Randy Suits

Bartering and Advanced Survival Strategies

Antoni, Antonina & a Friend

Eva, my gift of love,

When the occupying Nazi Army settled in, the Polish People learned that anything of value could and would be confiscated if it were discovered. The enormous expense of financing war is always partially funded by the conquered. The rich who lived in pomp and splendor before the invasion were the first to be stripped of their wealth. The rich were thrown into the streets from their elaborately furnished homes and stripped of their businesses or assets to raise funds for the war chest of the Führer Adolph Hitler. All their gold, silver, jewelry and valuable art were collected and sent back to Germany to support the war effort. When the conqueror begins to strip the conquered of their riches and personal valuables, those things immediately disappear from sight. Looking poor, destitute and hungry becomes the instant appearance for the captives and every conqueror knows this. An underground economy quickly springs up and neighbors trade for the essentials of life. Antoni and Antonina creatively concealed everything of value in their tiny apartment. Antoni made shoes each evening to sell the next day. Each shoe was built to the exact foot size. One foot is always somewhat larger than the other so the shoes Antoni made were a perfect fit. Shoes are not made like that now. However, since he could not risk keeping his leather in large quantities he often bartered with a client by making a pair of new shoes for enough leather to make 4 additional pairs. Antonina was well known by the wives of the wealthy. (The wealthy knew better than the poor how to hide their wealth) They could pay in gold coins or valuable art for stylish shoes like those Antoni made for Antonina. The gold coins were hid in the corners of table cloths, a hollowed out table leg, in the back side of the fireplace, in a concealed wall storage space, the baby cradle, the mattress, the hems of a coat or in the attic. The Polish nation immediately went into advanced survival mode. Living in secret became an absolute necessity. Those things that were done in open view were planned to appear to be cooperating with their captors or to bait them into complacency. The Nazis demanded subservience and ostensibly the Poles gave them that illusion. But it was in fact only an illusion. The independent spirit of the Polish nation as a whole burned in the hearts and minds of each enslaved Polish citizen. They never turned loose of their Polish identity, pride and culture. They were proud to be Polish and the more the German Nazis and Russian Communists demeaned and insulted them the more determined they were to overcome their evil oppressors. Every oppressor fails to understand that you can never push a human being to absolute hopelessness, because at that point there can only be hope. Hope inspires faith. Faith gives birth to vision and vision brings forth a plan of action. The conquered understand the conqueror more than the conqueror knows them. Weaknesses of the enemy become apparent. Well thought out strategies evolve which counter the power of the captors. One of the most effective methods of depriving your captor from profiting from your capture is to remove every resource that they can exploit. Poland, a very rich nation, became poorer and poorer because the Poles with their new bartering and advanced survival strategies, effectively converted their wealth into commodities which the Nazi financial system could not use to produce tanks, fighter planes, bombers, munitions and supplies to promote the war effort. These survival strategies were dangerous. The Nazi SS (storm troopers) were merciless and could ferret out any hidden valuables or weapons if suspicion was aroused. They would tear the walls out of a home and rip everything asunder to find hidden cash, gold, weapons, ammunition or records of the underground army of Poland. Antoni and Antonina lived a life of intrigue more dangerous than anything portrayed in books, films or television. The world reaped a benefit from the war of attrition the Polish people fought against the forces of Nazi Germany and Communist Russia.  In our generation, we are being forced to support ungodly policies that are anathema to any believing Christian, Jew or Muslim.  We are also oppressed when we speak out in our first amendment rights in support of our faith. In the name of inclusion, we are forced to abandon our faith and principles. We are forced to comply with laws written to reduce us to mindless beings legislated into funding social programs contrary to our conscience and good judgment. As children of the Most High God we are responsible for stewardship of the money God has given to us. In the book of Revelation, God calls his people to ‘come out of Babylon’ (the last day world system of financial corruption and depravity). As God worked through the Polish people to defeat the wicked designs of the Nazi political machine and Communist slave state, may Gods people band together in unity and solidarity to defeat those ungodly inventions of men that bring eternal judgment and damnation on men of evil will.

Grateful to our God for His protective covering from evil, Kochany