XVII 21st July 2001
We decided that during the free period of late spring time we shall at last clear the waste of a leafy bog on Eve, our big field. More than a hectare of water-logged ground, overgrown by robust bushes, small trees intertwined wildly with tall grass, growing out of sinking mud. One could just about walk across it in high summer carefully avoiding lightly floating grassy rafts, ready to break under your feet. It was of course a nesting place of wild birds, especially of wild duck, but it made the fields around it soft and boggy. We thought about it carefully as the timing had to be right to catch a moment of dryness to do the work. The aim was to create a real, deep pond of forty meters square, to contain water draining from adjacent fields and to prevent future flooding, whilst gaining a hectare for cultivation. The strategy we adopted was, first, to clear the robust growth by hand or with steel ropes pulled by tractor, which was done in the autumn, and was followed by a deep dig, by sub-contractor with a German machine, which had a 3 meters stretch. The operative needed to take great care because at one time he was moving his digger, floating and sinking and next he was riding on the very earth he already deposited, waiting alternative days for it to harden by drying in the sun. He was very skilful and gradually the pond begun to emerge, taking its final shape. We used a large scraper to spread the remaining earth in places three meters high, evenly on the banks - raising the levels of surrounding fields - but following their natural gentle slope. With good weather the ground settled quickly; which enabled us to sow the banks with luscious grass and plant three silver birches, which however may not take at this time of the year. When all was finished we stocked the pond with fish, and made peace with nature.
The telephones installation, which at last reached the village, meant more earthworks with the digging for the lines: it destroyed some of the crops, like we had to do making the pond, but in this case we shall be compensated. It enabled us to take down telegraph poles in the fields, which will ease agricultural work in the future and relieved our neighbour Henry who for years allowed us to be hitched to his line: two gains, or birds with one stone. But we are still waiting for mains-water, which is a little medieval and very anoying, since we are the last village to have it installed.
The current abrogation of 1972 Anti-Missile Treaty, unilaterally: “with or without Russia” says the President, is a decision to annul the best protection engineered to date, against nuclear war: we ask why? The proposals to extend NATO as an “alliance for liberty” to the borders of Russia is an unfriendly, not to say an aggressive, move against a country, which has just made a national sacrifice for peace by reversing its Communist system: we want to know, why? These are steps which may lead to a new cold war and therefore require an explanation. Since America is not threatened - does US, seeing itself as one remaining super-power, aim at world hegemony? Does it not accept any longer an independent entity, or can it not reconcile with a country which owns one seventh of the globe? Is it planning to subdue Russia, by political, economic or any means to achieve the hegemony? Is this policy now its main aim: is it to possess Siberia? Is it a new Drang nach Osten? And if so, has Russia to await yet another invasion and the world to face one?
Yesterday a young man of 23 named Carlo Giuliani was killed in Piazza Alimonda in Genoa, shot by the police who then reversed their jeep over his body. He was protesting against globalisation and poverty in the world, during the G-8 meeting. The city has become a war zone with a Berlusconi Italian government fighting pitched battles with 20,000 policemen against the demonstrators. The world leaders have faced increasingly violent protests, whether against WTO in Seattle in 1999 or IMF in Prague or EU summit in Gothenberg and now in Genoa, by the young who best understand the exploitation of the world by the rich. The developed world lives in comfort and plenty, while half of the human race lives on less than $ 2 a day. Carloʼs sacrifice is meaningful and will be remembered. Nor is this the only one, as others fight for Kyoto which America opposes; will she suggest that the solution lies with those who own Siberia and offer to look into it?
Salvador Dali once exclaimed at Perpignan station “it is obvious that Siberia is the centre of the universe”. One would not go as far as that, but certainly for my family as for many Poles it was a significant place. My grandfather was a boy in Irkutsk, spending his summers on Lake Baikal, which he thought was the most beautiful corner of the world, because his father was deported to Siberia as a terrorist, after the 1863 Polish Uprising and brought his family there. The two sons of the family, eventually finished their universities in Riga, one becoming a well loved veterinary surgeon in Tashkent, who died before the 1914 war, and the other, my grandfather, a railway engineer was engaged in building the trans-Siberian railway. My own father was at school in Moscow finishing his baccalauréat there and saw and heard Lenin speak during the revolution. The families of both brothers were brought out of Russia in 1918 by my grandfather in his own service train, to Poland, where he became the first director of PKP, Polish State Railways, founding the system and receiving the high order of Polonia-Restituta.
