With these words on August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King, Jr., at the March on Washington addressed the gathered crowd, which numbered 200,000 people or more. These words become an iconic symbol of aspiration of any people, any nation. Aspiration to peace, respect, to dignity of people.
Visibly tired, almost resigned in his sorrow, Volodymyr Zelenskiy used these words to US Congress, to all Americans. He did thank USA (and the rest of democratic world, as he did in every address to every Parliament he addressed) for humanitarian and limited military help, for their moral and financial support. I am sure these thanks were sincere and coming from his heart.
But recently, and very clearly in that address, it is a different Zelenskiy, it is a different face of Ukraine. Gone are the days of brave and very much determined people and soldiers of great victory over aggressor, of war that will be won. Oh, yes – the brave and great leaders of USA and other democratic countries still proclaim with their bravado, that Putin can’t and will not win the war, that Ukraine will be victorious, that it was the biggest mistake and miscalculation of Russia. They are brave – but they do not fight. The fight is in Ukraine. Only in Ukraine. And Ukraine put and amazing resistance, truly beyond reasonable means. They still do. And we all applauded, we watch with awe. And we helped them to continue that tragically uneven fight. Without any real chance of winning. Not with that help we offered. And Ukrainian cities lay in destruction – as Warsaw did in 1944, Hiroshima in 1945, as Sarajevo in 1996, as Aleppo in 2016.
Since 2 World War, all modern war strategies, books on it and theories, are very clear: any effective attack, defence, counter offence of ground troops must be augmented by a strong air support. What used to be an old artillery barrage before infantry attack – become an air strikes before tank columns and mechanized units. In a war with actual armies, not guerilla strikes, which have different objectives and means. And we denied and continue to deny that help to Ukrainians. Sometime in most disgusting and arrogant way, as US President and his Administration saying that planes are not an effective tool in defence of Ukraine. That ridiculous statement is backed by supposedly America’s generals. Either these generals are stupid or the politicians are lying and lacking the fortitude of honesty, by saying: we are sorry, we know you need it but decided that we can’t and will not give them to you, as we decided to avoid any possible direct confrontation with Russia’s armies.
It is a tragically wrong policy, because it gives Putin more or less a free hand in choosing his tactical approach. And he does it skilfully. His generals have learned quickly the lesson from first week of the war. When it was clear that a ground offensive is costly, not very successful and extremely difficult due to very strong defence and fighting spirit of Ukrainians – he decided to lay waste to cities, army installations, airports, important industrial centres. And he does it mostly from air and long range rockets, which batteries lay often beyond the range of Ukrainian reach. It is supplemented by terrorizing civilian population with rockets and bomb from planes on residential districts, hospitals, electricity and water supplies, food storages. It is truly medieval tactic with modern technology. To lay waste.
Volodymyr Zelenskij, a modern day true hero for freedom loving people of the world, have come to accept it, to not deny the brutal reality of it. The Russians will withdraw eventually (in weeks partially, in few months perhaps fully); serious and not easy peace conference will be assembled and peace accord signed. Very different than the one we were calling for yesterday, at the beginning of the invasion. Zelenskiy already publicly resigned himself to one of the main demands of Putin. The one we, the West, so strongly condemned and opposed on the principium of freedom of countries to make any choice of alliances, organizations: the demand of guaranties that Ukraine never joins NATO. And, honestly – I don’t think that Ukrainian people would want to now. Would you, if you were Ukrainian?
For the safety of Europe and therefore of the entire West it is to make everything possible to allow Ukraine to negotiate from the position of relative strength. That means giving them serious (not token, guerilla style, armaments) military support. Time is not on our side anymore. As it wasn’t on the side of Russians at the beginning. Time is now actually on the side of Putin. Ukrainians do not have any time left. Their country is being destroyed as we watch helplessly. And as they watch in horror. After 1990, I have never thought that I will see such war in Europe so soon. I actually thought that in my lifetime – I will be spared that experience. How wrong I was … .
If Ukraine signs a peace deal with Russia (the chances of Russia just accepting defeat are nil – because they are not defeated) it must be strong enough to save as much as possible from Ukraine before the war. Territorially and politically. That is retaining it’s full, not cosmetic, sovereignty. Only than Europe will be safe from day to day risk of new, world war. When NATO would have to take part in and our soldiers would be dying in it, our cities will be bomb.
I don’t believe even for a moment that huge nuclear disaster would happen. I didn’t and don’t believe it would have happen if we acted much stronger in the defence of Ukraine. Nuclear disaster is not in the interest of Putin. Apart from his care or disdain for Russian people – it is not a way to re-create an old Tsarist or Soviet empire. He knows it. But that’s beside the point. That is just ‘if’s’ and ‘what would or would not’. The reality is that we need a sovereign Ukraine. Again – apart from our warm sentiments, feelings for Ukraine and Ukrainians – for very practical and paramount existential reasons: our own future.
In order to achieve it we must make last and brave, rational attempt before it would be too late. Give them jets as they need them to stop the terror of total destruction of Ukraine, to make them stronger at the negotiating table, to safe a country from not being able to welcome back at least a portion of the population that escaped so far. Give them the planes that Poland offered to USA (or other), give them the ability to fight back with more than ‘arrows and sticks’. Don’t send your troops, that is already accepted by Ukrainians. Putin must come to realization that prolonging the conflict will cost him again big losses and that his rocket and air forces can’t operate with impunity. Only than Zelenskiy (if he will be still alive) can have a chance of saving what must be safe. Otherwise no one will be safe. Give peace a chance. It is not only smart. It is called self-preservation.
Risks? Of course they are! But if you can’t, if you too paralyzed to take them – what the hell are you doing chanting ‘”Slava Ukraini!’? The world has changed February 24, 2022. Accept it and act accordingly.
I will not end it by saying ‘Glory to Ukraine’. Ukraine doesn’t need me to say it – it earned it on its own. With blood. I will say: I am sorry. I’m profoundly sorry that we couldn’t do more. But still hopeful that we will do what has to be done to ease your pain, your tragedy. And what you asked for, dear President Zelenskiy, is not too much. It could be done and should be. For You and for us.
note from author: texts in English and in Polish are not the same and offer different perspective; teksty po polsku i po angielsku nie są tłumaczeniami a osobnymi uwagami na ten sam temat, uwzgledniającymi specyfikę Czytelnika
What seemed possible and sensible ten days ago, at the beginning of Russian invasion of Ukraine, is no longer enough or practical nor possible. The war has changed, its’ possible outlook has changed, the situation and reality in Ukraine has changed drastically. The situation in bordering countries (Poland, Moldova, Romania) has changed dramatically. Especially in Poland, a country that has received and continues to receive the bulk of Ukrainian war refugees – now getting dangerously close to two million. No one in all NATO countries has even the slightest idea what it means to host, within a matter of ten days, such an overwhelming number of refugees and to house them, to offer them medical support, psychological care, education for hundreds of thousands of children. Even in Canada – a country of immigrants, nobody knows (including the government) what it means. Yes, I know, have heard all the heartwarming words of Canadian government in Canada and during his recent visit to Poland – but it almost sounds like a talk from another planet. Visas will be fast-tracked, process shorten … . No, Mr. Trudeau – we need now a massive airlift of thousands of people to Canada, you can house them in government approved and run facilities (a form of refugee camp) and you can then do all the paperwork and checking for as long as need to be. Large Polish cities literary run out of spaces, similarly in many smaller cities. You can’t built camps for millions of people. The same goes for Germany, France, Great Britain an other European countries. Where is USA?
Money given to Poland and other countries do not solve all the problems – they can’t stretch these countries. It is a serious social and political problem that needs serious long term solution – but also needs a fast practical means. Even if only temporary. It looks like within day or few days time we will face another huge wave – this time from Western Ukraine and possibly Lviv itself. The bombing of the airport just miles off Polish border and bombing of city of Sluck creates a sense of panic in parts of Ukraine that felt relatively safe so far. But Putin plans obviously changed. I thought myself that he would stop around the lines of the old, pre-war Polish border. Russia has no historical or any other claim to these territories. Obviously, I was wrong. Putin is a dangerous man. Time is not on his side (the economic sanctions do bite Russia very seriously and that he can’t changed no matter what) and he invested too much, in my opinion, to just stop the offensive. He will – but only when Kiev is taken and Ukraine as a country will loose any chance to militarily oppose his armies. By attacking more massively, with full terror to civilians and bombardments of Western Ukraine infrastructure – he will eliminate (already seriously weakened) any practical means of supplies to Ukraine of Western arms and equipment.
