Rufus who, after “breaking wind,” is told by his owner, “Oh Rufus, pee-yew, you “stink like a Wilf”. Which begs the question: What is the origin of the phrase “stink like a Wilf”?
By Peter Molenaar
Rufus the dog belongs to girlfriend. I am pleased to say they both love me. Evidently, however, when left in the care of a family member, Rufus was misfed. A remarkable sequence of what is called “breaking wind” resulted. To which girlfriend exclaimed “Oh Rufus, pee-yew, you “stink like a Wilf”. Which begs the question: What is the origin of the phrase “stink like a Wilf”?
A superficial inquiry suggests that variations of the phrase formed while passing mouth to mouth in South Minneapolis. But as always, we must pursue a deeper historical analysis. Let”'s have a look.
Zygmunt Wilf was born in Germany on April 22, 1950. His parents are both Holocaust survivors from Nazi occupied Poland. The family immigrated to the United States and commenced the purchase of apartment buildings. After graduating, “Zygi” joined the family business to become head of an affiliate. The company grew to over a hundred properties, including several large malls and 90,000 apartment units. Some say Zygmunt is worth 1.3 billion dollars. As most of you know, he is principle owner of the Minnesota Vikings.
Note: The key to our understanding is the Holocaust connection.
More recently, “Zygi” suffered a “spectacular” defeat in a 21-year-old dispute with some business partners. The judge used the word “evil” in her finding of fraud, breach of contract, and racketeering.
Mayor Rybak said he was “surprised”, while Governor Dayton”'s call for “due diligence” appeared a tad late. What should be said about a man who openly extorts according to a tried and true business model? Why not call him a bully from the get go?
Sadly, the Zygmunts of the world make the whole ruling class look bad. Might they at least display some ethics in relation to each other? Well actually, some do manifest what is referred to as “bourgeois ethics”. Moreover, given the calculation that the potentiality of fascism is palpably before us, Marxists are duty bound to recognize this truth. (Under the circumstances we can”'t all be Trotskyists!)
Which brings us, once again, to the holocaust. What makes a bully? A bully is someone who internalizes his oppressor, cynically rebukes the norms of civilized conduct, and becomes an oppressor himself.
Has “Zygi” ceased to be human? Dialectically speaking, the answer is yes, but not altogether. Zygmunt looks (and smells) a lot like Rufus the dog. From the standpoint of working class morality it is then possible to love them both.
