…the Polock who saved Western Civilization?No, it’s not a joke. Who was it? Lech Walesa? Karol Wojtyla? Or maybe Jan Sobieski?
Or maybe it was all of the above.
Back in March I mentioned a communication we received from a site called eurojihad.org, a Polish portal about Islamofascism. The same outfit has recently opened an English-language blog, the latest news from Poland in English.
Its top story tonight is about Poland’s co-operation with the United States in hosting missile defense sites. Here’s a snippet:
Washington has proposed holding detailed talks with Warsaw on locating part of a US anti-missile defence system on Polish soil, said Poland’s deputy foreign minister Witold Waszczykowski.
“They asked us officially if we were still interested in discussing the issue. Of course we said ‘yes’ and we are awaiting details,” Waszczykowski was quoted as saying by Poland’s PAP news agency.
[…]
The Gazeta Wyborcza newspaper reported in November that Poland had held talks with the United States about stationing part of its anti-missile defence system on Polish soil.
The same month, a senior US defence official said Washington was discussing with Poland and other countries possible sites in Europe for a missile interceptor base capable of guarding against long-range missile attack.
There’s also an interview with interview with Radek Sikorski, who is optimistic about Poland’s current situation. He says, “We’ve been dealt the best cards in 300 years.” He may be right about that.
How many times have the cavalry hooves and tank treads of enemy armies crossed Poland in the last few centuries? In 1683 Jan Sobieski saved European Christendom’s bacon, but just over a hundred years later Poland disappeared from the map, carved up by Austria, Russia, and Prussia. After the demise of the Russian empire in 1917, Poland regained its sovereignty, only to be carved up again by Hitler and Stalin in 1939. After that came four decades under the Soviet boot during the Cold War.
Yet, somehow, Poland is still here, and thriving. It’s an inspiration to the rest of us.
Go over to eurojihad and find out what’s happening in Poland.
3 comments:
Growing up I was told of Casimir Pulaski and Thaddeus Kosciusko, both Polish patriots who fought for American Independence (a little heritage plug there).
Remember Rumsfeld spoke of old and new Europe. The power shift has already been occurring. The history of an oppressed Poland is long, and I’m sure they don’t want to be trodden under foot again.
Let's not forget the Miracle of the Vistula that rolled the red Army back into Russia after WWI.
Makes you wonder why Polish jokes every got started. Envy, perhaps?
I've always been a bit of a Germanophile, (and a Francophile), but I do like the Poles. Mr. Sikorski is right, the Poles have good cards for once. About time, too.
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