While being fully invested in economical war with Russia, supporting Ukraine defensive effort (supporting in a limited way, too limited to effectively change the outlook of the war – but I wrote on this subject before and will not repeat it here) and – most of all – strengthening the Eastern and Northern flank of NATO – we can’t overlook social and political destabilization of frontier NATO countries that this conflict might produce. Just before Russian invasion, another madman – Belarus ‘president’ Lukashenka, created a refugee crisis on border with Poland by ‘exporting’ Syrian and Afghan refugees. Polish government (to dismay and anger of many Poles and Polish NGO’) refused to accept these poor souls. But fear of new and dangerous ‘refugee corridor’ made the European Union to support Warsaw’s government in forcefully (in a way Trump did to Mexicans and Central Americans) stopping the immigrants. They were afraid of social and political destabilization of EU. Well – there was just a mere few thousands, certainly not even 100 000 refugees. What two, three or even four millions could do now? O, yes – Ukrainians are white, aren’t they? Did I say something not politically correct? O , my… . Just please, spare me your indignation. It would have been laughable. People are people and victims of state-sponsored terror and wars are victims. Regardless of their nationality and ethnicity. Therefore, if we (NATO) are still absolutely sure that we will not offer a substantial military support to Ukrainians (yes, I do mean a short military surgical strikes against Russian missiles, planes ) – you must do something very fast and tangible to avoid social dangers by strangulating Poland and other bordering countries with that massive wave of refugees. That truly would have been unintended gift to Putin-the-murderer.
Sytuacja Polski, jej południowo-wschodnich granic, przy których kłębią się czarne chmury wojny jest najtrudniejszą od czasów wielkich zmian w 1945 i zmian związanych ze stanem wojennym i powstawania zrębów nowego, demokratycznego państwa. Wymaga wysiłku, mądrości, rozwagi i odwagi. Społeczeństwo w dużej chyba większości wykazało te cechy. Zwłaszcza, gdy mówimy o monumentalnej, od czasów 2 wojny niespotykanej, ilości wędrującego tłumu przerażonych Ukraińców. W olbrzymiej większości kobiet z dziećmi, ludzi starszych. A więc generalnie w trudnej sytuacji i nie zawsze zdolnych dla podjęcia normalnych działań na rzecz mieszkania, pracy, zaradności. Morze biedy, przerażenia i łez. To jest ta część tej wojny, gdzie Polacy zdali każdy egzamin mądrości, spolegliwości. Nawet jeśli tu i tam zdarzają się (w pewnym stopniu zrozumiałe z ludzkich powodów) zgrzyty, narzekania lub hasła. Ta fala dotknęła Polskę najsilniej i ani Zachodnia Europa ani Północna Ameryka nie mają najmniejszego pojęcia, co to znaczy i jaki nadludzki wręcz wysiłek jest konieczny, by zapobiec sytuacji socjalnych tragedii nie tylko Ukraińców ale i Polaków. Władze państwowe do tej pory też zdają dość dobrze egzamin dojrzałości w postawach i realizacji tego, co władze administracyjno-polityczne robić powinny. I musi w tym być duża zgoda społeczna i balans pozytywny miedzy opozycją demokratyczną w Polsce a władzami PiS. Musi – bo wymaga tego sytuacja na świecie, wymaga tego pokój społeczny w Polsce. Podzieleni i skłóceni nie podołamy temu herkulesowemu wyzwaniu historii. Nie oznacza to zgody na konstytucyjne świństwa PiS, ani zgody na ich demontaż Polski, jako państwa europejskiego, państwa praworządnego.
Przypomnę – młodszym może ode mnie ale i starszym, którzy zapomnieli – pewnego poetę epoki przeszłej. Żołnierza Legionów Komendanta, żołnierza wojny polsko-sowieckiej 1920, w której dostał Virtuti Militari i Krzyż Walecznych, patriotę. Potem więźnia sowieckiej Łubianki w Moskwie, następnie żołnierza Korpusu generała Andersa. A, bym nie zapomniał w tej wyliczance: komunistę. Za tą działalność w KPP (Komunistyczna Partia Polski) rządy sanacyjne w latach 30-tych umieściły go w więzieniu politycznym. Surowym. Po wojnie wrócił z Zachodu do nowej Polski i poparł nowe władze. Chyba szczerze, ostatecznie był autentycznie komunistą. Ale był przede wszystkim Polakiem i patriotą. Domyślacie się, kto? Starsi już pewnie tak. Naturalnie Władysław Broniewski. Jak się zachował 1 września 1939? Miał prawo być wszak zgorzkniały, miał prawo wobec Rydza-Śmigłego i rządu Sanacji czuć wstręt. Otóż napisał wówczas słynny wiersz-apel „Bagnet na broń”. Przytoczę krótki a wymowny fragment (druga zwrotka): Są w ojczyźnie rachunki krzywd, / obca dłoń ich też nie przekreśli / … / … / Cóż, że nie raz smakował gorzko / na tej ziemi więzienny chleb? / Za tę dłoń podniesiona nad Polską – kula w łeb!
Można by jeszcze sięgnąć do – adekwatnego do sytuacji i wypadków – apelu Jana Kochanowskiego w „Pieśni o spustoszeniu Podola”. Ale wystarczy. Rządy Zachodnie nie mogą rozmawiać po prostu ‘z ludźmi’ i z nimi zawierać umowy, porozumienia. A nasze wewnętrzne spory polityczne nie powinny tego utrudniać. Uważam, że np. propozycja ‘lotnicza’ niejakiego Dudy w fantastyczny sposób obnażała dwulicowość polityki USA, a śmiech pani v-ce prezydent był dużo bardziej żenujący niż przejęzyczenie czy też zła wymowa pokracznego angielskiego tegoż pana. Który angielskiego nie musiał używać i chyba lepiej by nie używał poza grzecznościowym ‘welcome’ itp.
Stoimy wobec kolosalnego zadania związanego z ilością uchodźców. Wymagana jest współpraca, gdzie należy z administracją polityczną. Bez wybaczania czy rezygnacji ze słusznych, wewnętrznie polskich, oporów i przygotowań do kampanii wyborczej. Tysiąc, dwa czy 10 tysięcy, których litościwie zabierze Kanada i inne kraje niczego w sytuacji w Polsce nie zmieni. To kropla w morzu potrzeb. Nie zmienią też tego nawet dziesiątki milionów euro i dolarów. Nikt w kilka miesięcy nie zbuduje nowych miast, szkół i szpitali. By temu sprostać wymagana jest pewna współpraca, wzajemne wsparcie społeczeństwa i rządu. Za miesiąc, dwa nastroje Polaków mogą się diametralnie zmienić. I temu należy że wszelkich sił zapobiec. Bo może być źle. Musimy żądać od EU (tych państw, które nie leża przy granicy ukraińskiej), USA, Wlk. Brytanii i Kanady bardzo szybkiego przyjęcia olbrzymiej ilości uchodźców z Polski. Nie miesiącami trwającego procesu wiz, przesłuchań, aplikacji indywidualnych. Wszystko to mogą robić te kraje już u siebie. W sposób, jaki same uznają za najlepszy.
Russian invasion in Ukraine pretends not to be a war but ‘a military operation’ against a non-existing state defended by non-existing nation. That’s Vladimir Putin vision of the world and his vocabulary. In some way he might be not lying. In his mind it might be a true statement. Just as Hitler truly believed in the “One Thousand Year Reich” and predestine superiority of German ‘Aryan race’.
It doesn’t change at all the situation of Ukraine and Ukrainians, who live in normal, material dimension, not mental. One could say that the Russians are using not too clear definition of hybrid war and the Ukrainians are just at regular defensive war.
The United States and NATO are just bystanders. President Bidden is adamant that there could not be even a possibility of Western (by that we still mean NATO countries – of which USA is the dominant factor and decision maker) military, direct involvement in any combat or possibly characterized as combative action. To preserve larger peace in Europe, nuclear war and all other calamities. At the same time we are actively supplying Ukrainians with all sorts of arms and lethal war supplies to supplement their own, not too powerful armament. That is also a lie (or, just as in Putin’s case – a state of mind).
The USA scenario (executed by NATO) is a war. It is not so called hybrid war (Russia’s war in Ukraine) but a war be proxy. Another war theory, used by Russia and USA (or, in general – the West) for decades since 1945. That proxy this time being Ukraine. No, the West did not provoke Putin’s invasion by any means. Ukraine sympathies toward the West, especially since annexation of Crimea by Russia, are Ukraine choice. It is internationally recognized sovereign state and has a right to make its political choices. But to say that we (the West) are not party or not involved in the current war is nonsense.
