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[00:02]
A
Your message amplified. Ready to share your message with the world? Start your podcast Journey with Podbean. Podbean. Podbean. PodBean. PodBean, the AI powered all in one podcast platform.
[00:14]
B
Thousands of businesses and enterprises trust Podbean to launch their podcasts.
[00:18]
A
Launch your podcast on podbean today.
[00:20]
B
My school uses Podbean. My church too.
[00:23]
A
I love it. I really do.
[00:27]
B
My role is to have discussions. We have a collective wisdom. We are strong in the sense that we are a community and together we can search for and arrive at good solutions. I'm just a catalyst for discussion and people will see what needs to be done themselves. That's my role and that's the role I see for myself. All right. And too old for any other sort of leadership. I could see lots of wonderful people. I want to inspire young, talented people through my means and also to diagnose the problems we've got.
[01:31]
A
Welcome to the Going Big Podcast. I'm your host, Kevin Gentry, and this is the place where we celebrate bold moves and big ideas. Each week I sit down with inspiring leaders, entrepreneurs and change makers who are making a significant impact in their careers and in their communities. Whether you're looking to level up your leadership or pursue your passion or just get inspired to take your next big leap, this is where those stories come to life. Now, if you're listening on iTunes, YouTube or anywhere else you tune into podcasts, be sure to hit that subscribe button so you'll never miss an episode. Now let's dive in to what it means to truly go big. Ladies and gentlemen, today on the Going Big podcast, I am deeply honored to be able to welcome Lech, a man who literally changed the course of history in the latter half of the 20th century, as you may know. Here's a man who, as an electrician at the Gdansk shipyards in Poland, did the unthinkable by challenging the Soviet empire in the 1980s and ultimately by organizing a trade union that began over a protest over bread prices, grew that membership to over 10 million members and through a non violent demonstration of support for their rights, helped bring down the Berlin Wall. It's an astonishing story and what better epitome of going big than Lechva Winsa? Here's a man again who had humble beginnings as an electrician, as a worker at this shipyard, who ultimately was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts and became the popularly elected president of Poland as well. He has a lot of thoughts on the future of the world. What a pleasure to welcome Lech Washington. Well, President Vawensa it's great to have you here today. I want to start off by asking you what gave you the courage to go big as a shipyard worker in gdask, Poland, to challenge the Soviet regime, which otherwise anybody thought thought was unshakable and unmovable.
[03:48]
B
We saw that communism has exhausted its possibilities and the development of Poland, Europe and the entire world was much ahead of it. We noticed also at the post World War II organization of the World with the division Division of Germany also hindered the development of the world. And therefore for us practitioners, as it were, the question was how to change this. Theoreticians said that it would take World War three to change anything. But the practitioners such as me said we need to find reasons, reasoning which would help us. And so we got to work.
[04:48]
A
Amazing. Well, well, thank you for helping us avoid World War three. Well, my next question is, you grew up in a small Polish village. First it was under Nazi occupation and then Soviet domination. What was it about growing up in your family that gave you the ideas that you could ultimately challenge the Soviet Union?
[05:16]
B
I remember when I was about 10, it was. It was 1953. Stalin had just died and I. We didn't have television or radio or even electric power. People, our neighbors would meet and talk and I eavesdropped on them as a kid. And I had two conclusions. That they hate communism, that was first and second. And that they hate the Soviets. And I thought to myself, I'm gonna study and do everything that I can. So to get rid of them. Of course that was unrealistic for a 10 year old. I actually forgot about this for years when I left my village to the Daisk the strike. The first strike at the shipyard where it was three years after I arrived in Bask and I was chosen to be the strike leader. And I then remembered my dream from when I was a kid and I started putting it into practice. And later events also remind me of this. And for giving the confidence to struggle until I won. And I did win. But I was taught to take advantage of circumstances, especially if they led to what I was aiming for.
[07:32]
A
Well, we are very grateful.
[07:37]
B
