Tuesday, December 2, 2014

Poles "Tout" Rescuers; Bieganski is in the Details



"Bieganski" is a book about stereotypes. Stereotypical slants on bare facts are sometimes very subtle. 

 I recently stumbled across an article with the headline "Poland Touts Rescuers." 

 That's Bieganski right there, in those three words. 

 "Tout" is a verb that means "to promote." It also means "to advertise for sale" "To sell gambling tips" and it also means "to pimp a prostitute." "Tout" never has a positive connotation. Its negative connotation is subtle. Its hateful punch is delivered below many people's conscious awareness. 

 Here's one online definition of "tout." "attempt to sell (something), typically by pestering people in an aggressive or bold manner."

 JTA,the Global Jewish News Source, says that Poles "tout" rescuers. So, when a Polish American like me mentions the heroism of a man like Witold Pilecki, I am a "tout." A pimp. I "pester people in an aggressive manner" in order to sell something. 

 You can read about Poles prostituting their heroes here
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2 comments:

  1. Mr. Jan PeczkisDecember 2, 2014 at 8:56 PM

    In the past, there was at least the obligatory reference to Polish rescuers before the subject was hastily changed to Polish indifference and Polish anti-Semitism.

    Then attacks on Polish rescuers began. Authors such as Jan T. Gross and Jan Grabowski began asserting that Poles who rescued Jews did so for the money. This was so odious that even the leftist GAZETA WYBORCZA backed off from it.

    So now we hear that Poles are bad because they are "touting" Polish rescuers. How low can the attackers go?

    I have read the linked article. To compare the wartime, and especially postwar, experiences of the Belgians and that of the Poles is beneath contempt. It shows how little regard they have for Polish suffering.

    Finally, the article repeats the complaint that Poles have not paid their property-restitution dues (read: Holocaust Industry). That's what it is all about. Surprise.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sue Knight's BlogDecember 3, 2014 at 2:09 PM

      Well spotted Dr.G - the word "tout" - a whole nasty political agenda in a word. We are continually being pushed into the defensive corner here and we must try to avoid going there.

      So while we need to tell our own story of what happened to us in WW2, it should be done separate from this context.

      Delete

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.
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