In that sense Ukrainian President Zelensky is absolutely right, when he calls out USA and NATO bluff. Either admit it that you will not get involved in the war, give as much humanitarian aid, fortify your own European borders and say to your own nations, that there is nothing you can do – or the blood of Ukrainians will truly be on your hands, too. Prolonging that heroic act of Ukrainian defensive war by supplying them with enough arms to continue resistance and not enough to have the slightest chance of winning – is a macabre. It is using them, Ukrainians, as your proxy to test the abilities and strength of Russian bear.
The clearest sign of it came just few hours ago in the saga of pressuring Poland to give the Ukrainians it’s Russian-build but recently modified MiG fighter jets. Since the meagre Ukrainian Air Force is using the same jets – the transfer could be the best match (for Ukrainian pilots).
The idea started right after the invasion begun, when European Union Security Chief suggested that Poland offered to do it. That claim was swiftly and categorically rejected by Poland. Then, in face of growing losses of Ukrainians in southern (along the Azov and Black Sea coast) regions and categorical refusal of closing Ukrainian airspace by NATO – Zelensky strongly appealed for transfer of some jets to its Air Force, not just small arm held surface to air missiles. Let’s remember that Ukraine consists of steppes: relatively flat land, not a high mountains as in Afghanistan and small arms , no matter how powerful, are no match in open space against Russian air force, batteries and heavy armed mobile missiles. That appeal from Zelensky prompted the USA to suggest that Poland should (and has the means to do it) transfer it’s MiG jets to Ukraine. Again, Poland, as late as last Sunday, rejected the idea saying it will not risk using Polish airfields to fly the jests over Ukrainian airspace to Ukraine. It does make sense in light of NATO hard stance that no NATO soldier will put his/her boots in Ukraine to even appear as being involved in the conflict. Poland does not have the military might as USA – that is beyond discussion. It has been sold out by it’s allies to Stalin already once in 1945. It doesn’t want the risk of being told that it was Polish government, who flew the planes over Ukrainian airspace and therefore it can’t demand the NATO to defend its borders as the planes did not fly on NATO order. Farfetched? Perhaps. But logical in many ways. Then, suddenly today, Polish government came out with a new plan. Now it says it will fly the planes to USA base in Germany, give them to USA army and they can fly them to Ukraine from their base. Under logical assumption that USA will very soon let Poles to buy some used USA older jets (Poland can’t afford in this times to lose a big chunk of it’ own planes and planes these days – see Canada’s many long years waiting for planes from USA, that were ordered and paid for as many years ago – do not come easily. The USA scrambled to come with an answer. Suddenly the Administration was explaining that actually planes are not that important for Ukrainians, that they would not change much in the war. There is an old saying in Poland (from a popular youth book of older times): when Kali steals something from a neighbour – that is a good deed; when a neighbour steals from Kali – it is a very bad deed. That saying, in my opinion, perfectly describes president Biden’s confused Administration.
My view of the conflict, our ‘non-involved involvement’ in it, is evolving as the time passes by. As I see city by city, town by town being reduced to ruins, hospitals and schools bombed, nuclear plants exposed to bombs, millions of people on the dangerous exodus to other countries – it all brings to my memory pictures of 2 world war and the cities in Europe reduced to rubble: Warsaw, Hamburg, Wroclaw/Breslau, nations uprooted and moved somewhere else (that includes Polish population of Lviv/Lvov and Western Ukraine, which was part of Polish state for hundreds of years) by new Russian overlords.
We do have a moral but also existential right to get involved deeper, stronger in Ukraine’s fate. It is still time. And I don’t believe that Putin would risk a full-fledged war with the united West. If Ukraine fell six days ago – it might have been too late to do anything and we would have bought ourselves few more years of false peace. But it didn’t. And now we can’t afford to let Her fall. But also now, by the very strong sanctions, we have weakened him very much. He can’t afford even a short full-blown war with the West. He will be forced to negotiate. And we should. So the Ukrainians. Perhaps a solution is possible. I think it is. Might not be fully satisfactory to everyone – but that is sometime (most of the time) the only workable solution. To do that we might stop being at war by proxy. We might need to send more than ten or twenty Polish older jets to Ukraine (although that would be the right beginning). We actually might put some boots on Ukrainian soil. Not on Russian, on Ukrainian. Not with the desire to defeat Russia in some grand battles. To force Russia to a negotiating table. A conference of sort. Providing the main and deciding roles will belong to Russia and Ukraine. We just have to stop the war by proxy. I can’t see Ukraine being able to defeat Russia militarily on it’s own. Ukraine dos not need a heroic President, who dies defending its crumbling capital. Ukraine needs its heroic President Zelensky to lead the country in painful and long rebuilding. Needs its children to return to their schools from other countries, its wives to come back to their living husbands.
Yes, we don’t have a war in Europe beyond Ukraine. But no, we don’t have peace, either. Is there a risk? Yes, and it want be smaller ten or five years from now if we do, as we do today. Which is too little and too late.
In the history of wars, of empires – even the most powerful armies lost to smaller ones by choosing to wait, to observe, to react instead of act.
Czemu Zaleszczyki, w dodatku te nad Dniestrem? Czemu nie? Po godzinach czytania, słuchania smutnych wiadomości z Ukrainy nic innego już robić w stanie nie jestem. Po prostu myśli biegają po nazwach znajomych, bliskich. Dziś zapomniana mieścina, Zaleszczyki przed wojna (tą Drugą) były kurortem pierwszej klasy Rzeczypospolitej. Naszymi Włochami, Toskanią, wybrzeżem adriatyckim. Przecudownie umieszczone w dużym zakolu błekitno-zielonego Dniestru, z plażami, winnicami, restauracyjkami. Ba, tam było najdłuże w Polsce połączenie kolejowe z regularnym pociągiem aż nad Bałtyk! Przez most, po drugiej stronie rzeki była już Rumunia. A winnice tameczne produkowały wina w jakimkolwiek innym regionie Polski niemożliwe. Toteż tzw. towarzystwo lubiło tam zjeżdżać zewsząd. Dalekie Podole … Wanda, moja babcia, uwielbiała wyprawy do Zaleszczyk z dalekiej Wileńszczyzny. Zmusiła w końcu swego meża, dziadzia Emanka, by bodaj w 38 kupił tam plac na budowę letniej willi. Dziadek chciał w Zakopanem, ale babcia, o ponad dwadzieścia lat młodsza piękna kobieta, długo nad przekonaniem męża pracować nie musiała.
Poniżej zdjecia babci w Zaleszczykach, w stroju huculskim. Kolejowy most graniczny z Rumunią. Obecnie, po zmianie granic w 1945, granica rumuńsko-ukraińska przebiega paredziesiąt kilometrów głębiej.
I o tych Zaleszczykach, dziś dawnego kurortu nie przypominających, myślę i zastanawiam się, gdzie uciekną, jak się będą bronić obecni, Ukraińscy, mieszkańcy tego zapomnianego zakątka raju, gdy wściekłe bomby rosyjskie będą na nich spadać? Czy kolumny czołgowe nadchodzić będą po padnięciu Odessy czy wkroczą od pro-rosyjskiego skrawka Mołdawii zwanego Naddniestrzem? Zaleszczyki nie mają dziś znaczenia militarnego ani nawet przemysłowego. Czy obroni ich to przed okupacją i przed ostrzeliwaniem ludności cywilnej? Czy będą ginąć dzieci, które dzień wcześniej będą baraszkować na plażach pięknego Dniestru?
Czy też Putin w swych planach nie ma zamiaru przekraczać przedwojennej granicy polskiej i zatrzyma swój podbój mniej wiecej na tej linii? To jest też możliwe. Wobec Ukrainy Wschodniej może kontynuować swoją kłamliwą wersje o jedności z mateczką Rosją. Zainstalować w Kijowie ‘rząd’ zdrajców ukraińskich, który w krótkim czasie ogłosi referendum (rezultaty bez problemów będą dowiezione z Moskwy) na temat ‘nierozerwalnej braterskiej łaczności z Rosją’? Czy to kosmiczna wizja? Może. Czy jest kosmiczną wizją odbudowy (o której mówił wielokroć) Imperium Rosyjskiego? Nie wiem, w których granicach. Z końca XVII wieku, z XIX (to ostatnie komplenie niemożliwe bez wojny nuklearnej)?
A co z tymi kilkoma milionami uchodźców ukraińskich, którzy w miedzyczasie znajdą się w Polsce, Rumunii, Mołdawii i na Węgrzech? Niektórzy może już dalej.