The problem was that that was the dismantling of the old world order, but in order to build a new world order. But after that dirty era, we don't believe each other. So we need to convince each other now be able to. And today there is a seesaw situation around the world which should lead to future development. Should and sometimes so we can get convinced by making the wrong decisions, including the wrong electoral decisions. And These bad things are there for us to take stock of them and to separate the wheat from the chaff. All the organizations, political parties, even democracy itself from that old era is obsolete. We need to amend everything. We need to redefine what it is all about. We need to see why people don't believe in democracy anymore, why they don't defend democracy. All this are diagnoses. And only if you get the right diagnosis can you get the right treatment. But it is this treatment has to be administered by leading countries. So we can already see that, that you cannot do anything without such a superpower as the US and the US has to be decisive, has to be tough, but has to do it by convincing people, by presenting the right arguments. That's what this great superpower is. Therefore, and what we can do is help this great superpower to make the right diagnosis and to reach for the correct treatment. I've came here, I've got a lot of meetings, so then I can look for these good diagnoses with you. And you, as a leading country, can perhaps take notice of that.
[10:43]
A
Well, thank you. That's a great point. And I do want to come back to how you would advise us to overcome fear. But let's take it to where you are today. You're in the United States and Canada on a long speaking tour because you want to bring attention to what's going on in the world today, the concerns you have for the future. But President, you were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1983 for your important leadership efforts. How do you define peace today? I mean, in a democratic society, how should we be thinking about peace?
[11:25]
B
The problem is that we need to notice I won by destroying the old world order. But we need to see that that would amount to nothing if we did not take stock of what we've done and chosen of the correct way forward. And those solutions had to be also agreed upon by the leader of the United States. I would go to the US Go to and try to convince people, and I could convince the American people. But the lawmakers and the presidents, sure, they would support us. But nobody wanted to take a tough decision. But I managed to convince a person who is deserving of the Nobel Peace Prize. Bill Clinton. I was Bill Clinton. A soft decision to help Poland and other Eastern European countries join NATO. And this peaceful decision was the key. My strikes, my Solidarity, that was beautiful. It destroyed the old order, but didn't put us back into a certain equilibrium. That's why I would like to go on record that you support me in Supporting the nomination of Bill Clinton for the Nobel Peace Prize because it was his decision led to the consolidation of our victory. And we need to understand this because that shows that it's not enough to win. You need to arrive at a new equilibrium.
[14:09]
A
Podbean, your message amplified. Ready to share your message with the world? Start your podcast journey with podbean. Podbean, the AI powered all in one podcast platform.
[14:21]
B
Thousands of businesses and enterprises trust podbean to launch their podcasts.
[14:25]
A
Use Podbean to record your podcast.
[14:28]
B
Use Podbean AI to optimize your podcast.
[14:30]
A
Use Podbean AI to turn your blog into a podcast. Use podbean to distribute your podcast everywhere. Launch your podcast on podbean today.
[14:43]
B
And we need to acknowledge who did. Who actually did it. I did my bit, but I could not get the equilibrium. And we've got a similar situation today. We're doing a lot, or Europe is doing a lot. In order to arrive at a new equilibrium, we need your president's help. If he doesn't put a new. Introduce a new equilibrium, we'll lose everything. These are very difficult decisions.
[15:31]
A
Well, President, again, we applaud you for continuing to lead. And I have to say that you're now in your 80s. Very few people at this point are continuing to speak out in the manner that you are. And again, we really applaud you and these insights that you're sharing are fascinating. Again, I want to challenge this point about fear. I think so many people just don't know what to do and how to. To stand up. And to the Soviets, you know, they arrested you, they beat you up, they threatened you and your family. What. What would you suggest to people around the world? How should they think about standing up and speaking out?
[16:16]
B
You need to remember that we've only leased the world. That's. There is eternity ahead of us. Need to realize that we've only got a short lifespan. My faith helped me. My faith in God, of course. My God is like a latest generation computer and I need him a lot. The world needs him a lot. He needs the presidents, plural. Presidents needed him a lot. And God heals us from fear. I was always afraid of God and I was a bit afraid of my wife as well.
[17:28]
A
Well, that's pretty amazing. Well, President Vincent, you were able to draw on a lot of support. There was certainly the Polish Pope. John Paul II played an indispensable role. President Ronald Reagan, British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. But you were able to bring together the dissidents, the intellectuals, the workers. What advice would you have to us about how to do these kinds of things. I mean, what you did was pretty amazing.
[18:00]
B
