Mike Pilewski writes about life, politics and culture in the United States
Poland, 1990: Ten years after demonstrations by the Solidarity trade union, political reform had arrived. Poland was finally a democracy. But my friend from Gdańsk wasn’t happy — and it was my fault. “You had the chance,” Tadeusz said. “Solidarity was gaining power. The food shortages frightened Prime Minister Jaruzelski. Public pressure would have forced him to resign. But instead, … >>
On the day this article goes online, I won’t be at work. Nor will most Europeans, because it’s the Christian feast of the Ascension. Americans, on the other hand, will celebrate Memorial Day this same weekend (on Monday, May 25), a secular holiday remembering those who died in military service. In this respect, the two sides of the Atlantic could … >>
Going to the movies this weekend will take us back 40 years, and ahead 240 years, in the new, “reimagined” Star Trek film. In 1969, poor ratings caused the demise of the original television series. But the Star Trek franchise gained so much momentum over the years that it’s now unstoppable. Why is it so popular? One word: optimism. Unlike … >>
As we know from reading Spotlight Online, President Obama has proclaimed March to be “Irish-American Heritage Month”. Certainly, with the name O’Bama, he can joke about having a connection to Ireland. With 12 percent of Americans claiming some Irish ancestry, it’s not unfair to give the Irish a whole month. African-Americans, at 13.5 percent, have all of February as Black … >>
A few years ago, author Tom Friedman talked about a trip he’d taken to Tehran. Demonstrators passed by his hotel, shouting “Death to America!” Friedman asked one of them why so many people hated his country. The Iranian told him that he didn’t hate America at all; in fact, he has family in the US and would like to go … >>
This past Monday saw the return of a yearly event in my home state of Pennsylvania: Groundhog Day. Groundhogs are large rodents that live underground. The saying is that if one of these animals sees his shadow on this day, six more weeks of winter will follow. If he doesn’t, then spring will come early. The tradition was brought over … >>