Myślę o tym wszystkim i głęboki smutek mnie ogrania wobec tej ziemi, tych stepów, tych miast. Niektórych bardzo nam , Polakom, bliskich. Ziemi skomplikowanej historii i dziejów. Od legendarnej, skandynawskiej Rusi Kijowskiej Waregów, przez ruskie Księstwo Halicko-Włodzimierskie, Rzeczypospolitą Obojga Narodów (dwukroć w planach zamyślana, jako Rzeczypospolita Trojga Narodów (a więc i tego ruskiego-ukraińskiego), Hetmanat, krótkotrwałe republiki ukraińskie w końcowych latach I wojny. Krainy, gdzie smutek i krew były dniem codziennym. Ale i nadzieja. Uparta nadzieja. Zabrało im długie setki lat by to wszystko zjednoczyć, zlepić z fragmentów narodowy epos, z różnych szczepów – naród.
Dzień Kanady obchodzi się 1 lipca. W 2021 to był trudny i smutny dzień dla Kanadyjczyków. Święto wypadało w krótkim czasie po odkryciu pierwszych masowych grobów dzieci Pierwszych Narodów (określeniem First Nations zastępuje się falszywy i powstały w czas kolonialnych zwrot Indianie) na terenie dawnych Szkół Zbiorczych prowadzonych przez Kościoły chrześcijańskie. Tego dnia nie pojechałem na teren wioski największego narodu w Nowej Szkocji spędzic go z nimi i odwiedzić okoliczne miejsce, gdzie kiedyś taka szkoła stała.
W tych samych dniach zwróciłem uwagę na pojawiający się w mediach znamienny plakat. Grafika była nagrodzona i wybrana z wielu nadesłanych przez jury Konkursu. Autorem był młody grafik z Polski, z Zamościa, Łukasz Zwolan. Tytuł Per Aspera zaczerpnięty z łaciny, oznacza pokonywanie trudności w drodze do gwiazd. Nawiązałem z artystą kontakt i pogratulowałem mu użycia prostej formy w wyrażeniu skomplikowanej i trudnej symboliki.
Bo, w olbrzymim skrócie, rolą plakatu jest wyrażenie treści w minimalistycznym, a jednozceśnie czytelnym przekazie graficznym kilku plam, kresek. Można się wręcz pokusić na pewne porównanie do przekazu pisemnego: obraz to rodzaj eseju, plakat zaś felietonu.
Od tamtego czasu obserwuję bogaty rozwój twórczości tego artysty. I jest imponujący. Za jego zgodą chciałbym przedtawić krótka serię grafik plakatowych , które w idealnej kwintesencji formy ukazują tragedię i zbrodnię wojny rosyjskiej na Ukrainie.
Dwa pierwsze oferują forme języka, liter. Litera “J” lub zblizona kształtem do niej litera “L” potrafią diametralnie zmienić sens tego słowa. W drugim proszę zwrócić uwage na kompozycję czołgu, który powstał z dwóch liter P i U. Trzy osatnie nie wymagają jakiegokolwiek opisu.
As I stopped, for most parts, publishing professionally in magazines few years ago – this Word Press app and shorter Facebook posts are my outputs and – in a way – are continuation of my older blogging habits on earlier platforms.
The text below is, sort of, a continuation of my last post on Facebook and therefore the beginning links it to that text.
My last post was in Polish, since it would have been almost incomprehensible to write it in English without extremely long explanations. Some texts contain so many mental and historical shortcuts – they are almost like writing in some mysterious code.
I can only imagine (in horror) how the Facebook English translation looked like to perplexed English language reader.
In short, it was a personal voyage to the past of my family from the end of XVIII century to beginning of XX. In two cities: Slutsk (today in Belarus) and Lutsk (today Ukraine since 1945). Lutsk was one the cities that was bombarded by Putin’s army in the first day of the infamous invasion.
Now, a bit of mixing of extraordinary facts from the past and from today.
European Union just announced that for the first time in the history of the Union, it will directly finance buying of arms for Ukraine in their fight against the invading army. It also closed all European airspace to Russian planes, including private jets flying Russian oligarchs to their foreign destinations.
More or less it amounts to first, in hundreds of years, new European crusade against the Eastern hordes.
What is has to do with Lutsk in particular? Well – a bit of history. Lutsk was an important military outpost of Ruthenian dukedom between XI and XIII century. Since XIV century to 1945 it was part of Polish Kingdom and it’s continuation, Polish Second Republic. As a historical note it would be an omission not to mention that for about a year in 1918, for the very first time in history, it has been a part of new Ukrainian semi-state under German Protectorate. In 1919 it was taken back by Polish Second Republic. Another historical note – from September 7, 1939, during war with Hitler armies, it was a temporary seat of Polish Government, before Soviet invasion of Poland on September 17 of that year.
But – back to Europe and crusades old and modern. In XV century Europe was under constant threat of invasion from powerful Ottoman Empire. And the memories of tragic invasions of Mongol hordes of Genghis Khan and his sons were still fresh. Therefore a Polish King Vadislaus II called a great Council of European kings and dukes to … the castle in Lutsk. It was an extraordinary gathering of all rulers and spiritual powers that started on January 6, 1429 and lasted for thirteen weeks! Can you imagine, considering how long and difficult journey it must have been at that time, what an amazing organizational effort it was? Among attending there, were: Sigismund of Luxemburg, Emperor of Holy Roman and German Empire; Eric VII, King of Denmark; Grand Masters of powerful military Orders: Teutonic and Templar Knights; delegates of Pope and of Byzantine Empire John VIII Paleolog; Dukes and Princes of many principalities and dukedoms in Europe; Khans of Crimean and Volga Tatars; Photius, Metropolitan of Kiev and All Rus’; Grand Duke of Lithuania, Vitold. There was one more important figure, first time on international stage we saw … Grand Prince of Moscow, Vasily II (father of Ivan the Great, known as Ivan the Terrible). Among all these great rulers of Europe, the last name is interesting in the current ‘new crusade’ of Europe. Think of that – the Council of 1429 called to the Polish state castle in Lutsk, was trying to form a crusade to safe Europe from Islamic Ottoman Empire. The Muscovite Duchy was still the fiefdom of Mongolian Golden Horde. In 2022, European Union consisting mostly of still the same states (although all in very different borders) as the states represented in 1429 Lutsk Council – calls for defensive crusade against the successor of Moscow Grand Duchy – Russia. History is really a fascinating mix of images.
ruins of the Old Castle in Lutsk
One more note and thought perhaps should be voiced: of all great and empires that in different times dominated Europe from Moscow to Madrid, from Sweden to Athens – none survived XX century. Gone are Holy Roman Empires Germany and Austria, forgotten huge Scandinavian militaristic powers of middle Middle Ages, gone Polish-Lithuanian vast empire, gone even bordering and menacing Ottoman Empire, even British over-the-ocean Empire, French Napoleonic dream (or terror for others), Hitler’s satanic prelude of Thousand Year 3rd Reich sent back to Hell (where it came from). All but one. A state, started as Duchy on the easterly peripheries of Europe rather late in political map of Old Continent. A state that by the time of Peter the Great and Catherine the Great become an empire. The last emperor of that state, Nicolas II was murdered with his entire family by other Russians – the Bolsheviks. But the state did not fall apart. It transformed itself into Soviet Republic. New people’s empire. With the mentality of Ivan the Terrible. There was a short time, with the collapse of Soviet Union, that new Russia will become a new, first time ever democratic state. The last one in Europe to join that course. And suddenly a new, unknown, politician took the rein of power. Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin. Former student and member of the former KGB of former Soviet Union. He likes a lot the huge halls of Kremlin – the rooms of old tsars, of Stalin. And dreams of restoring the empire. But I think that history will march on. That the times of empires in Europe is gone. That it belongs to the past, not to the future. And I don’t dream of Lutsk, or even immensely and rightfully important to Polish tradition, history and culture Lvov (Lviv in Ukrainian) returning to Poland. That time is gone, too. I would like to be able to visit it. Just as I feel very friendly and very at home in Lithuanian, not Polish, Vilno (Vilnius in Lithuanian) – city of my father’s youth and a city I am personally very much in love with. I trust that truly free and truly democratic Ukraine will fulfill its dream of having, for the first time in this nation history, a sovereign and free state. As to Mr. Putin dreams … no, I will not say what I wish for him. Let the Russians decide his fate. Maybe it is time that they too might have a chance to live in normal state, within the borders of what truly constitute a Russian nation. It is healthier to live on one’s own land. Safer, too.
