Poland is proposing a bill that would outlaw suggesting that Poland was complicit in the Holocaust. On Monday, Poland canceled Israel's education minister Naftali Bennett's visit to Warsaw because he refused to stop criticizing this bill. Bennett has since said that he is honored that Poland has canceled his visit and that Poland did so because he mentioned the crimes of its people. If the bill is passed the Polish government would force prison sentences of up to three years for mentioning the term "Polish death camps" as well as for suggesting "publicly and against the facts" that Poland was scheming in Nazi Germany's crimes. Poland's right-wing nationalist government says that the bill is needed to protect the reputation of Poles as victims of Nazi hostility. Israel says the bill would prohibit true statements about the role that some Poles played in Nazi crimes. During the Holocaust many Polish people collaborated with the Nazis and actively participated in the genocide of Jewish people. Israel has condemned the Polish Holocaust bill. It was passed in Parliament last week and is waiting for a settlement by President Andrzej Duda over whether to sign it. This bill has also stirred up disapproval from the United States, many international organizations, and Polish minority groups.
Discussion Questions:
- What are the possible consequences when people decide to rewrite history?
- If this law were to be passed how would it affect democracy?
- Do you think a bill like this could be passed into law in the United States?
1. I believe that this is a bad idea, Poland should not try to hide its history, rather needed to accept their responsibility for the crimes committed. Even if it wasnt directly carried out by their people. The solution to a bad history is not hiding it and suppressing the people who mention it. polands laws are a violation of human rights of free speech. I think that the israeli ministers barred visit is unfair, but not like he would want to go anyways. Fortunately, i do not believe something like this can be passed in the US, as the american people would never allow this, with their active protests and participation in government, any official promoting such a bill would be quickly reprimanded.
ReplyDeletePart of the issue is the real lack of consensus and credible documents from the time period. It is actually uncertain if Poland played a major part in the Holocaust and I believe that schools should teach using documents from the time period and let students determine what they believe to be true.
ReplyDeletePotentially rewriting history could lead to the events repeating as if one doesn’t learn from the mistakes of the past, they would likely make the same mistakes . Like Alex said, if Poland played a major part in the Holocaust, schools should provide accurate documents from the time periods, and let students come up to their own conclusions—without any outside prejudice or bias from the government. Something like this would most likely not be passed—as the government has proven to have a hard time passing some bills—but in certain places, there is a higher chance of it being passed. It still would not be passed as any like bill would raise a storm. If this law were passed, it would paint democracy in a more negative light, as something that prevented the truth to be available, and could seriously weaken its image.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the Polish government needs to recognize that some Poles took part in these crimes. Unfortunately, this law has now been passed and there has been much criticism following this decision. Rex Tillerson, U.S. Secretary of State, stated his disappointment about the passing of the bill on Tuesday. He said that the "Enactment of this law adversely affects freedom of speech and academic inquiry."
DeleteI don’t think that a country or anyone should be allowed to alter or rewrite history beyond what is actually true, and in this instance I believe that is what Poland is trying to do. There were clearly “Polish Death Camps” and according to a CNN article titled “Poland’s Holocaust law should scare you”, while many Poles risked their lives to help Jews, some Poles did work with the Nazis, so this law would just be trying to erase history, not to mention bordering on censorship and limiting freedom of speech. And partly because of this, I don’t think that the US would ever get something like this passed since it dances on the line of violating the First Amendment and also since the US is so culturally diverse many groups and communities would push back and protest. And based off of this and my beliefs I do not believe President Andrzej Duda should sign this into law and I applaud the Israeli Education Minister for voicing his criticism. Also, the CNN article mentions that if Poland passes this bill, it will come with repercussions or costs to its international relationships from the US, which I am unsure about, since I don’t know if this situation really warrants widespread international action. It’s not like Poland is the only one who has a record of history.
ReplyDeleteI think that the US will pass that kind of bill because it is, first and foremost, a country. The US has done many things like the Polish death camps in Poland that would besmirch the US reputation such as the segregation, the unfair treatment of the chinese, the trail of tears, the forcing of Native Americans off of their territory, the internment camps during World War II, the war in Vietnam, atomic bombing, forgery of Al Qaeda videos by the Pentagon, and other such things. Just as there are many different clauses and conditions in the first Amendment, and like previous cases such as the treatment of all non-white males, can be ignored and wiped away from the record by the US courts. Likewise, Poland has a part of history that they don't want to admit is a part of their proud Polish history. Their viewpoint as Polish people is that they are victims just as much as the Jews, and in the interest of their country and politics, are enforcing that with force. That phrase, in the interest of their country and politics, are enforcing that with force, could be applied to US policies like the Japanese internment camps, the atomic bombs, the Cold War, the Vietnam War, the fighting in Afghanistan, the attacks on Middle East in search of terrorism, the annexing of Hawaii, the segregation of the colored peoples, the Bay of Pigs invasion, and so much more. Because such policies and bills have been passed numerous times throughout US history, it is safe to say that the US can and will pass a bill like the one that the Polish government is trying to pass.
