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Polish government welcomes Big Brothers shield
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Polish government accepted the installation of american

anti-missile shield on its territory, becoming one more time its “best ally”

in this part of the world. This article sums up the outcomes of

recent cooperation between USA and Poland and asks what kind

of security is the shield offering?

After a couple of years of negotations, on the 20th August Polish government signed an agreement with the government of USA concerning the instalation of the so-called anti-missile shield on the territory of Poland. The war in Georgia contributed significantly to speed up the talks. The government took advantage of the moment when public opinion considerably changed in favour of the instalation. Until the outbreak of the war in Kaukaz the majority of Polish citizens was against the shield. Russian aggresive response to Saakashvili's military operation has been used by Polish politicians, especially conservative president Kaczynski to heat up anti-russian fears and nationalistic sentiments in some sectors of the society.

RECENT HISTORY OF POLISH DEALS WITH USA

Polish mainstream media present the deal with Americans as a great succes. The words of Condoleeza Rice in Warsaw calling Poland one of the American most important allies must have been an orgasmic experience for Polish right-wing politicians. Some of them already call to urge American Democrats to ratify the agreement as soon as possible. They seem to be determined not to let Barack Obama stay accross the realisation of their wet dreams.

It's not the first time after the cold war, however, when Poland earns the name of the USA's best friend. Four years after Poland had joined NATO, in 2003, Polish government bought 48 american military jets F-16 in exchange for american offset investments in Polish army and Polish economy. USA were supposed to invest 6 billion dollars in 10 years.

The offset investment has proven to be a very good business. Not for Polish companies hoping for new technologies, though, but for American corporations. Their investments in Poland took a form of exportations from the polish parts of the corporations to the other parts. It's well known that corporations trading internally use their own pricing system, which is not the same as the market prices. For instance, electronic giant Kimball Int. might sell their products from Kimball Poland to Kimball Electronics at higher than official prices. In this way the american “investment” gets bigger as well.

Joining American army in Afganisthan and in Iraq was another attempt to realise the american dream by Polish ruling class Poland was asked to “give a good example” inside NATO by sending a military contingent without conditions. Also in this case American government promised help to modernise polish army. Until now, Pentagon has only covered our costs of these wars (1,5 billion dollars). The war has also cost 25 lives of Polish soldiers in Iraq and 8 in Afganisthan.Polish companies were supposed to earn fortunes in Iraq reconstructing the country and exploiting its natural resources. Well, it did't quite happen.In total, 20 Polish companies earned 410 million dollars. For comparison, monthly cost of war is 16 billion dollars.

No Polish mainstream media whatsoever has taken up a debate about the miserable outcomes of this Polish-American “cooperation”.

THE WINNERS, THE LOOSERS

This time United States also got what they wanted cheap. That the project to install the shield in this part of the world is not only political, but also economical (it's much cheaper than to install the system on the eastern coast), is no secret. In fact Americans will only have to pay for the instalation itself and share the costs of local infrastructure needed to set up and run the base. USA is not even supposed to pay for the damages done by their rockets. In case when one of their missiles destroys another rocket at the territory of the third country, USA is offering Poland “legal help” and “kind consideration of Polish request” to reimburse the indemnisations Poland will have to pay.

The residents and the authorities of Redzikowo, a town on the North-West of Poland where the base is supposed to be located, strongly opose the project. They argument that the base is going to take away their chances for development. Local authorities were planning to build a civil airport at the terrain where the rockets will be deployed.

Polish society didn't have a chance to have a say in this case neither. Polish politicians were presenting what French philosopher, Jacques Rancière, calls “the hatred of democracy”. The most democratic country in the world, USA, didn't insist on the referendum neither. Polish citizens has been treated as not mature enough to take decisions concerning their own security. According to President Kaczynski a referendum would be just a PR strategy, which a serious politician should try to avoid1.

WHAT KIND OF SECURITY?

Believing Polish mainstream political discourse, the installation of the shield is contributing to our own national security to even greater extend than to the American one. Until the war in Georgia this argument was too absurd for the majority of Poles. We didn't seem to be very much concerned by the possibility of being attacked by Iranian or Northern Corean “fallen states”, as the American administration likes calling them.

At the moment nationalistic sentiments seem to be heated up. However, by reading the opinion polls carefully, it is possible to read what kind of security Polish society is expecting from the American installation. Again – a dream about American investments in Polish economy. Until the first weeks of August one-third of those who were against was ready to accept it on the condition of american investments.

Both Polish and American governments clearly don't share the ideas about security with their societies. Especially with women - in Poland women were significantly in a minority among the supporters of this project. Every day well-being, economical stabilisation, employment, clean environment, these are elements of “security”as it is understood by most of the people.

Militarisation doesn't solve any social problems, but creates new ones. Social budgets are being cut in favour of military expenses. In Poland military spending is already higher than the social one. Militarisation means domination of agression in public life, acceptance for using force to solve social problems. In militarised societies the rates of domestic violence are higher. Interesting research has shown as well, that countries with higher gender inequalities are more prone to use force in international conflicts2.

For militarism and nationalism to exist, the feeling of insecurity must be constantly heated up. Militarism and nationalism are themselves the biggest sources of insecurity. The logic of these systems is to project their own attitudes on “others”, especially the victims of their actions, the poor, the imigrants, etc. The kind of “security” they offer is security based on the exlusion and insecurity of others.

The determination of Polish right-wing politicians to subbordinate the interests of Polish citizens to the interests of the American hegemon can't be explained in any rational terms. It reveals rather patriarchal phantasies of joining the powerful “big brother”, which will free Polish politicians from the burden of making politics with their neighbors so that they can play with military toys.

1Statements from an interview made for private television, TVN, shortly after signing the agreement.

2See for example: Kameri-Mbote, Gender, Conflict and Regional Security, 2004, http://www.ielrc.org/content/a0502.pdf

August 27, 2008 | 12:25 PM Comments  0 comments

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