Poland bans communist symbols

[Das war einmal]

Following the celebration of 20 years 'freedom', Poland's semi-fascist leaders see the time ripe for furthering the iron grip of free market capitalism:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hAyIIyvR9Jii7tvtbc9RArzoE6pwD9C81A901

[RedSonRising]

"The law does not list the banned symbols and it also exempts from punishment their use for artistic, educational or collectors' purposes."

Even though the above may be true and give leftists some leniency in spite of this law, it is still pretty messed up in principle; such a blatantly repressive policy. Maybe on the positive side it will give left-wing protesters/demonstrators/organizations a tiny bit more of a credible edge in declaring their war on the bourgeoisie when displaying such symbols.

[The Red Next Door]

This is not right at all, it was only those leader who called themselves communist and committed these crimes. Not the hold ideology itself.

[bailey_187]

This is not right at all, it was only those leader who called themselves communist and committed these crimes. Not the hold ideology itself.

Ohhhh. I am sure the ruling class of Poland would of loved whatever obscure strand of Communism you follow then?

[Das war einmal]

This is not right at all, it was only those leader who called themselves communist and committed these crimes. Not the hold ideology itself.

Don't be a fool, that has nothing to do with the ban.

[Axle]

Two years in prison for "posessing, purchasing or spreading" items of communist symbols?

So how is this going be implemented? Are James Bond movies from the '60s and '70s gonna be illegal now because there's bad old commies all over the place?

[proudcomrade]

Typical European charades game. Ban swastikas to distract from the reality of their fascist warmongering past. Ban hammers and sickles while prattling on about their social progressivism. Scapegoat US racism while Algerians are oppressed in France, Romanians left to starve on the streets in Spain, and white-power groups overtake everything from the subway stations to the police force itself in Russia. Gloat endlessly about "post-colonialism" while their telecommunications and mining companies continue to grow rich at the expense of Latin America, and their fat, pasty middle-aged professional class dallies with underaged Cuban prostitutes. Hoard pharmaceuticals from the poorest nations on Earth, while donating puny food shipments and "micro-grants" to Africa, then pat their own backs about having "made a difference" in the colonialist quagmire that France and Britain created in the first place.

Dear old Europe, that bastion of enlightenment... :rolleyes:

[the last donut of the night]

Typical European charades game. Ban swastikas to distract from the reality of their fascist warmongering past. Ban hammers and sickles while prattling on about their social progressivism. Scapegoat US racism while Algerians are oppressed in France, Romanians left to starve on the streets in Spain, and white-power groups overtake everything from the subway stations to the police force itself in Russia. Gloat endlessly about "post-colonialism" while their telecommunications and mining companies continue to grow rich at the expense of Latin America, and their fat, pasty middle-aged professional class dallies with underaged Cuban prostitutes. Hoard pharmaceuticals from the poorest nations on Earth, while donating puny food shipments and "micro-grants" to Africa, then pat their own backs about having "made a difference" in the colonialist quagmire that France and Britain created in the first place.

Dear old Europe, that bastion of enlightenment... :rolleyes:


Amen. Amen.

[Sentinel]

It is for this reason I oppose legislation against fascist symbols etc by the bourgeois state (I obviously would support it after a socialist revolution).

We can be next. :(

[Jazzratt]

It is for this reason I oppose legislation against fascist symbols etc by the bourgeois state (I obviously would support it after a socialist revolution).

We can be next. :(

I agree. It's more than symbology. Every time trotskyite anti-fascists beg the state to silence the far-right, for example, they open the door for a very problematic government policies. I don't want to sound like vangaurd but this is precisly what comes of asking that kind of stuff from the bourgeois state - as you said.

[NaxalbariZindabad]

- "Items or recordings containing communist symbols." I guess this includes Marxist books (depending on what's on the cover), communist movies, CDs, even Red Army Choir albums I imagine. This is bullshit. Wow, leftists in Poland can now get arrested for having a poster of Che in their apartment. This is reminiscent of fascism.

- Other thing: according to the AP article, it is okay to possess items with communist symbols if it's for collectors' purposes. That means that the possession of an evil communist object isn't illegal in itself, but what's in question is the reason why someone possess said evil object. If a cop finds a soviet flag on your wall and you say it's because you're a collector, you're fine. But if you say it's because you think capitalism sucks, then you go to jail. This is blatant criminalization of ideas.

[Stormshield]

Surprisingly harsh, yes. It might get the left to rethink their image and symbol language though, which would be a good thing. I really don't give a rat's piss for the hammer/sickle, red star and so on as concerns their appeal to the public.

Necessity is the mother of invention, and I say good riddance.

[Tatarin]

While they're at it, why not just legislate away anything that blames any nazi for anything bad. Oh, and construct some death camps. You think they were going to put communists in prison?

[Wakizashi the Bolshevik]

The fascist bastards in the Polish rulling class have again made a step forward for Poland, towards slavery in the name of "freedom".

[Psy]

Surprisingly harsh, yes. It might get the left to rethink their image and symbol language though, which would be a good thing. I really don't give a rat's piss for the hammer/sickle, red star and so on as concerns their appeal to the public.

Necessity is the mother of invention, and I say good riddance.

Capitalists will just ban those symbols, I could see Poland following up with banning Anarchist symbols.

[Stormshield]

It'd be much, much harder for them to justify banning a "new" set of symbols than one connected to the Soviet era and historical communist oppression in the country.

[Psy]

It'd be much, much harder for them to justify banning a "new" set of symbols than one connected to the Soviet era and historical communist oppression in the country.

Actually it would be easy since during WWII Anarchists and Communists was united thus all Poland would have to do is prove Anarchists fought along side Communists then equate Anarchism with Communism and they could easily ban Anarchist symbols.

[Stormshield]

Well, I was kind of hoping that they'd come up with something else than just switching to anarchist symbols, but I see your point.

[A.R.Amistad]

They tried to pass this thing through the EU but it didn't make it.

[Weezer]

Still butthurt over the Polish-Soviet War, Poland?

This is a clear violation of freedom of speech, not that they would know about such a thing.

[IllicitPopsicle]

Capitalists will just ban those symbols, I could see Poland following up with banning Anarchist symbols.

That'd be a neat trick.

"You there! What are you doing with that swath of black cloth?"

[Drace]

Althought I don't agree with the, I understand their position for doing so.


"Communism should be treated just like Nazism," Romaszewski, who promoted the legislation, told The Associated Press.
"The numbers of their victims are comparable, taking into consideration the famine in Ukraine under Stalin and deportations to Siberia" that caused tens of millions of deaths, including Poles, he said. "We in Poland lived between these two extreme systems and we know what they were."

[Das war einmal]

Poland is the schlemiel of Europe. The fact that communism is rising in popularity again is the most likely reason.

[ComradeMan]

Typical European charades game. Ban swastikas to distract from the reality of their fascist warmongering past. Ban hammers and sickles while prattling on about their social progressivism. Scapegoat US racism while Algerians are oppressed in France, Romanians left to starve on the streets in Spain, and white-power groups overtake everything from the subway stations to the police force itself in Russia. Gloat endlessly about "post-colonialism" while their telecommunications and mining companies continue to grow rich at the expense of Latin America, and their fat, pasty middle-aged professional class dallies with underaged Cuban prostitutes. Hoard pharmaceuticals from the poorest nations on Earth, while donating puny food shipments and "micro-grants" to Africa, then pat their own backs about having "made a difference" in the colonialist quagmire that France and Britain created in the first place.

Dear old Europe, that bastion of enlightenment... :rolleyes:


This is a bit like George Orwell's ideas of Newspeak being applied visually.