Interesting facts at the end of a book

A few days ago I finished reading a book by Allan Bullock entitled "Hitler: A study in tyranny". I decided to share some interesting and a bit funny facts I stumbled across in the book.

Did you know that:

A few years before the outbreak of WWII, Mussolini was invited to Berlin to participate in an NSDAP rally held at a stadium. During the rally a storm broke out of nowhere. Lashing rain and gale-force wind made everyone scoot off and ... totally forget about Duce, who - soaked to the skin - had to go back to his hotel on foot!

Shortly before Hitler's invasion of Poland, he met Duce and Galeazzo Ciaco, the Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs, to discuss the prospect of France and Great Britain joining the war. It was then that Hitler made a bet with Ciano that the western powers would not join the war if he invaded Poland. The stake was a collection of Italian paintings in case of Hitler's winning, and the Führer's private collection of weapons in case of his losing. Five years later Ciano was executed for treason. He had never so much as laid a finger on his weapons.

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"The Perils of Obedience"

I am an avid fan of WWII history. I have a collection of war movies and I jump at new ones with insatiable hunger. Also, I enjoy re-watching the movies I’ve seen (have watched Enemy at The Gates hundreds of times) and it was just after watching the ninth episode of Band of Brothers again that my keen interest in the topic led me to discovering a fascinating, yet a bit frightening story of Stanley Milgram, a psychologist at Yale University. His famous experiment was intended to find the answer to one of the most bewildering questions of humanity. Did he find it? I think yes, by and large, with the results surpassing anyone’s wildest expectations.

So what was in that episode that prompted me to dig deeper in the topic? The ninth episode “Why We Fight” depicts perhaps one of the most shocking scene in the whole history of war movies. After moving their CP to a small town of Landsberg am Lech, the chaps from Easy Company are sent as scouts to the surrounding forests. With the prospects of them staying alive boosted after Bastogne, they take every step forward with great caution. Suddenly they reach a very quiet place – too quiet for them. Yet, there is no ambush nor any sight of a single enemy unit. But they do find something. “What is it?” asks their officer. “We don’t know, sir.”

What makes them so petrified in that forest is a displaced person camp. A DP in Germany housed the people labeled “die Unerwünschte” by the Nazi regime, meaning “the disliked, the unwanted.” These were mainly Jewish refugees from the Soviet Union and the Baltic states. Unlike concentration or death camp, a DP was not created for extermination, yet the scenes the Americans saw there were equally disturbing.

The residents of the nearby town claimed they hadn’t known anything about the camp. “They’re gonna have hell of an education tomorrow” an officer said. And hell of an education they had; the residents were made to bury the corpses bare-handed as an action to “increase their awareness”. Whether they and the whole of the German population did or didn’t know remains a controversy even today. Nevertheless, the people of that time Germany (not this time), and the military and SS leaders especially, bore the blame for what happened, and this seems a matter beyond dispute today. Yet, the question of blame, indisputable as it is now (certainly in the case of SS leaders), was not so clear for the accused themselves. During the Nuremberg trials many of them claimed to have merely followed their orders, and even seventeen years after the war – a time sufficient for deep reflection – Otto Adolf Eichmann stuck to that same claim. For what it seems, every scream of these people’s morality had been stifled by the call of duty. If that’s true, how on earth did it happen? Were the Germans, as it was supposed, exceptionally prone to surrendering themselves to authority? Such questions intrigued Stanley Milgram and lead him to conduct his famous experiment.

I will not elaborate on the details of the experiment as this would make my post far too lengthy. For details see – here. For the time being suffice it to say that the whole experiment relied on an elaborate set-up that made the subjects think they were testing the influence of punishment on learning. This punishment was low amperage electric shocks, and the subject-teacher was to apply these shocks each time the subject-learner made a mistake. In reality, the subject-learner was an actor and there were no electric shocks. The subject-teacher was told by the experimenter to continue with higher and higher voltage. The idea was to see how far the subject-teacher would go despite the subject-learner’s pleas to stop. Milgram intended to do the experiment in the US first and then in Germany, eventually falsifying or verifying the myth of German obedience. But after the first stage, he said “I found so much obedience here (in America) that I had no reason to go to Germany.”

