telling anti-Polish jokes when Polish (and some some NON-Polish) Americans criticized these anti-Polish Bigots. So the good news is that when Polish Americans really want to they can stop anti-Polish prejudice.
The bad news is that although there has been a noticeable decline in Polish-Bashing from several decades ago....it STILL continues from time to from anti-Polish Bigots popping up out of the wordwork like at NPR Radio or from Dennis Miller (who I thought actually respected Poles for being America's ally....so much for that).
I have read about how Poles have fought anti-Polish prejudice by letter writing, petitions, etc and the pros and cons of these activities.
But there is ONE tactic I think would get a big bang for the buck that for the life of me I don't know why has not been used and it doesn't take massive resources or time and energy.
WHY not put together a LIST of addresses of where these anti-Polish Bigots LIVE...so that we could confront them either through letters or demonstrationg in front of their houses??
I GUARANTEE YOU....if people confronted these anti-Polish Bigots in front of their own homes and they saw that their PERSONAL standard of living would deteriorate knowing people will CONFRONT them for their anti-Polish Bigotry.....they would THINK TWICE about bashing Polish people.
It would be IMPLANTED in their brains "If I bash Polish people in my media....some angry Pole(s) will confront me....and I don't need this hassle"
I think its a good idea. There are many "find people" services on the internet for nominal fees that could get us the info we want. Even some free services on finding people could be a good start.
It can't hurt trying this.
Here is a video of hundreds of Poles/Polish Americans demonstrating against NewsCorp/FoxNews a couple years ago, for their media outlets calling the Nazi German Death Camps as "Polish-Death Camps"
ReplyDeleteEven Polish Boxer Wolak was involved. The Polish Crowd even chanted his name "Wolak" "Wolak" "Wolak" when he criticized this media company.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=gNUSsWFvznE
I'm glad these Poles/Polish Americans protested this media company.
It lead to NewsCorps' newspapers like the "New York Post" and "Wall Street Journal" to change their style labeling of these Nazi German Death Camps from the BIG LIE of "Polish Death Camps" to the proper name "Nazi German Death Camps in Poland". I give credit for FoxNews/NewsCorp for changing its ways....and it made it so much easier for them to JUMP ON President Obama and criticize his "Polish-Death Camp" remark since this media company had FIRST HAND knowledged on how Poles felt about this anti-Polish slur.
Maybe we Polish Americans should start demonstrating in front of NPR Radio or Dennis Miller's radio station for their Nazi subhuman intelligence jokes about Polish people aka "Polish jokes"? Better yet I would like to demonstrate in front of the houses of these media people responsible for these anti-Polish jokes....but I also would not mind getting in their face at their media operation.
I guarantee you if these anti-Polish Bigots like these NPR anti-Polish bigots or the anti-Polish Bigot Dennis Miller found hundreds of Polish Americans confronting them in front of their homes and (DOING NOTHING ILLEGAL) just aggressively expressing their freedom of speech on what hateful anti-Polish Bigots they are....I assure you they will think twice about bashing people. Heck even just a dozen angry Poles getting in their face I think would have a large impact on them. LOL
These media anti-Polish Bigots only use their media to bash Polish people because they feel there will be NO repercussions to them by Polish people. And for the most part they have been right.
Also wording is key. We were succesful pretty much in getting Obama and a lot of the media to stop using the phrase "Polish Death Camps" because we specifically DEMANDED that the word "Polish" be taken out of it.
Fighting these "Polish jokes" is the same thing. We need to remind people that they are in NO way Polish. Polish people did not start them. It was the enemies and oppressors of Poles who started them.
continued)
ReplyDeleteAlso wording is key. We were succesful pretty much in getting Obama and a lot of the media to stop using the phrase "Polish Death Camps" because we specifically DEMANDED that the word "Polish" be taken out of that label of the death camps.
Fighting these "Polish jokes" is the same thing. We need to remind people that they are in NO way Polish. Polish people did not start them. It was the enemies and oppressors of Poles who started them.
We should protest against NPR and Dennis Miller and tell them we don't like their NAZI German SUBHUMAN INTELLIGENCE jokes against Polish people.
Hitler in his TWO speeches after he invaded Poland made these anti-Polish jokes. SO WHY IN the world would AMERICAN MEDIA push Nazi propaganda against Polish people?? I thought the American media/Americans were AGAINST the Nazis? OH Gee maybe I was wrong. Maybe Nazi propaganda is only a good think when its DIRECTED at POLISH people.
Maybe we Poles should go on facebook, twitter and internet media everywhere making jokes about NPR standing for "NAZI PROPAGANDA RADIO". Maybe we should make jokes about how Dennis Miller sounds like a Nazi German Anti-Polish Bigot.
The following is.....Hitler's subhuman intelligence jokes about Polish people that Polish-Haters imported into the US in the 1960's and RENAMED as "Polish Jokes"
From Hitler’s speech of Sept. 19, 1939 in Danzig (Gdansk Poland):
At this moment we want to give the Polish soldier absolute justice. At many points the Pole fought bravely. His lower leadership made desperate efforts, his middle-grade leadership was too unintelligent, his highest leadership was bad, judged by any standard. His organization was — POLISH...
http://www.hitler.org/speeches/09-13-39.html
Note: What Hitler fails to talk about is the tremendous help Nazi Germany got from the Soviet Union in invading Poland. Soviet Russia provided Nazi Germany millions of tons of war aid to be used in Germany’s invasion of Poland as per the Molotov-Ribbentrop agreement between Germany and the Soviet Union. Of course Hitler didn’t talk about that or how Polish troops held the Germans back well until Nazi Germany’s ally Soviet Union attacked Poland from the Eastern side.
From Hitler’s speech of Oct 6, 1939:
Towns as well as villages are in a state of neglect. The roads, with very few exceptions, are badly out of repair and in a terrible condition. Anyone who travels in that country for two or three weeks will get the proper idea of the classical German term "Polnische Wirtschaft," meaning a 'POLISH state of affairs!'
http://www.hitler.org/speeches/10-06-39.html
NOTE:
What Hitler failed to say in his speeches about Poland is that much of the problems Poland had in the early part of the 20th century was because of Poland being destroyed and pushed off the map from 1795-1917 by Germany and Russia.
Poland was basically licking its wounds and catching its breath in the early part of the 20th Century when it was back on the map.
Hitler’s Anti-Polish hate was sadly a continuation of Germany’s prejudice towards Poland/Slavic nations although Hitler’s hatred of Poles/Slavic people went far beyond prior German Anti-Polish/Slavic prejudice.
In conclusion its disgusting that Nazi Anti-Polish hate-through-humor subhuman intelligence “jokes” about Poles were introduced into the US in the 1960's by the Hollywood/TV media establishment when they have claimed to hate the Nazis. Evidently Nazi propaganda is OK if its only directed at Polish people.