"I am Polish, because I am French." --Victor Hugo

If the hypocrites at PETA had their way, kiss your kielbasa bye-bye.

Poland's geographic location has been both a blessing (particularly in the Middle-Ages) and a curse (particularly in Modern Times starting in the mid-18th century).

Poland is caught in a vise between Russia and Germany. In 1939 there was the Molotov-Ribbentrop (non-aggression) Treaty. Today, Germany and Russia are joined at the pipe, which by design circumvents the more economical land crossing through Poland with a deep under sea route via the Baltic.

Russia has 33% of the world's natural gas reserves. Germany's special energy relationship with Putin's government threatens energy security in Europe according to many experts. Last winter, Russia cut gas supplies to Ukraine for political leverage, perhaps in retaliation for the Orange Revolution there. Russia is in the third year of a boycott of Polish agricultural product importation undoubtedly with a political leverage component to it.

While Germans agreed under Russian influence to circumvent the direct overland route through Poland looking out for their own county's interests, Poland, traditionally (and with rational reasons) a skeptic of Russia called for an energy NATO at the time, to ensure the whole of Europe's energy interests.

Germany has not shown solidarity with the rest of the Union on energy and a select number of other important economic and political issues. What was the purpose of the EU? And, who'll have the guts to call Germany out on this?

Russia flexes its energy muscle as a foreign policy weapon against former Soviet republics that turn toward the west. Additionally, democracy shortcomings like the killing of Kremlin critics Anna Politkovskaya (a journalist) and Alexander Litvinenko (a former Russian spy) have increased the public unease in Europe over Russia as a reliable partner.

Shell, BP and other EU energy companies have been bullied out of oil and gas field development contracts in Russia. Poland and other members of the Union would like to see EU solidarity to act as a coherent negotiator in deals with Russian state-controlled energy giant Gazprom.

Germany marginalizes its neighbors and is undermining the energy security in Western Europe. We have not seen or heard the last of this problem. The newly elected government in Poland cannot take a weak stand on energy policy and must be more aggressive than in the past. Poland's natural gas deal with Norway will bring supplies across to Demark and then through Germany. Poland's Achilles' heel will be Germany bowing to the whims of Russia.

Poland be weary of the modern day Molotov-Ribbentrop.

America can't seem to treat a friend like a friend

Time to show Poland a little respect.

We're all familiar with the old adage: "The only way to gain respect is to earn it." Well, I am here to say it obviously does not apply to Poland. The countless contributions made by our ancestors in the past and our cousins in the present in the defense of Western Civilization, to the tenets of Liberty and to the pursuit of Freedom have continuously gone without any proper accolade or appropriate reward.

Islamic conquerors from the Ottoman Empire were poised to overrun the whole of Europe when on 9-12, 1683 Polish forces under command of Jan Sobieski let loose the famed winged hussars - the finest cavalry to ever ride on continental soil. Even though the Poles were outnumbered 5 to 1 they broke the Islamic siege of Vienna while other Europeans looked away. On that single day of 9-12 the Polish cavalry struck the Turkish lines with such force a hundred thousand Turks ran for the Danube. No Islamic army ever posed a threat to the Europe again.

Poland's thanks for its courage?

In the following century, the country was sliced up like a pie by the ungrateful Habsburgs, along with the Romanovs of Russia and the Prussian Hohenzollerns because they were fearful of the newly written Polish Constitution insuring freedom and dignity for the common man.

This partitioning came on the heels of the courageous contributions of two Poles in the cause of American liberty. Casimir Pulaski came to the aid of the American Revolution becoming the father of the American cavalry, giving his life at Savannah in defense of freedom. Thaddeus Kosciusko (father of U.S. military engineering) won the battle of Saratoga where his fortifications at West Point led to the first major victory for the Americans and assured them of French support.

Fast forward another hundred years. Poland suddenly reappeared on the world map after World War I. Barely reestablished, the Poles immediately saved Western civilization yet again. On August 15, 1920 in the now forgotten "Miracle on the Vistula," a patched-together Polish army turned back the Russian hordes headed for Berlin saving a defeated, weak and broken Germany from communist takeover.

The gratitude shown toward Poland was the slaughter of World War II, and then the Soviet communist occupation.

Reagan called the Soviets an "Evil Empire" and walked out of Reykjavik. But, it was the wisdom of a Polish Pope and the courage of shipyard workers in Gdansk and the other defiant, freedom loving members of Solidarity who broke the back of communism for the benefit not only of the Eastern Block, but the world.

Shouldn't Poland have been the one in the spotlight? Instead Poles were eclipsed in American media by photo opportunists who chipped away at the Berlin wall like so many Johnny come lately types who never did any of the heavy lifting.

Fast forward to the new century. The Poles choose to defend freedom again deploying battalions of its best soldiers in operation Iraq Freedom. Commanding a coalition of troops from 22 nations with responsibility for a sector previously held by twice as many U.S. Marines. The Polish performance has been flawless.

What was Poland's reward?

Turkey, which stabbed us as deeply in the back as it could on the eve of Operation Iraqi Freedom, by not allowing coalition forces staging areas will receive a minimum of $2 billion from Washington, and hope to increase it to $5 billion.

Pakistan is funneled billions in American aid. The repressive Egyptian regime will get a few billion, too, as it does every year. Even Yemen gets a welfare check.

Poland like the Czech Republic, which sent a few medics to the Persian Gulf then withdrew them in panic, will get the usual and customary package of $12 million for NATO-related programs.

Obstructionists such as France and Germany and 25 other countries are on the United States visa waiver program. Our cousins, the harbingers of liberty and freedom are subject to routine denials and if they are lucky enough to get a visa are finger printed and photographed at point of entry like treacherous criminals.

It's a mistake to over-idealize any nation. But if there's a land of heroes anywhere between the Urals and the coast of California, it's Poland. Our Polish allies have taken a brave, costly, principled stand for freedom and democracy in Iraq as they have again and again for the West time immemorial. They desperately want to be seen by Washington as reliable friends in this dangerous world.

The least we could do is treat them with respect.

In an idealistic world, "Virtue is its own reward." In the "real world" we at least should scratch Poland's back after scratching ours for so long. About $20 Billion worth of back scratching would be a nice down payment.