Nobel-Prize winning columnist Paul Krugman, in yesterday's New York Times, deployed the Bieganski, Brute Polak Stereotype, as described in my book of that title. Krugman jokes that Eastern Europe's true historical path is fascism. Eastern Europeans, in this formulation, are allergic to modern trends like democracy.
You can read Paul Krugman's column here.
By the way, I am not a supporter of Law and Justice. I'm not a detractor, either. I don't think it would be appropriate for me to voice my opinion about Poland's government on this blog, dedicated, as it is, to stereotypes of Poles.
One can object to Poland's current government, though, without opening one's column with a Polak joke, in the same way that one can object to this or that policy of Israel without opening with a Jew joke.
That the New York Times okayed Krugman opening his column with a racist joke says much about the power of the Bieganski stereotype.
The column's title is also telling. "It Can Happen Here." That headline is an allusion to an American novel by Sinclair Lewis about fascism in the US.
"We're Very Close to Becoming Another Poland or Hungary," Krugman warns. Note that Poland and Hungary are the epitome of fascism in Krugman's forumation.
Wednesday, August 29, 2018
14 comments:
Bieganski the Blog exists to further explore the themes of the book Bieganski the Brute Polak Stereotype, Its Role in Polish-Jewish Relations and American Popular Culture.
These themes include the false and damaging stereotype of Poles as brutes who are uniquely hateful and responsible for atrocity, and this stereotype's use in distorting WW II history and all accounts of atrocity.
This blog welcomes comments from readers that address those themes. Off-topic and anti-Semitic posts are likely to be deleted.
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Oh look who is talking- I mean his ethnic background. Danusha, perhaps it is time to gather decent Jews who do not despise Poland and Polish people and to honor them with some kind of award? Like you have already meticiously pointed out in your Haaretz article: Poles are brutish boars, Germans, now that is "civilization" no matter what. About "fascism": We are having real fascism here in Germany-could we talk about that for a second plz? I stand by my word. We had a vile murder of a young German man of Cuban ancestry who tried to help, alongside 2 Germans of Russian ancestry, a woman who was being molested by 2 of Ms. Merkels dear guests. He was stabbed around 20 times and leaves behind a mourning family. Later that day soccer fans had gathered in the city in order to peacefully protest Germanys crazy migration policies. They were partly beaten by the police. Now they are being defamed-the SAME way the Polish March of Independence was defamed: They are called "nazis", "racists" and "hateful mobs" by the German press/media outlets. Ive seen the videos. NOPE. Eastern Germans are the Poles/Hungarians of Germany-defamed and basically treated like retards.It has become nearly impossible to talk about the huge problems of migration from Africa/Muslim countries. Now that is "fascism" Mr. Krugmann.
ReplyDeleteAlso, there is probably just one thing I envie you Americans for (I know you will disagree with me here, Dear Danusha, but I am fine with that): The freedom to buy awesome guns. And your supreme landscapes. The rest, your: health care system, your de facto 2-parties only electoral system, your racially fragmented society (no one would ask anyone to check a "race box" in any European country! Ok, perhaps in the UK...), your insane tuition fees,your ganglands, your insane incarceration rates...I do NOT envy in the least! America has seized to be a beacon for everyone in the world some time ago an its the American nation that has to suffer for it. Oh, btw: German politicians also believe they can lecture the whole world because they are omniscient. Big mistake.
Hello Hanna,
DeleteRafał Ziemkiewicz wrote about "mental problem" that Germans are suffering from. I recommend You to read his article.
Link below.
https://fakty.interia.pl/opinie/ziemkiewicz/news-do-przyjaciol-niemcow,nId,2343791
I hope You'll enjoy reading it.
Jews are not the problem and guns are not the solution.
ReplyDeleteKrugman's article partakes of the timeless left-wing garbage that calls everything fascist that they dislike.
ReplyDeleteI recently reviewed this book by Andrew Ezergailis, a courageous Latvian-American Holocaust scholar. He shows how German guilt dilution has long been at work, and how emotive buzzwords such as "nationalist" and "fascist" have been bandied about:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2506154167?book_show_action=true&from_review_page=1
Hungary has different history (it was an Axis state) and current situation. The Law and Justice dosn't control media, like Orban does. The anti-government TVN media group is owned by Americans, so noone dares to punish them in any way. Kaczynski rules Poland but he doesn't rule cities nor województwa.
ReplyDeleteHello Mr. Krugman, should you be listening in. Just about everyone is WORSE THAN HITLER these days. And of course all us Poles/Polonians are WORSE THAN HITLER. The gentleman himself would hardly be able to get a word in edgeways were he suddenly to re-appear.
ReplyDeleteSo I knew that already thanks. But if there is anyone out there - in Outerplanetistan perhaps? - who doesn't yet know that us Poles are WORSE THAN HITLER, this will be very useful for them.