Like I said, almost everyone recognized throughout the world back then that communism had run its course and it blocked development. Today, people notice that the world demands development, but we cannot do it using the old ways. Nation states are too small to deal with our problems. Today, the entire problems of the world is because we are not keeping up structure wise and organizationally with what is going on. At the end of the 20th century, the best structure were nation states. Now technology has gone so much ahead that nation states are too little, too small. Such we already had great civilizations on Earth. They would build pyramids, which we probably couldn't do in dozens of years. And those civilizations fell. And we are nearing their level of development now. The question is whether we will make the same mistakes as they did. If we recognize that today's technology requires a reorganizing of things, we need to realize that this cannot be done by nation states. I noticed 15 global subjects which can be only solved in a global way. And this is where the US comes in, so that these big issues could be dealt with by the United States insofar as the US could come up with directions to go to follow. And if other countries, the rest of the world agrees that, okay, this is the right direction, then the US could be responsible for their implementation. There are 30 continental subjects I've seen as well, in Europe, that is. And similarly I wanted to suggest to the largest European countries, Italy, Germany, France, to prepare solutions for these 30 issues. And if they succeed, Europe would give them the responsibility to actually implement those solutions. This is the way we should think. We should discuss these things in such a direction in order to save our civilization. It's that difficult, really. You need to take responsibility. No generation had an opportunity such as we do, but you need to see what needs to be done.
[22:17]
A
Well, let me ask you a related question, and this is perfect. Given that in the 1980s you inspired all of us around the world, what advice would you give to people thinking about stepping forward in leadership? Today we desperately need leadership. We know that around the world. So for anyone listening around the world, what would you say to inspire them to how do we get better people to step forward?
[22:48]
B
I showed you. We saw that the old post World War II order hindered developments and that it was impervious to reform. It had to be destroyed. And that's what we've done. We did it this in a surgical way, peacefully. Bill Clinton with his decisions confirmed that we were right. That was in Order to create a new order. And in order to create a new order, we need to discuss things.
[23:48]
A
And.
[23:49]
B
We need to understand that people do make mistakes. And we need to realize that these mistakes, including demagogues and populists, are there to see how bad it is to separate the weak from the chaff, like I said. And you need leaders for that, so that we can enter the third millennium with good solutions. This is the task for today. So we need to talk, we need to meet. We should arrive at the proper diagnoses, just like in medicine. And then the treatment will be easy.
[24:55]
A
Well, it may be simple, but it's not easy. President Pawenza, this has been a wonderful time. You know, it's. I was just in East. The old East Berlin. I went to the Stasi Museum, I went to Checkpoint Charlie, I went to the Berlin Wall Museum. And everywhere around that are reminders of your leadership. You are well recognized for your efforts. And today, if people who are listening to this in the United States and Canada want to come hear you in person, I think they can go to historyexplorer.com to check it out or just Google it. You're speaking for the next several weeks. Thank you for doing that. Again, for people around the world who are listening, what message would you like them to take away?
[25:45]
B
My role is to have discussions. It can have a collect. We have a collective wisdom. We are strong in the sense that we are a community, and together we can search for and arrive at good solutions. I'm just a catalyst for discussion.
[26:16]
A
And.
[26:16]
B
People will see what needs to be done themselves. That's my role, and that's the role I see for myself. All right. I'm too old for any other sort of leadership. I could see lots of wonderful people. I want to. I want to inspire young, talented people through my meetings and also to diagnose the problems we've got.
[26:59]
A
Well, we are grateful for the catalyst role you have played in inspiring others for a long time. We are grateful to God for the role he has played in your life. We are grateful to your wife for the role she has played in your life. And we are so grateful to you for inspiring us to go big. We really thank you for all that you've done for the. For the freedom movement, for people around the world. And I know what you'll do for many more years to come.
[27:28]
B
I'm at your service.
[27:30]
A
Well, we wish you all the very best. President Bahen, thank you very much.
[27:36]
B
Thank you.
[27:36]
A
Thanks for tuning in to the Going Big podcast. I hope today's conversation left you feeling energized and ready to tackle your biggest goals. Don't forget to subscribe and leave us a review on iTunes, YouTube or wherever you listen to podcasts. It really helps spread the word and it gets these inspiring stories out to more people. You can also find more content, resources and updates at our website, goingbigpodcast.com Remember, the only limits are the ones you don't challenge, the limits that you impose on yourself. Keep pushing, keep growing, and above all, keep going big. See you next time on the Going Big Podcast.

