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.

[ellery]

God bless Poland, our true friend and a truly responsible global power.

[conservativecorner]

Fantastic article bump!

[GluteusMax]

"Dzie, kuje" Poland!

[geedee]

You done good with this article. Good to know Europe has some countries with a little sense.

[Thumper1960]

I wonder what the French and Germans did to help the fledgling "Solidarnosc" movement in Poland, as they fought the Soviet puppet regime in Warsaw.

If it hadn't been for Reagan and Thatcher and the "Polish Pope", Poland would still be under the thumb of Soviet oppresion.

[TonyWojo]

Znakomity

[1rudeboy]

bttt

[WaveThatFlag]

I wonder what the French and Germans did to help the fledgling "Solidarnosc" movement in Poland, as they fought the Soviet puppet regime in Warsaw.

In fairness to the Germans, they had problems of their own. The French were busy undermining the authority of the United States and NATO.

[Malesherbes]

Item: Germany and France have aging populations and are in steep population decline. Poland has a young population and a stable birth rate.

Item: the two countries in Europe where polls (no pun intended) show a general absence of anti-Americanism are Poland and Ireland.

Item: I was in Warsaw when Chirac made his nasty remarks about East Europeans. The Polish Foreign Minister, quoted in the newspaper Gazeta Wyborcza, said "Poland expects respect!"

Item: The title of the Polish national anthem is: "Poland hasn't perished yet." It sure hasn't - and may it long survive and prosper.

[xsmommy]

pinging a fellow polack : )

[1rudeboy]

"One cannot entrust his purse to Europe and his security to America."

To the astonishment of Mr. Prodi, this is exactly what the Poles intend to do.

[bruinbirdman]

To the astonishment of Mr. Prodi, this is exactly what the Poles intend to do.

IMO, the Poles are going to have to make some tough decisions soon. They are currently a "candidate" for membership to the European Union.

yitbos

[Feldkurat_Katz]

Poland has a young population and a stable birth rate.

Wish it was true, alas, in recent years they went down to 1.3 children per woman. Polish center-left media are beginning to make casual remerks about inevitability of immigration.

[Feldkurat_Katz]

Polish center-left media are beginning to make casual remerks about inevitability of immigration

I meant remarks, sorry about the typo.

[A. Pole]

Wish it was true, alas, in recent years they went down to 1.3 children per woman. Polish center-left media are beginning to make casual remerks about inevitability of immigration.

Turks and Albanians will be happy to help.

[Hegewisch Dupa]

DZIEKUJE - this might be the begining of the Glory Days for us Polacks that I thought only my great-children would get to see.

[1rudeboy]

Tough decisions? Poland belongs to NATO. Poland will likely join the EU. The only tough decisons will be made in Old Europe. I fail to understand this "one or the other" mentality.

[bruinbirdman]

I've said it before. IMO joining the EU is a mistake for any country that has only recently shaken the shackles of communism.

Some countries have rejected the Economic and Monetary Union, notably UK, Denmark and Sweden, while joining the EU. Some are only candidates that must decide on both the EU and the euro currency.

Poland is in NATO. The EU will only pressure Poland to toe the line of EuroDefense. I'm sure Poland is up to the task but why encourage it when you can reject the EU outright?

yitbos

[1rudeboy]

Because if you are a Developing Country, you need markets for your goods. Why is that so difficult to understand? Why point to countries who have the luxury of choosing otherwise?