Not the Poland they fought for + personal update

The redoubtable Czarny Kot has translated into English a highly-interesting article in Przegłąd by Krzysztof Pilawski, about the history of the Wałęsa family, from the Communist period up to the modern day.  I think the point is well-taken that large families such as the one Lech and Danuta had would not have the same opportunities under the modern regime that they had even under the Soviet puppet state - not that the latter is at all again to be desired.  The tragedy is that the Solidarność movement had such enormous potential to create a different dimension of politics that would not fall into the neoliberal-versus-social-parliamentarian axis which defines modern Europe.  A very highly recommended read.

...  and in a bit of personal news, I am now a newlywed, to Jessie Zong - the same wonderful young woman I have been dating for two years during my graduate school career.  Our situation is somewhat unorthodox on account of our graduate school schedule, but we do plan on having a full church ceremony sometime next month.  Wish us luck!