Summary5 min read

Going Big! with Kevin Gentry

Episode: President Lech Wałęsa on Faith, Courage, and Going Big for Democracy
Air date: September 15, 2025

Overview

This episode features a powerful conversation with Lech Wałęsa, legendary leader of the Solidarity movement, Nobel Peace Prize laureate, and former President of Poland. Host Kevin Gentry guides listeners through Wałęsa’s extraordinary journey from shipyard worker under oppressive regimes to global democracy icon. Wałęsa reflects on the courage, faith, and vision required for world-changing leadership—past, present, and future—offering urgent advice for a world still struggling to reinvent itself.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Courage to "Go Big" Against Communism

[03:48]

Wałęsa recounts the context for resistance: observing that communism was exhausted even as the world moved beyond it.
He describes shifting from theoretical ("it'll take World War III to change anything") to practical ("let's do the work") thinking among those at the Gdansk shipyard.

Notable Quote:
"Theoreticians said that it would take World War Three to change anything. But the practitioners such as me said we need to find reasons, reasoning which would help us. And so we got to work."
—Lech Wałęsa [03:48]

2. Inspiration from Childhood & Family

[05:16]

Wałęsa recalls being a child in 1953, overhearing adults' hatred for communism and Soviet control, and dreaming (at 10 years old) of ending their rule.
He didn't act on this ambition until years later when chosen to be a strike leader at the shipyard, but the early idea reawakened and sustained his confidence to persevere.

Notable Quote:
"I thought to myself, I'm gonna study and do everything that I can. So to get rid of them. Of course that was unrealistic for a 10 year old. I actually forgot about this for years ... and I started putting it into practice."
—Lech Wałęsa [05:16]

3. Diagnosing and Healing Democracy

[07:37]

Wałęsa emphasizes the world hasn't yet built a secure new order after the fall of communism.
He identifies a "seesaw situation" in global politics: people’s mistrust, bad decisions, and the obsolescence of old institutions (even democracy as structured post-WWII).
Calls for redefining democracy and helping superpowers, especially the U.S., play a decisive but persuasive role.

Notable Quote:
"All the organizations, political parties, even democracy itself from that old era is obsolete. We need to amend everything. We need to redefine what it is all about. We need to see why people don't believe in democracy anymore, why they don't defend democracy."
—Lech Wałęsa [07:37]

4. What Does Peace Mean Today?

[11:24]

Wałęsa insists that ending communism was just a step; real peace comes from achieving a new, stable equilibrium globally.
He credits U.S. support for Eastern Europe’s NATO accession, especially Bill Clinton’s decisive actions, as pivotal for consolidating the freedom won by Solidarity.
Advocates strongly for Clinton as a Nobel Peace Prize nominee for these contributions.

Notable Quote:
"My strikes, my Solidarity, that was beautiful. It destroyed the old order, but didn't put us back into a certain equilibrium. That's why I would like to go on record that you support me in supporting the nomination of Bill Clinton for the Nobel Peace Prize because it was his decision [that] led to the consolidation of our victory."
—Lech Wałęsa [11:24]

5. Overcoming Fear—Through Faith

[16:15]

Wałęsa reflects on personal sources of courage: a sense of mortality and religious faith.
He draws on faith in God, humorously comparing God ("like a latest generation computer") and being "a bit afraid of my wife" as primary motivators.