In a poll conducted by Milgram before the experiment, several Yale seniors estimated that on average only 1.2% of the subjects would go as far as the maximum 450V shock. Moreover, these were labeled the “sadistic few”. In fact as much as …65% of the subjects applied the highest shock, nobody steadfastly refused to continue the experiment even when the subject-learner asked them to or screamed out of pain (these were audio recordings in reality). As much as 80% of the subjects continued the experiment although the subject-learner told them about his heart problems. The striking thing is that the results in other countries were similar so it can’t have been a national trait. Shocking, isn’t it?

Subsequent variations of the same experiment revealed that not personality of the subjects but rather the situation was a determining factor. Physical proximity to the subject-learner or the experimenter, experimenter’s confidence, the presence of allies, and a few others had a great impact on the results. Be it as it may, the results of the initial experiment showed people’s proneness to submit to authority. Where does it come from? In childhood we are to listen to our parents, in school to teachers, in adulthood to employers and the authorities. It seems that the system we are born into fosters obedience, which – in the right circumstances – can override our conscience. Perhaps that’s what happened in Germany before and during the war. The Treaty of Versailles gave rise to much resentment, the Great Depression spread hunger and poverty, and the political chaos of the Weimar Republic grew feelings of instability. In the final analysis, people’s primary needs such as nourishment and security were not satisfied so a vociferous political leader who promised to settle the scores quickly gained ground. Under such circumstances, when told they acted for the benefit of the bereaved nation and then against the enemy of the public, the people could be readily commanded.

After reading about the experiment, I tried to imagine myself as a subject and, honestly, I had no idea how I’d behave. I might as well go as far as 450V or I might quit, I don’t know. But even though I did not take part in the experiment, I’ve drawn some conclusions for myself. I realized how valuable each individual’s independence is and what a threat an excessive demand for obedience poses. Independence allows for wider perspective – constant evaluation and rethinking of someone else’s point of view. It prevents us from blind obedience and, at the end of the day, may prevent dangerous ideas from being turned into reality. Independence creates diversity of viewpoints and ensures balance. Excessive obedience, on the other hand, kills all of that. It turns people into possession to be used at every whim of the owner’s fancy. This is something to remember about.

I’m glad that the foundation stone of Democracy, Europe’s predominant political system, is personal freedom (at least in theory). It may have already saved us from another surge of blind, devastating obedience.

Read a memo of one of the participants - here.

Well-known words, less known meanings

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Hurray!!!

Today is the world's holiday! The coalition has fallen apart. I knew a decent kick was needed for this rotten structure to collapse like a card house. Very nice, very nice. I'm looking forward to the early election:)

Explain it to me

It’s been a long time since I posted anything on my blog, so it may seem that I didn't have anything to say actually. Nothing could be further from the truth. I’ve been doing the ground work for writing on the issue that has long been on my mind. I was very close to giving up writing on the topic, but browsing through the news prompted me to get my act together, tough it out, and write the post.

The news that made the trick was the account of the latest equality march that took place in Warsaw last weekend. In response to the march, the far-right League of Polish Families (LPR) party organized a counter-march. During the counter-march, the leader of LPR, and the Minister of Education – horror of horrors!, called the participants of the equality march “despicable homos” (trans. “wstrętni pederaści”). This was the final argument to give vent to my pent-up frustration with the government, and my grievance against all those who are still in favor of that infamous coalition. It is to them that this post is largely addressed so that they can realize their stupidity and ignorance. Offended by my caustic words? If you give up reading now, that will mean you are merely a brainless block that builds up the masses, thus reassuring my theory. Thank you! But I’d much rather you read on, and considered the reasons of my deep discontent with the government and the grudge I bear against the coalition’s supporters. My intention is to prompt an open discussion on the government and its performance, and therefore, it is especially the pro-coalitionists that I want to participate. In this way I hope, let’s be frank, not to understand their point of view as I find it futile, but rather to sway them by this post. Thus, I urge you to read on and prepare for a long lecture. I’m going to list a few facts illustrating the government’s ineptitude in handling the country’s affairs, showing at the same time that supporting the coalition in the face of these facts indicates at least political ignorance. I sincerely hope that these facts will sway the coalition supporters and affect their voting preferences in the coming elections.

