Freezing out the French
Dear Editor,
Je vois une Pologne libre!
In his paean to French hegemony, Bernard J. Margueritte ("Snapping the French connection," February 24) speaks with the modesty of Charles de Gaulle and the charm of Henri-Philippe Pétain, dictator of France in the 1940s. Many Poles rightly feel insulted.
Quite possibly, Mr. Margueritte is a European without much sense of history. There he is lecturing President Aleksander Kwaśniewski and Prime Minister Leszek Miller for offering an independent view on Iraq and on Polish defence spending. He warns that Poland should march to the tune of the European Union and its putative composer, the Élysée Palace. "Why is France not 'rewarded' by Poland?" he frets.
I will tell you why not (and, no, it's not about that broken promise of 1940). It is about what Alexis de Toqueville called, la différence: "while democracy seeks equality in liberty, socialism seeks equality in restraint and servitude." Poles have had enough of servitude. And with the stench of communism lingering, they won't be needlessly restrained by bureaucrats in Brussels.
Mr. Margueritte argues for Poland's return to a world without choice. But reasonable people know that economic growth depends more on liberalisation and transparency than the dictates of government-controlled investors like France Telecom, which last year lost a20 billion. They know that the American F-16 is the most popular fighter jet in Europe and that Poland is now a full member of NATO - the most successful military alliance in history - while France, by its own choosing, is not. And many Poles wonder how, during the past quarter century, the United States created 29 million new jobs, mostly in high-value sectors, while the European Union created but four million.
On Iraq, Poles have observed that if Jacques Chirac truly wanted to lead, he would not have waited until the eleventh hour to offer a threadbare throwback to Munich. Where was France when Iraq failed to comply with 17 different United Nations resolutions in 12 years? History has not especially vindicated hoodlums like Saddam Hussein nor flattered media elites, Mr. Margueritte, who peddle servitude and restraint over liberty for all.
Today Poland is the largest "New Europe" country slated to join the EU, and Poland's population is both younger and larger than the EU average. Successful companies and brands will find a home here. Your threats, sotto voce, of French disinvestment have no currency, Mr. Margueritte. Poland is free.
Joe Senft
Warsaw
Je vois une Pologne libre!
In his paean to French hegemony, Bernard J. Margueritte ("Snapping the French connection," February 24) speaks with the modesty of Charles de Gaulle and the charm of Henri-Philippe Pétain, dictator of France in the 1940s. Many Poles rightly feel insulted.
Quite possibly, Mr. Margueritte is a European without much sense of history. There he is lecturing President Aleksander Kwaśniewski and Prime Minister Leszek Miller for offering an independent view on Iraq and on Polish defence spending. He warns that Poland should march to the tune of the European Union and its putative composer, the Élysée Palace. "Why is France not 'rewarded' by Poland?" he frets.
I will tell you why not (and, no, it's not about that broken promise of 1940). It is about what Alexis de Toqueville called, la différence: "while democracy seeks equality in liberty, socialism seeks equality in restraint and servitude." Poles have had enough of servitude. And with the stench of communism lingering, they won't be needlessly restrained by bureaucrats in Brussels.
Mr. Margueritte argues for Poland's return to a world without choice. But reasonable people know that economic growth depends more on liberalisation and transparency than the dictates of government-controlled investors like France Telecom, which last year lost a20 billion. They know that the American F-16 is the most popular fighter jet in Europe and that Poland is now a full member of NATO - the most successful military alliance in history - while France, by its own choosing, is not. And many Poles wonder how, during the past quarter century, the United States created 29 million new jobs, mostly in high-value sectors, while the European Union created but four million.
On Iraq, Poles have observed that if Jacques Chirac truly wanted to lead, he would not have waited until the eleventh hour to offer a threadbare throwback to Munich. Where was France when Iraq failed to comply with 17 different United Nations resolutions in 12 years? History has not especially vindicated hoodlums like Saddam Hussein nor flattered media elites, Mr. Margueritte, who peddle servitude and restraint over liberty for all.
Today Poland is the largest "New Europe" country slated to join the EU, and Poland's population is both younger and larger than the EU average. Successful companies and brands will find a home here. Your threats, sotto voce, of French disinvestment have no currency, Mr. Margueritte. Poland is free.
Joe Senft
Warsaw