Notable Quote:
"My faith helped me. My faith in God, of course. My God is like a latest generation computer and I need him a lot. The world needs him a lot. He needs the presidents, plural. Presidents needed him a lot. And God heals us from fear. I was always afraid of God, and I was a bit afraid of my wife as well."
—Lech Wałęsa [16:15]

6. Global Leadership Beyond Nation States

[17:59]

Argues that today’s challenges (technological, organizational) surpass what nation states can manage.
Calls for global or continental solutions led by the U.S. and, for Europe, by its largest countries.
Warns of repeating past civilizations' mistakes if structures don’t modernize.

Notable Quote:
"Nation states are too small to deal with our problems. Today, the entire problem of the world is because we are not keeping up structure wise and organizationally with what is going on."
—Lech Wałęsa [17:59]

7. The Prescription for Leadership Today

[22:47]

Wałęsa urges today’s leaders to seek honest diagnoses of global problems, allowing for mistakes as part of progress.
Emphasizes the need for dialogue, community wisdom, and separating good ideas ("wheat") from harmful ones ("chaff").
Reiterates his role as a catalyst for discussion and encourages young leaders to boldly identify and solve today’s challenges.

Notable Quotes:
"You need leaders for that, so that we can enter the third millennium with good solutions. This is the task for today. So we need to talk, we need to meet. We should arrive at the proper diagnoses, just like in medicine."
—Lech Wałęsa [23:48]

"I'm just a catalyst for discussion and people will see what needs to be done themselves. That's my role and that's the role I see for myself. All right. And too old for any other sort of leadership. ... I want to inspire young, talented people through my means and also to diagnose the problems we've got."
—Lech Wałęsa [25:44, 26:16]

Memorable Moments

Wałęsa’s humor and humility in discussing fear:
"I was always afraid of God, and I was a bit afraid of my wife as well." [16:15]
His robust insistence on the unfinished work of democracy:
"To build a new world order ... we need to amend everything. We need to redefine what it is all about." [07:37]
Candid acknowledgment of limits and legacy:
"I'm too old for any other sort of leadership. ... I want to inspire young, talented people ..." [26:16]

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment/Topic | |-----------|-------------------------------------------------------------------| | 03:48 | Challenging communism and the courage to start | | 05:16 | Family background, childhood dreams | | 07:37 | Diagnosing the “seesaw” of democracy, redefining leadership | | 11:24 | Peace, NATO, and Clinton’s role | | 16:15 | Overcoming fear with faith and humor | | 17:59 | Outgrowing nation states—global and continental solutions | | 22:47 | Advice for today's leaders, “proper diagnosis” and collective wisdom | | 25:44 | Wałęsa’s catalyst role, call to young leaders |

Takeaway Message

Lech Wałęsa’s story is about finding courage through faith, never ceasing to challenge the status quo, and recognizing when the structures of the past no longer serve the future. His greatest advice: honest diagnosis of problems, discussing them openly, and inspiring new leaders to “go big” for the common good. Above all, Wałęsa reminds us that, together, communities can achieve world-changing progress.

