Posted on 04/23/2009 9:49:27 AM PDT by Schnucki
The iconic image of Che Guevara found adorning students' walls and t-shirts across the world could be banned in Poland under a government proposal to outlaw materials that incite "fascism and totalitarian systems".
Poland's equality minister, Elzbieta Radziszewska, wants to expand a Polish law prohibiting the production of fascist and totalitarian propaganda so that it includes clothing and anything else that could carry an image related to an authoritarian system.
Anybody found guilty could face a two-year prison sentence.
Radziszewska said that the proposed amendment to current legislation "would help organisations fighting racism".
The proposal, which could see the faces of some of the leading lights of communist history such as Lenin and Trotsky removed from t-shirts and flags, reflects a Polish view on communism far different from the rose-tinted and romantic images often found in the West.
After experiencing 40 hard years of communism, as well as the horrors of Nazi occupation, few Poles have qualms equating under law the inequities of Nazism and communism.
"Communism was a terrible, murderous system that claimed millions of lives," said Professor Wojciech Roszkowski, a leading Polish historian and member of the European parliament.
"It was very similar to National Socialism, and there is no reason to treat those two systems, and their symbols, differently. Their glorification should be prohibited."
He added communism had accounted for the slaughter of thousands of Poles in the Katyn Massacre while its gulags had consumed countless millions of victims.
The proposed changes, which have already reached the committee stage in the Polish parliament, also testify to Polish determination to ensure that with the passing of time nobody starts to view the country's communist past with nostalgia.
In addition the Polish government hopes that tighter legislation will crack down on the trade in materials bearing Nazi emblems.
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
The President will not stand for this.
Amen to that!
The iconic image of Che Guevara found adorning OBAMA CAMPAIGN OFFICES, students’ walls and t-shirts across the world could be banned in Poland......(fixed it.)
While they are right about totalitarianism, this action in itself, is totalitarian.
I wonder if they recognize the irony.
Also, that funky chicken on their flag is AWESOME!
Isn't that the same symbol pontiac used on the Firebird?
Why is it only Poland seems to “get it”?
Bin Laden T-shirts?
Amen to that!
These "students" haven't even the foggiest idea that living in the type of society that Che advocated would essentially confine them to a prison with NONE of the freedoms they take for granted living in the free world. The Eastern Europeans should know better, having been out of that prison for only two decades now.
“It was very similar to National Socialism, and there is no reason to treat those two systems, and their symbols, differently. Their glorification should be prohibited.”
Excellent! The double standard is illustrated of all places right here on FR. If Germany and Israel can ban Nazi images, if the US can ban child porn, then why not ban Saint Che’s mug? Poland gets it, we don’t, while our Pres__ent goes on an apology tour.
Still...awesome job Poland.
Good. Communist icons should be just as reviled as those of Hitler and Nazism.
So, I guess you object to Germany outlawing Nazism?
Hello? Arguendo and Sandman are correct.
Think, then act, folks. Porno is one thing, but banning certain political images is what Che would love!
What next, banning the "Viva Reagan" image shirts here by Obama's Hopeychangecorps?
How about national boycotts of the chain stores that sell pro Che-shirts?
"Communism was a terrible, murderous system that claimed millions of lives," said Professor Wojciech Roszkowski, a leading Polish historian and member of the European parliament.
"It was very similar to National Socialism, and there is no reason to treat those two systems, and their symbols, differently. Their glorification should be prohibited."
At least one Polish person gets it. Now if only people in this country would get it.
I’m reminded of the useful idiot seen wearing a professionally printed (multicolor, on par with images of modern basketball celebrity) shirt of Osama Bin Laden while standing in the aftermath of the tsunami of 2004.
better check your wiring to see if you have any defense mechanisms to protect the free operating system that you now enjoy.
go ask your computer about nonsense viruses destructive to your machines well being.
freedom was fought for long ago, and the wheels were put in place for a reason.
Go ask Germany about swastikas
Simplistic nonsense! Totalitarianism is like pornography. Oh, and by being oh so tolerant to those who wish to destroy us we now have one of them as Pres__ent!
You do recognise the difference between free association against a political concept and outlawing it by force of law, right?
Che Guevara was totally evil....and I do not blame Poland for banning his image
Remember that Poland spent years under the thuggery of Che’s political relatives...the Communism. You bet the Poles despise those Che things....something we in the USA could never comprehend....