Hello Hanna, re the freedom to buy guns - as a follower of Christ I have to lay down such weapons anyway. And here in the UK we are not free to buy them, as you know.
Not that that is the answer either, as I notice that criminals can always get hold of them.
But there IS a beacon of hope. And as the world gets darker and more violent, it shines more and more brightly. Jesus asked us to pray for God's Kingdom to come and for God's will to be done on the earth.
That Kingdom is so close now. It is already teaching millions of us - from every tribe and nation and tongue - to live in peace as one family and to "study war no more".
I was out on the door to door preaching work yesterday trying to tell all who will listen about this, It is such a lovely,shining contrast to "the world".
He's incorrect about fascism but he's correct about dictatorship. I don't know what kind of stereotyping occurs here if he's simply referring to historical facts. Wasn't it true that Poland and Hungary were dictatorships when they got their own states after 1918?
ReplyDeleteHe's correct in saying that Eastern Europe unlike Western Europe didn't manage to create stable and trusted institutions that would secure broad freedom
Why do you choose not to post under a real first and last name, like everyone else here?
DeleteWho said this isn't my real first name. As for my last name - I don't know, I don't feel like giving it out in informal contexts
DeleteJacob please use a real first name and a real last name like everyone else here.
DeleteAs to your point. "Poland is really fascist so it isn't stereotyping to invoke Poland when discussing fascism."
I know that's not what you wrote, but here's my response.
Read the introduction to my book Bieganski the Brute Polak stereotype. I address this argument.
"Group X really is ______ so it isn't stereotyping to invoke group X when it comes to characteristic y."
And then talk to me after you've read what the introduction says.
You can read the introduction by clicking on the link at the top right of the page.
Yes, Jacob, I have already got the message thanks. But there may be a few people out there - out there in Outer Space - who do not yet realise that we are on the "unter" page. And we seem to have been moved to the Axis Side in the current version of WW2.
DeleteI have already come across one gentleman who simply did not believe me when I pointed out, politely, that Poland fought on the Allied Side, not the Axis.
He wasn't being nasty. He simply did not believe me. And if I got my history from media soundbites, I don't think I would believe me either.
I am surprised to see Hungary mentioned in this context though. I thought the countries that actually did fight on the Axis Side had been sent down the Memory Hole years ago.
They are certainly treated with much more respect than Poland, which fought on the Allied Side, is.
And its not that I am wanting them dragged out and vilified. Isn't the truth about WW2 that both sides did some terrible, ungodly things?
And yes, you really ought to read Dr.Goska's "Bieganski".
"Eastern Europe unlike Western Europe didn't manage to create stable and trusted institutions that would secure broad freedom"
DeleteIt takes time to create such institutions, Jacob.
Eastern Europe unlike Western Europe didn't had that luxury. Twenty years of freedom from "cultural missionaries" is simply not enough.
And being handed over to Stalin, whose regime had already killed millions of Eastern Europeans and whose killing machinery was to stay up and running for some decades, probably didn't help much either. I don't think Stalin was known for his respect for "broad freedom".
DeleteMy brothers and sisters in the congregations had a terrible time at the hands of both Hitler and Stalin.
But the idea of Eastern Europe as "inferior" and Western Europe as "superior" is par for the course I think.
I accept the view of the Inspired Scriptures which tell us that we are all one family - all the damaged children of disobedient Adam, with an even closer common ancestor in faithful Noah. We are all caught in the same trap, and all in need of the same rescue, which comes through the ransom sacrifice of Jesus Christ, and through the Kingdom of God.
And every one of us on the earth has the potential to perfectly express the wonderful loving qualities of our Creator, Jehovah, the God of Abraham, IF we allow Him to mould us - if we listen and obey.
Its our choice.
But suppose we all chose to take that positive view of each other? Wouldn't the world be a better place on the instant?
And surely that is the one lesson we could have taken from this intensive memorialising of WW2 - not that some are "superior", while others are "inferior", but that we are all damaged and all in need of our Creator, and all have amazing potential for good?
(I couldn’t get through the NYT paywall in August but could in September, so I’m able to comment.)
ReplyDeleteIf, as Krugman claims, democracy is dead in Poland, it’s similarly dead in the U.S. He refers to the research institute Freedom House but apparently hasn’t read Freedom House’s “Freedom in the World 2017” report. That report rated Poland and the U.S. as “Free” (“Partly Free” and “Not Free” were the other ratings) and awarded both countries 89 points (out of 100 points for “completely free”).
It’s hard to take Krugman seriously. By gratuitously parroting the opinion of his “expert” friend, i.e., Eastern Europe can now resume its history of fascism, Krugman confirms he is as ignorant about Poland as his friend, and as arrogant. He also warned that global recession would occur immediately after Trump’s election.