Loading summary

Transcript37 lines

[00:02]
A
Your message amplified. Ready to share your message with the world? Start your podcast Journey with Podbean. Podbean. Podbean. PodBean. PodBean, the AI powered all in one podcast platform.
[00:14]
B
Thousands of businesses and enterprises trust Podbean to launch their podcasts.
[00:18]
A
Launch your podcast on podbean today.
[00:20]
B
My school uses Podbean. My church too.
[00:23]
A
I love it. I really do.
[00:27]
B
My role is to have discussions. We have a collective wisdom. We are strong in the sense that we are a community and together we can search for and arrive at good solutions. I'm just a catalyst for discussion and people will see what needs to be done themselves. That's my role and that's the role I see for myself. All right. And too old for any other sort of leadership. I could see lots of wonderful people. I want to inspire young, talented people through my means and also to diagnose the problems we've got.
[01:31]
A
Welcome to the Going Big Podcast. I'm your host, Kevin Gentry, and this is the place where we celebrate bold moves and big ideas. Each week I sit down with inspiring leaders, entrepreneurs and change makers who are making a significant impact in their careers and in their communities. Whether you're looking to level up your leadership or pursue your passion or just get inspired to take your next big leap, this is where those stories come to life. Now, if you're listening on iTunes, YouTube or anywhere else you tune into podcasts, be sure to hit that subscribe button so you'll never miss an episode. Now let's dive in to what it means to truly go big. Ladies and gentlemen, today on the Going Big podcast, I am deeply honored to be able to welcome Lech, a man who literally changed the course of history in the latter half of the 20th century, as you may know. Here's a man who, as an electrician at the Gdansk shipyards in Poland, did the unthinkable by challenging the Soviet empire in the 1980s and ultimately by organizing a trade union that began over a protest over bread prices, grew that membership to over 10 million members and through a non violent demonstration of support for their rights, helped bring down the Berlin Wall. It's an astonishing story and what better epitome of going big than Lechva Winsa? Here's a man again who had humble beginnings as an electrician, as a worker at this shipyard, who ultimately was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts and became the popularly elected president of Poland as well. He has a lot of thoughts on the future of the world. What a pleasure to welcome Lech Washington. Well, President Vawensa it's great to have you here today. I want to start off by asking you what gave you the courage to go big as a shipyard worker in gdask, Poland, to challenge the Soviet regime, which otherwise anybody thought thought was unshakable and unmovable.
[03:48]
B
We saw that communism has exhausted its possibilities and the development of Poland, Europe and the entire world was much ahead of it. We noticed also at the post World War II organization of the World with the division Division of Germany also hindered the development of the world. And therefore for us practitioners, as it were, the question was how to change this. Theoreticians said that it would take World War three to change anything. But the practitioners such as me said we need to find reasons, reasoning which would help us. And so we got to work.
[04:48]
A
Amazing. Well, well, thank you for helping us avoid World War three. Well, my next question is, you grew up in a small Polish village. First it was under Nazi occupation and then Soviet domination. What was it about growing up in your family that gave you the ideas that you could ultimately challenge the Soviet Union?
[05:16]
B
I remember when I was about 10, it was. It was 1953. Stalin had just died and I. We didn't have television or radio or even electric power. People, our neighbors would meet and talk and I eavesdropped on them as a kid. And I had two conclusions. That they hate communism, that was first and second. And that they hate the Soviets. And I thought to myself, I'm gonna study and do everything that I can. So to get rid of them. Of course that was unrealistic for a 10 year old. I actually forgot about this for years when I left my village to the Daisk the strike. The first strike at the shipyard where it was three years after I arrived in Bask and I was chosen to be the strike leader. And I then remembered my dream from when I was a kid and I started putting it into practice. And later events also remind me of this. And for giving the confidence to struggle until I won. And I did win. But I was taught to take advantage of circumstances, especially if they led to what I was aiming for.
[07:32]
A
Well, we are very grateful.
[07:37]
B
