"The news in Poland today feels like a new kind of monster, a Frankenstein’s monster that has gotten out of control online and mutated into hate speech that can then be found everywhere else. Open your email, and you’ll see: “You’re a piece of trash, and you will die.” “We know where you live.” “We’re going to cut off that stupid head.” The internet hums with violence.
In a healthy, normal society, people can disagree with one another, even have diametrically opposing views, and this does not at all mean that they must hate one another. The Polish authorities, however, have made the division of Poles their primary task.
Aggression is in the air in Poland. The emotions unleashed by the escalation of the language of political debate may easily pass over into action, and then this aggression gets directed at a specific object. One misguided soul is all it takes. The cord, pulled to the limit of tension, snaps at its most sensitive spot."
Olga Tokarczuk, New York Times
Monday, January 21, 2019
7 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.
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What a piece of total left-wing crock!
ReplyDeleteOlga Tokarczuk is extremely biased. Both political camps in Poland are agressive (but probably less than Trump's opponents vs. supporters are). The only political murder in Poland took place in 2010, when Marek Rosiak (Law and Order) was killed by a Civic Platform supporter, former activist. The Platform attacked Adamowicz during several months, now they pretend they didn't.
ReplyDeleteAccording to a new report by Warsaw University Polish liberals (Civic Paltform) hate conservatives (Law and Order) more than the conservatives hate them. The report is in Polish only http://cbu.psychologia.pl/uploads/f_bulska/Polaryzacja%20polityczna%202.pdf.
ReplyDeleteOlga Tokarczuk is an accomplished writer who has won a number of awards and, according to Wikipedia, trained as a psychologist and practiced as a therapist. Perhaps because of this background, she feels qualified to provide socio-political commentary.
ReplyDelete“The Polish authorities, however, have made the division of Poles their primary task.” One of many offensive assertions with no supporting evidence. Unsupported assertions such as these will turn off some of her readers. Tokarczuk would do well to stay with and continue growing in her literary profession.
Having seen previous NYT articles portraying Poland negatively, I’ll bet her essay was eagerly accepted.
Olga Tokarczuk is an accomplished writer who has won a number of awards and, according to Wikipedia, trained as a psychologist and practiced as a therapist. Perhaps because of this background, she feels qualified to provide socio-political commentary.
ReplyDelete“The Polish authorities, however, have made the division of Poles their primary task.” One of many offensive assertions with no supporting evidence. Unsupported assertions such as these will turn off some of her readers. Tokarczuk would do well to stay with and continue growing in her literary profession.
Having seen previous NYT articles portraying Poland negatively, I’ll bet her essay was eagerly accepted.
Olga Tokarczuk obtains liberal awards (Nike) in Poland. She publishes her socio-political comments in Gazeta Wyborcza. Always the same accusations.
ReplyDeleteOlga Tokarczuk? Isn't she this extremely leftwing writer claiming that pulls out a nation of murderers and colonizers (of Ukrainians)? Totally non-divisive "intelectual". She truly should stick to her writing business.
ReplyDeleteAlso if she wants to see a completely divided society she should totally come to Germany, a country where I can not voice my opinion for fear of being called a nazi (as a POLE for gods sake!!!) and lose my livelihood.