On Sun, 04 Jun 2000 Carrol Cox wrote:

> Let's get one thing straight. The term "racial characteristics" makes about
> as much sense than the term "high golden mountain" or "five-legged
> unicorn." For X to have characteristics, X must exist. But there is no
> such thing as "race" (both biological and cultural definitions of "race"
> are false and lead only to racism). The belief in the real existence of
> "race" is among the most pernicious of U.S. superstitions. To believe
> in the existence of races is the heart and core of all racism. To
> recognize that race (and therefore racial characteristics) does *not*
> exist is the necessary precondition for any move away from racism.
>
> I realize Pawel Karwowski is writing in a second language and he
> may not mean what he seems to be saying. But if he is saying that
> Pound was wise to speak of "racial characteristics," then he is
> repeating vicious nonsense.
>
> Carrol

I meant that this short sentence "Every Polish nobleman had its own Jew"
shows perfect E.P. ignorance of certain historical events.

In my opinion Mr Pound did not know :

- when Jews started to settle in Poland,
- why Jews started to settle in Poland,
- why it was the largest jewish diaspora in exile,
- what was chasidism,
- why Poland was the center of jewish civilization for about 600, *(maybe 500)
years,
- what were relationships between the class of polish noblemans, polish
peasants and Jews,
- and many, many other things as well I am simply not able to explain in this
short letter.

So thats what I wanted to say: E.P. ignored this part of Europe's
history and I dont think he felt guilty about that. (but he should - he did not
know what he was missing).
Another thing is that (generally saying) I dont know why You
misinterpreted my words. If I would send it to the polish language newsgroup
nobody would have any problems to pick up what I mean. It is probably second
within few days problem of the "intercultural communication". (see posts of Wei
and Joe Brennan). In diplomacy polititians use so called "diplomatical codex"
where all those differences are well explained. In my country for the long
years of cenzorship people learned the art of reading "between the lines". It
was possible for writer to put a lots of additional meaning in a text which was
"clean" for cenzor. Even if we have right now demokracy & freedom we are not
going to give up this style of writing because it increases our possibilities
of expressions.
 As to the interpretation of my words that I'm going to support
E.P. racial opinions I have to say it is in a perfect contradiction of what I
wanted to do. I think you could be guided by world (world ???)  media opinions
about Poles and Jews which are in my opinion enormously far remote from the
true.

I assure you Mr Cox that real relations between those societies for the past
600 years were very, very complicated and for the most of time Poland
was called "paradise for Jews", it was place Jews from the whole Europe
wanted to settle, and one town on the end of XIX cent. was ever called "promised
land" - it is the city of Lodz (Boat - in english).

Regards
Pawel Karwowski

written in Wroclaw/ Breslau 11.07. 2000


Pawel



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