POSTSCRIPT
I decided to write a commentary on current affairs in June 2004 as a reaction to world events taking place at the time, giving expression to feelings which have brimmed to the top. The anger started mounting with the bombing in 1999 of Belgrade a city which I visited on my honeymoon and a country in which I worked after the Skopje earthquake and which I knew was a loyal ally in two wars. My intention was to present my views as a bland dissertation starting with the millennium and commenting on various events, to present the happenings in a factual way, as incomprehensible in a modern age. I approached the writing with view to advance the idea European Union and to identify dangers to which she was exposed. Later it became clear to me, that my work since 1994 in rebuilding the family farm in Leszczyn should be integrated into the context of my writing, not only to give it continuity but also to bring in practical terms the meaning of my involvement in order to identify myself and give a basis of my comments. This has made the work to some extent autobiographical, which was not its first intention and it placed its beginning earlier, back in 1994.
The principal subjects of the writing consist of the random thoughts noted as jottings in the diary and elsewhere at the time which are identified with the dates in the book and were written up later. They are personal views of life and events as I saw them at the time and while they are not assertions of facts they represent sheer conclusions from my interpretation of meanings of these events. The Leszczyn story follows the dates of those reflections in the diary with a few exceptions marking its major happenings as for instance the Manor fire or certain festivities. Eventually a system of separating the two aspects was evolved underlining the fact that there was no connection between them. But the evolution of the farm gradually established itself and perhaps gives an under-text of meaning to the thoughts.
The predictions are those made at the time as can be seen from the contemporary correspondence and some are still awaiting fulfilment, like the economic collapse anticipated in a letter of 14.01.04 to Mr Trichet for 2005 and only perhaps happening now, three years later (its lateness does not undercut my belief that US is trying to bankrupt the world, to buy it on the cheap). The fact that the writing developed over four years allowed me to watch a justification of my views being confirmed by events. At a venerable age it is like making predictions happen and maybe it is why the elders were held in such respect in the past, often being able to say: veni, vidi, cogniti: I came, I saw and I understood!
The title ʼ44 Bellsʼ expresses for me the serial calls for attention of every individual to the present. It is only in my mind ignorance or cowardice which refuses to see in the present the lineaments of times to come. Bells are also the sound of Europe and one in the nineteenth century called for a new vision on this continent. It was ʻThe Bellʼ the finest magazine written abroad, much of it from Putney in London, by Alexander Herzen a renowned humanist-socialist and a great man, friend of Garibaldi, Mazzini and Owen who reproached the system in Russia and searched to understand his times. I sensed his shade visiting his house in Arbat in Moscow and remembered the support he gave for 1863 Polish Insurrection, when my great-grand father like many others was sent to Siberia.
In conclusion I offer two letters post-dated to 2015 one with an image of 1984, or Iron Heel and another with an optimistic, practical non-utopian view of proximate events. First expresses anger watching what is happening in our name, which may be only one hundredth of what an Arab, or a young Briton of Muslim origin or an idealistic student in Cambridge must feel. Second portrays a conviction that everything is possible, and not even extremely difficult with the unlimited capacity of our science and industry, a view which many people, like Soros for instance seem to share. It also depends on men like Dr Kelly revealing what they know even at the greatest sacrifice, and there will always be men like that, but in the end it depends simply on us, living today, being aware and just thinking correctly.
You cannot leave it to politicians, who are caught in a maelstrom of false diplomacy and loyalties and power grids. There were a few in the last hundred years who tried: Briand and Stresemann in the thirties, De Gaulle and Adenauer, Eisenhower, Kennedy and perhaps Nixon, maybe Mitterrand, one or two German Chancellors and Edward Heath, but the stakes have become so high now that even if there are today men and women like that, they cannot do it without resolute help of the people. Needing help for instance, to look at the fatuous NATO meeting a few days ago: with trillions of armament expenses aimed at whom? Not at the few wild men in the rocks of Afghanistan. There is no alternative, either the European Union succeeds - and gives its people back their pride or Houstonids will destroy western civilization by creating a new class of masters over the world. At a time when all that people want is to live in peace - it is frightening to see them forced to share their lives with the awareness of a reality of war, with nuclear screens in the middle of Europe or missiles in outer space. Who are these vile people, imposing themselves over us? Who is this Mr Bush selected by a cabal, who in turn appoints to venerable offices of the State other cabal members? A crude individual, representing nothing as a person: who having lived with power, humiliates others in front of cameras, by contemptible slaps on their backs, and meaningless grimaces when listening to them: the language and bonhomie of a primitive man bereft of feelings.
A small farmer in a corner of Poland, who needed to replace his combine harvester, and selected a Claas machine as most suitable for his work, changed his mind when he discovered that the engine in this German machine was an American Caterpillar, and bought a Deutz-Fahr instead. This small choice may not destroy American hegemonic aggression, but who knows, as Chaos Theory identifies a butterfly on Jupiter moving its wings may cause an earthquake on the Earth. You may be a professional, a diplomat or a general who stands aside and does not help to make the step imperative, or a young lady who moves away from cleaning of NATO chores; it may be a gardener here or a bus driver there, or a radio-television announcer who does not give a smile of satisfaction to a foul success. They have no power against us and each one of us can act every day, small or big, no matter, it may be his touch that tumbles and destroys evil. It is oneʼs own concern and one holds the freedom to be involved in it. It may be any one of thousands of small actions, which without display or overt commitment or aggression may save the life on Earth.
MATTHEW WALLIS
19th June 2008