(Polish version – not translation – written from slightly different vantage point, will follow shortly at the end of English text)
Cicero would say: hic sunt casus historiae, hence, a short list of historical precedencies.
At the onset of the First World War, Canadian Parliament passed a bill called War Measures Act (in 1914). It was rather draconian legislature prepared to deal with subversion, insurrectionism and all sort of anti-state activities, that could or would pose a serious challenge to constitutional order or territorial integrity of Canada. It was used twice during world wars and only once at peacetime. The war usage of the Act was an unjust (but legal under the Act) overreach of the government, that resulted in interment of thousands of mostly Ukrainians, but also Poles and other ethnic groups that came to Canada from Galicia (western part of today’s Ukraine) and some part of Volhynia. Simply, because they emigrated from territories under Austro-Hungarian rule, which at that time was at war with British Empire. Notwithstanding the fact, that all these territories were taken by force by Austrian Empire and used to be part of Polish Commonwealth since Middle Ages, therefore the locals did not consider themselves loyal to Hapsburg’s empire.
During the 2 world war similar fate happened to Japanese Canadians and, to lesser extent, German and Italian Canadians.
These were the first and for a long time only usages of the War Measures Act. Both of these legal overreaches found their conclusion many years later: in 2008 Canadian Government reached a settlement with Ukrainian community and apologised for these actions. Earlier, in 1988, Prime Minister apologised to the Japanese-Canadians for their interment during 2 world war.
In contemporary history, the last usage of War Measures Act happened in October 1970. The October Crisis, was a political independence movement in Quebec, led by Front de libération du Québec. It culminated with kidnaping of Quebec Deputy Premier, Pierre Lapporte and British Trade Commissioner James Cross. Pierre Lapporte was found murdered; James Cross was liberated. Prime Minister (father of current PM, Justin) Pierre Trudeau saw it as an act of sedition, treason and violent action to overthrow the government and invoked the War Measures Act. Army was sent to Quebec, hundreds of people jailed.
That was the end of the Act. In ensuing years Parliament passed many statutes to govern various times of emergencies in Canada during peace time but never really repealed the War Measures Act, which was a relic of British Council directive from 1914, in a manner of speaking – a colonial legislature.
It was formally replaced in 1988 by current Emergencies Act. Not ever used until now.
Now, an ingression: what sort of act is in the title of this piece, called Martial Law? No, it is not a Canadian legislature. Although, I think, many Canadians, who were adults in 1980ties, were familiar with it. It was an act established by the communist Poland in December 1981 to destroy the independent “Solidarity” movement in Poland and it’s march to freedom, democracy. I write about it here for a reader to understand my viewpoint and my experience with these type of legislations and governments reasons for assuming extraordinary powers for temporary time. And whether history view them as necessary.
Some were, some were not. In most cases – even if the reasoning was rational and caused by urgency of situation – these powers were used excessively and proved to be unethical.
If the actions of actual or perceived protesters, insurrectionists and anti-government forces were truly justified and truly popular, with massive support from entire population – sooner or later the government would capitulate or be replaced either forcefully or by forced new elections.
The case of old War Measures Act in Canada and legislation introducing Martial Law in Poland in 1981 is no longer typical for any XXI century liberal democracy. The modern concept of State and exponential advance of individual rights and freedom protections would not allow truly democratic state to have such draconian laws under any situation (perhaps during a huge war with foreign enemy such legislation could be introduced – but not during peacetime) in modern times.
On the other hand – a reasonable form of temporarily giving the State extraordinary powers in some dangerous situations is a sensible mechanism. Especially in liberal democracy, prone to weaker and constrained form of governments. Constrained constitutionally by other powers (judiciary and parliamentary) independent of Government/Cabinet. In Canada, it is even much more complicated because of our confederate form of government and divisions of powers: provincial and federal. That is the reason our Parliament introduced the new Emergencies Act in 1988, replacing the old War Measures and many temporary, ministerial powers. It is formulated in such a way, that it should be truly treated with outmost caution and consideration and the political pitfalls for government are plentiful. That’s why it was never used until few days ago. It seems a history’s fate, that it is the son of former PM who last used the old Act, the current PM, Justin Trudeau. Justin had long talks with all provincial premiers, long session of entire Cabinet, emergency parliamentary debate and finally called a Press Conference, where he and all major ministers explained it to the press and answered many questions at length. His father, Pierre, had one short answer in 1970: famous ‘Just watch me’.
Was the Declaration necessary in February 2022? It is not for me to make that distinction in an objective and knowledgeable way. I can only answer that as a citizen of Canada and acute observer of political processes. I think it was. Was it politically a rational move? That we will know in a few days’ time. Especially in a minority situation. The government Declaration is only legally binding for seven days. After that time the Parliament must vote it in or out. If it does – the Government will prevail, if it fails – the Government will most likely fall. After the Emergencies Act ( 7 or 30 days maximum) stops being modus operandi, there will be Inquiry about its’ necessities, rationale and achievements/failures. And history will judge, regardless of contemporary verdicts.
There is few totally exclusive and excluding each other narratives to that protest/occupation/insurrection. Let’s look at some of them.
The first one lies at the very heart of the dispute if Emergencies Act must have been declared.
It is a democratic protest – and in a democracy people have a guaranteed rights to political protest. Granted. With one exception, sort of glaring and decisive, the word ‘peaceful’ is omitted. And ‘peaceful protest’ lies at the core of this right. There is a multitude of ways to have and maintain peaceful protest.
Just because one doesn’t shoot or drive a military tank, brings a cannon to that protest, doesn’t mean that it is peaceful or that it is not violent.
I listened intently to one reasonably looking, properly dressed, without horns on his head, protester at the border at Coutts in Alberta. Just few hours after police sized a truck full of military grade heavy guns, ammunition and arrested leaders of a group, who brought that truck. Not one or two crazies. No, organized group prepared and advocating the use of power to overthrow government.
The young man was resigned, sort of sad, his dream of his freedom has just died. He claimed not to have any knowledge of that paramilitary group that was part of the convoy. It is possible he was telling the truth. I hope so. And, in a tragic voice, almost like Hamlet, he said: ‘we came here in peace and we will leave in peace’. Like I said, he didn’t look like a crazy populist, Trump lover or evangelical devil. He even talked properly, in good literary English, suggesting that he possessed some form of proper education. And it fails me to comprehend how such a person cannot understand how he came to that protest. It was not peaceful act, by any means. He came with one reason and determination (apart from any ideological or idealistic convictions that he might or might not have): to prevent access to international border crossing to commercial and private drivers. Not by persuasion, by argument of a speech to those willing to listen and follow. No, he came to physically block that border with a large vehicle used as a barrier. That’s a definition of violent act – to stop someone against their will and right to go about their business. Bodily harm is only one of many acts that could be described as violence. I hope that he was allowed to leave in peace. It doesn’t give me any pleasure in seeing people thrown in jail. But that pleasantly looking young man was lying and lying purposefully: he did not came in peace. He came aggressively, with violence as means to achieve his goals. I choose this man and his sadly misleading statement as description of sizable portion of the insurrection in statu nascendi – an attempt at insurrection.
The second is hard to describe in a short piece (as this one) in a clear chain of actions leading to a goal. It is a religious component, shown very clearly by many members of the protest. The very common usage of words and terminology (‘God’s right’; supremacy of ‘God’s commandments’ over any state laws, et ceatera) coming straight from very orthodox Christian ideology and most visible in American-style Evangelical Churches. It is a terrifying message for any freedom-loving modern democrat. It terrifying for any descendant of European philosophy of Enlightenment and Reason. In short, it represents the Christian version of Islamic jihadist movement. It goes beyond any reason or any attempt of coming to some mutual agreement, some negotiations. It is only ‘us or them’, no middle ground. Orthodoxy defies logic and reason, is not flexible to any argument – hence no common ground could be found. One part of it though, particularly the American style Evangelicals, does require counteraction from democratic State and from society at large: it is the element of white supremacy and racism, central to some of their beliefs. It strikes at the core of modern liberal state of tolerance and inclusion. When the protesters on Parliament Hill starts the day (way too many days now) with their Jericho March – the symbolism is not lost on anyone. The Parliament, the heart of our democracy and state, is being viewed as “Jericho’ – biblical fortress and city that needs to be destroyed and (according to Bible) will be destroyed.
