Re: Temujin

[Marcin Antczak <marcin antczak e-dev pl>]

W liście z sob, 13-09-2003, godz. 22:51, Sergey V. Oudaltsov pisze: 
> Sorry, just my $.02 about great state leaders. 
> 
> It is a long tradition to name something after them. The great Russian
> tzar Peter the Great shed a lot of blood of his own people (sure, he
> really had to do it to recover Russia from the state it was in) - and we
> got at least one military ship named after him. Many Russian people like
> the cognak "Napoleon" - despite all the hatred Russians had about
> Buonaparte. Virtually all the great state leaders in history shed the
> blood (see Machiavelli for reasoning) - but that did not make them any
> less great (or even increase their fame, sorry for cynicism).
> 
> I know, it is a pity, but I am ready to think that in 50-100 years, when
> all the people who fought in WWII pass, it will be not criminal (as it
> is now, and for the good reason) to call something "Adolf Hitler".
> People forget.

Well, I personally think that about WWII we should not forget - but you
are right a lot of people will.

But this is not a problem.
Problem is that if then someone will name something "Adolf Hitler" then
this should have some conjunction with this personality.

For example I wouldn't like to see a new Audi A8 model with code name
"Adolf" - but maybe calling a new weapon - maybe new nuclear missle
could be right.

In my opinion currently the problem with history is that people (and
Americans are the best example of this kind of society) have a little
knowledge and they base their opinions on stereotypes.

And when you give something good to people with name of someone cruel
from the history people will think that "Hey maybe this guy was not so
bad - I have a great thing with his name on".

I don't want to be paranoic (well I have a "Junkers" gas stove in my
bathroom ;-) ), but we should not help someone to make "new history".

Maybe this is stupid - especially for Americans, but for me is
important.

In my country - Poland - we don't feel good when someone makes films
about "good" germans (during WWII), we don't feel good when american
president named Bush speaks during his trip to my country that he was in
Auschwitz and he is thrilled - but doesn't say a word that this was a
concentration camp created by _Germans_..., we don't feel good when
young people from Israel and other parts of the world thinks that if
concentration camps are in Poland then we created them.... and so on so
on....

Maybe you think that this is stupid but history is still alive.

So please don't name good things with names like "Temujin"


> BTW, IIRC there was a disco band "Jinghiz Khan" in 80th. And I did not
> hear anyone making any direct associations between the band name and
> that big fellow.
> 
> IMHO, it is perfectly ok to name release after any person who lived (and
> died) more than 100-200 years ago.

Well Temujin died in 1227 :).

>  The important thing is the feelings
> of living people (sure, they are difficult to estimate - there is always
> someone who feels personal hatred to Brutus for his betrayal). 
> Well, I can easily be biased since my origins are 50% tartars:)

I hope that not your forefather burned Krakow... ;-) [2]


He he 
Marcin


[1]
http://www.krakow.pl/en/our_city/?id=dzieje THE MIDDLE AGES section
http://www.krakow.pl/en/our_city/?id=a_tradycjep

-- 
Marcin Antczak <marcin antczak e-dev pl>