ReplyDeleteI believe that that kind of bill will never be passed in the United States because its people will not allow their freedom of speech to be undermined. Allowing certain phrases to be banned from public usage may lead to a dilemma as people turn to the first bill passed as justification for banning more words that they personally believe should be banned. If this law were to be passed in the US, citizens would have to be more careful in what they say in public, contradictory to the phrase of "freedom of speech," one of the most popular phrases in the First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States. The possible consequences of rewriting history, as what the Polish government is attempting to do, would be devastating. Banning certain words from being said will not change history, or the undeniable fact that some Poles did in fact help Nazis. The people who do not know the truth may wonder why those certain words are banned, and may lead questions and even more exposure to the subject, leading to exactly the opposite of what the Polish government wanted.
ReplyDeleteA bill like this could easily become passed into law in the United States. While the first amendment may theoretically protect freedom of speech, throughout its history the United States has taken action against freedom of speech, especially in times of war. Not even 50 years ago, the White House attempted to censor the Pentagon Papers. Authoritarianism has had an increasing role in the post-9/11 America and has been given a mainstream spotlight and credibility under the current administration. President Trump has repeatedly tried to discredit the media, calling it "the enemy of the people" and repeatedly claiming it is fake. Recently, he suggested that not clapping for him during his State of the Union was treasonous. The suppression of the supposed "freedom of speech" has dated back to revolutionary times with the Sedition Act. America has always claimed to support the freedom of speech, yet agencies like the FCC determine what is and what isn't allowed on television. Many liberals want hate speech to be criminalized. While the US has never engaged on censorship the level Poland has now gotten to, throughout its history it has been leading to increasing censorship. The US already tries to avoid past mistakes, and we could easily see the full denial of something with a factual basis in the future.
ReplyDeleteMaking attempts to rewrite history are highly dangerous and in my opinion, simply disrespectful. Our progress as a society lies in the past which we must uphold, understand, and learn from, and those who stand tall in history are supported by a thousand nameless faces which will ultimately be forgotten. This is a fact which we as a society must learn to embrace, and ignoring the existence does nothing but show our shame to acknowledge what must be known by all. As to whether a law like this could be passed in the United States, I don't think so. I do not want to completely rule out the possibility of it, but ultimately it is my belief that the moral cement which America is built on is strong enough to the point in which changing facts are very unlikely. It is highly concerning when I see people like our president denounce clearly proven facts from the media, but I see this as merely the ramblings of a man with far too much power for his own good. People also forget that the government is comprised of more people than just him and his administration. American society itself has seemed consistent with upholding ideals pertaining to freedom of speech and is a cavalcade of diverse opinions stretched across every spectrum. If a law like this was even proposed, I cannot see it lasting, nor see it being effective in any way. I don't think it would ever be passed in the first place. Maybe I just have too much faith in society, because there is blatant censorship going around by the United States government, take for example our dealings with shady foreign governments such as Saudi Arabia, or Russia for that matter, but I personally would like to rule out the potential for such an extreme case. That's only my opinion however.
ReplyDeleteA country, let alone a person, should not be allowed to rewrite history in attempt to coverup the past. In this case, Poland should accept any responsibility for the crimes committed instead of trying to hide its history. Some consequences that may arise from rewriting history may possibly lead to similar events happening later on simply because they were incapable of learning from past mistakes. Even though Poland was occupied by Nazi Germany in 1939, "some Poles were complicit in the Nazi atrocities...a small minority of Poles either extorted money from Jews hiding from the Germans or outed them" according to the Time article (http://time.com/5128341/poland-holocaust-law/). Although some Poles did risk their life to help out the Jews, this law would just be trying to get rid of history for Poles who were on the Nazi's side; also, this law is limiting the freedom of speech and enclosing on censoring.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Nathan in that it is never alright for a country, people, or other body to igrnore their history, no matter how brutal. As George Santayana, a Spanish philosopher, once said, "those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." The Holocaust was an undeniably terrible event the likes of which has rarely been seen in history. It should serve as a reminder to us all of what the extremes of prejudice and intolerance can lead to, a lesson that is invaluable now more than ever. In the current political climate, it is certain that a similar bill to this one could pass in the US, which makes it even clearer that this should be used as an oppurtunity to set a precedent for remembering our pasts to save ourselves from repeating them.
ReplyDeleteInterestingly enough, you posed the question whether or not the United States would attempt to pass a bill along the same lines as this one and come to think of it, it is definitely possible. It's shameful to have dirt on your hands after involvement in something so horrific as the holocaust and I cannot blame the Poles for wanting to clear their name. The United States has doled out a lot of pain, both publicly and behind closed doors. Talking about things the United States has done, like the forceful removal of Native Americans in US, is uncomfortable and disgusting to admit. Every nation has messes they wish they could simply brush under the carpet, however the false clearance of a nation's conscience, should in no way justify a bill like this.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with Madison as well. One person should not be able to erase the past and rewrite the future. It would just be another dictatorship again. Poland should accept the responsibility then have held and they should not try to erase that fact that they were a Nazi Country. Even though some concentration camps were located in Poland, it doesn't necessarily mean that all Polish people were tied in with the Nazis. Some opposed Hitler and his actions and did not want to be associated with Hitler.
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