The Mighty Poles

The Wall Street Journal ^ | Tuesday, May 13, 2003

[WaveThatFlag]

Modern Poland came of age this spring. Polish troops fought in Iraq, and Warsaw last week agreed to head up peacekeeping operations in northern Iraq, with Britain and the U.S. taking over the two other administrative zones.

Hard to believe, but Poland is now arguably a more consequential global power than either France or Germany. And the angry reactions in Berlin, Brussels and Paris to this news speaks eloquently to the tectonic shift under way in Europe after Iraq. Their diplomats grumbled widely that the Poles were vassals to the U.S., ingrates willing to take European Union subsidies and undermine efforts to build a common European foreign policy. "Mercenaries," a German ambassador on the Continent called them in an interview with us.

[Revolting cat!]

Zajebiscie!

[XJarhead]

So Warsaw last week invited the Germans to join them in their Iraqi peacekeeping. Berlin rejected the offer, barely able to hide its annoyance.

The Germans commanded by Poles? It couldn't have gotten much better than that!

[Katana16j]

we need a poland ping list, with all the attention theyve been getting lately it'd be nice fi ou sinterested folks cold keep up on the news.

[bruinbirdman]

if you are a Developing Country, you need markets for your goods

Do I understand you correctly? You are not too concerned about jumping from communism to eurosocialism?

yitbos

[1rudeboy]

I'm afraid that my answer would rely on a level of understanding of Eastern European political history that you lack. The notion of "jumping from" one system to another is absurd, and implies some sort of abstract equivalence between the two. (In fact, it diminishes the ravages of communism, and betrays a certain level of ignorance). Furthermore, your typical Eastern European would question whether your "concern" is genuine, given your piss-poor track-record in combatting socialism in your own backyard.

For the record, in my opinion, the developing economies of Eastern Europe likely will settle upon a socio-economic model similar to that of the Scandanavians. So if you were looking for a glorious free-market savior, then you'll have to look elsewhere. If you merely seek to warn of the dangers of socialism, then so what?

[You Dirty Rats]

The French could be commanded by them too. That would make it even better.

Poland did defeat the Soviet Union in the early twenties. Then Hitler and Stalin ganged up on Poland, but they never surrendered their honor like that country on the other side of Germany.

Nobody in Europe trusts Germany and France (except for two of the low countries). They haven't figured that out yet.

[bruinbirdman]

I understand that is a yes.

yitbos

[1rudeboy]

Given that you have no understanding of the alternatives, so be it.

[RusIvan]

Then Hitler and Stalin ganged up on Poland, but they never surrendered their honor like that country on the other side of Germany. +++

Remember Teshin?