What place does Wałęsa and his fellow workers take in today's Poland?

POLAND . The Unofficial Guide

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Edited by: Moderator Mar 30, 11, 12:57 #1

Silent speech from empty place. What do we hear now? Where have all the men gone?

That was 30 years ago:

In 1983, Wałęsa was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. "The Peace Prize laureate's seat is empty," the representative from the Nobel Committee said at the ceremony. "Let us therefore try even harder to listen to the silent speech from his empty place." The empty space was a fitting metaphor because, by that time, everyone seemed to see what they wanted in Solidarity:

- The Nobel Committee saw a man who "espoused no other weapon than the peaceful strike weapon."

- The left saw redemption, a version of socialism that was not tainted by the crimes of Stalin or Mao.

- The right saw evidence that Communist states would meet even moderate expressions of dissent with brutal force.

- The human rights movement saw prisoners jailed for their beliefs.

- The Catholic Church saw an ally against Communist atheism.

- And Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan saw an opening, a crack in the Soviet armor, even though Solidarity was fighting for the very rights that both leaders were doing their best to stamp out at home.

What place does Wałęsa and his fellow workes take in today's Poland?

rybnikThreads: 29 Posts: 1,232 Joined: Jan 16, 11 ♂	Mar 30, 11, 13:11 #2
AdamKadmon: What place does Wałęsa and his fellow workes take in today's Poland? Walęsa's(and his cronies') job is to continue supporting Poland's fledgling democracy.

AdamKadmonThreads: 38 Posts: 1,120 Joined: Apr 23, 10 ♂	Edited by: AdamKadmon Mar 30, 11, 13:23 #3
rybnik: continue supporting Poland's fledgling democracy. If you please, do without that ready-made formulas of a journalistic jargon.

rybnikThreads: 29 Posts: 1,232 Joined: Jan 16, 11 ♂	Mar 30, 11, 23:09 #4
AdamKadmon: If you please, do without that ready-made formulas of a journalistic jargon Huh?? What would you have them do? These guys have done ENOUGH. Let them fade away graciously supporting democracy.

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Mar 31, 11, 00:56 #5

rybnik:

Let them fade away graciously supporting democracy.

Interestingly, Walesa was no huge fan of democracy - I don't have the articles to hand, but there were several articles written in American newspapers circa 1991-1992 where there was a very real fear of Walesa seizing power for himself. He ultimately proved himself after handing over power to Kwasniewski, but it was by no means certain.

AdamKadmon:

What place does Wałęsa and his fellow workes take in today's Poland?

Sadly, Walesa belongs to an era that is rapidly being forgotten. The workers have managed to associate the name "Solidarity" with "spoiled trouble making trade unionists" - which is incredibly sad, but nowadays, we don't really see Solidarity doing anything good except getting involved in pointless petty disputes.

rybnikThreads: 29 Posts: 1,232 Joined: Jan 16, 11 ♂	Mar 31, 11, 01:53 #6
delphiandomine: Walesa was no huge fan of democracy Nor was he much of a diplomat

SeanusThreads: 22 Posts: 30,158 Joined: Dec 25, 07 ♂	Dec 23, 11, 14:56 #7
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-LjciqzR0g, I need to learn more about him. This is in English so much easier for many PF users.

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