Solidarity

Solidarity (pronounced sol-i-dar-i-tee)

(1) A state or feeling of union or fellowship arising from common responsibilities and interests, as between members of a group or between classes, peoples etc.

(2) A community of feelings, purposes etc; a unity of interests.

(3) In the Westminster political system, as cabinet solidarity, a principle in representative & responsible government whereby all members of the cabinet are required either publicly to support all decisions of cabinet or resign from the body.

(4) In inter-personal relations, a willingness to provide support of various kinds when another person is in need.

(5) A communist era Polish organization of independent trade unions founded in 1980 (solidarność (pronounced saw-lee-dahr-nawshch) in the Polish)).  It was in 1982 outlawed by the government of Poland before being made lawful and going on to form the basis of the non-communist government in 1989.

1829: The construct was the English solidary +‎ -ity, from the French solidarité (solidarity; communion of interests and responsibilities, mutual responsibility), from solidaire (characterized by solidarity), from the Latin solidum (whole sum), neuter of solidus (solid).  The French solidarité was coined by and first appeared in the Encyclopédie (1765) and was from solidaire (interdependent, complete, entire) from solide.  Capitalized, it was ultimately from the French form the independent trade union movement in Poland gained its name.  The –ity suffix was from the French -ité, from the Middle French -ité, from the Old French –ete & -eteit (-ity), from the Latin -itātem, from -itās, from the primitive Indo-European suffix –it.  It was cognate with the Gothic –iþa (-th), the Old High German -ida (-th) and the Old English -þo, -þu & -þ (-th).  It was used to form nouns from adjectives (especially abstract nouns), thus most often associated with nouns referring to the state, property, or quality of conforming to the adjective's description.  Solidarity is a noun, solid is a noun, adjective & adverb and solidarize & solidary are verbs; the noun, plural is solidarities.

Flag of Solidarność.

The Solidarity labor union was formed in Poland in September 1980 and was independent of both the state and the Polish Communist party.  Under the leadership of dockyard electrician Lech Wałęsa (b 1943; Polish dissident trade union leader, President of Poland 1990-1995), it came into existence at a time when the communist authorities in both Warsaw and Moscow had become more reticent in their internal suppression and by the early 1980s its membership was in the millions.  Eventually banned by the government in 1982, as an underground movement it continued to pursue the need for industrial and democratic reform and was a factor in the fall of communism in Poland.  Although Wałęsa won both the Nobel Peace prize (1983) and the presidency of his country, (1990-1995), by the end of the century, Solidarity’s historic moment had passed.

Looking their best: Arthur Sinodinos presenting to President Trump his credentials as Australia's ambassador to the US, the White House, Washington DC, February 2020.

In Australia, royal commissions are public investigations, established by but independent of government.  Not a court, royal commissions are created to enquire into matters of importance and, within their terms of reference, have broad powers to conduct public & in camera hearings and can call witnesses, compelling them (under oath) to provide testimony and they deliver recommendations to government about what should be done, consequent upon their findings.  These can include recommendations for legislative or administrative changes and the prosecution of institutions or individuals and they’re of great interest because they appear to be the only institution (at least theoretically) able to compel a politician to tell the truth.  Even that power is limited though because when appearing before royal commissions, politicians seem especially prone to suffering an onset of Sinodinos syndrome, a distressing condition which compels witnesses frequently to utter phrases like “I can’t remember”, “I don’t recall”, “not in my recollection” etc.  The condition is named after Arthur Sinodinos (b 1957; Australian Liberal Party functionary; senator for New South Wales 2011-2019) who, according to legal legend, while being questioned by an enquiry, set a record for the frequency with which the distressing condition manifested.  Happily, Mr Sinodinos' symptoms weren't thought serious by the Liberal Party government which in early 2020 appointed him Australia's ambassador to the United States. 

Looking his best: Eight photographs of Stuart Robert.

A royal commission is currently enquiring into matters associated with the “robodebt” affair which was an attempt by the previous government to use unlawful methods to calculate what it alleged were debts to the Commonwealth, owed by some who had in the past been in receipt of some sort of benefit, pension or welfare payment.  The commission is, inter alia, seeking to work out the usual “who knew what when” in relation to the unlawful conduct and so far, witnesses have provided contradictory evidence so it will be a matter for the commission to decide which sworn statements seem most compelling.  The appearance of one of the ministers responsible for robodebt, Stuart Robert (b 1970; minister in various portfolios in National-Liberal Party coalition governments 2013-2022) was anticipated more eagerly than most and he didn’t disappoint anyone hoping to see the odd symptom of Sinodinos syndrome, some of his answers among the contradictory responses through which the commission will have to sift.  If need be, the commissioner can recall Mr Robert if any clarifications are needed and there will be some looking forward to that.

Of interest also were Mr Robert’s thoughts on what is meant by “cabinet solidarity” which in the Westminster political system is a one of the principles of representative & responsible government whereby all members of the cabinet are required publicly to support all decisions of cabinet or else resign from the body.  The matter of cabinet solidarity arose after Mr Robert admitted to the commissioner that he publicly defended robodebt despite his own “personal misgivings” and further admitted that during 2019 he made several comments on the scheme he personally believed were false.

Asked several times by the commissioner why he had made comments which he believed at the time were false, Mr Robert told the commissioner he had done so because he was “bound by cabinet solidarity” and “as a dutiful cabinet minister…that’s what we do”.  When the commissioner asked if this meant he was bound by cabinet solidarity to “misrepresent things to the Australian public?”, he replied he wouldn’t “put it that way”.  It seems a generous interpretation to suggest Mr Robert may “misunderstand” what “cabinet solidarity” means but it may be with that degree of delicacy the commissioner chooses to comment on the matter in her final report.  What “cabinet solidarity” really means is that members of the cabinet are required publicly to defend the decision of cabinet even if they disagree with them.  If the disagreement is to an individual a matter of such significance they feel compelled publicly to oppose the decision, then they must resign from cabinet to be free to do so.  It has nothing to do with providing some cloak of cover to enable a cabinet minister to make statements representing something he believes to be false as truth and the system as it’s operated in Australia is actually quite flexible.  Some years ago it was arranged for a minister to resign from cabinet yet remain a minister in the “outer ministry”.  That trick enabled (1) the decision to stand, (2) the minister to keep a higher salary and lots of perks and (3) the “resignation” to be spun as a matter of principle although it was just a way to try to minimize the loss of votes in a particular electorate.

Looking her best: Lindsay Lohan with ankle braclet.

In July 2010, US Customs and Border Protection officers stationed on the Canadian border reported an ankle surveillance bracelet was being worn by Eugene Todie (b 1981) who was being questioned after attempting to re-enter the US using someone else's passport.  The report revealed Mr Todie claimed a friend in the probation service had given him the monitor, pursuant to his request for a way he could “show solidarity” with Lindsay Lohan, then wearing a court-ordered alcohol monitor on her ankle.  Record checks showed Mr Todie, a resident of Buffalo, New York, was on probation for criminal contempt, had surrendered his own passport after being banned from leaving the US and was wearing the bracelet by court order.  Mr Todie was remanded in custody and later appeared in Federal Court on charges including misuse of a passport.