Dear friends of Lithuania, ladies and gentlemen!
We are here to commemorate 25 years of the restored independent Lithuania. That country, my country, which can count over 1000 years of her recorded European presence went then to restore herself once again in the terms of democracy and state sovereignty. From what? – from the status of a captive nation under the Communist and then still totalitarian Soviet Union.
Allow me to remind today some points of that recent story.
It has never been seen before. An occupied country, deleted from political maps, having no army, no resources but brave people, decides to live independently in spite of foreign occupation, thus goes building herself according to people’s own will and sovereign law, still inside of the empire.
Lithuania succeeded and this was affirmed in the famous Concurrent Resolution by the US Congress adopted on March 8. 2000. Allow me to quote:
“The declaration on March 11, 1990, of the reestablishment of full sovereignty and independence of the Republic of Lithuania led to the disintegration of the former Soviet Union”. And further, what be resolved – “Congress hereby congratulates Lithuania on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the reestablishment of its independence and the leading role it played in the disintegration of the former Soviet Union…”
I quoted only the points of fundamental importance. Allow me to wonder if such a resolution could pass in both Houses today, but it stays a remarkable milestone in our newest history and presents the US as the world’s bulwark of Liberty.
So about Lithuania, then self-liberated from the Soviet captivity. Those who without delay together went from the prison, succeeded as well. Other captives of the same evil empire did not take a proper tempo, if any, thus lost their chance then, and now are paying with a lot of misfortunes while striving (or still not yet) to walk this way toward democracy and unified democratic Europe.
The Belovezh Accords, when Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia were already acceded with the United Nations, was a great historical chance for the former Soviet republics, including Russia. Unfortunately, it was lost due to frustration of unprepared nations and the revenge of the forces of yesterday.
How dangerously this precious time was lost, we see now, when the revengeful, allegedly abused Russia of V. Putin, has turned back to neototalitarianism of its mind, thus opposing itself to the international democratic community and attacking the very principles of peaceful coexistence – first of all with its neighbors.
It would be a proper time to say just now:
“Mr. Putin, take your wardogs-underdogs away from Ukraine and stop threatening us with possible apocalyptic future. Those Apocalyptians are yours, as well as Marsians without insignia; they appeared in the Crimea and still are your Russian boys – “nashi”. Don’t hesitate to name them properly and tell the truth…”
If the West or community of democracies is not able to speak frankly in the old tune of “glasnost”, let them go and act. It is well known that Mr. Putin understands only action.
Where is such stance now?
“We can!” – Americans used to say. Sometimes.
Thus no permission of the Emperor would be needed to assist the assaulted, who goes into battle defending himself from the assaulter. You can!
No permission is needed to save the sinking one. Just the permission not to save comes from the damaged inside. Similarly, when the soul of the eventual savior stops affected and trembling: why me? You go and help him, while I will rather observe that complicated situation from aside…
Some of my brothers Europeans, unfortunately, tend to take such post-Christian approach.
Therefore, the world today is facing huge challenges. What to do with both “Boko Haram” – one in the Middle East, the other in the Kremlin?
Why ISIS murderers are still called “activists” of beheading?
Why Russian terrorists in Ukraine are still called “pro-Russian” ones, being simply “Russian”, in accordance to their employer?
What to do with “Putin Airlines” - that blunt aircraft constantly challenging your borders without any warning?
Why are we paralyzed by “tyranny of the possible”?
That’s what American thinker George Weigel underlines among his insights about John Paul II influence on world politics. Why and when the basic question “what is right?” was replaced by “what is (only) possible”?
Allow me to quote Weigel: “Europe remains paralyzed by a crisis of civilizational morale”. That is evident, at least.
There comes a call, alongside with John Paul II, to not submit “to the tyranny of the possible as the conventional wisdom of the day defines the possible”. I would say, that’s about “soup of the day”, if that latter contains any wisdom.
“By refusing to bend to the tyranny of the possible, he – Jonh Paul II – helped make what seemed impossible, not only possible, but real”.
Forgive me now the evident comparison with my and your Lithuania, when from 1988 she was led by the spiritual rebirth movement Sajudis striving for and achieving the impossible.
The breaking point on this way, worth to realize in our Europe came exactly 25 years ago with the subsequent following challenges. The end of European challenges, if only positive ones, did not come yet, just not foreseen.
Just look at Ukraine.
Vytautas Landsbergis