Commentary on Polish political scene

[jerry mcmasters]

We are no beacon of enlightenment over here but in general in the US I think we've reached the point where enough people are openly gay that almost everybody has a family member or knows someone who is lgbt. You're still going to have people who hate gays and will insist "no son of mine is going to be gay" and stuff like that but we're not in conflict that it's a threat to the nation and needs to be stamped out.

[Szuchow]

We are no beacon of enlightenment over here but in general in the US I think we've reached the point where enough people are openly gay that almost everybody has a family member or knows someone who is lgbt.  You're still going to have people who hate gays and will insist "no son of mine is going to be gay" and stuff like that but we're not in conflict that it's a threat to the nation and needs to be stamped out.

Well, people here say that they have nothing against gays, it's just "LGBT ideology" that is the problem. But one must be beyond dumb to buy into such idiotic excuse. 

Also it's mostly fascists and their supporters which see gays as a danger. Alleged liberals merely prefer them to be quiet*. 

*Look up MLK quote about negative peace to see how awful such attitude is.

[Szuchow]

How 1939 looked like according to right wing clowns:

[Szuchow]

Calling Poland Iran of Europe is insult to Iran:

Prosecutors are seeking to bring a man to trial in Poland for “offending religious sentiment” – a crime that carries a potential prison sentence of up to two years – over an incident in which he entered a church wearing a hat.

“There are generally accepted rules in the church that men do not go inside in hats,” one of the offended parishioners told a court about the incident, in which a group of men were confronted by congregants and the parish priest. “They entered the church for provocative purposes.”

[Szuchow]

Here is what tolerance toward far right results in:

A uniformed far-right group entered an orphanage in an effort to stop children from being given coronavirus vaccines. The incident is the latest in a series of increasingly aggressive actions by Polish “anti-vaxxers”, which the authorities are seeking to tackle.[...]The group that entered the orphanage was Bydgoskie Kamractwo Rodaków, a far-right organisation that recorded the incident and published it on YouTube. Its channel, which has thousands of followers, contains videos of other anti-vaccine protests as well as of training in the use of firearms.

[Szuchow]

On Wednesday, Poland's ruling camp narrowly passed a contentious media bill targeting the American-owned network TVN. The legislation has been pushed through in violation of parliamentary procedure.

Fascists never respected the law* but comedy of voting on this bill showed that Poland is nothing else than banana republic barely even bothering with masquerading this.

*Obvious, I know.

[Szuchow]

Even now some things in Poland go as they should:

Two Holocaust scholars have won an appeal against a Polish court ruling ordering them to apologise to the relative of a man whom they said had been involved in the murder of Jews. “Interference in academic research” is not the role of a court, said the judge.

In a case that drew international concerns over academic freedom in Poland, Barbara Engelking, director of the Polish Centre for Holocaust Research, and Jan Grabowski, professor of history at the University of Ottawa, were sued over their book Night Without End: The Fate of Jews in Selected Counties of Occupied Poland.

In country that isn't Upper Volta without missiles [to paraphrase chancellor Schmidt words] such trial wouldn't happen but at least one judge had integrity to make a right decision.

[Minimalist]

Pope Frankie dishes out "discipline"   ( sort of.)

https://abcnews.go.com/International/wir...e-79579322

Vatican punishes Polish archbishop for sex abuse negligence

Catholic Church authorities in Poland say the Vatican is punishing a retired Polish archbishop for his alleged negligent response to cases of sexual abuse of minors by clergymen under his authority

The Archdiocese of Wroclaw said the Vatican had reviewed reports of alleged negligence by the diocese former head, the retired archbishop Marian Golebiewski. The probe covered the years from 1996 to 2004, when Golebiewski was head of the Koszalin diocese, and 2004 to 2013, when he led the Wroclaw archdiocese.

As a result, the Vatican has banned Golebiewski, 83, from appearing at any public religious or lay ceremonies and has ordered him to donate from his own pocket to a foundation preventing sexual abuse and supporting its victims. He is also to pray and repent.

Well, that will fix his ass, won't it, your assholiness.  Apparently burning at the stake has gone out of fashion in catholick circles.

[Szuchow]

Poland’s justice minister has accused the European Union of engaging in a “hybrid war” against Poland through its opposition to the Polish government’s judicial policies. But he pledged to continue “far-reaching reform that will not please EU bureaucrats”.


No comment is necessary I would say.

[Szuchow]

Poland’s Jewish community has protested against the inclusion of works by an artist some fascist subhuman trash convicted of hate speech in an exhibition at a state-run art gallery in Warsaw. The country’s chief rabbi called the decision to display them “evil”.

The dispute is part of wider controversy around a new exhibition, financed by the culture ministry, of intentionally provocative works at the Ujazdowski Castle Centre for Contemporary Art (CSW). The gallery says it aims to tackle the “cancel culture” of censorship that has become increasingly prevalent in western countries.

[strikethrough mine]

What else but inviting fascist trash from all over Europe can be expected from fascist shithole where ruling clique of sub humans is quick to dehumanize anyone not sucking clergy and nationalists cocks? Considering Poland history it's beyond fucking shameful but perhaps it should be expected as even during the war there were Poles thankful to Hitler for killing Jews.

ETA: Gallery says quite far more than article in English reports. According to words of it's director it want to "distance itself from marxist and neo-marxist view", which is rhetoric that isn't far removed from one that nazis used. Here is the source [in Polish, though relevant sentence is at the very beginning of article if anyone wish to use translator]: https://oko.press/hitler-jako-jezus-i-cy...edlug-csw/

[Minimalist]

I, much like you it seems, doubt the sincerity of their "reasoning."  However, I do agree that this shit should not be suppressed.  It should be exposed for all to see and condemn.

