Posted on 06/02/2009 2:56:32 PM PDT by lizol
Epic Struggles
The Obama-Cheney disagreements over past policies are hardly unique. What similar historical debates in Poland and Russia can teach us.
History lives and breathes—it's never static. Debates about history always tell us as much about the present and the struggles for power as about the past, often more so. As George Orwell famously pointed out: "He who controls the present, controls the past. He who controls the past, controls the future."
Poland is once again getting a reminder of that. Former prime minister Jarosław Kaczyński is banking on history to revive his right-wing party's political fortunes in the upcoming elections for the European Parliament. By demanding a tougher stance against what he portrays as a push by German politicians to equate German suffering at the end of World War II with Polish suffering, he wants voters to see him as the defender of the country's interests. Polish voters will decide whether this is a defense of historical truths or just a campaign ploy, but it's already clear that this isn't the kind of epic struggle over history that took place during the communist era.
In fact, Poles would do better to look further afield for today's truly intense battles over history. Not surprisingly, one is taking place right next door—in Russia. Another is taking place across the Atlantic, in the United States. How these two countries are wrestling with their recent past is a revealing indicator of where they are politically right now—and where they may be going.
(Excerpt) Read more at newsweek.com ...
Weak News making it up as they go along again.
What are these "diametrically different recommendations"? They both want to keep Gitmo open. They both want to keep troops in both Iraq and Afghanistan. They both support on demand wire tapping. The only difference apart from rhetoric so far has been the policy towards water boarding, which we weren't doing to anyone at this time anyway. I'm sure if another terrorist attack happens and the CIA suggests some other coercive method it'll get quietly approved.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.