Secretary of State John Kerry with Poland Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski: While
Sikorski's political
opponents hoped that leaked recordings of he and his colleagues
criticizing America would damage him, they seem to have had
the opposite effect.
For Radoslaw Sikorski, Telling 'Truth' about U.S. Pays Off (Gazeta Wyborcza, Poland)
"Fears that Sikorski's comments would
spoil our relations with America or seriously damage his personal influence in
Washington are exaggerated. Americans have extremely high self-esteem, and no
critical judgments by foreigners are capable of shaking their complacency about
themselves. ... Although the editors of Wprost were likely counting on the recordings' disclosure to
damage the foreign minister, I have personally observed the opposite effect."
Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski: Tapes have emerged that record Sikorski and some of his fellow ministers making disparaging remarks about the United States, for instance, that the 'Polish-American alliance is worthless, even harmful, as it gives Poland a false sense of security. It's bullshit.' Oddly enough, this has apparently made him more popular.
The American
magazine Foreign Policy, which two
years ago placed Radosław Sikorski on its list of 100 greatest
global thinkers, wrote in justification of that choice: "for
telling the truth, even when it's not diplomatic." The recordings from the
restaurant "Amber," published by the weekly Wprost, confirm that Foreign Policy
was right on target.
Recall
the key element of Sikorski's reasoning: "the
Polish-American alliance is worthless, even harmful, as it gives Poland a false
sense of security. ... Complete bullshit. We'll get in conflict with the
Germans, Russians and we'll think that everything is super because we gave the
Americans a blow job. ... Losers. Complete losers."
Here
we have a difficult, painful truth about Poland, explained in a way bereft of
diplomacy, which shouldn't, however, keep us from appreciating it. The fact is,
through the centuries, great global thinkers have often pointedly expressed
themselves, only then there was no recording equipment to preserve it.
Fears
that Sikorski's comments would spoil our relations
with America or seriously damage his personal influence in Washington are
exaggerated. Americans have extremely high self-esteem, and no critical
judgments by foreigners are capable of shaking their complacency about
themselves. As a matter of fact, they could care less about what Polish ministers
discuss privately in restaurants.
Almost
all Americans whom I asked to comment have diplomatically declined, with the exception
of Bruce
Jackson, a Republican recognized as a hawk, who proclaimed: "Radek is right! You Poles are over the top with your
romanticizing of friendship with America."
Let's
generously leave aside the disturbing "Negro" topic that Sikorski
touches on in the latter part of the conversation, and focus on what's
important, i.e. geopolitics.
[Editor's
Note: In
the tapes, Sikorski says Polish people have the mentality of "murzynskosc," which is a racially charged, derogatory
term that is roughly similar to "like a Negro."]
Indeed,
the Polish-American alliance has no great value in our everyday lives, but may
be useful in extreme situations. For instance, if a foreign power invades
Poland. If America then failed to honor the promises Obama so emphatically
repeated a month ago at Castle Square in Warsaw, it would mean the automatic self-dissolution
of NATO and the disgrace of the United States. Therefore, one can assume with a
high degree of probability that the Americans would come to our rescue - not
even for our sake, but to maintain the North Atlantic Alliance and shield
themselves from ridicule.
Unfortunately,
Minister Sikorski is right that insurance against the occurrence of such an
extreme (and unlikely) situation complicates our day-to-day relations with
Russia and Germany.
To
make matters worse, such insurance works only as long as NATO is alive and
important. That means we can rest assured today, but in 10-15 years ...?
We
must also be prepared for the possibility that links between Europe and America
will wane. For that reason, there is no need to slavishly mimic everything
Washington says. It is imperative for us to build good relations with our
neighbors, strengthen alliances, and build reciprocal economic ties within
Europe, etc.
Posted By Worldmeets.US
If
we don't do this, we will indeed be "losers."
So
Sikorski was, roughly speaking, correct, which is something people have noticed
and appreciated. Although the editors of Wprost were likely counting on the
disclosure to damage the foreign minister, I have personally observed the
opposite effect. My Polish acquaintances, whatever their political orientation -
yuppies, supporters of the Civic
Platform [Sikorski's party], backers of the Law and Justice Party,
Smolensk conspiracy theorists [people who believe the 2010 plane crash that
killed a Polish government delegation near Smolensk in Russia was a coup
brought about by Russian and Polish politicians] - almost all opine that
"at last someone has told the truth."
So
Sikorski has suddenly become a folk hero. Alas, the price for this status is
the charge of hypocrisy: when he visited Washington in the past, and met, for
instance, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, they both gave the impression of
being enrapt with one another. On the other hand, diplomats the world over, if
eavesdropped on, would likely look similarly ridiculous.
