ATTAC Poland on Remigiusz Okraska and Obywatel magazine
a | 16.01.2006 10:59 | World
This trust was definitely abused by the editorial staff, namely the editor-in-chief, Remigiusz Okraska, who arbitrary without notifying anyone cooperating with the magazine, decided to publish Mahler’s condemned gibberish, thus discrediting all the values the magazine was supposed to represent.
Resolution of the Board of ATTAC Poland
“Obywatel” (“The Citizen”) magazine number 4/2003 published a translation of the text of Horst Mahler, former activist of Red Army Fraction (RAF) and a member of other leftist organizations, today one of the leaders and main ideologists of National-Democratic Party of Germany (NPD), a group which has evidently a neo-Nazi character.
In connection with the publication mentioned above the Board of ATTAC Poland declares as follows:
The Association has never formally cooperated with the “Obywatel” magazine, nor has it ever held any official contacts.
Though some of the ATTAC’s Board members have been publishing their texts in “Obywatel”, yet in none of them is it possible to trace any elements contradicting the aims of our Association or representing any extreme political views.
The fact that some of the ATTAC’s Board members have decided to publish their texts in “Obywatel” was their private decision. They were acting with belief that building a civil society (and such intentions were declared by the magazine) needs a dialogue and openness. This trust was definitely abused by the editorial staff, namely the editor-in-chief, Remigiusz Okraska, who arbitrary without notifying anyone cooperating with the magazine, decided to publish Mahler’s condemned gibberish, thus discrediting all the values the magazine was supposed to represent.
It is true that there were some signals suggesting the potential danger. Yet, we came to the conclusion that any author of any text should be responsible only for the issues included in the text. Alas, it appeared that the context sometimes – as in this case – happens to be extremely important, as it might disorientate the reader at the same time becoming a tool for manipulation serving wrong issues.
We therefore state that the idea of the “alliance of extremes” established in order to overthrow the system, the idea whose manifestation is the publication of Mahler’s text, is not only insane but arousing objection as well. We reckon that the publication of the text is the act of irresponsibility aiming at discrediting both people and groups who decided to cooperate with the magazine.
In this situation we consider it necessary – though in our opinion it was absolutely clear, that is why we have not done it earlier – to state clearly and precisely that:
ATTAC Poland strongly and definitely speaks against a chauvinistic nationalism, the idea that there exist any “chosen nations”, questioning democracy, vision of “strong hand governments” and all other mental aberrations speaking for violence as a method of solving conflicts or a way of governing.
ATTAC Poland rejects all the views representing ultra leftist or ultra right-winged spectrum of political scene. Totalitarian systems took a heavy toll of human lives in the 20th century. The attempts to make use of these discredited ideologies or attempts to rehabilitate them are today also extremely dangerous. In the face of such dangers our position is clear and uncompromising. We aim at solving true problems which human civilization faces today. We do not wish to have anything to do with people who – just like political establishment and financial oligarchy – know all the answers to all the questions and who treat others as just tools to obtain their own political or ideological goals. The case of Mahler proves how easy and radically people captivated by ideology and aim to force it on others are able to change their views.
We reject all symptoms of gibberish on “historic mission” and historical determinism ready to excuse suffering and harm of uncountable individuals in the name of some imaginary “overriding” values. There are no such ideals which might excuse it.
The question of acting against the dangers of political extremisms will be one of the main themes to be discussed during the General Meeting of the Association members in September this year.
Yet, already today we state that in our Association there is no place for persons, groups or organizations representing the discredited ideologies.
The Board of ATTAC Polska
“Obywatel” (“The Citizen”) magazine number 4/2003 published a translation of the text of Horst Mahler, former activist of Red Army Fraction (RAF) and a member of other leftist organizations, today one of the leaders and main ideologists of National-Democratic Party of Germany (NPD), a group which has evidently a neo-Nazi character.
In connection with the publication mentioned above the Board of ATTAC Poland declares as follows:
The Association has never formally cooperated with the “Obywatel” magazine, nor has it ever held any official contacts.
Though some of the ATTAC’s Board members have been publishing their texts in “Obywatel”, yet in none of them is it possible to trace any elements contradicting the aims of our Association or representing any extreme political views.
The fact that some of the ATTAC’s Board members have decided to publish their texts in “Obywatel” was their private decision. They were acting with belief that building a civil society (and such intentions were declared by the magazine) needs a dialogue and openness. This trust was definitely abused by the editorial staff, namely the editor-in-chief, Remigiusz Okraska, who arbitrary without notifying anyone cooperating with the magazine, decided to publish Mahler’s condemned gibberish, thus discrediting all the values the magazine was supposed to represent.
It is true that there were some signals suggesting the potential danger. Yet, we came to the conclusion that any author of any text should be responsible only for the issues included in the text. Alas, it appeared that the context sometimes – as in this case – happens to be extremely important, as it might disorientate the reader at the same time becoming a tool for manipulation serving wrong issues.
We therefore state that the idea of the “alliance of extremes” established in order to overthrow the system, the idea whose manifestation is the publication of Mahler’s text, is not only insane but arousing objection as well. We reckon that the publication of the text is the act of irresponsibility aiming at discrediting both people and groups who decided to cooperate with the magazine.
In this situation we consider it necessary – though in our opinion it was absolutely clear, that is why we have not done it earlier – to state clearly and precisely that:
ATTAC Poland strongly and definitely speaks against a chauvinistic nationalism, the idea that there exist any “chosen nations”, questioning democracy, vision of “strong hand governments” and all other mental aberrations speaking for violence as a method of solving conflicts or a way of governing.
ATTAC Poland rejects all the views representing ultra leftist or ultra right-winged spectrum of political scene. Totalitarian systems took a heavy toll of human lives in the 20th century. The attempts to make use of these discredited ideologies or attempts to rehabilitate them are today also extremely dangerous. In the face of such dangers our position is clear and uncompromising. We aim at solving true problems which human civilization faces today. We do not wish to have anything to do with people who – just like political establishment and financial oligarchy – know all the answers to all the questions and who treat others as just tools to obtain their own political or ideological goals. The case of Mahler proves how easy and radically people captivated by ideology and aim to force it on others are able to change their views.
We reject all symptoms of gibberish on “historic mission” and historical determinism ready to excuse suffering and harm of uncountable individuals in the name of some imaginary “overriding” values. There are no such ideals which might excuse it.
The question of acting against the dangers of political extremisms will be one of the main themes to be discussed during the General Meeting of the Association members in September this year.
Yet, already today we state that in our Association there is no place for persons, groups or organizations representing the discredited ideologies.
The Board of ATTAC Polska
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