I guess Lech Walesa can spot a Red (Obama) when he sees one.
by Jonathan Martin
GDANSK, Poland — Mitt Romney came to this iconic port city Monday for a prized photo opportunity with former Polish President Lech Walesa that would link him to the hero of Solidarity and perhaps catch the eye of the many Polish-Americans clustered in swing states.
Romney got that and then some.
Walesa, in a clearly prepared move, effectively endorsed the presumptive GOP nominee once reporters were let into their meeting here.
“I wish you to be successful because this success is needed to the United States, of course, but to Europe and the rest of the world, too,” Walesa said through a translator.
Then, with a bang of his fist on a wooden table, the Nobel Prize winner urged the Republican to claim victory: “Gov. Romney, get your success — be successful!”
Along with a pair of made-for-camera visits to Gdansk’s two civic shrines — a monument that marks where the first shots of World War II were fired and another in honor of Walesa’s legendary labor movement — it was all Romney’s high command could have wanted.
The only hitch: Romney left quite a wake on his way from the Middle East to Europe.
In a Jerusalem fundraiser he held Monday morning before jetting to Poland, the presumptive GOP nominee reprised an argument he’s made before in speeches about why he believes Israelis have more economic success than their Palestinian counterparts.
Citing a book, “The Wealth and Poverty of Nations,” by Harvard economist David Landes, Romney suggested at a breakfast at the King David Hotel that “culture makes all the difference” to explain why Israelis have outperformed Palestinians.
Palestinian officials, already irked that Romney had declined to meet with President Mahmoud Abbas over the weekend, responded with fury.
“It is a racist statement, and this man doesn’t realize that the Palestinian economy cannot reach its potential because there is an Israeli occupation,” Saeb Erekat, an Abbas aide, told The Associated Press, adding that “this man lacks information, knowledge, vision and understanding of this region and its people.”
Romney’s campaign was deeply unhappy with how AP handled the story, saying Romney had used similar language in other speeches and even emailing reporters the relevant part of his own 2010 book in which he highlighted the “culture” passage from “The Wealth and Poverty of Nations.”
“It was a point that he has made and made today about the differences between such countries as Chile and Ecuador and United States and Mexico and that the economic situations for prosperity are interesting to study and important,” Romney chief strategist Stuart Stevens told reporters in Gdansk. “This was not in any way an attempt to slight the Palestinians and everyone knows that.”
In effect, Mr. Walesa said: Пошел на хуй Президент Обама!
@ Bumr50:
That song makes me cry….
@ Macker:
A little over two years ago, on August 26, 2006, the sounds of a legendary artist filled the air at the shipyard in Gdansk, Poland,where 50,000 cheering fans joined in commemoration of the world-changing events at the shipyard where striking workers were credited with one of the first organized efforts that eventually led to the collapse of Communism in Eastern Europe.
This is probably one of the best live albums I have heard. I have not seen the DVD that accompanies some versions of this release, but this album gave me more of a feeling of “being there” than other live recordings I have heard. This may be due in part to history of the venue, which was so unique, when compared to the typical concert hall or sports David Gilmour: Live In Gdansk arena where recordings like this are usually made.
One welcome discovery while listening to this album was that the audience seemed to be there to actually listen to the music, which stands in contrast to other live recordings, where one might get the idea that a good portion of the audience purchased their tickets with the idea of spending most of the show screaming and whistling, whether the band was playing or was between songs. The crowd in Gdansk was clearly appreciative of the opportunity to attend, but was virtually dead silent when the artists were playing. Very commendable for a crowd of 50,000 or so. Bravo for that Polish audience in attendance.
Link.
@ Bumr50:
Pink Floyd was much better without Roger Waters than it ever was with him.
@ Macker:
Not sure if it would have been possible.
As much as I loathe Waters, his concepts and lyrics allowed Gilmour to grow in ways that I don’t think he would have otherwise.
It was what it was.
Let me reiterate -- I LOATHE Roger Waters as a human being in his current incarnation, but don’t think Gilmour would have achieved his potential without him.
Gilmour is a pretty crappy lyricist, IMHO, except for maybe five or six songs.
For example : Wife Polly Samson wrote most of these lyrics (and most of the rest of “Division Bell.”
Again -- I’m a HUGE Gilmour fanboy -just sayin.’ No Floyd without moonbat Roger.
Jacek Kaczmarski was the musical voice of the Solidarity movement.
Macker wrote:
Roger Waters is a thoroughly loathsome fellow.
@ Bumr50:
PS -- Hard not not to cry when you factor in the date and location of when this song was performed.
The pianist (other than Wright ) was a Pole (Leszek Możdżer)
@ Speranza:
Thoroughly agree, but he has his moments:
I can’t figure it out either.