Reagan ally Lech Walesa talks of Communism's ills, demagogues at Simi Valley event

The world is at a crossroads and human existence is at stake, Lech Walesa said Tuesday in Simi Valley.

The former president of Poland and champion of democracy spoke through an interpreter at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in a program that drew 600 people to a massive tent next to Reagan’s grave and honored his Feb. 6 birthday.

Gripping the podium with both hands, Walesa spoke sparingly of how he, Reagan and others worked to oust Communism from Poland and other countries, largely bypassing how he became his nation's first democratically elected president and how he won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1983.

Now he is 80. "My life is almost ending,” he said, describing the past battles as the initial stride and focusing on what he called step two: Keeping order in the world order. He said half the world wants to build the future on laws and freedom.

“The other half says that’s not a good idea,” he said. “One side insists on one thing. The other insists on the other thing.”

He spoke of choosing economic ideologies, saying Communism will never work despite its principles on paper of justice and equality.

“Capitalism means there is competition,” he said. “You have to have free economy.”

He slashed at certain political leaders, avoiding names, rather identifying them as demagogues who know no boundaries, “who cheat and are dishonest.”

“How do we keep order in the world if you have no fear, if you have no stop sign?” he asked.

He fired away at political parties that identify themselves with Christianity. “They are yelling that they are Christian but they don’t have one person of faith there,” he said.

He called on the United States to lead the world, painting a grim picture of what will happen if global order and harmony remain out of reach.

“If we don’t start to work right now, the world will end. Adam and Eve will come back, and we will start over,” he said.

The annual birthday program commemorated Reagan’s 113^th birthday. As the Pineapple Express storm brought light rain, a wreath was laid at his gravesite. Marines from Camp Pendleton performed a 21-gun salute.

Afterward, people ate a cake decorated with an image of the late president holding birthday balloons. In the massive tent, the same used to house media during the presidential primary debate in September, three Polish immigrants who live in Ventura County lingered. They focused on Walesa’s words, interpreting it as a call to action similar to his lifelong battles against Communism.

“It’s up to us to change the world again,” said Helena Swider of Simi Valley. “Otherwise, the world could disappear.”

Tom Kisken covers health care and other news for the Ventura County Star. Reach him at tom.kisken@vcstar.com or 805-437-0255.

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This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Reagan ally Walesa talks of Communism's ills, demagogues at Simi event