Monday 9 January 2012

Sex and domination in Wrocław

Just a quickie (innuendo intended).

I have just watched the film "Wszytko co kocham", a film one can watch online in Polish here.  It's about young lads having a punk band during the start of martial law in Poland in 1981 and the effect it has on their family and, of course, love life.  It's interesting insofar that it shows well what Poland looked like then and shows the uncertainty of life in those days (a girl was to flee to Germany, meaning that the guy would probably never see her again).

One scene in the film showed the band performing at a gig.  As one of the band had been beaten by the military police the crowd started chanting "Solidarność" and the band played a song that had not yet passed censorship.  That the act was one of rebellion there was an intense energy there, one of being against something oppressive.

Now of course, according to many western (Reagonomics/Thatcherite) people, Poland is "free".  Certainly, we have democracy now and freedom of movement.


Freedom is more nuanced than that, however.  Let's look at what's happened in Wrocław today:

This evening an event (a film plus discussion) about feminist pornography was to take place.  Owing to a protest from a Facebook group organised by "KoLiber Wrocław"* (KoLiber meaning conservative-liberal) the event was cancelled this morning.

One should know that feminist pornography takes the view that sexism by men against women is a key component of mainstream pornography and therefore women play more of a role in the setting of the scenes.  One does not have to be a fan of pornography (or even feminist pornography) to see the need for, in a democratic "free" country being able to discuss such issues openly.

This is however Poland in 2012 we are talking about.  No matter that Wrocław is the "city of tolerance".  Wrocław is after all the city where fascists can march unimpeded by democrats and where they can freely attack them and where LGBT marches need police protection.  Wrocław is seemingly the city of institutional censorship (though the event may eventually take place).  Seriously, if musicians wish to find the same energy of the punk bands of the early 1980's, they should concentrate on the modern-day anti-democracy forces.

Incidentally, a brief look at the "attendees" of the protest against the event includes one guy with an NOP symbol.  Of course, one can be supported by all manner of people; saying that, administrators of Facebook groups can be more discerning in who they allow into their group.  Perhaps the Priest I see as an attendee can say something about that.  I also note that KoLiber Wrocław is a fan of xenophobe Neil Farange.  I am not alleging that Wroclaw (or KoLiber) are a bunch of raging Nazis, I am saying that the suppression of discussion about issues of the abuse of women is anti-democratic.  The linking together of feminist pornography with child pornography also shows an argument lacking in intellect.

I would therefore like to take this opportunity therefore to promote "sick views":  Here is some feminist pornography.

EDIT: The event will now take place in Falanster at 6pm, Wednesday the 11th of January. (EnglishPolish.) 

* I put a question on the Facebook group of "KoLiber Wrocław" asking them about what they thought about having a supporter who has a symbol of NOP as his picture.  My question was deleted.

I shall therefore take it that they don't like questions about whether they have supporters who support anti-semitism, racism and homophobia.  I appreciate it is not an comfortable question to answer, though it would be easy to answer "no" to my question.  I note also the connections between the group and the fascist parade last November.  Again, I'm not saying that there's a bunch of Nazis, just that they have a connection to them.

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