Traveling the word; A polish freelance writer breaks "The Case"...

Mariusc says not to fight the power: Never retaliate; Always lie prostrate...

Hi Adam,

My name is Mariusz S. I'm a Polish-Canadian who is currently living in Poland , I will be starting an M.A in American Lit in Krakow this October. I am also a freelance writer. I had just read your story of being had, and I must say, you were completely in the WRONG! I have travelled the word, and one important thing that I have learned is never to flex a superior, western muscle. You never should have retaliated in that fashion as many Americans would have. You MUST, and this is an imperative, MUST always lie prostrate to the laws of foreign countries, especially when there are many things at stake, like exiting the country in a rutty-polish sack, or simply disappearing off the face of the Earth ? these are realities in post-soviet nations. If you were calm about the situation, I guarantee you that you would have been with your beau the next day. The police did not attack you because you were American, Polacks are practically American nowadays, they have been bit by the Western dengue bug. You were attacked because of a very unique American haughtiness which you displayed (as the way I interpreted it in your writing) Even if you were hit, and it was completely the fuckers fault, you gave them a reason to fuck you over, in the end. By being lippy, by swearing, punching the dude (cause polacks know American slang) Dude, if they ask you if you will plead guilty ?No way? or vehemently denying guilty was not the thing to say, your credentials of life-time biker, messenger whatever mean jack shit in a country like Poland. I hope you are not try to garner support or find opposition to Poland . I know sometimes Police officers get out of hand, a certain Polish personality is drawn to law enforcement. I hope that you learned that corruption is a disease that is eating away true demo-cracy, and sorry to say, it is even more rampant in the states. I stopped at page 82, I hoped things worked out later. Just to give you an idea, I would write about the sociopolitical context in that country, but make sure you will be out of country, if that happens ? the KGB has already interviewed my girl, and they are on our ass. Good luck with everything and everyone, cheers!!


Mariusz


Interesting insight, Mariusz. You must bow to the superiority, eh? Hmmm... I also think you make a bit of an assumption as to my own representation of superiority. I was there to buy a visa and was on my way to a movie to kill some time before my train. You can of course politicize this action as much as you want, but on my part, I just thought a brief conversation with a guy who intentionally tried to kill me with his car was in order. But I mean, the book is about them and not me, but if you really wish to focus on my swearing (?) and getting angry as being wrong, well, I assure you that if I had the chance to do it over again, I would definitely hit him harder.