Syriana was reviewed by both Gazeta Wyborcza and Rzeczpospolita on March 3rd. But did the reviewers see the same version? Poor Jacek Szczerba in GW seems to be under the impression that it is a documentary: he praises the US for allowing this pack of anti-US lies to be produced and distributed, even though it […]
This weekend’s Rzeczpospolita carries an interview with Leszek Balcerowicz, the man who administered economic “shock therapy” to Poland, freeing the market almost overnight in 1990. To some he is a bete noire; for others an economic genius. The interrogation was carried out by Slawomir Popowski and Dariusz Rosiak. Balcerowicz invited the reader to look at […]
I gather there is some concern in America about an “Arab” company taking control of their ports. I don’t see what the fuss is: what difference does the nationality of the shareholders make? The Polish government is also worried about foreign ownership, of banks, in particular. Apologies for the why-oh-why’s but why can’t capitalists accept […]
This post is a straightforward lift from the current issue of Nie (the by-line is “MB”), but it is irresistible so here goes: in the district of Jarocin the balance of power on the 19-strong district council is held by a dead man. Until the sudden death four months ago of a councillor Mieloszyk the […]
Following in the footsteps of Teresa Lubińska (kicked out of the ministry of finance for speaking the unspeakable) comes Stanisława Okularczyk, until recently the deputy minister for agriculture. While down in southern Poland she had the audacity to tell her voters: The Warsaw set is laughing at you. Minister Jurgiel [her boss] does not understand […]
The weekend’s Rzeczpospolita, a serious Polish broadsheet, has a front page story headlined “How much will the Cheap State Cost?” It is a reference to the nearly-ruling party’s pre-election promise to cut costs. The paper estimates that the planned nationalisation of banks and insurers will cost 30 billion zloties, new unemployment benefits will cost 10 […]
“Of course, before Eastern Europe can really take off a generation of workers with the communist mentality will have to die off.” This is a cliche that has been kicking around these parts for at least the last fifteen years. In general, I’ve always been suspicious of it. It sounds a bit too much like […]
Those of us misfortunate or misguided enough to have dealings with Microsoft’s word processing programme will be aware of Bill Gates�s campaign against the passive voice. (I’ll leave aside Microsoft�s cretinous insistence on commas before all relative pronouns.) But the passive voice is coming under attack from other quarters too. Into my hands has fallen […]
“Give Hamas a Chance” Gazeta wyborcza (28-29th Jan) magnanimously states on page six in the headline of a piece by Mariusz Zawadzki, datelined Gaza and marked “analysis”. The subhead (actually it appears above the grand headline) reads: Democracy in the Middle East is bearing unexpected fruit. Elections are being won by the ultra radical Mahmud […]
The Poles seemed to lose interest in novels very quickly. Hardly had they managed to produce a handful of decent ones than Witold Gombrowicz set to work writing “anti-novels.” His contemporary, Witkacy, refused even to accord novels the status of “art.” Polish writers are still experimenting with a form barely mastered. Take Sławomir Shuty’s Zwał: […]