The problem was that that was the dismantling of the old world order, but in order to build a new world order. But after that dirty era, we don't believe each other. So we need to convince each other now be able to. And today there is a seesaw situation around the world which should lead to future development. Should and sometimes so we can get convinced by making the wrong decisions, including the wrong electoral decisions. And These bad things are there for us to take stock of them and to separate the wheat from the chaff. All the organizations, political parties, even democracy itself from that old era is obsolete. We need to amend everything. We need to redefine what it is all about. We need to see why people don't believe in democracy anymore, why they don't defend democracy. All this are diagnoses. And only if you get the right diagnosis can you get the right treatment. But it is this treatment has to be administered by leading countries. So we can already see that, that you cannot do anything without such a superpower as the US and the US has to be decisive, has to be tough, but has to do it by convincing people, by presenting the right arguments. That's what this great superpower is. Therefore, and what we can do is help this great superpower to make the right diagnosis and to reach for the correct treatment. I've came here, I've got a lot of meetings, so then I can look for these good diagnoses with you. And you, as a leading country, can perhaps take notice of that.
[10:43]
A
Well, thank you. That's a great point. And I do want to come back to how you would advise us to overcome fear. But let's take it to where you are today. You're in the United States and Canada on a long speaking tour because you want to bring attention to what's going on in the world today, the concerns you have for the future. But President, you were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1983 for your important leadership efforts. How do you define peace today? I mean, in a democratic society, how should we be thinking about peace?
[11:25]
B
The problem is that we need to notice I won by destroying the old world order. But we need to see that that would amount to nothing if we did not take stock of what we've done and chosen of the correct way forward. And those solutions had to be also agreed upon by the leader of the United States. I would go to the US Go to and try to convince people, and I could convince the American people. But the lawmakers and the presidents, sure, they would support us. But nobody wanted to take a tough decision. But I managed to convince a person who is deserving of the Nobel Peace Prize. Bill Clinton. I was Bill Clinton. A soft decision to help Poland and other Eastern European countries join NATO. And this peaceful decision was the key. My strikes, my Solidarity, that was beautiful. It destroyed the old order, but didn't put us back into a certain equilibrium. That's why I would like to go on record that you support me in Supporting the nomination of Bill Clinton for the Nobel Peace Prize because it was his decision led to the consolidation of our victory. And we need to understand this because that shows that it's not enough to win. You need to arrive at a new equilibrium.
[14:09]
A
Podbean, your message amplified. Ready to share your message with the world? Start your podcast journey with podbean. Podbean, the AI powered all in one podcast platform.
[14:21]
B
Thousands of businesses and enterprises trust podbean to launch their podcasts.
[14:25]
A
Use Podbean to record your podcast.
[14:28]
B
Use Podbean AI to optimize your podcast.
[14:30]
A
Use Podbean AI to turn your blog into a podcast. Use podbean to distribute your podcast everywhere. Launch your podcast on podbean today.
[14:43]
B
And we need to acknowledge who did. Who actually did it. I did my bit, but I could not get the equilibrium. And we've got a similar situation today. We're doing a lot, or Europe is doing a lot. In order to arrive at a new equilibrium, we need your president's help. If he doesn't put a new. Introduce a new equilibrium, we'll lose everything. These are very difficult decisions.
[15:31]
A
Well, President, again, we applaud you for continuing to lead. And I have to say that you're now in your 80s. Very few people at this point are continuing to speak out in the manner that you are. And again, we really applaud you and these insights that you're sharing are fascinating. Again, I want to challenge this point about fear. I think so many people just don't know what to do and how to. To stand up. And to the Soviets, you know, they arrested you, they beat you up, they threatened you and your family. What. What would you suggest to people around the world? How should they think about standing up and speaking out?
[16:16]
B
You need to remember that we've only leased the world. That's. There is eternity ahead of us. Need to realize that we've only got a short lifespan. My faith helped me. My faith in God, of course. My God is like a latest generation computer and I need him a lot. The world needs him a lot. He needs the presidents, plural. Presidents needed him a lot. And God heals us from fear. I was always afraid of God and I was a bit afraid of my wife as well.
[17:28]
A
Well, that's pretty amazing. Well, President Vincent, you were able to draw on a lot of support. There was certainly the Polish Pope. John Paul II played an indispensable role. President Ronald Reagan, British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. But you were able to bring together the dissidents, the intellectuals, the workers. What advice would you have to us about how to do these kinds of things. I mean, what you did was pretty amazing.
[18:00]
B
