Australian Left Review
Article Title
Comment : Poland
Abstract
The Polish "spring" which, for sixteen eventful months, offered new hopes of democratic renewal in an Eastern European c o u n try , has en d ed in yet a n o th e r undemocratic imposition of the prevailing bureaucratic model of socialism. Soviet troops did no t intervene as they did in Czechoslovakia in 1968, and a new "twist" was added with the imposition of military rule in a proclaimed socialist country. But, in essence, the politics of the two situations are very similar; the Soviet leaders who set the pace in Eastern Europe still will not allow any "deviation" from their model of "real socialism". By one means or another, they intend to keep the basic model the way it is, and has been, throughout Eastern Europe. Space is not available here to properly discuss any of the issues raised by the Polish events which, hopefully, will be discussed more extensively in future issues. 1 will just briefly discuss what seems to me to be three of the major questions.