Posted on 05/28/2006 10:09:26 AM PDT by Romanov
MINSK, Belarus - A monument to Soviet secret police founder Felix Dzerzhinsky was unveiled Friday in the Belarusian capital Minsk, provoking protests from human rights defenders and opposition politicians.
Dzerzhinsky, reviled by critics of the Soviet era, helped establish the first Soviet secret service, called the Cheka, in 1917 under Bolshevik leader Vladimir Lenin. The Cheka, a forerunner of the KGB, was responsible for mass arrests and executions.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
The Pole Dzherzhensky's evil legacy continues.
Actually my "true" feelings about him and the other Bolsheviks is they are all vile criminals - however, my comments were a preemptive matter since there has been considerable debate on here by some Poles who try to lay sole blame vis-a-vis Soviet crimes soley at the feet of ethnic Russians while downplaying the role of other ethnicities in the crime.
Interesting you would say that. I actually saw communism up close and too personal several times in East Berlin (in uniform), but was never "accosted" by them. But, in the States in Yellow Springs, Ohio (again in uniform) they came out of the woodwork and yelled some pretty disgusting things. And in the States the only people who could "afford" to be commies were the "golden children" of the rich... ;)
Just another addendum - re: Dzherzhinsky - Belarus paying homage to him is disgusting and equivalent to raising a statue of Hitler. Moscow should also remove his "death mask" that they display in the KGB museum. These are things that are extremely frustrating to me - that countries which suffered so much under the criminal communist regimes have resorted to chosing sordid characters, dusting them off, and giving them a new "hero" status. It's also done in Russia and in Ukraine (with the "nationalists" who allied themselves with the Nazis). I'd really like to believe that the common person in these formerly communist countries don't buy into this. Wounded pride is a dangerous thing.
I actually hold Poland to a higher standard because I still believe their people led the way toward the end of Communism. That's why when I see some from there who post on FR engaging in jingoistic hate-mongering I find it necessary to post not-so-favorable articles about them. They still have a huge role in leading by example, but stirring the flames of inter-ethnic hatred deflects them from this mission.
Perfect post.
Well, you'll find probably some more statues of your favourite Pole - in Belarus or even in Russia.
But none in Poland.
Exactly what I meant.
Yeah, right. Is there whole lot of historical revisionism going on here?
If they really believed in "truth in advertising", Dzerzhinky's statue would be holding a set of well-used testicle crushers...
"Well, you'll find probably some more statues of your favourite Pole - in Belarus or even in Russia."
I haven't seen any statues of Pope John Paul II in either or those two countris, so I don't know what you're talking about.
"If they really believed in "truth in advertising", Dzerzhinky's statue would be holding a set of well-used testicle crushers..."
I think they placed that statue there with one goal in mind - remind the "people" what they're capable of...
Lisol, you know exactly what my point is. I posted the ethnicities of Poles and Ukrainians involved in Soviet crimes only AFTER reading the volumes of anti-Russian (Russia bad, rest of Eastern Europe pure saints) tripe posted by you and your cohorts on a daily basis. Russia has tons of problems, yes, but you and others on your "ping list" seem to take delite in it. Now, when bad information about Poland is posted you go ballistic. Both countries have tons of room for improvement. You guys are ahead of the Russians on reforms but have a lot of work to do, i.e., you're really not in any position to be looking down your noses at them. There is anti-Semitism in Poland and in Russia. There is corruption in Poland and in Russia, there are barriers to Free Trade in Poland and in Russia. The list of similiar trouble areas is long.
"Gosh, I'd swear it was Felix."
Try again:
Revolutionary War Hero Brigadier General Casimir Pulaski
http://www.americanrevolution.com/CasimirPulaski.htm
Pope John Paul II
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/
Lech Walesa
http://nobelprize.org/peace/laureates/1983/walesa-bio.html
Of course I would expect ya'll to continue to be hypocrites on these subjects. Which one of you actually posts from Gdansk and made a suggestion to a Russian FR member that Russia should give Kaliningrad back to the Germans? I laughed hard that day - a guy from Danzig telling a Russian to return Koenigsberg!
If you really new Pulaski you wouldn't like him.
He was extremely anti-Russian and fought bravely against Russian army and Poles of the kind you really seem to like.
That's why he went to America - after he lost his fight for free Poland, he had to escape.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.