Like I said, almost everyone recognized throughout the world back then that communism had run its course and it blocked development. Today, people notice that the world demands development, but we cannot do it using the old ways. Nation states are too small to deal with our problems. Today, the entire problems of the world is because we are not keeping up structure wise and organizationally with what is going on. At the end of the 20th century, the best structure were nation states. Now technology has gone so much ahead that nation states are too little, too small. Such we already had great civilizations on Earth. They would build pyramids, which we probably couldn't do in dozens of years. And those civilizations fell. And we are nearing their level of development now. The question is whether we will make the same mistakes as they did. If we recognize that today's technology requires a reorganizing of things, we need to realize that this cannot be done by nation states. I noticed 15 global subjects which can be only solved in a global way. And this is where the US comes in, so that these big issues could be dealt with by the United States insofar as the US could come up with directions to go to follow. And if other countries, the rest of the world agrees that, okay, this is the right direction, then the US could be responsible for their implementation. There are 30 continental subjects I've seen as well, in Europe, that is. And similarly I wanted to suggest to the largest European countries, Italy, Germany, France, to prepare solutions for these 30 issues. And if they succeed, Europe would give them the responsibility to actually implement those solutions. This is the way we should think. We should discuss these things in such a direction in order to save our civilization. It's that difficult, really. You need to take responsibility. No generation had an opportunity such as we do, but you need to see what needs to be done.
[22:17]
A
Well, let me ask you a related question, and this is perfect. Given that in the 1980s you inspired all of us around the world, what advice would you give to people thinking about stepping forward in leadership? Today we desperately need leadership. We know that around the world. So for anyone listening around the world, what would you say to inspire them to how do we get better people to step forward?
[22:48]
B
I showed you. We saw that the old post World War II order hindered developments and that it was impervious to reform. It had to be destroyed. And that's what we've done. We did it this in a surgical way, peacefully. Bill Clinton with his decisions confirmed that we were right. That was in Order to create a new order. And in order to create a new order, we need to discuss things.
[23:48]
A
And.
[23:49]
B
We need to understand that people do make mistakes. And we need to realize that these mistakes, including demagogues and populists, are there to see how bad it is to separate the weak from the chaff, like I said. And you need leaders for that, so that we can enter the third millennium with good solutions. This is the task for today. So we need to talk, we need to meet. We should arrive at the proper diagnoses, just like in medicine. And then the treatment will be easy.
[24:55]
A
Well, it may be simple, but it's not easy. President Pawenza, this has been a wonderful time. You know, it's. I was just in East. The old East Berlin. I went to the Stasi Museum, I went to Checkpoint Charlie, I went to the Berlin Wall Museum. And everywhere around that are reminders of your leadership. You are well recognized for your efforts. And today, if people who are listening to this in the United States and Canada want to come hear you in person, I think they can go to historyexplorer.com to check it out or just Google it. You're speaking for the next several weeks. Thank you for doing that. Again, for people around the world who are listening, what message would you like them to take away?
[25:45]
B
My role is to have discussions. It can have a collect. We have a collective wisdom. We are strong in the sense that we are a community, and together we can search for and arrive at good solutions. I'm just a catalyst for discussion.
[26:16]
A
And.
[26:16]
B
People will see what needs to be done themselves. That's my role, and that's the role I see for myself. All right. I'm too old for any other sort of leadership. I could see lots of wonderful people. I want to. I want to inspire young, talented people through my meetings and also to diagnose the problems we've got.
[26:59]
A
Well, we are grateful for the catalyst role you have played in inspiring others for a long time. We are grateful to God for the role he has played in your life. We are grateful to your wife for the role she has played in your life. And we are so grateful to you for inspiring us to go big. We really thank you for all that you've done for the. For the freedom movement, for people around the world. And I know what you'll do for many more years to come.
[27:28]
B
I'm at your service.
[27:30]
A
Well, we wish you all the very best. President Bahen, thank you very much.
[27:36]
B
Thank you.
[27:36]
A
Thanks for tuning in to the Going Big podcast. I hope today's conversation left you feeling energized and ready to tackle your biggest goals. Don't forget to subscribe and leave us a review on iTunes, YouTube or wherever you listen to podcasts. It really helps spread the word and it gets these inspiring stories out to more people. You can also find more content, resources and updates at our website, goingbigpodcast.com Remember, the only limits are the ones you don't challenge, the limits that you impose on yourself. Keep pushing, keep growing, and above all, keep going big. See you next time on the Going Big Podcast.