There is so much to accuse the coalition of that I can hardly organize my thoughts. But first things first – what causes the most damage to Poland should be discussed at the beginning.

1. Thus, the President’s refusal to attend the summit of the Weimar Triangle is my first line of fire. Officially, the reason was the President’s “health problems”. Quite unexpectedly, quite not in time. Let’s forget that this decision followed a sort of a crisis caused by a satire in one of German newspapers, comparing the Kaczyński brothers with potatoes (hahJ). The Tageszeitung, where the satire appeared, is well known for ridiculing everything and everybody, which does widen the scope of its readers, yet spoiling its image as a serious, opinion-forming medium. That given, Kaczyński’s reaction to the satire (ordering an investigation into the alleged defamation of the Head of State in Tageszeitung) seems a satire itself. As I see it, no respectable politician would waste their time and risk their public image for fighting with such a petty thing. But if Kaczyński jeopardized only his image, I wouldn’t give a fart on a high wind actually. But it was also Poland’s image that he ruined. And that deserves the most stringent criticism.

2. Next goes the case in the European Court of Justice concerning the construction of the Augustów bypass through the Rospuda valley. By mentioning this matter, I don’t claim that building the bypass road is illegitimate in every single detail. Augustów lies in the way of a major state road and there have been many road accident and casualties because of this. Therefore, a bypass is a must, that’s a given. What I see as a gross dereliction, however, is allowing Poland to stand a trial in the European Court of Justice. For one thing, it ruins Poland’s international image as a serious, law-abiding country. Second, standing a trial in the European Court of Justice puts our country in jeopardy. We should bear it in mind that 90% of all cases in the Court are adjudicated in the Commission’s favor and a lost case usually entails exorbitant penalty charges imposed on the country sued. So the odds are that Poland loses the trial and pays astronomical amounts of money from the state budget (read from people’s budget). If that wasn’t bad enough, the Court may impose a fixed or periodic financial penalty if the member state concerned does not comply with its judgment. What I’m afraid of is that, given the Prime Minister and his cabinet’s arrogance and insolence, the government may ignore the Court’s judgment should it turn out not in their favor. And then, farewell to your pocket money kids.

3. Another thing that has done substantial damage to Poland’s international image, or rather her international relations, is Kaczyński’s appeal to get rid of the Soviet-era monuments in Poland. As I see it, the idea itself is justifiable: if there was a Nazi monument in the middle of your town, nobody would hesitate to remove it. Analogically, why not to remove Soviet monuments when this ideology and its system killed actually more people than the Nazis did? So the idea itself appeals to me personally, but more precisely, it was the timing Kaczyński chose that screwed up. It was just before the WW II victory celebration in Russia – a celebration of the utmost importance for the Russians – that Kaczyński expressed solidarity with Estonia (wrought at the time by internecine struggles and disputes over the very same topic) and the government’s wish to get rid of the Soviet-era monuments. This, quite understandably, provoked indignation among the Russian leaders, spoiling the already tenuous Polish-Russian diplomatic relations. Admittedly, Russia is a difficult diplomatic partner, but despite this the Polish government should make every effort to keep the relations as friendly as possible. After all, Russia is a powerful country, rich in resources, and very promising for economic development. The benefits of keeping friendly relations with Russia are obvious, but no, it was better to shoot yourself in the foot and get, as the Brits say, sweet Fanny Adams.

