Chasing your own tail
EDITOR:
RE: Q&A with Edward Klein (see the Business Journal, Jan. 8-14, 2001)
Klein's two major points are:
Land belonged to the Jews before the war and should logically be returned to them.
Jews suffered the most in "The Holocaust" and therefore should be treated as a special group, outside the normal rules of the game.
Klein confirms that the issue is somewhat complicated by two facts:
Poles (unlike most of the rest of Western and Central Europe) were on the "right side" i.e. they fought the fascists. (My comment: Why then is Poland being targeted by the New York lawyers rather than the other European countries that were on the "wrong side?")
Three million Polish Christians were killed alongside the 3.5 million Polish Jews that were killed.
Klein also seems to be focusing on the issue of getting money rather than on the effect that his efforts could have on stability in Europe in general and Central Europe in particular. It is a well-known fact that in addition to the hundreds of thousands of Jews that were affected during World War II, 4 million Poles lost their property to Ukraine or Belarus, and 4 million Germans lost theirs to Poland.
The Poles have decided for the sake of regional stability, and to prevent another regional (or world) war, that they will not address the issue of getting money for the 100,000 square kilometers they lost during that war.
Most Germans have done the same in respect to their former lands in Poland. Poles and Germans know that to raise the issue of land compensation is too dangerous.
Unfortunately, Klein's efforts are being followed with great interest by those far right-wing groups in Germany that also wish to "get their land back." No doubt their reasons for doing so may be similar to Klein's a mix of financial interest and tribal predisposition.
Before any court considers Klein's position, they hopefully will take into consideration that Klein's success will increase the chances of another Holocaust in Central Europe.
Surely Klein and the descendents of the Holocaust have received enough money over the last 50 years (probably over $50 billion from the U.S.A. and Germany alone). Isn't that enough? What was that money paid for? Is Klein saying that those funds were only paid for "movables" as opposed to "immovables?" Isn't it time to draw a line and say "enough?" Can't the memory of those killed during the war be put to rest? Do we have to keep resurrecting them whenever a potential financial windfall peeks over the horizon?
Have Klein and Co. forgotten the "peace dividend" that a generation of Poles handed to the world during the 15-year "war" between Solidarity and the Russian communist system? While that generation of Poles went bankrupt because they were determined to crack the horrors of communism and its bondage of hundreds of millions of people, Klein and Co. were making money.
A last point. I would humbly posit that general attitudes of nations are more important than the particular facts associated with any international dispute. I would suggest that the most dangerous attitude in the world today (from the point of view of decreasing the chances of the survival of the human race) is that of tribalism. A tribal attitude is one based on the "my blood is better" or "we are the chosen" belief. Fascist Germany, imperial Japan, Idi Amin and his tribe as well as the Tutsi tribe were based on this attitude. Such attitudes survive even in some of the most successful countries today. Those in history who fought these tribalists had "universal attitudes," based on a belief in God (by whatever name) and a belief in universal right and wrong (many Poles were in their group as they fought fascism and communism over the last 60 years).
My hope is that if Klein could understand this basic difference between tribal and universal attitudes, and if Klein were to take into consideration the issues raised above, he might feel a little guilty about what he is doing. My fear is that he will not feel guilty.
Adam Milkiewicz
Warsaw