The third part – the most innocent and naïve, perhaps – is the no definable but understandable array of people tired of pandemic restrictions, of being told what and how you should conduct yourself, the medical restrictions. You name it and it is there. Some of it is (specially the medical, scientific facts and undisputable – albeit hastened and somewhat risky – research) difficult to understand for many. Others could be prone to smartly devised and distributed messages contrary to official federal, provincial and Public Health authorities policy. If these restrictions were for month only, even for a year – it likely would not create such a strong opposition. Because the virus doesn’t care about our policies or how people feel about them – it lasted much longer. Huge group of people in Canada, finishes the pandemic (still existing) poorer than it was prior to it. Yes, it is very true, that a sizeable group of lowest earners during the first wave of COVID19, was treated by the federal government with much more generous cheques that their pre-pandemic income. But by the end of 2021 – that generous amounts got smaller, more difficult to obtain and encroaching high inflation left them much poorer than earlier. At the same time – thanks to modern, aggressive capitalism, which is the scourge of liberal democracy – almost all corporations, their presidents and top executives made huge financial advances. Which was like a slap on the face of ordinary citizen. That group and their emotions are the easiest to understand, to sympathize with. The problem is that, for lack of clear distinctions, they were swallowed by the other groups and messages. Just by sharing the same ‘spot, time and pot’ – they co-signed the rest of the convoy insurgency. They never attempted to distinguish their grievances from other, more nefarious messages.
The fourth part is the most dangerous. One that truly pose the greatest risk to the stability of state, perhaps it’s survival. One that existed for many years in Canada and many times posed that threat. It is based on Western separation from Canada, living our Confederation and forming separate state. It is strongly rooted mainly in Alberta (to a smaller extend in Saskatchewan and very small parts in BC), with long tradition. The fundaments are based on Christian faith of evangelical persuasion, unfettered free enterprise, self-reliance, minimal role for state powers, antisemitism, Anglo-Saxon superiority. To name a few. Politically is to the right of the right. Part of their scenario to achieve its’ goals is clearly a slogan, that the road to freedom is marked by hail of bullets. True for most religious zealots and for French and Bolshevik revolutionaries alike.
One of the most prominent activist in that movement is no one other than Pat King. Yes, the same Pat King, who was arrested today in Ottawa. The same one, who was one of the main organizers of the Truck Convoy; who daily personally provided directions and directives to the huge group that occupies Ottawa; who regularly posted podcasts calling for harder stance until full victory. And one must assume that the victory would mean the abolition of the democratically elected Government of Canada, with Royal Assent from Governor General granting the Convoy leadership a new government/directorate introduced by Senate. At least those were the terms in an official letter to Governor General and Senate.
If this does not constitute a formal insurrection and sedition – I am at lost to what does.
In summary I have no clear answer to the question if the Declaration was necessary. Or, to say it more precisely if it could have been avoided. I think it could have been avoided by strong and decisive actions at the very beginning of the protest. Before it truly become insurrectionists and seditious. But nobody did. And by doing so, forced the hand of Federal Government.
I have listed here four main scenarios and narratives of the movement called ‘Truck Convoy’. These that are visible by naked eye, without the use of a microscope. There could be one more. Very sinister and far-reaching. I am sure one that is (or should be) contemplated and studied by national spy agencies and services. Not only in Canada. Here is my sinister, imaginary (?) theory of true conspiracy or unprecedented heavenly coincidences:
many years ago (therefore well remembered by me, as age gives the advantage of the vantage) Preston Manning launched in Alberta a movement to kill the old Progressive Conservative Party and return it to more western-based, Christian value-induced, fundaments. At that time the Conservative party was truly a pan-Canadian institution represented by staunchly pro-federalist leaders on national and provincial stages. They were the descendants of Charlottetown birth of Dominion of Canada.
Manning successfully wrestled the conservative movement in Western Canada from the hands of the progressive wing to more traditionalist, western-based and Evangelical bedrock. That split meant that there would never be a next federal conservative government as the two different factions of conservative movement would split the national vote giving victory to their arch-enemy – the Liberals. Reform Party was born.
Stage was set for young, intelligent and ambitious politician, Stephen Harper. He proposed that both party should form a new one, combining forces together. Thus a new, Conservative Party of Canada was born. Over time, the new party tended to start moving to the West and to more Reform style of politics and policies. The progressive element lingered in Eastern and Atlantic provinces. Strong regionally, weak federally. In 2015 Harper lost his re-election. He could have loose it, very possibly according to polls, to NDP. But a new star was born in Canadian politics. Son of no other than Pierre Trudeau – politician hated in the West with a passion. Justin Trudeau. His victory was stunning and overwhelming. He won subsequently two more elections – but none as huge and impressive as the first one. That means that Conservatists lost three elections in a row. Some understood the simple math – if the party does not move more to progressive policies it might become government-in-waiting permanently. Hence a flirt of last leader, Erin O’Toole, with more centrist policies, less of ultra-right. Unfortunately for the party, O’Toole was not a strong leader nor visionary. The Reform wing of the Western protest grew. Knives were sharpened. Leader, who just won leadership battle (but lost a national election) of the party, met his deathly fate. The date was February 2. Twenty days later a Convoy of Trucks starts driving toward Ottawa… Coincidences? In politics there are very few. The Interim Leader, Ms. Berger and staunchly ultra-right and first candidate for national leader, Mr. Pierre Poilievre, showed friendly and supportive gestures to the Convoy in Ottawa. Poilievre even broadcasted a message: “I’m proud of the truckers and I stand with them”. Perhaps a chance that the trucks would become his vehicle to leadership victory? Maybe my fantasy soars to high … but Machiavelli did not invented politics based on lack of ethics – he just described them in his book. Just read how many Russian tsars died of natural causes … . Just musing, that’s all.
Eh, speaking of tsars and Russia. The Convoy gathered huge financial support from many sources. Mainly from the US. No, not the federal government. From you-know-who and his camp. And gathered enormous international coverage. Some tried to have it repeated in Europe. Very seriously. Yes, during this February, February, when Russian armies congregate en masse on Ukrainian border. First as a serious military threat to international order and peace since the Cuban Crisis during Kennedy’s presidency. That would be convenient if capitals, railways and border connections were to be occupied by convoys, would it be, Mr. Putin? Yes, you Mr. Putin, you, who helped so much Mr. Trump to win the presidency. Just musing, that’s all.
February. Strange month. Exactly on February 2nd in 1982, I landed in Canada. Forty years ago. As a result of Martial Law in Poland. The day of the proclamation of it, I was no longer in Poland. Few months earlier I went to London (had to borrow 100 US dollars from friends to get the visa, and a 100 dollars was a huge amount for me) to study Polish Marshal Jozef Pilsudski documents preserved in London’s Institute by his name (the only military and state leader, who defeated the Soviet army and won war with them in 1920). Being there I was aching to go back to my work in ‘Solidarity” in Warsaw. But my contacts in Polish pre-war constitutional government-in-exile in London and constant talks with friends in Poland were clear that something terrible might happen at any moment. My father, who spent part of his youth in Soviet camp, implored me not to come back saying that one more dead body will not help Poland. I think it was a bit too dramatic, but I was only 20 years old! Dramatics work at that age. In a way he was right, though. Right after the declaration of Martial Law the communist police came for me to my parents’ apartment. But at that time I was already in Italy, waiting for my refuge ticket to Canada. Over the last 40 years my feelings and attachment for my new country grew immensely. I don’t know if they are stronger or even as strong as my feelings in 1982 for Poland. Probably not. When you are twenty years old, your love and passion is not comparable to any emotions in later years. But my love for Canada is a love of an adult, mature man. It is based on observations, judgments, even calculations. Emotions and logic combined. Ethical and practical. It grew much stronger in the last twenty years. Thanks to our strong commitments to tolerance, because of beautiful mosaic of more and more visible races, colours, shapes and traditions. Sometimes irritating, because we are creatures of habit and it is not easy to open oneself to different experiences. But I love it: the array, the choices, the multitudes. If humanity is to survive, I think that our model is the one to follow. Yet, I know that things like that do not happen by accident. They are result of policies, laws. Of choices. Polish national symbols, the flag, the White Eagle are forever enshrined in my soul. And so is the Maple Leaf (with colours was very easy: both are the same – one horizontally, the other vertically). But February is a strange month. In February 2022 I am sick of seeing Canadian flag and Maple Leaf. Of constant parades of this symbol next to vulgarity, next to hateful messages, on trucks glaring at night under the apartments of tired residents of my capital; on trucks and on shoulders of people blocking our border crossings and causing hundreds of millions of dollars losses and lost wages to countless victims of these actions, on back of hooligan dancing on grave of Unknown Soldier on Parliament Hill. In my Canada the Flag is treated with respect it truly deserves. My Canada earned that respect. Earned it the hard way, after many painful mistakes. And no achievement is worth more, no respect more admirable than the one learnt on own mistakes. It is the same emotion as the one young person feels, after getting the first earned wage. Not given but earned. I do hope that by the time most of you will read it – that Canada will be on its way back. We need Her.