4. A more recent incident concerns the vetting law overruled by the Constitutional Tribunal. Before the Tribunal announced the verdict, the Prime Minister publicly said that if the vetting law was declared illegal, this would be a proof of the ‘order’ (in Polish układ – the enemy of the state, i.e. everyone who criticizes, disagrees with, or not agrees with the governmentJ) has infected the panel of judges. Later on he threatened to change the members of the panel should the judges declare the vetting law illegal. These were flagrant attacks on the Tribunal, with which any respectable politician in, take Germany or the UK, would sully their reputation. The Constitutional Tribunal is the highest judicial body, and its fierce independence means its decisions are unquestionable. Therefore, I think Prime Minister is the last person to question its objectivity. Yet, Jarosław Kaczyński did that, which discredits him as the Prime Minister of Poland.

The above list could be easily expanded by at least three items such as the government’s wish to subsidize the construction of the Temple of Providence in the face of massive strikes in the health care system and education, the deputy minister Orzechowski’s implicitly calling the Polish Teacher’s Union (ZNP) communists, and the Minister of Education’s matura exam amnesty. So now it seems there are numerous reasons why to oppose the ruling coalition. And honestly speaking, I can’t understand how one can support it in the face of such incidents. Let’s face it, the coalition screws it in every sense, but it still gets much support from the public. And that’s really beyond my can. So, if you, dear reader, can provide some arguments for supporting the coalition, please share them. But please, no arguments of the ‘true-Polish-Catholic-party’ type.

the twisting road to Poznań

What can one expect to see in the first post in a freshly created blog like mine? I struggled with the same dilemma, and finaly took the advice of our teacher, which was to write about how we got to Poznań in the first place. So here's the story:
Looking back at how I ended up in KJO in Poznań, I cannot escape the impression that I was - maybe I've been - lucky, at least to some degree. This luck largely boils down to the fact that I could have as well ended up like most of my classmates working in ... a woodchuck in my one-horse town of Barlinek but for one significant event. This groundbreaking event was me buying myself a games console...
That may not seem as a very auspicious start to my "career", but the consequent events truly lead on to it. Just imagine that at that time all the games launched for PSX were in English - and many others, except for Polish of course. I used to get ballistic at that very fact, blaming my lagging country. In the end though, it turned out quite alright, if not much better. What it actually led on to was my fascination with one particular game, Vagrant Story, an RPG set in the Middle Ages. The whole scenario seemed to me so enthralling that, on the spur of the moment, I set about the task of translating all the dialogues. No computer, no decent dictionary (just one that remembered Hitler probably:), no reliable knowlegde of English to start with, but I set off. It took much effort, arduous work and excrutiating pain (I'm hyping it up), but I finished it - 48 A4 pages, and sent it to a video-game magazine PSX Extreme. And I got a notice in the RPG corner!: "I warn against such acts of madness - I'd sooner pop up the clogs than finished typing it. So I'll be happy to use the work as tinder," the editor wrote. But still I toughed it out and got my satisfaction. This was in the 2nd grade of high school, and soon after I signed up for a course of English...
What happened later can be easily predicted. Suffice it to say that soon after joining the course, I made a resolution to win the following year's in-school competition of English, and I won it (my first monolingual dictionary as the prize). With my confidence boosted all the way, I persevered, passed my written matura of English with flying colors and off to entry exams to KJO in Gorzów Wlkp. First year passed, and then I changed schools for personal reasons and eventually landed in Poznań. You can piece together the rest of the story yourselves...
I wrote at the beginning that I consider myself lucky, not in the sense that I slacked and a lenient teacher let me through the exams - not at all. I was lucky because I wasn't far from overlooking my uhmm...talent maybe... and getting stuck in that jerkwater town for good, with no perspectives whatsoever. I've seen my mates do it, and I can't imagine now my life being like theirs. Yet, I did it, and I'm here now. Lucky me:)