solidarnosc was originally based on legit issues of crisis and pretty minuscule (especially compared to every period after 1989) drop in the life quality, but was also strongly rooted in all manners of reactionary sentiment - petty bourgeosise sentiment, catholic anticommunism, growing liberalism in inteligentsia circles, very successful western propaganda and outright CIA funding (it wasn’t even first colour coup attempt in PRL, there were at least 2 others before).
Problem is, that looking at what happened later, you can’t defend even the legit part of worker participation. It was never really run by workers, it was just a colour coup, and seamlessly turned into extremely antiworker organisation which actively participating in the deindustrialisation of Poland, breaking up the workers power (they are still doing that! 34 years later!) and in consequence the horrors of transformation and the 34 year descent into the deepest anus of neoliberalism and anticommunism. Workers and worker leaders were discarded like used condoms at the first sign of getting concessions from the government - which, notably, happened after perestroika started to run havoc in entire European socialist bloc.
And about the so called “solidarność left” that emerged from it? First, they were sidelined all the time, second, they were at best socialdemocratic anticommunists, and third, when they tried something their leader died in very mysterius car accident.
solidarnosc was originally based on legit issues of crisis and pretty minuscule (especially compared to every period after 1989) drop in the life quality, but was also strongly rooted in all manners of reactionary sentiment - petty bourgeosise sentiment, catholic anticommunism, growing liberalism in inteligentsia circles, very successful western propaganda and outright CIA funding (it wasn’t even first colour coup attempt in PRL, there were at least 2 others before).
Problem is, that looking at what happened later, you can’t defend even the legit part of worker participation. It was never really run by workers, it was just a colour coup, and seamlessly turned into extremely antiworker organisation which actively participating in the deindustrialisation of Poland, breaking up the workers power (they are still doing that! 34 years later!) and in consequence the horrors of transformation and the 34 year descent into the deepest anus of neoliberalism and anticommunism. Workers and worker leaders were discarded like used condoms at the first sign of getting concessions from the government - which, notably, happened after perestroika started to run havoc in entire European socialist bloc.
And about the so called “solidarność left” that emerged from it? First, they were sidelined all the time, second, they were at best socialdemocratic anticommunists, and third, when they tried something their leader died in very mysterius car accident.