Well, part of it for sure is not pretty...millions of babies born to parents or a single mother who could not afford to feed them, in addition to the ecological damage of an overpopulated (in some places) world. He was too slow to react and too behind closed doors and just too publicly silent on the abuse of children that happened on his watch. And probably some of his liberating actions could have led to WWIII rather than the breaking down of barriers. He would have left Saddam in power with all that implies for torture etc. of his slave country.

These things will all be duly noted, both here and on his judgment day, which I presume has already happened. The good legacy I think far outweighs it...and I think when we add his WWII experiences in, a lot of heroism etc. will be shown that we are not yet aware of. He showed us the face of not just a decent man forged in the fires of war and genocide and slave labor...but specifically that of a Pole. In my lifetime we have not heard much from the Poles..they make up a big chunk of America, but I don't think they are too prominent even here. Now we have two million Poles who made it to Rome for his funeral. that to me is a miracle..that they could afford it even..that after all their years of subjugation they were even free to travel. Things are looking up in that quarter of the world.

He showed us the importance of travel, of one on one contact with people of other cultures. The importance of physical fitness. Of singing in large groups (and that was a terrible omission at his funeral...they should have had at least a well-known Polish hymn to send him on his way, and perhaps a Latin one..Panis Angelicus? as well that many in the crowd could have sung along to).

Bottom line: common decency and standing up to be counted. mg