Sunday, January 11, 2009

Jaroslaw or Jaroslawa?


Self styled ‘controversial’ member of parliament for the ruling Civic Platform party, Janusz Palikot (photo), has just appealed on his blog for former prime minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski to declare whether or not he is gay.

Palikot, the richest man in the Polish parliament - both in terms of wealth and thickness of hair - has used his blog in the past to shoot off accusations against the Kaczynski twins before - in fact his blog has got him into legal trouble. He has called the president of Poland - Jaroslaw’s twin brother Lech, “an idiot,” and wondered whether President Lech’s health problems were down to his love of the bottle, and demanded to see the head of state’s health records.

This time Palikot - who is a kind of Civic Platform version of Law and Justice’s Jacek Kurski, a political ’attack dog’ who says all the things the more establishment politicians would love to say but haven’t got the guts to do so - digs in to the old rumours about Jaroslaw Kaczynski’s sexuality.

By the way, my girlfriend tells me that the photo above of Palikot was taken during an appearence on the media about the very serious topic of rape, which he was speaking very seriously about. The effect, of course, was ruined by the dildo. But that's Palikot all over.

On his blog this weekend Palikot is reacting to comments made by Nelly Rokita, now an MP for Law and Justice and wife of Jan Rokita, one of the most prominent politicians in Civic Platform, who retired formally from politics shortly before the last election in October 2007.
Nelly - one of the more eccentric members of parliament and one of the decidedly weird politicians to come out of the Krakow scene (the other is her husband Jan) - pleaded recently in the media for Jaroslaw to settle down and get himself a nice wife - as he is one of the only top politicians in Poland not to have the prescribed ’happy family’, and contents himself to living with his mum and pet cat.

Palikot asks if Jaroslaw is actually Jaroslawa, the female form of his name. “Is Jaroslaw a woman,” asks Palikot. He also writes that it is common for one of identical twins to be homosexual.

The Civic Platform politician says he doesn’t mind one way or another whether Kaczynski is gay, but he “should tell the public” if he is. Jaroslaw and Lech Kaczynski have made many anti-gay comments in the past and have been criticised by human rights groups for their stance on the issue.

Whether or not outing politicians is a good and productive thing to do is debatable. But here’s the irony - by insinuating that a gay is “a woman” as Palikot does shows that the self styled controversial and “liberal” politicians of Poland are still pretty primitive themselves.

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

He does seem well intentioned. He also appears to be a bit of a prick.

Anonymous said...

In Poland it has always been quietly acknowledged that Jarosław Kaczyński is probably gay... so if someone rases the issue now, it is because of some ulterior motive. I am saying that although I really don't like Kaczyński (either of them).

beatroot said...

I agree the timing of this is appropro to nothing at all...the gay story is not as hot as it was in POland right now...

Palikot seems addicted to media attention.

roman said...

The health question (alcoholism)is a valid concern but the fact that Jarislaw may be gay is no one's business but his own. Palikot's "demand" that he reveal his sexual preference is way over-the top and indicates a serious lack of propriety on his part.

Anonymous said...

So what is Mr. Palikot’s contribution to Poland, to its advancement, to the well-being of its people?

Safe to say it’s none. Any moron can throw rocks or scream from the rooftop but it takes a completely different type of person to build something or to advance the nation.

The photograph in this blog clearly defines the Polish political classes, an imbecile sitting at his desk with his penis in his hand.

To think that our history is based on the sacrifice of millions of ordinary Poles in a country were every square millimeter is consecrated by a torrent of human that our first twenty years of freedom bring the very scum of the gutter to the halls of power makes you sick.

Mr. Palikot you have a duty, load the pistol put it in your mouth and apply pressure to the trigger.

beatroot said...

The photograph in this blog clearly defines the Polish political classes, an imbecile sitting at his desk with his penis in his hand.

That's a classic, jan, and will go down in the 'best comments' title for 2009. :-))

On Radio Zet today, towards the end of an interview with Monika Olejnik, Janusz Palikot said that young males had been contacting him complaining of being “molested by these people..”. When asked who “these people” were he said: “Well, Jaroslaw Kaczynski.”

He said he didn’t know whether Kaczynski was just the victim of an attempted set up. But just mentioning that he had contact with such “witnesses” seems to suggest that he believes them.

Again, attempting to out Kaczynski, and in this way, is questionable, to say the least. But Palikot is also, ironically, working under the classic homophobic assumption in Poland - do beloved by politicians like Roman Gietych et al - that gay = child molester. In the guys of being liberal and tolerant Palikot is just using the gay issue with a stick to bash Kaczynski.

Anonymous said...

That's one funny photo. Even funnier minus the political context.

But 57, what country's political class this day is non-imbecilic?

And what sort of folks in Poland do you view as advancing the nation?

Anonymous said...

ge'ez said... “But 57, what country's political class this day is non-imbecilic?”

I agree this problem exists to some extent everywhere but in Poland it’s over the top in its proportions. Lets not loose site that Poland’s democracy is new and untested by weathering an internal or external crisis. Discrediting the democratic process is not in the interests of the nation. It should also be added that the grotesque under performance of successive governments hasn’t help either. We have a condition were the people have no respect for the office as it’s holders for the most part have felled to earn that respect as a consequence their ridiculous conduct.

Any number of competent people can advance the nation even groups of politicians with different views. Its not about who advances the nation, but rather the need for the political classes to behave with discipline and some strength of character.

Anonymous said...

I dunno 57, you're sounding like a politician above by not coming up with any direct answers.

Anonymous said...

And, BR, are you sure that guy in the photo is not just making a nomination for pole of the year?

beatroot said...

Dicks as award symbols has a history in Poland. There is a weekly magazine called NIE, run by Jerzy Urban, a much hated/admired ex-commie press officer during martial law who edits the scandalous anti-Church, satirical magazine. Every week they used to review brothels, much as food writers review food joints. If the brothel was good they used to give 5 dicks... a bad one would get just 1 dick.

Meanwhile, pressure os on the government to do something about Palikot...he is becoming an embarrassment. Tusk's spokesman said on TVN last night that Palikot has the right of free speech so there is not much they can do as Civic Platform is a democratic party. But pressure is growing to do ...something..we will see what later.

Anonymous said...

ge'ez said...“I dunno 57, you're sounding like a politician above by not coming up with any direct answers.”

For the politician the answer is easy, have the self-discipline not to act like an idiot. For the public, have the backbone not to accept such behaviour and demand resignations when it happens.

A buffoon makes for a poor leader in set of circumstances.

Anonymous said...

BR, please see if you can dig up what he was saying with those props. If the subject he was addressing was rape, did he suggest that rapists should have their dicks shot off? Did he then shoot the dildo? Really, why did he use a dildo and a gun as props?

So, 57, what politician anywhere in your estimation doesn't even occasionally act the idiot?

Anonymous said...

We would be happy if our bunch understood the concept of occasionally.

beatroot said...
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beatroot said...
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beatroot said...

Ania says that it was something to do with policemen sexually harrassing women...she cant remember the details...so the gun is obviously a part of the threatening behaviou'r...but the dildo, she can;t remember, unless it was part of the weaponary for that particular purpose...all very nasty...

The point is - nobody now remembers the details of what he was talking about...all they will remember is an elected politcian with BiG Hair waving around a dildo...and a gun.

At first I thought it was his new lax rap video release...

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