Editorial

I was saddened by this morning's editorial by Dan Pavel entitled ''The Rise of Gusa Can Be Stopped'.

Why should it be? Romanian politics is not exactly overflowing with young and talented people.

Mr Gusa may have conveyed the impression (pardon my language) of being an arrogant bastard but he was a vital force in a stagnant political pool.

Before delivering his verdict that he should be driven out of town, Dan Pavel ought to give him the benefit of the doubt.

Perhaps after having been scorched by the PSD sun, Mr Gusa is older and wiser. He may be reassessing his position and his style of politics which can be summed up as 'I take no prisoners'. If so, this will be a healthy moment in Romanian politics and a cause perhaps for even mild celebration.

So perhaps Dan Pavel might invite Mr Gusa out for lunch to see if a new Gusa might be emerging.

Before he condemns people absolutely, Dan Pavel really ought to get their own side of the story. If he had talked to the human rights activist Valerian Stan in person, I am convinced he would not have written about him in the way he did in his recent book, 'Nu putem reusi decit impreuna'.

In journalism as well as politics, the best professionals are often weakened if their approach to their job can be summed up by the watchword: 'I take no prisoners' .

Tom Gallagher

La 2003-07-14 12:36:41, Tom Gallagher a scris:

> 
>  I was saddened by this morning's editorial by Dan Pavel entitled
> ''The Rise of Gusa Can Be Stopped'.
> 
>  Why should it be? Romanian politics is not exactly overflowing with
> young and talented people.
> 
>  Mr Gusa may have conveyed the impression (pardon my language) of
> being an arrogant bastard but he was a vital force in a stagnant
> political pool.
> 
>  Before delivering his verdict that he should be driven out of town,
> Dan Pavel ought to give him the benefit of the doubt.
> 
>  Perhaps after having been scorched by the PSD sun, Mr Gusa is older
> and wiser. He may be reassessing his position and his style of
> politics which can be summed up as 'I take no prisoners'. If so, this
> will be a healthy moment in Romanian politics and a cause perhaps for
> even mild celebration.
> 
>  So perhaps Dan Pavel might invite Mr Gusa out for lunch to see if a
> new Gusa might be emerging.
> 
>  Before he condemns people absolutely, Dan Pavel really ought to get
> their own side of the story. If he had talked to the human rights
> activist Valerian Stan in person, I am convinced he would not have
> written about him in the way he did in his recent book, 'Nu putem
> reusi decit impreuna'.
> 
>  In journalism as well as politics, the best professionals are often
> weakened if their approach to their job can be summed up by the
> watchword: 'I take no prisoners' .
> 
>  Tom Gallagher
> 
Dear Professor Gallagher,. I do not doubt that Mr. Gusa was - and indeed still is, notwithstanding the fact that he is quitting now the PSD - the epitome of the young PSD as compared to the old, Iliescu-style PDSR. He is vulgar, arrogant, and not even cunning, only the perfect young arrivist Dan Pavel is depicting in his text. This bouquet of qualities do not concern me, for Mr. Gusa was never a friend of mine. What was disturbing for us all is the fact that this aggressive, insolent apparatchik was allowed to speak not only on behalf of the party which invented him, but on behalf of the Romanian state, which was never and should never be his province. The fact that he can now bait the hand that feed him is no proof he was better than his master. Yours, Desappointed, Zoe Petre