"I wish to announce that we shall not prevent Dutch citizens with origins in Islamic countries from returning to their countries. Our position is, that every Dutch citizen should have one country: the Netherlands ... Let those who feel that these words are addressed to them, irrespective of their nationality, draw the proper conclusion. We do not want a Fifth Column in our country."
Nothing special, as long as you assume that these words were spoken by Mr. Geert Wilders in the year 2007 and repeated ever since.
Dutch people got used to these xenophobic, stealthily racist, one-liners. An international public followed suit.
The ressemblance of the creepy racist spin of Mr. Wilders and consorts with the introduction of Anti-Semitism by the Nazis during the twenties and thirties of the 20th century as a national ideology, is striking. Thence, we publish now and then some #DailyGodwins on Twitter and Facebook.
"A Godwin A Day Keeps Blondi Away".
The efficiency of our "Godwins" is doubtful. People do not want to hear this. "Stop living in WW2!" "Live a Life Old Fool!" "Hitler was a Socialist like You!" - These are some of the dishes offered daily on our menu of replies.
I do not believe much in God. But in Godwinning, I do. The #Stalwin comparisons I introduce to you today, are meant to illustrate that xenophobia never went away after World War II. Deadly and despicable anti-semitism was a feature of late Stalinism. (Correction: It was one of the aspects of state terrorism in the USSR during the thirties already). The "Jewish Doctors" affair, the Raikh and the Slansky processes. It did not stop altogether after Stalin's death in 1953. A new upsurge of anti-semitism occurred in Gomulka's Poland (of all places!) in 1967.
You imagine (and I remember) how strongly we despised Wladyslaw Gomulka, Polish Party leader and a reputed "innovator", when he declared what is quoted at the start of this article! - Oh, well, you only have to replace "Dutch" and "Netherlands" with Polish and Poland. And "origins in Islamic countries" with "Jewish origins".
Do you see the parallel? Or are you blind?
More #Stalwins are to come.
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Nederlandse vertaling van de brontekst:
Wladyslaw Gomulka, 19 juni 1967: "We willen Polen van joodse afkomst niet verhinderen om naar Israël terug (!) te gaan... Wij zijn van mening dat elke Poolse burger slechts één nationaliteit mag hebben... Laten de mensen die zich aangesproken voelen, daaruit hun conclusies trekken. We willen geen Vijfde Colonne in ons land." (Tony Judt, Postwar, A History of Europe since 1945, pp 434/435)
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Huib 