Cultural icons matter
And historical symbolism
is an expression of national identity
But if you are a person of good intentions
and if you don't understand the controversy
perhaps you should think again
It is the twenty-first century
and global realities cannot be dismissed
Any individual who collaborated with an evil force
could hardly be a hero
In fact I would have to conclude that the exact opposite is true
In these extreme cases the end will never justify the means
Misguided national interests should not
be used to align yourself with a legacy of fascism and genocide
unless you are willing to suffer the dire consequences that would follow this course
And if all of this is confusing
let me try to put it another way
It is the twenty-first century
Deifying an individual who befriended a monster
is a grave mistake
even if you rationalize it for the liberation
of an oppressed people who were subjugated by their neighbors to the East
And before you pass judgement please consider all of the important facts
Just think of the countless people who perished
at the hands of a man who wielded such evil ideas
C'mon wake up and smell the coffee
For all of you who aspire to European Union membership
this could hardly help your cause
What do you think about contemporary heads of state?
They might look at you with revulsion
or perhaps they snicker at you behind your back
Being stuck in a time warp is not likely to help
So let me ask you just what are you trying to achieve?
A divide between fascist forces in the West
and dinosaurs fantasizing about Soviet glory in the East
could never work out right
So why not develop a progressive path?
Human rights and the rule of law,
individual liberties and democracy
These would ultimately guarantee a hard fought sovereignty
Take the regressive path and I can only see hardship
within my crystal ball
The West will abandon you if you pursue a fascist line
It will only antagonize Russia and you are not in shape for a costly fight
Can you imagine the repercussions if you do not develop a calculated approach?
Establishing sophisticated leadership
is an important goal that you should pursue
Learn to work within the system
Constructing effective legal arguments will provide you
with respect and credibility
Failure to modernize will lead you to tragedy
Abandon silly ideas
Think about your icons
and give credence to mainstream ideas in the international community
Can you imagine what Angela Merkel, Francoise Hollande and David Cameron
would think?