But Siberia is not only a memory for many Polish families or for Russians like Dostoyevsky, Lenin or for Dr Zivago; it is much more: a limitless land, larger than Western Europe with forests, great rivers, or tundra where frozen mammoth are dug up every now and then, a land taking on wolves, wild men and modern towns, a country of dreams. Above all, in todayʼs terms, it is a land which contains gold, copper, nickel, uranium, lead, tungsten, coal, diamonds, manganese and sub-soil which holds 80 % of world supply of oil. In the context of these riches history records the aggressorʼs formula as “conquer, rule and exploit”, a pattern of the empires in Asia, Africa, Europe or America itself, often in the name of religion or civilization, and today for the prize of “the whole world” in the name of Democracy.
Such aims may be in actuality an opening of a War of Hegemony and of progressive conquest. The strategy required for such a war is bigger than the concerns for oil by altercations with Iraq, Iran or Venezuela, or for profit by rejection of Koyoto, which are merely steps of slowly asserting unilateral power in the world and concealing or confusing the public awareness about the real objective. What comes to mind is that this strategy will aim to restrict the recovery of Russia and the development of independent European Union. The potential of them coming together is destroyed by extension of NATO as well as by the abrupt unilateral breaking of the anti-missile treaty to create a cold war, and to plant a sense of danger in Europe.
Mr G W Bush was elected to American presidency by the decision of the Supreme Court to stop counting votes - which were moving in the direction of his opponent. This counting of votes is often a nuisance and is sometimes disrupted by arranging a coup with the colonels or by a strong man, but it is the first time that it is fixed in a democracy by a Coup of the Judges. Europe should take note of this turn, that anything can be done without or with false justification, even on home ground, and that a policy as unilateral as stopping counting may surface as a war for Siberia.
I wrote to Mr Jospin:
| M Lionel Jospin | |
| Premier Ministre | Peyriac 22.06.2001 |
Dear Mr Prime Minster,
I am surprised that a society which understands the issues of modern living as well as the French Society, cannot express them to the world as a whole. The understanding at every level of French Society, whether of the 35 hour week, or TGV, or government companies, or health-care, or its view of NATO (without military autonomy EU is not a sovereign state!), or European integration, or Russia - does not find an assured presentation on national, European or world level. By contrast, even the smallest happening in US: lack of power in California, election of a new mayor in New York, or moving of a Boeing office to Chicago, whilst only of local importance, is portrayed as significant on world stage.
France, which has made such a success of its life style, searches for the words to convey her wisdom to others. Often it detracts from her achievements by petty, local projections, or by decrying her politicians, who with all their human failings, make it happen. Why? Maybe it is the residue of the last war, or maybe even diffidence about presenting her joie-de-vivre as some form of hedonism. One way or another, it is time that these complexes were laid to rest by a more forthright presentation of current events, which her leaders can encourage.
I believe that the challenge for Europe is to present her achievements to the world as a whole. I think that a political programme should be set up to deal with this challenge, presenting the French views, without chauvinism, as steps in a European Renaissance. They may include:
1 To project European leaders, by influencing the media, to leave aside the assassination of individuals, and take a generous view of their work.
2 Presentation of social as well as financial issues, from a moral and ethical high ground, being vacated by US market economy.
3 Placing the issues directly before the great American people, who will march again to curb the hegemonic urges of their leaders.
4 Creation of an English language paper, under French aegis (with Le Monde?) to counteract the worldwide pro- paganda by Herald Tribune, Wall Street Journal and others (anti Euro and anti Europe), expressing only an American view.
5 An office to protect European industries and financial services, whether Airbus, or Mercedes, or small companies and institutions.
6 Russian “Marshall Plan” to bring whole Europe together.
I believe that we are once again at a dangerous juncture in European History, as we were in the early 1930ʼs. I am writing without any inbuilt prejudice against Americans with whom I fought shoulder to shoulder in Normandy, but nevertheless I believe that we are now facing a Power trying to create a New European Order (Pax Americana). I hope this time Europe will act in time, to become again a player in its own right and that we shall have no Munich (NATO Prague conference next year?). It needs great courage and leadership. I believe you are best placed, as well as the best man for this task.
Yours very respectfully, Matthew Wallis
