[PEN-L:6099] Re: Walesa: Use Brute Force to Disarm Serbs

[Wojtek Sokolowski <sokol@xxxxxxx>]

At 04:54 PM 4/27/99 -0500, Yoshie wrote:
>Lou wrote:
>>The other problem is that Solidarity has been much too
>>uncritical of Soviet dissidents. In that position paper I quoted from
>>earlier in the day, I left out the sentence which states their support for
>>Polish Solidarity, a big mistake.
>
>I hope that folks in Solidarity have by now re-evaluated their past support
>for 'dissidents' in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union. If not, here's one
>more reason for doing so. Yoshie
>
>*****  Walesa: Use brute force to disarm Serbs
>
>Q: As NATO enters the second month of bombing attacks, what in your view
>should be done in Kosovo now?
>
>A: First, we have to settle this conflict. We cannot help solve it with
>statements only. We must use overwhelming force and disarm them. Slobodan
>Milosevic must be made aware that he's a war criminal and that he will be
>brought to court. And we must really publicize - even by dropping leaflets
>on the Serbs indicating a deadline -- that they must either surrender or
>die. Of course, I'm presenting to you just my rough ideas. But as you know,
>the rank I acquired in the army is corporal, so this is the strategy of a
>corporal. However, some corporals prove to be very good commanders....
><http://www.usatoday.com/news/comment/ncguest.htm>  *****
>

I sincerely doubt Mr. W said that himself, he is the guy who makes Dan
Quayle look like an intellectual.  He is notorious for uttering incoherent
babble, he was a laughing stock during his presidency, and one Polish
newspaper evn run a humor section titled "Mr. President said..." which
contained nothing but verbatim statements made by Walesa.  There was enough
material to run that column throughout Walesa's entire presidency.  My
wife, who saw his appearance it in Boston, says that the English
translation of his "speech" had a rather loose connection with the
original, and for a good reason: the meaning of the original was quite
obscure, even for someone who speaks fluent Polish.

Another thing - what is called "Solidarity" today - or more precisely
"Solidarity Election Campaign" (AWS in Polish) is in fact an alliance of
the former middle-level Party apparatchiks, right-wing technocrats, and
pro-clerical elements - and has little to do with the "original" Solidarity
movement in 1980.  That the original movement was suppressed in 1981 by the
martial law and simply disintegrated.  The name "solidarity" name was
simply used in 1989 by the above named forces who negotiated "transition"
with the "communist" government (read: were preparing for the plunder of
Polish national economy aka privatisation).

Wojtek