Are we a nation divided, as some politicians are trying to tell us? Because nation truly divided has no alternative – it has to listen to one another and it must find solution, compromise, common ground. Otherwise, it has nothing. Mountains, rivers, plains, forests, oceans are not Canadian. Nature has no concept or need for ‘nationhood’ and ‘statehood’. If there is one for Nature – it is Earth, planet: a place to be, to exist. Mountains in one country crumble, its icefields melt and huge rivers in another die. The borders don’t change or protect anything. But not so for people. We need to depend on one another. That’s all that is required at the end. We might argue, might get angry at each other but deep down we do care for each other. If it is all just individualistic, just many I’s – it is perfectly good cosmopolitanism. Which is OK, as far as I am concerned. I like to hope and believe that I could live in any country, any that shares or displays my set of values. But in some I would do terribly. Therefore, my cosmopolitanism is not all encompassing, maybe even very narrow. My age, experience (I lived for short amount of time in two countries: England and Italy, for much longer and very formative – childhood and youth – in Poland and most of my adult live in Canada), being a member of very distinct minority, which was persecuted for a very long time, even during my youth makes me (I think and hope) a good judge of what country I could live in and share the responsibility for that country.
Therefore my cosmopolitanism is not all encompassing, maybe even very narrow. My age, experience (I lived for a short amount of time in two countries: England and Italy; for much longer and very formative – childhood and youth – in Poland; most of my adult life in Canada), being a member of very distinct minority, which was persecuted for a very long time, even during my youth makes me (I think and hope) a good judge of what country I could live in and share the responsibility for that country. There are countries, societies I would not do well in and would not want to add to their well-being because their well-being would add to my ill-being.
‘My’ country is like a garden – it requires care and some labour, some watering, pruning. Doesn’t have to be perfectly manicured like old French jardines royaux. That labour should bring you pleasure and allow later for time of idle relaxation. Otherwise, it could become a menace of overgrown weeds, branches. Something that scares you more than brings a smile.
But even in a country like that, there could be serious disputes, times of opposing visions, right to protest. Because what is the shortest definition of modern democracy? It is the government of majority that protects the rights of minority. Rights of majority are protected by the law of inertia, so to speak. Unless the government consists of suicidal maniacs, of course. Naturally, that tenet of democracy implies by itself that any minority does not mistake the protection for a right to forcing its view on the majority. A right to abortion, for example, does not imply that every pregnant woman must have an abortion. A right to marry by same-sex couples does not mean that heterosexual couples can’t get married. A separation of state and religion, even secularism of state, does not imply that citizen does not have a right to hold and practice his/her religious beliefs – it does imply, though, that she/he can’t impose these beliefs on others. In a word: a tree, flowers, grass and shrubs can grow and will be watered and cared for tenderly but it can’t become a jungle and overtake our house. Simple.
A minority can feel at times that their views are not protected or guaranteed. Thus, it has a right to ask for better protection, it can argue it in court, during political debates, during protest, demonstration – finally: during national or local elections. But it can’t and should never be allowed to disregard elections results and the rule of majority. It should never usurp the supreme right of Parliament and constitution. Actions like that are called revolution, insurrection, sedition. If these actions were to be successful it is an end of democracy and what would ensue is terror. The only way you can exercise power and control of majority by minority is through terror, sheer physical power. There is no other political possibility. You can’t persuade the rule of minority over a majority without the fear of persecution. End of story as old as any civilization of humankind.
This is exactly, without any unnecessary flowering of words and dancing around issues, what’s happening in Ottawa, in Coutts in Alberta. When a small minority of truckers and their supporters invade and occupy the centre of Ottawa – with huge trucks that are as menacing as military vehicles, when they make the residents feel like hostages in their own homes and places of work, worship and social gatherings, when the Mayor of the city pleads with them for days to leave, when the top City Police commander admits it is beyond his and his force’s capabilities to remove this illegal occupation of city’s core – it is not a protest. When big part of Alberta-US land crossing for business and commercial travel is shut – it is not a protest. When the demands are not for allowing for some accommodation and resolve of grievances but to reverse the policy of all levels of government (federal, provincial and municipal), policy supported by huge majority of Canadians, such as the public health regulations during pandemic and vaccination – it is not a protest. Finally – when the demand is to attempt to overthrow the government legally and lawfully elected in a very recent national election – it is not a protest. It is an attempt at sedition. No more no less.
I will not allow myself to get into an argument about pro or contra vaccination, about businesses closures or shut-downs. These issues were clearly discussed during federal election and during many provincial elections. The platforms offered clearly stated what the wining parties were prepared to do. They won and they did. End of story.
A federal politician, Member of Parliament of any party should be ashamed to offer support to these actions of the Truckers Convoy, which is so clearly not about truckers at all. It is a politically manipulated movement of extreme right wing groups, in cohorts with racists, trumpists and foreign, US-based Trump followers.
Therefore, when a Conservative party MP tells me that we must understand these people, we must listen to their arguments and find a solution because Canada is divided – my answer is that Canada is not divided at all. Huge majority of us followed the recommendations of provincial and federal leaders and health experts. We social distanced, we got vaccinated as soon as we could, we curtailed our social life. For two years almost. Awful, terrible years. I hated every day of that. But I understood, and so did most of my compatriots, that it was necessary. That, yes, I do have a responsibility to others and their lives. That it is the garden I agreed to tend to. That I have a social, binding contract.
It is not Canada that is divided. It is the conservative movement and Conservative Party that are divided. It just, in the middle of the huge occupation of Ottawa, revolted against its own leader and in a secret ballot ousted him. It is divided between more progressive, modern forces and extreme elements. And the extreme, to the right of the right groups staged a coup within the party. But the final word will belong to their own National Convention, not to 129 members.
No, Canada is not divided. We are united in our silent, strong majority. And we just about had enough of the antics. It is very telling that the Conservative members of Parliament – after kicking out their leader, choose as an interim leader Ms. Candice Bergen, known for publicly wearing a “Make America great again” hat in support of Donald Trump.
Ms. Bergen – did you have a dream that the Truck Convoy would really repeat the infamous January 6 insurrection on the Capitol Hill in Washington, this time on our Parliament in Ottawa? And with a success? Thanks, but no. We don’t want Canada ‘great again’. We just want it better than before.
O mamo, otrzyj oczy Z uśmiechem do mnie mów, Ta krew, co z piersi broczy — Ta krew — to za nasz Lwów!… Ja biłem się tak samo Jak starsi — mamo, chwal!… Tylko mi Ciebie, mamo, Tylko mi Polski żal!…
/……/
Mamo, czy jesteś ze mną? Nie słyszę Twoich słów — W oczach mi trochę ciemno… Obroniliśmy Lwów!
Zostaniesz biedna sama… Baczność! Za Lwów! Cel! Pal! Tylko mi Ciebie, mamo, Tylko mi Polski żal!…
(fragmenty wiersza “Orlątko” z 1918, A. Oppmana)
Nie, nie dla sentymentalnej łezki, nie dla odkurzenia starych tomików zapomnianych dziś poetów Młodej Polski i Dwudziestolecia. Z przypomnienia zwykłych faktów, legend i mitów, historii i literatury. Tego wszystkiego, co stwarza, zlepia i cementuje te tysiące fragmentów prawdziwych i baśniowych konceptu nazwanego: naród, narodowość. W polskim koncepcie narodowym – poza Piastami, Jagiellonami, Grunwaldem – są jeszcze miasta szczególne: Poznań, Gniezno, Kraków, Warszawa i piąte: Lwów. Co tworzyło legendę odzyskania Niepodległości? Naturalnie wymarsz Kadrówki z Krakowa, gdzieś jakieś bitwy (kto potrafi dziś palcem na mapie wskazać, w przybliżeniu choćby, Kostiuchnówkę?), potem legendarny powrót Piłsudskiego z Magdeburga do Warszawy – i niepodległość. A przecież jedna z najkrwawszych, najtrudniejszych (do pewnego stopnia i najtragiczniejszych) była trwająca do 1919 roku wielka kampania w Małopolsce Wschodniej, na Wołyniu, Podolu, na Pokuciu. I znowu – kto tak naprawdę wie, gdzie to Pokucie leży? Mimo, że należało do Polski od 1349, za panowania ostatniego Piasta na tronie krakowskim. Nie jestem nawet pewny ilu absolwentów uniwersyteckich potrafi na mapie współczesnej choćby w przybliżeniu pokazać, gdzie zaczynał się Wołyń a gdzie kończyło Podole. W tych walkach miedzy 1918 a 1919, najważniejszymi były walki o Lwów. Ten klejnot Korony Polskiej. Miasto, które być może bardziej jeszcze niż Kraków było centrum kultury, nauki i polityki polskiej w dobie zaborów a zwłaszcza przed wybuchem I wojny. Na pewno nie była nim Warszawa, ani nawet Poznań i (mimo moich słabości do miasta Gedymina) zdecydowanie nie Wilno.
