While I haven’t found that Rafał Ziemkiewicz book, I did find one of his main sources, the memoirs of a mayor of Galicia named Jan Słomka

Why does this make me laugh hysterically

That president of Belarus did say that they create pig-sties.

Słomka talks a lot about usury. Looks like they took advantage of illiterate, innumerate peasants. They didn’t understand the “deals” they were making. It’s a manipulation of time-preference. The immediate gratification of the loan distracted them from understanding the implications of the 50% interest rate. It’s a predatory form of theft.

You think this is a coincidence?

This is why I talk about this stuff.

This is from about a hundred years ago

In the army they managed to escape service on the front line, while at home they used exploitation and usury to make fortunes out of their fellows.

Clearly not people who should be involved with our government. They get their money through immoral means then put that money to immoral uses. You can look them up in pretty much any language and find this theme.

This is a good sign

Different world

Can only find excerpts. Poland is thee place to study. I’m hoping to find a historical account as good as Shahak’s. sigh I’m sick of living in their world.