Poland’s former president and Solidarity founder, Lech Walesa, talks to The Associated Press in Warsaw.

May 23, 2014 4:20 PM
 

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland's former president and Nobel Peace laureate, Lech Walesa, said Friday he plans to urge President Barack Obama to take a more active world leadership role when he visits Poland in June.

Speaking to The Associated Press, Walesa said "the world is disorganized and the superpower is not taking the lead. I am displeased."

The former Solidarity leader said that when he meets Obama in Warsaw, he wants to tell him that the U.S. should inspire and encourage the world into positive action.

"The point is not in having the States fix problems for us or fight somewhere, no," Walesa said. "The States should organize us, encourage us and offer programs, while we, the world, should do the rest. This kind of leadership is needed."

"I will say: Either you want to be a superpower and guide us, or you should give the superpower to Poland and we will know what to do with it. Amen," said Walesa, who is known for sometimes abrasive comments.

Obama is traveling to Poland next month to mark 25 years since the country emerged from communism.

The two failed to meet on Obama's previous visit to Warsaw in 2011.

Walesa led Poland's peaceful transition to democracy in the 1980s. The June 4, 1989 elections gave Solidarity a share in the power and paved the way for the ouster of communists.

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West Bloomfield, MI, USA

May 28, 2014

His Excellency

President of the Republic of Poland

Lech Wałęsa

Długi Targ 24                 

80-828 Gdańsk, Poland

Dear President Wałęsa,

“I could not have said it any better myself”

Please, forgive me such a direct statement, but it resulted from my emotional reaction in response and in consequence of your statement about the expected role of America, which you have made during an interview with the Associated Press on May 23, 2014, prior to the anticipated visit of President Obama in Poland for celebration of the 25^th anniversary of the regaining of freedom and independence. I fully support your ideas. I have been living in the USA for several years, and recently I am observing with great sadness and disappointment the substantial changes in the way of life and leadership, and in particular recent strong “turn to the left” in politics.

I graduated from the Medical School in Poland in 1956. After retiring following many years of work in Poland and then in the United States as a cardiologist, my involvement and interest turned to history, social problems and politics (at the local level). Based on my previous personal experiences, I am attempting to provide information to the group of friends and acquaintances and get them more involved – they appear to be somewhat passive and display a rather low level of interest and knowledge of the problems and differences between the political and economic systems, i.e. problems which America is facing now and is threatened by them. My wife Carmen is of great help in this respect – having been born in Puerto Rico and being an US citizen, she dared to join me for two years (1962 – 1964) in Poland, and became familiar with the life and difficulties at that time there. She learned to love Poland and her people and is now her greatest “ambassador” and promoter, and shares her personal experiences and warnings. It is sometimes difficult and a dose of “łopatologia” (in polish – basic “explanations for dummies”) is helpful.

Along with our words of greatest admiration and respect for you, Mr. President, I take a liberty to attach to this letter an example of one of the brochures, prepared by us for distribution among our friends – it explains the threats facing America using an example of Poland and her recent history.

We remain with highest respect, gratitude and many thanks for your tireless work for Our Country – Poland.

Dr. Waldemar J. Wajszczuk (M.D.)

Assoc. Prof. of Medicine and Cardiology (retired)

Wayne State University

Detroit, Michigan, USA

Private address::4489 Patrick Road

West Bloomfield, MI 48322, USA

(248) 851-1776

//www.wajszczuk.pl/ - (Family Tree)

//www.wajszczuk.pl/polski/drzewo/059piotr.htm#0087

drzewo.rodziny.wajszczuk@gmail.com