Friday, July 07, 2006

A chip on his shoulder?


What’s so bad about being called a potato?

So the President of Poland doesn’t like being called a kartoffel by German journalists, huh?

Reporters Without Borders is as outraged as this blog that someone should get upset about being called a harmless vegetable.

Reporters Without Borders denounced today as “disgraceful” the Polish government’s “over-reaction” in demanding that Germany apologise for a German newspaper article making fun of Polish President Lech Kaczynski and his brother.


From one root vegetable to another – rejoice, Mr. President! It could have been worse. They could have called you a burak!


Vegetables of the world unite!

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

actually the term "kartoffel" is extensively ("scheiss kartoffel" returns 1.200 hits in google) used by foreigners in germany to express their antipathy towards a german (similiar to "kraut" used by english people). So I really dont get why someone calls the polish president "kartoffel".

roman said...

Now if they called him a dicTATER..
that would be grounds for complaint.

beatroot said...

:-))) or a dick-Tattie!

I don't understand either what 'potato' means to Germans. But kaczynski abviously is not a fan of this wonderful vegetable. If, like me, he was brought up by an Irish mother, he would love them too!

Anonymous said...

Actually it was most likely the rest of the article which said
1. it was published under the category "gangster who want to rule the world"
2. it contained sentences like "Kaczynski who knows not more about germany than the restrooms in frankfurt airport"

the potato is probably the funny part ;-)

Anonymous said...

Vorbild der Kaczynskis ist der Erfinder Polens von 1919, Josef Pilsudski, der 1926 die "gelenkte Demokratie" entdeckte und dem halbfaschistischen Militärregime von 1935 die Bahn schmierte.
This one is probably not funny
Kaczynskis Idol is Josef Piludski who invented "controlled democracy" and thus prepared the way for the semi-facist regime of 1935

and it also rants about jaroslaw still living with his mother

Interesting to see that the article is still online...

~JS said...

...and all vegetables should become vegetarian (or would that be cannibalism?)

beatroot said...

Good the Germans are in....and we do need a German translation. It was a 'satirical’ article, so we won't expect deep insight in it, but...

Pilsudski: most Polish politicians Must say that he is their idol. It's like a British politician saying he does respects Churchill. Though Churchill and Pilsudski were both very much part of their grubby times, you still HAVE to respect them.

Pilsudski had about as much respect for democracy as the next 1920/30s politician...but at least he was what would be called today 'respectful' of ethnic diversity. there were much worse than him around in Poland in those days who did not, and inspire many nationalist Polish politicians (check out the LPR and Dmowski!).

The rant about Jaroslaw still living with his mother is meant to represent that Jaro is homosexual. I think there are many clearer ways of accusing someone of being ‘in the closet’ without having to insult their mothers…

‘Interesting to see the article still online’….well, what would you do if a foreign politician started moaning about an article you wrote?

Yes, of course you would still keep it online….

Frank Partisan said...

Bush wishes he was only called potato.

beatroot said...

Well, exactly. That guy has been called lots worse. But, lets give him credit, he doesn't arse around complaining about it.