/Hungarian Warning
Blogi19 września 2006

Hungarian Warning

By: Jerzy Przystawa
Translated by "Bish" Petryka

The media in Poland communicated that demonstrations and revolt in Hungary were caused by the Prime Minister admitting to lies, while in reality Ferenc Gyurcsany was telling the truth. Unfortunately, it was the truth that he systematically misled Hungarians. It is extremely optimistic and comforting to realize that the rebellion represents a national reaction to lies. It is not the shortage of bread or sausage, but lack of TRUTH in public life of our Hungarian brethrens that provoked them to rebel. Polish correspondents who are used to the fact that lies in public service are common place, immediately supported the Hungarian politicians who communicated, as always, that the Hungarian revolt is nothing more than gang fighting, that they rob and kill.

        An interesting aspect of the events is the fact that rebellions directed their anger towards television. First of all they went there and were demolishing the equipment and tools so well serving in the systematic lying to Hungarian public opinion. It is recommended, that Polish correspondents working in the Polish media, and particularly in television take that into consideration. It would be worthwhile, for "truth telling" and "heroic" Bronisław Wildstein TVP chief, and even more "truthful" and "heroic" Krzysztof Czabański, chief of Polish Radio to think about the Hungarian events. Both of them, as many others. They build their privileged position on the myth of "correspondents' independence" started in their underground resistance work. Their underground work was directed towards communism, which by itself symbolized a lie. On that principle, a principle of opposites, people acting against communism, simple minded folks welcomed as torchbearers of the truth. Unfortunately the last 17 years became years of great public disenchantment .It has become obvious that half a century of systematic lying brought a tragic harvest, lying went into our blood and without lying it is impossible to live. The system supported in toto on lies collapsed, but it poisoned and contaminated societies and nations and this horrible heritage reappears constantly in our public life – equally in social as well as in public life.

        Hypocritical and still undisclosed is the truth, how the transformation was achieved. Magdalenki, The "Round Table" shattering of Solidarity. We still do not know who and which roles were played, who was working for whom and why; what were secret "negotiations" and "polls", how the "negotiators" and "representatives" were selected. The Institute of National Memory had existed for many years, the employed experts there dwell on some meaningless details, revealing some personal scandals, but they do not investigate what is really important.

        Full of lies, secret and twisted is the truth about the system transformation, about the "genius financial plan" of the brilliant Leszek Balcerowicz and everything connected with that. Zawisza's Committee declared that it was taking care of it, but instead it was disgraced by battles about some "Case" and instead of taking care of Mr. Balcerowicz they gossiped about Mrs. Balcerowicz. Secrets and full of lies is the truth about the core of transformation called "operation FOZZ", its character and disastrous consequences for Poland. The media ran away from those topics as if running away from a plague, and of course only because all politicians and the whole political establishment does not want the truth to be revealed. After 13 years of judicial prosecution of the authors of the book "Via bank and FOZZ", finally the sentence was pronounced and all the accusations were annulled. However we do not know, whether that confirms that anindependent court revealed the truth, or because gangsters and criminals tripped and the chief operator of FOZZ, Dariusz Przywieczerski ran away from Poland and is hiding somewhere. The participants in this gigantic lie about the system transformation were politicians, public prosecutors and independent courts. Also with equal zest in the "tools of lies" participants were the public media and "independent publishers." Over 30 "independent publishers" refused to reissue our book about FOZZ. The media did not show up at press conferences in many cities, and those few correspondents who came did not have enough courage to publish anything they heard.

        The Polish Republic is full of twisted and secret lies. The big secret is the fact that the most important structure of the government – the election system of members to parliament violates our citizen's rights and steals from us the basic law which is the right to know about election. All election procedures which have been used so far violate our constitutional principles. Only one of the five principles in elections to the parliament is adhered in Poland, the principle of secrecy. Representatives of the Polish government travel around the world teaching underdeveloped countries about democracy, while in Poland we have a system where the party in power which wasn't necessarily democratically elected rules the country. Incompetent governments change their coteries which in reality are hanging in the air, without any background and support of the citizenry. The Wildstein television show and Czabański's radio shows are "totally closed to any discussion" of the fundamentals of our system's problems. Poles are not allowed to discuss election systems used in other countries such as England, Canada or the USA. Our highest government officials lie about election systems while audaciously looking us straight in the eye.

       I do not know where their conviction came from that their rule will last forever. It would seem, that the history of the last 17 years would convince them that their Chutzpa is false from the beginning. Where are our supposedly great leaders of yesteryear – Mazowiecki, Bielecki, Oleksy, Cimoszewicz, Olszewski, Buzek, Suchocka, Krzaklewski, Belka, Miller today? Where are the once magnificent political parties of yesteryear which were based on fictitious platforms – UD, UW, KPN, ROP, POC, WAK, BBWR, AWS, ZChN and many others?

        The situation in Poland is not better than the situation in Hungary. Maybe only because in Hungary they have not had enough of "security umbrellas" broken like we had in our Solidarity and church hierarchy who controlled the transition process. Long ago Solidarity paid a high price for this "umbrella", and today does not play any role in public life. The church is still paying a high price, but the church is big, and has survived a lot so the hierarchy can think it will survive this time. But is paying the price really necessary?

        Poland in contrast to the church is not eternal and it has not received guaranteed "God's help." Poland exists and will exist as long as Poles want Poland to exist and as long as they are ready to sacrifice themselves for her existence. At the moment young Poles are leaving our country and they are trying their luck somewhere else. But this exodus will come to an end. If it is not stopped by Poles themselves, other countries will prevent their arrival, the countries which today are supportive.

        The example of the Soviet empire proves that the power of lies, although enormous, is not so powerful for very long. Finally, we will witness a breath of fresh air and the truth will have to be told. Poland today seems to be asleep, Polish youth are preoccupied and not involved in the political process, silly arguments in Parliament and around it divert attention from the real issues. Our press brethren keep the public's attention occupied on trivial pursuits. But wait, one day they will realize our problems are upon us.

        Today's events in Hungary should be a warning. Social pressures are rising. Magic with elections and manipulations with electoral systems are no longer sufficient. If we want to avoid explosions we must open the media to authentic public debate. We must allow truth to be told.

About Jerzy Przystawa

Jerzy Przystawa (1939-2012) – naukowiec, fizyk, profesor dr hab., nauczyciel akademicki na Uniwersytecie Wrocławskim, publicysta, twórca i założyciel ogólnopolskiego Ruchu Obywatelskiego na rzecz Jednomandatowych Okręgów Wyborczych
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