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2018-01-29 Europe

How I became public enemy No. 1 in Poland

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Posted by g(r)omgoru 2018-01-29 02:59|| || Front Page|| [5 views ] Top

#1 After that tweet the op-ed is surprisingly nuanced. Well worth the read.

Posted by trailing wife 2018-01-29 05:40|| 2018-01-29 05:40|| Front Page Top

#2 "It outlaws any mention of Polish complicity in the Nazi atrocities"

And that's the problem, not only in Poland, but also in France and other countries occupied by the Nazis. The Holocaust would have been impossible (or at least would have claimed a lot less lives) without complicity. You can't blame someone for not being a hero. But nobody in an occupied country was ever forced to denounce a Jew, to be a guardian in a camp, to benefit from persecution.

Which, of course, is also true for Germany. In 1933 Germany was probably less antisemitic than Poland. Even in 1938 most Germans were probably not rabid Antisemites (just miserable Antisemites). But it was oh so convenient to be one. Your neighbor is Jewish? Why not denounce him and get his apartment at a bargain price? And so on.

This is what Germany and all the other nations never wanted to acknowledge. It's a lot easier to blame Hitler, the SS and the upper echelons of Nazis.

But after 1945 few people wanted to question their own responsibility.

A few days ago, Esther Béjarano, a 93yo survivor of Auschwitz (she played the accordion in the Girls' Orchestra of Auschwitz) had a few powerful words to say to the young people in the audience.

"You are not guilty, not responsible for the Nazi crimes. But if you ignore them, if you don't teach others, you become responsible."

Posted by European Conservative 2018-01-29 20:19|| 2018-01-29 20:19|| Front Page Top

#3 A Polack whose old sod was Hrodno,
A hellhole beloved of God... oh,
And also of Prussians,
Balts, various Russians...
"Go back for a visit? Good lawd, no!"

Posted by Zenobia Floger6220 2018-01-29 20:22|| 2018-01-29 20:22|| Front Page Top

#4 Bravo!

Posted by trailing wife 2018-01-29 20:41|| 2018-01-29 20:41|| Front Page Top

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