At least for now....
Fly your Dixie flag in a black neighborhood and let me know how things go.
Germany will not again be taken over by a Nazi Party. We in effect have been taken over by Communists, masquarading as ‘Democrats’. We all understand the concepts, no reason to feel superior, nevertheless certain things are banned here as well (like advocating assasination of political figures, and no that’s not different!)
I am going to put that on my books and folders for school.
Thanks.
Do you know if there any bigger versions?
Bad idea, without “che” shirts we won’t know who the resident imbecile is.
Just make it legal to beat the crap out of anyone who wears one and then you’re doing two services, pointing out the idiots and allowing the citizenry to educate them as to the error of their ways.
Same goes for the emperor bammy toilet seat pictured above.
I worked in South America for over 8-years...lived there for 5 and was always amazed at how much Che crap there is...its everywhere, especially in Argentina.
I used to ask the kids, (always teens and up to mid-20s) what the knew about Che and almost 100% had no clue who he was, except “a revolutionary”. When I explained what he really accomplished they mostly didn’t want to believe it.
When I would see someone wearing a Che t-shirt, I’d ask them if their Hitler shirt was in the wash?
You think that should be illegal?
I agree, there would be great irony if they go through with this plan and ban the images. Ironic for a country that only recently come out of the totalitarian fog, only to immediately resort to totalitarian tactics when they don’t like something.
For the most part you can’t do a ban like this here in the USA, at least not yet, and I prefer our way. I hope that’s not something Obama can change.
I made one more that was a little larger but I suppose you could still blow it up some if you need.
http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/6879/chainslg.jpg
No. I am saying some things are banned in this country even if we don’t want to admit it.
Thanks, that’s awesome.
It's not ILLEGAL. Dumb, but not illegal. That's the point.
Give someone time and if they want to, they will find some law you violated. Marge Schott, owner of the Cincinnati Reds said Hitler did a positive thing, maybe building roads, I can’t remember. They destroyed that woman. Some things ARE illegal.
Actually, yes. This is thought-control. Idiotic thoughts though they may be. You can’t really control them anyway. I’d like it if the Democratic party was outlawed. But would that be right? (I wouldn’t mind if the Republican party were gone too...) And can you realy silent dissent just by outlawing the symbols of that dissent? Furthermore, who’s to say what dissent is? Where would it end?
What they (and we) should do is foster a society where socialism/fascism/communism (all different versions of the same thing) is once again looked on with contempt by the population as a whole.
This is like the unthinking zero-tolerance policy that gets kids expelled from school for having an aspirin in their backpack.
Seriously? No distinction?
I would never approve of such a law here in the US, but in Poland, it makes sense.
Remember the immortal words of General Anders to Patton, “With the Nazis we lose our lives, with the Bolsheviks we lose our souls.”
Actually, I do see very little distinction. Especially now.
But it doesn’t matter. How do you ban political dissent? How do you ban thought? And again, who decides just what thought is banned? And how can you not see that banning a T shirt with Che Gueverra is not an example of totalitarianism? This is like the Democratic congressman I watched on CSPAN once saying “we will not tolerate intolerance”!
And your aspirin analogy doesn’t really make sense in relation to the subject at hand.
Should we ban Che Gueverra T shirts here? Should we arrest and incarcerate anyone caught wearing one? I don’t think so. As idiotic (even evil) as it is, you have the right to be an idiot.
Now, I don’t have so much of a problem with something like prohibiting the communist party from holding positions in the government, but that’s not what is going on here.
Except not that. Marge didn't violate any laws.
She was PERSECUTED by the general public, not PROSECUTED by the state.
There's a HUGE difference to everyone's freedom and liberty here and there!!!!
Please consider the vast distinction of free people and peer pressure of the pocketbook and the GOVERNMENT which can legally take your home, job, family and LIFE.
The aspirin analogy is to demonstrate that unthinking bureaucrats can't make the distinction between aspirin and crystal meth.
You apparently can't make the distinction between Nazism and the Dem. or Rep. party.
Ignorant american hicks at computer keyboards teaching the Poles what is and what isn’t totalitarianism! Good one!
I imagine if she was still alive she would have been audited or investigated by some other agency. When you say things that are not PC you pay. It happened to Joe the Plumber.
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