ROMANIAN ANTISEMITISM?

On 2 November 2008, Israeli “Haaretz” publishes an article of Mr. Cellu Rozenberg:

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1033348.html

I took the liberty of sending my comments to the newspaper.

 

I can well understand Mr. Rozenberg’s grief. To lose the family in one of the most shameful moments of the Romanian history is something that cannot be forgotten.

At the same time, as a Romanian, I consider this article a stupid manipulation of people who know nothing about Romania, Romanians and their feelings towards the Jewish people.

 Romania is not anti-semitic, Mr. Rozenberg.

 Of course, in Romania, as everywhere in this world, there are idiots. Be sure that the same brainless bums that destroyed Jewish graves were among those who destroyed thousand of crosses in Orthodox and Catholic cemeteries. Do you really believe they even know what “desacrate” means?

 Starting from one of President Băsescu’s usual blunders, you do not hesitate to call it “anti-semitism” and blow the alarm: Anti-Semitism is alive and kicking in Romania!

 To paint the appalling picture of Jew-hating Romania in the most violent colors, you start juggling with figures and accusations. Of course, it remains a mystery how 800 000 Jews had chosen to live in “the most anti-semitic country in the world”… Not to say anything about the figures, always different with each author I read. Not to say anything about the despicable way in which you, Mr. Rozenberg, connect the imbecile destruction of Jewish graves today with the 400 000 Jews (it is the highest figure I have met in all the sources I ever came across!) killed (you know it for sure!) “not by the Germans, but by Hitler’s loyal allies, the Romanians”.

 Anti-semitism is condemned by Romanian law and, be sure, Mr. Rozenberg, it is only in your mind that “ everyone keeps quiet, as if this were merely a bit of mischief. “
What happened with the Romanian Jews during the war cannot be justified by anything, be it about 400 000 souls or even one single Jew. The shame remains and it is painful to know that Romanians could do such monstrous things. But this does not give you any right to make such assertions: “ In almost every city and town where Jews lived, they were routinely subject to murder and looting – carried out by ordinary citizens, but backed by the regime – both before World War II and after it.” After the war, Mr. Rozenberg? In a period when a large part of the leadership of the Romanian Communist Party was Jewish? Others may believe that the “murder and looting carried out by ordinary citizens, but backed by the regime” made the Jewish population ”abandon communist Romania and move to Israel”…

 Dear Mr. Rozenberg, I could expect such an article from a youngster, picking up scraps of memories while relishing pastrami and wine… But I see that you are a historian who specialises in national security, you are not like the President who is not particularly well-educated. And, yet, blunders do not seem to be a Presidential appanage…

 By the way, maybe you could see how anti-semitic today’s Romania is from the Jewish entrepreneurs that operate in this country. Have you tried that?

DREAMS

I was standing on a crag, overhanging a steep canyon and gazing down. The wind was blowing hard in the pitch-black night, stabbing me with cold icicles. My large shirt bellied out like a sail fat with wind and I was feeling like a balloon, ready to be sucked into the whirlwind. I strove hard to perceive something in the darkness around me. There was nothing to catch at. My strength failed me. I had no hope. I let myself drop into the abyss, arms wide open.

After a long flight, I hit the rocky soil. I was smashed into smithereens but, to my surprise, I was not dead. I could feel every single particle of my body living apart.
My blood penetrated the thirsty ground and was carried away by the phreatic waters. I explored the entire Earth under this form.
I wandered inside a crow’s stomach when it ate my right eye. Then I discovered I could control that bird.
I could control the ants that consumed my brain. I could control every creature that ate me, ate those that had eaten me or were born from those that had eaten me or had drunken my blood.
And there I was, controlling the whole Earth, my blood feeding the planet, my brain thinking for it.
And yet, I was still standing on that steep rugged rock.

Finally, I raised my eyes to the stars. I would get there too…

But suddenly it all stopped sharply – all I could see was the whiteness of the ceiling above me. My dream was over…

Note: Don’t shoot me, I’m only the translator…

Did Chinese Discover America?

I do not read as much as I used to, and that’s a shame. In fact, I believe I read more, but something else replaced the books I would “eat” every day of the “golden epoch”. Now it’s the pile of newspapers, the flux of information from various websites… Tons of releases, declarations, messages, letters. So I rarely read a “regular” book. And almost never fiction. 

One of the latest books I ran across is “1421, The Year China Discovered America”, by Gavin Menzies.

Here I go…

As I see it, almost everybody has a blog today. Even old Nea Nelu Cotrocelu’s got one… Who would’ve expected it? So, what the heck… Let others see what’s coming to my mind, let’em tear my posts to shreds. There’s always place for something good, however…

Life’s been good to me. Sometimes. Not always. I’ve seen a lot, I’ve lived a lot, but it ain’t time to say stop. There’s a lot of other things to do. Until the Almighty calls me…