Solidarity

[Antifa94]

I am curious as to know what the political ideologies of the Solidarity movement in Poland were from 1980-1990, before they were subverted by bourgeois capitalism... Were they a legitimate proletarian response to Soviet state capitalism and oppression or a mass movement of reactionaries? Please inform me. I am aware that many Catholics and anti-soviet leftists supported them, but I can not find a consensus upon the socio-political organization of the movement.

[el_chavista]

I thought the bourgeois capitalism subverted Poland state through the using of Solidarity as a Trojan horse. Actually Wahlesa is an agent from the CIA (he still earns money doing propaganda against Chávez).

[RadioRaheem84]

Lech Walsea, another shock doctrine puppet. I wouldn't be surprised if he was CIA.

Adam Michnik, Vaclav Havel of Czech Republic....all shock treatment advocates. Love by Reagan. I think they were the types most loved by Washington. Examples of the types they wanted in power over third world despots. "Democrats", supposed third way soc dem types like Jalal Talibani in Iraq and Hamid Karzai in Afghanistan. Democracies ruled by an elite overlooking shock treatment economics. If you question them you get called all sorts of names like "Stalinist" by liberals and right wingers because they were watched closely by the Soviet State or Baathist Iraq. While I do not condone what happened to them under the thumb of the Soviets, I wonder what people think when they realize they were Washington's "democratic" puppet clients?

[Antifa94]

Hmmm....
but there were legitimate proletarians participating in the unrest..... leftists, trotskyites... Whether its leadership was a foreign bourgeois agent seems likely, however my question pertains to the demographic composition of Solidarity.

[RadioRaheem84]

Hmmm....
but there were legitimate proletarians participating in the unrest..... leftists, trotskyites... Whether its leadership was a foreign bourgeois agent seems likely, however my question pertains to the demographic composition of Solidarity.

The actual prole membership of Solidarity were probably well meaning working class people that were hoping to retain the public ownership of many industries but were hoping for less bureaucracy and a slice of Western consumerism.

No doubt though that the leadership created what was essentially a CIA front.

[Blake's Baby]

My understanding is that there was a power-struggle, almost a coup in fact, in Solidarity in 1980. There were two tendencies that had different perspectives - the group around Walesa wanted to get their noses in the trough and believed that they could become 'partners' (and eventually rivals) to the CPP - which they did of course. And yes, a lot of western money flooded in, just as at the same time the USSR was funding leftists like Arthur Scargill in Britain. Not for nothing was Lech Walesa Margaret Thatcher's favourite trade unionist.

But the other tendency in Solidarity was concerned with taking decisions in mass assemblies and spreading the struggle, not seeking to become a 'recognised' trade union and I think represent a much more authentic proletarian reaction. They were outmanouevred and Walesa installed as 'leader' (early on Solidarity didn't have a leader, just demands and actions) and that was that; Solidarity became just another cog in the bureaucratic machine.

[Atlee]

Truth has no less than two sides and somewhere in between them we find at least some of the truth. I see two perfectly good directions of thought here and two just as outlandish pings of craziness. As an American-Pole I followed the events daily and listened to my family's thoughts on what was happening and who else had family there. What I do think we should consider is looking at the text from those who were there first.

There is a Pan Slavic connection there and only those who know the culture understand between Russia, Ukraine, and Poland as the border has changed hands many times between the three.

The problem with Westernization came at a high price as even the Baltic States discovered when they made their break away. The past with Dubcek in Czechoslovakia (1968-1969) sort of let both sides know what was going to happen of not. The Soviets did nothing. NATO moved in. The deal was done.

The above are my few scattered thoughts for later topics. Enjoy.

[bie]

I thought the bourgeois capitalism subverted Poland state through the using of Solidarity as a Trojan horse. Actually Wahlesa is an agent from the CIA (he still earns money doing propaganda against Chávez).
True. Edward Gierek (first secretary of the PUWP in 1970-1980) stated in in interview (published in a famous book "Przerwana Dekada") in 1989 that he wasn't aware of the role of the Solidarity movement until the very end of his cadence. He said that it was simply impossible to organize this sort of a large organization in 100s of large productive units along the coast, mainly in heavy industry (eg. shipyards). As that was a strategic industry (also producing for army needs) in every single workplace there were people from the internal security. He said that it was simply impossible for the Solidarity to develop spontaneously without active support of the party administration. Even more, he said explicitly that Solidarity was organized by the Kania's fraction within WP. Stanislaw Kania was the leader of the fraction hostile to Gierek, tightly connected with security services. He eventually
succeeded to take power in 1980 as the result of the mass strikes and destabilization of the situation in the country!

So - there is a serious basis for the theory that Solidarity trade union, was the creation of the fractional struggle within WP. In the following years it received funds and instructions from CIA, AFL/CIO and Vatican. Workers that joined Solidarity were fooled by its directors that played on national and religious sentiments.

[RadioRaheem84]

anyone have any links on Solidarity? Especially the seedy elements that the West exploited?