25th anniversary of the collapse of the Communism in Poland

[Kirov]

On 4 June 1989, the first (partially) free elections were held on this side of the Iron Curtain, creating a domino effect fin the entire bloc. A big deal for half of our lil' Europe and I imagine, for the entire world indeed. A big party was thrown in Warsaw and even Obama attended, so why don't you have a glass of wine to that? Quite a bunch of poor sods worked hard to make it happen.
 :win:


http://www.thenews.pl/1/9/Artykul/172811,Poland-celebrates-25-years-of-freedom

Poland celebrates 25 years of freedom

Delegations from 50 nations, including US president Barack Obama, are taking part in 25th anniversary celebrations, Wednesday, of the fall of communism after the 4 June 1989 elections.

Presidents of Poland, Germany, Hungary, Czech Republic and Slovakia meet this morning with young people under the slogan '1989 – Generation of Freedom' before the main event at 11.30 in Castle Square in the Polish capital, where US president Barack Obama and Polish president Bronislaw Komorowski will give speeches on the transformations in the country following the landslide victory by Solidarity candidates in the 4 June elections 25 years ago.

Barack Obama, who arrived in Poland on Tuesday, will then fly to Brussels for a meeting of the G7.

President Komorowski will then give a speech to the National Assembly, which brings together members of Poland's upper and lower houses of parliament.

At 4 pm, President Komorowski and France's head of state Francois Hollande will be opening the "Solidarite France Pologne" exhibition and unveil a statue in honour of two-time Nobel Prize winning scientist Maria Curie-Sklodowska.

Celebrations will climax with a 25 Years of freedom galas at Warsaw's Grand Theatre.

And some history reading:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autumn_of_Nations

[Geo]

Were you born the year after, Kirov?
Its been 25 years already? Wow, time flies. Same day as the massacre on Tienanmen square?

[Kirov]

Why? Born in '82, I have but a vague memory of day-to-day life under one Party and I'm sure glad them boys before '89 saved me the trouble of running around with illegal newspapers and scheming in basements.

And yes, the elections were exactly on the same day as that slaughter. A helluva turmoil in that year in the Communist world, indeed.

[Geo]

Why?

Celebration kids.

Born in '82, I have but a vague memory of day-to-day life under one Party and I'm sure glad them boys before '89 saved me the trouble of running around with illegal newspapers and scheming in basements.

And yes, the elections were exactly on the same day as that slaughter. A helluva turmoil in that year in the Communist world, indeed.

Any hint of anti-Obama sentiments/protests today? Just asking out of curiosity.

[Kirov]

Celebration kids.

Oh, me silly. But funny you should say that - we had a small population boom during the martial law (81-83) and I was conceived back then.  For the better part of the day there was only one miserable general on the telly, so long short, the people decided to carpe that diem. 

Any hint of anti-Obama sentiments/protests today? Just asking out of curiosity.

You wouldn't believe how pro-American Poland is. Sure you lost quite a number of image points for George W., but you still had a lot of them left and Obama makes up for it with ease. He threw a big speech in Warsaw and everybody just adores him.

[JarlWolf]

While I agree there was flaws with the Soviet regimes... I can't say I celebrate the fall of the Union. Too many problems happened and too much evil took power afterwards... I lived in both worlds and I can honestly say I'd rather be living under the Soviet regime then what my country is now. Understandable places like the Baltics and to extent Poland did not care much for the old government- but for the rest of the Soviet Union? Central Asia like Armenia, Turkmenistan, my own country and other republics like Belarus? I can't say its a mutual holiday..

[Geo]

While I agree there was flaws with the Soviet regimes... I can't say I celebrate the fall of the Union. Too many problems happened and too much evil took power afterwards... I lived in both worlds and I can honestly say I'd rather be living under the Soviet regime then what my country is now. Understandable places like the Baltics and to extent Poland did not care much for the old government- but for the rest of the Soviet Union? Central Asia like Armenia, Turkmenistan, my own country and other republics like Belarus? I can't say its a mutual holiday..

Was it last week Belarus, Russia, and Kazachtstan signed some sort of economic bloc? The union might yet come back through the velvet gloves of prosperity rather then armed boots.

[Kirov]

Well JarlWolf, what can I say, many ex-Communist countries have successfully made it with the transformation into Western democracies, others do seem to struggle more. What I celebrate is not even economy issues (although there’s plenty to celebrate here – Poland was in ruins in ‘89), as I’d pay a lot of my money to live with the rule of law, free press, personal liberties, all that gay stuff we enjoy now in the EU. So feel free to long to the old regime all you want, just remember it’s another man’s poison.

(Hey, I can say a lot of bad things about today's Poland, as well. Isn't it just swell we can complain about our governments like that? It wasn't always the case in this part of the world. )