Otóż przez cały w zasadzie okres rozbiorów olbrzymia połać wschodnio-południowa Rzeczypospolitej tworzyła Królestwo Galicji i Lodomerii pod berłem Habsburgów (dość długa i skomplikowana dynastycznie droga związana z Koroną węgierską). Ten twór administracyjny obejmował Małopolskę, całe Podole i Pokuć, część Wołynia. Dwa miasta czołowe to był Kraków i Lwów. We Lwowie istniał swoisty narodowy parlament z szerokim zakresem niezależności krajowej, decydowania o wielu sprawach administracyjnych, edukacyjnych, handlowych. Ów lwowski parlament spoczywał głównie w rękach Polaków (byli w nim też Rusini, wówczas już zdecydowanie używający nazewnictwa ‘Ukraińcy’). Pozwalało to na rozwój życia gospodarczego i naukowego, ale też politycznego. Tu powstawały zręby organizacji, które walnie przyczyniły się do powstania później Legionów: Sokolnictwo, Strzelcy, Drużyny Bartoszowe i inne. Tu też zrodziła się silna postawa narodowa i niepodległościowa Ukraińców, którzy – zwłaszcza na ziemiach za dawną Rusią Czerwoną (Lwowszczyzna), w kierunku tegoż nieszczęsnego Pokucia – stanowili większość mieszkańców i marzyła im się własna, niezależna od starej Rzeczypospolitej ojczyzna. Stąd trwały tam najkrwawsze i najdłuższe walki o te ziemie. Walki, z których zwycięsko wyszła jednak Rzeczypospolita. A słynna obrona Lwowa i opiewane w piosenkach ‘orlęta lwowskie’ były dla etosu odrodzonego państwa tak ważne, jak powstańcza młodzież warszawska była dla etosu II wojny. Z tą różnicą oczywiście, że Orlęta ten Lwów dla Polski obroniły. Aż do 1945, kiedy świat oddał w zbrodnicze łapy sowieckie ten szlachetny gród i cała tą krainę.
Byliśmy i jesteśmy z tymi ziemiami i ich mieszkańcami związani od zarania dziejów, a przez wspólne państwo (Królestwo Polskie) od czasów piastowskich, zaś od Unii Lubelskiej z posiadłościami Wielkiego Księstwa Litewskiego, którego większość terytoriów też obejmowała ziemie byłych księstw ruskich. O Rosji nikt wówczas nawet poważnie nie mówił. Nie zapominajmy, że te wczesne księstwa i ludy ruskie sięgały hen, w obecne granice Polski, aż po Lubelszczyznę, Rzeszowszczyznę, Zamojszczyznę. Więc ta granice, jakie dziś mamy z Białorusia i Ukrainą są siłą rzeczy też niczym innym, jak sztucznym tworem politycznych i militarnych negocjacji, dyktatów, umów. Nie ma jakiejś ścisłej granicy naturalnej, jak np. obce języki (litewski, żmudziński, niemiecki). Stąd Lwów ukraiński mi nie przeszkadza, tak jak Wilno litewskie. Dogadamy się, ostatecznie to rodzina. Skłócona, do oczu sobie czasem dość nieźle skakała – ale rodzina. Wszak była to jednak Rzeczypospolita, czyli wszystkich. Ich też. Rozwód był bolesny i krwawy ale był. Trzeba się pogodzić. Ale Ukraina pod batem carskim, sowieckim lub rosyjskim? Tu dostaję czkawki i ręka mimochodem głowicy karabeli szuka…
Lwów dziś
Naturalnie nie piszę tego, jako ciekawostek historycznych i ani o dokładność historyczną dat, miejsc nie dbam zbyt, ani o szczegóły tysięczne a ważne też nie dbam. Polecam jednak uwadze czytelnika polskiego sięgnąć do jakichkolwiek opracowań historycznych. Jeśli ktoś się za Polaka uznaje to winien wiedzieć skąd ta Polska się wzięła i jaka była przez większość swego istnienia. Przecie nie tak prosto od myszy pod wieżą kruszwicką.
Piszę z jednego powodu – świat drży (zwłaszcza świat europejski) obecnie przed możliwością kolejnego najazdu rosyjskiego na Ukrainę. Za Dzikimi Polami, nad Donem, Rosjanie zgromadzili olbrzymie siły zbrojne, na terenach ziem księstw Halickiego i Łuckiego (obecna Białoruś) armia rosyjska i wojska białoruskie są niemal na rzut kamieniem od Kijowa. To nie tylko śmiertelne zagrożenie dla Polski w jej obecnym kształcie politycznym, ekonomicznym, kulturowym. Jeśli Ukraina podzieli losy Białorusi (quasi-suwerenność pod panowaniem bezwzględnego autokraty) – staniemy wobec sytuacji, że blisko 1000 km. naszej granicy będzie stałym polem minowym. Naturalnie, że mamy pewne silne gwarancje wynikające z członkostwa w NATO. Jak skuteczne? Chyba wystarczająco tylko … w polityce wszystkie gwarancje są tak niezachwiane, jak niezachwiane są postawy sojuszników. Dalej tych rozważań rozwijać nie będę. Zakładam, że są trwałe i silne.
Ale Ukraina, tenże Lwów ukochany – to inna historia. Jakie są (czy są?!) plany polskie na wypadek katastrofy wojennej na Ukrainie, na wypadek masowego exodusu obywateli ukraińskich (w tym jej obywateli o polskim pochodzeniu z terenów Zachodniej Ukrainy)? Czy np. rozważano możliwość automatycznego przyznania przynajmniej prawa pobytu na stałe w Polsce tym, którzy są w drugim lub trzecim pokoleniu potomkami obywateli II Rzeczypospolitej ( o I Rzplitej nie wspomnę, bo to zbyt daleko idące i nie realne a i skomplikowane terytorialnie i legalnie)? Nigdzie nic na ten temat w prasie ani krajowej ani polonijnej nic nie słyszę ani widzę. Czyż naprawdę dzieci repatriantów polskich z Ziem Wschodnich (jak ja), których jest miliony w Polsce i ze względu na wiek zajmują wiele czołowych pozycji w polityce, kulturze, nauce i przemyśle nie myślą i nie rozmawiają o tym? Z prawa, z lewa i ze środka politycznego? W tym i w PiS i w PO. Wystawia się pomniki tzw. Żołnierzom Wyklętym z resztek rozwiązanych Dywizji AK na Wileńszczyźnie a nie ma planów co robić na wypadek katastrofy na Wołyniu i Podolu? Coś tu nie tak z tym przywiązaniem do tradycji i historii… . Nawet na popularnych forach społecznościowych nie znajduję ożywionej na ten temat dyskusji. Mowa gorąca (i słusznie, bo to hańba, zwłaszcza dla nas, narodu emigrantów i uchodźców) o tragicznej sytuacji uchodźców azjatycko-syryjskich na granicy z Białorusią. A co będzie z uchodźcami z Kresów, naszych Kresów, dziećmi, wnukami i prawnukami obywateli polskich? Też będziemy ich psami szczuć i wyrzucać za Bug?
ostatnia barykada Wojska Polskiego w 1939 na ul. Grodeckiej
Mam nadzieję, że do sytuacji takiej nie dojdzie, że Rosja zrozumie, że jej apetyt może ją przyprawić o bardzo poważne niestrawności, może nawet śmiertelne. Ale tylko na nadziei opierać się nie wolno.
Polska i Polacy o Lwowie i jego mieszkańcach (bez względu na ich etniczne pochodzenie) zapomnieć nie może. Chciałbym byśmy o tym pomyśleli. Naród, który myśli tylko o chwili współczesnej nie jest narodem a zlepkiem różnych grup i różnych interesów, jest społeczeństwem tymczasowym.
(zdjęcie dzisiejszego Lwowa z Wikimedia Commons, By Mitte27)
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