Is Paris worth... communism?

It was in the second half of the 1990s. I can't remember if it was 1996 or even 1999. I can't remember anything about this event, which was a choir competition/sacral music festival organized under the name “Ceciliada” (St. Cecilia is the patron saint of choirists). In those years, the Policki Boys and Men's Choir had a circumstantial reputation, led by Fr Mirosław Oliwak and successfully competed with another choirs, and besides toured in many places. And although I can't remember what the Church of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary looked like at the time in Police, where I went with my father not to Mass this time, nor what costumes the choirmen wore, which they sang, I remembered 1 detail. Dad said a celebrated writer was expected to be moving this party, and he was actually there. I remember he was, and that's all. It was a man about whom in fresh days it has been loud, Przemysław Babiarz.

Suspended

*The text was created on Monday 29.07. The end of the case was not called at the time, but not the events themselves are the most crucial in it."

First of all, just facts. Przemysław Babiarz and Jarosław Idzi commented on the inauguration of the next Olympics, which began in Paris. The beginning ceremony was held outside the stadium, which had never happened before. Spectacularity was to add to the presentation of participating in the games representations flowing on boats along the Seine. Somewhere around the river and on the islands there were artistic performances. You could say it was a show that was a lot, possibly with more momentum. I was watching it on the place erstwhile I was in front of the TV. I have not seen or heard the live performance of the "Imagine" which, in itself, did not surprise me completely, nor comment on the song. Even erstwhile the figures of women who wanted to be exposed were presented from the columns, among them there was a associate of the National Assembly who proposed a law decriminating years ago abortion in France. Jarosław Idzi said it was a step towards legalising abortion in France. He did not express any approval or disapproval. Przemysław Babiarz did not comment on this character. This caught my attention and I thought to myself that on the 1 hand, beautiful authority is presented at a sporting event, and on the other, that Mr. Babiarz most likely clenched his teeth. The more I was amazed that the day later my telephone threw on my screen notification that the writer has been suspended.

The reason was that he did not even express an opinion, although in fact there was an opinion. Commenting on John Lennon's “Imagine” performance, he said:

A planet without heaven, nations, and religion. This is simply a imagination of peace that's expected to take over everyone. This is simply a imagination of communism, unfortunately.[1]

The word "unfortunate" is an opinion. The remainder are facts.

In the TVP message we could hear:

Mutual understanding, tolerance, reconciliation – not only are the basic Olympic ideas, it is besides the foundation of the standards of the fresh Polish Television. There's no approval to break them. We would like to inform you that after yesterday's scandalous words of Przemysław Babiarz, he was suspended in work and will not comment on the struggles during the Olympics.

Three possible charges

Are the TVP authorities right? What was scandalous about Babar's words? How can 1 argue for the suspension of a writer and the taking of comments on athletics and swimming competitions at the Olympics in Paris?

I have 3 options. Infringement of any or more of these would prove against the commentator.

1. Przemysław Babiarz lied and/or engaged in propaganda.
2. Przemysław Babiarz exceeded his competence and "politics".
3. Przemysław Babiarz challenged universal values.

Let's start with the first argument. In a clear way Przemysław Babiarz did not lie commenting on the text and the message “Imagine” as communist, as the song's author John Lennon himself admitted the same thing during his lifetime. Besides, Babiarz mentioned this on another occasion, which was the beginning of the winter IO in Beijing 2022. Then a well-known commentator spoke more in the context of the song music from Liverpool, about which due to current events reminded Marcin Austyn on pch24.pl[2]

‘– This is on the 1 hand an appeal for peace of equality and brotherhood for all mankind, a utopian imagination of the world, but it must be seen that the composition contains a firm and controversial message about communist, anarchist, anti-religious color. Besides, Lennon himself explained it, said it's so semi-cut in the form of content so that the content conveyed sharply does not scare people away – said Babiarz in 2022.”

In Beijing Przemysław Babiarz besides mentioned similarities between communism and globalism, suggesting that their effects might be similar. That's their declared purpose. More than that, I'm going to mention you to a linked article. I don't want to quote besides much here.

