Janusz Głowacki used to smuggle criticism past the censor by dressing it up as extravagant praise, comparing favourably, for instance, the since-forgotten socialist realist book Głupia sprawa (A Silly Matter) by Dobrowolski with the publication of the first Polish translation of Ulysses. He says he got letters from some readers saying: you know, that Głupia sprawa is okay but still I think Ulysses might be a bit better. How would Głowacki fare (he’s still around) in today’s uncensored world? How would he deal with this from Gazeta Wyborcza, the story of the latest in a line of heroic hospital managers held up for us all to admire:
“Strajkujcie sobie, ile chcecie. Nie uległ strajkom, głodówkom, łzom. Połączył trzy szpitale, zwolnił 40 proc. pracowników. Wygrał wojnę z komornikami. W ciągu czterech lat uratował przed bankructwem wałbrzyską służbę zdrowia.”
“Strike as much as you like. He did not give in to strikes, hunger strikes or tears. He joined three hospitals together and sacked 40% of the staff. He won the war with the bailiffs. In four years he saved the Wałbrzych health services from bankruptcy.”
What a guy, eh? He sacked 40% of the staff. What guts! He closed two hospitals. What balls! He did not give in to hunger strikers. What manliness! I don’t know how a Głowacki would deal with this kind of official discourse. Unless he wrote it himself.