With respect to “politicism”, it can be said that in the first instinct many people will say: “He was right or wrong, it does not matter. He is simply a sports commentator, so let him comment on the sport, alternatively than divisive over ideologies and hippie songs.” Comments in specified a speech appeared, though from what I saw most were voices of support or criticism of TVP or even the Tusk government. With this argument, I would agree if the comments of Przemysław Babiarz took place during the sports competitions. The beginning ceremony with athletics evidently had any in common, but it was besides an chance for ideological indoctrination. And it can be said that organizers have the right to advance what they think is right, but then we cannot deny critics even the promotion of communism by playing songs with specified a sound. It is not possible to order commenting on an event going far beyond sports and referring only to sport. In theory, it wasn't. The gentlemen of Idzi and Babiarz told them what they saw, and not everything was about sports. If the organizers give themselves the right to advance a imagination of the planet and hide it under phrases specified as “the union of people by sport”, “human brotherhood”, etc., it is simply a conscious writer who is able to announcement this and point out that he is worthy of respect for not joining the collective “brainwashing” utilizing something like athletics should be neutral and actually combine, alternatively than being a slogan to advance ideologies that are not mostly acceptable, but want to make specified an impression. If individual is outraged by Przemysław Babiar, that he supposedly ruined the vacation of sports by speaking about politics, he does not realize how we have already been stupided, that we do not see how all the time something is presented to us as supposedly neutral or widely recognized. Then exposing it is annoying. It provokes the thought that we are not surviving in an perfect world, where everyone wants and strives for peace, for example, the European Union is so much better for its poorer members, and erstwhile individual talks about tolerance this is what he wants and erstwhile individual is anti-fascist it is good due to the fact that fascism is bad. Marks meant well, but communism didn't come out due to warps. That's the recipe for another disaster. Of course, it can besides be said that it is sad that a sports journalist, as part of his work, can either talk about politics or silence erstwhile millions of viewers are approached by criminal ideologies completely disputing themselves by hiding behind the beauty of the late "king of hippies". Those who want to play “Imagine” at the biggest events prey on those who are truly beautiful and eager to sing them. The Przemysław Babiarz evidently felt that he would not stay silent in specified an crucial matter. possibly reasoning that erstwhile we let fresh communism be imposed and he again "will not come out" we will hear one more time that his promoters meant well. Cynical ideologists and decision-makers love to love the beauty of the spirits erstwhile things are “sucking”. For Henry IV, Paris was worth the Mass. If Mr. Babiarz was aware of the consequences he could face, he evidently felt that Paris was not worthy of praise for communism.

And the 3rd possible argument. To undermine universal values. Well, it's the perfect baton to beat in a planet where you've already been able to blur the meaning of words and usage them as comfortably as you can. I'm going to reiterate a part of TVP's statement: Mutual understanding, tolerance, reconciliation – not only are the basic Olympic ideas, it is besides the foundation of the standards of the fresh Polish Television. There's no approval to break them.

It follows that Przemysław Babiarz broke at least 1 of these 3 ideas. "The common understanding" – what did Przemysław Babiarz not understand? possibly Lennon didn't advance communism at all, although he said otherwise. “Tolerance” – the only thing he did not tolerate was praise from communism, but did he say anything too “unfortunately”? It seems that tolerance would be if he kept his mouth shut at least, and he enjoyed Lennon's lyrics best by preaching any empty clichés. “Consolidation” – what would reconciliation be about and with whom? How could specified value have been broken by saying about the imagination of communism contained in ‘Imagine’? Is the message of fact sabotaging reconciliation? I could say maliciously that talking about Volyn is about the same sabotage of reconciliation with Ukraine, and talking about even Wretch Wola is sabotaging relations with Germany. TVP charges against his worker are rather hard to overturn due to the fact that what they actually mean is not known. They look like a typical fresh TVP propaganda: we combine not regulation out. And Przemysław Babiarz excludes communism from the group of good ideas, so we will regulation it out in the name of inclusiveness and tolerance.

It's sad what happened. I am utilized to the fact that 1 propaganda individual is changing to another in the public media, but this time the writer was suspended for actual and ideological mainstream words. He didn't say much, he didn't make a manifesto. In 1 place he said something right, a bit like this hero played by Henry Fonda in “Twelve Angry People”. He had no interest in it either. For that we should say: Thank you.

Especially since it is very possible that specified voices will be even rarer now.

***

[1]https://www.meczyki.pl/newsy/other/babiar-suspended-by-tvp-no-be-commentowal-igroscrow/246197 - quote from P. Babiarz and TVP's statements for the above article.

[2]https://pch24.pl/industrial-babiar-juz-early-in-tvp-commentowal-imagne-today-critic-communism-is-disappointed/ - quote for the article.