The fact that a handful of skinheads will champion it is not much of a problem.

[Szuchow]

I, much like you it seems, doubt the sincerity of their "reasoning."  However, I do agree that this shit should not be suppressed.  It should be exposed for all to see and condemn.

The fact that a handful of skinheads will champion it is not much of a problem.

There is no fucking reason at all for state gallery serving as vehicle for fascist views. In fact there are laws in Poland intended to prevent spread of fascism*. If some subhuman trash want to spread his poison then he can fuck off to some banana republic and rent some shit stained shack where he will preach it to yokels. There is no place in civilized countries for scum like this, especially in state institutions.


*If only people would have balls to use them.

[Szuchow]

Brussels is holding off its approval for Poland's national recovery and resilience plan. Paolo Gentiloni, the European Commissioner for Economy, openly admitted that the reason for that is Poland's recent effort to undermine the primacy of EU law.

I too wouldn't trust polish gov with money.

[Szuchow]

One of the most senior figures in Poland’s ruling party has called for “drastic solutions” to Warsaw’s latest conflict with Brussels. As an example, he pointed to how the UK chose to leave the “Brussels dictatorship” completely.

The remarks by Ryszard Terlecki – who is head of the national-conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party’s parliamentary caucus and also serves as deputy speaker of parliament – have led critics to again accuse the government of seeking to push for “Polexit” from the European Union.

Fascists started mentioning leaving EU more often recently. I would say that I wonder why but it's not exactly hard to guess. It's not like ruling satraps will lose anything in case of Poland leaving EU.

[Szuchow]

I wonder if these clowns are preparing ground for Poland leaving EU or just don't realize that saying shit for internal consumption may have external consequences?

Poland will “fight the Brussels occupier”, just as it did the German and Soviet ones in the past, a senior politician from the ruling party has declared. His remarks follow a series of attacks on the European Union by other high-ranking officials amid Warsaw’s latest dispute with Brussels over the rule of law.

[Deesse23]

I wonder if these clowns are preparing ground for Poland leaving EU or just don't realize that saying shit for internal consumption may have external consequences?

Poland will “fight the Brussels occupier”, just as it did the German and Soviet ones in the past, a senior politician from the ruling party has declared. His remarks follow a series of attacks on the European Union by other high-ranking officials amid Warsaw’s latest dispute with Brussels over the rule of law.

To be honest, i find this pathos of polish resistance invoked by the Polish government quite pathetic/ridiculous.

Resistance against the German occupiers failed. The Warsaw uprising was a Jewish one and was crushed. If my memory serves me right, Poland was one of the more easy to control territories for Germany in WWII.
Polish soldiers were fighting bravely on the allied side, but imho the behaviour of todays government is an insult to those people. I doubt this is the kind of Poland those poles were fighting for back then.

Resistance against Russian occupation/control? Hungary, Eastern Germany, Czechoslovakia, they rebelled in the 50s and 60s. Romania and Yugoslavia achieved to be somewhat separate entities in the Warsaw pact. Poland? *crickets*

P.S.: It may very well have external consequences. Its news in Germany, and it should surprise noone, since Poland is a direct neighbour and of quite some importance to Germany. I am wondering anyway why Poland is working so hard to make Germany an enemy (again), when in fact it could benefit very much from Germanys current role in the EU as well as the guilt complex (rightfully so) of the 1940s. The current polish admin is probably suffering from the delusion of having a completely overblown image of itself.

[Szuchow]

To be honest, i find this pathos of polish resistance invoked by the Polish government quite pathetic/ridiculous.

As do I. However I mainly oppose equaling EU to nazis or bolsheviks.

Resistance against the German occupiers failed.

Depend how you look at it. According to Wikipedia Polish resistance was second biggest in Europe: [Estimates of the Home Army's 1944 strength range between 200,000 and 600,000. The latter number made the Home Army not only Poland's largest underground resistance movement but, along with Soviet partisans, one of Europe's two largest World War II underground movements. Also there was no Quisling in this country. On the other hand at least part of populace agreed with German Jewish politics. Per Julian Kwiek We don't want Jews at home some of Jews returning to their homes after war ended heard people saying that it is shame that Germans didn't killed them all. [Julian Kwiek, We don't want Jews at home p. 90 of Polish edition].

]There are also issues of blue police, szmalcowniki, degree and possibility of active of resistance.. I wouldn't be so categorical in stating that resistance failed.

The Warsaw uprising was a Jewish one and was crushed.

No. There was Warsaw Ghetto Uprising of 1943 and Warsaw Uprising of 1944. Second on was [according to Wikipedia] single largest military effort taken by any European resistance movement during World War II

If my memory serves me right, Poland was one of the more easy to control territories for Germany in WWII.

I can't recall anything on top of my head and it's hardly worthy of long search.

Polish soldiers were fighting bravely on the allied side, but imho the behaviour of todays government is an insult to those people. I doubt this is the kind of Poland those poles were fighting for back then.

Well, about month ago or so some of still living soldiers who fought in Warsaw Uprising protested about if memory serves gov demonization of LGBT.

Resistance against Russian occupation/control? Hungary, Eastern Germany, Czechoslovakia, they rebelled in the 50s and 60s. Romania and Yugoslavia achieved to be somewhat separate entities in the Warsaw pact. Poland? *crickets*

Poland actually achieved quite much after protests in 1956 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pozna%C5%8...ts_of_1956

Wiki notes that: Many historians consider the Poznań 1956 protests to be an important milestone in modern history of Poland, and one of the events that precipitated the fall of communism in Poland.

Also per Brian Porter-Szucs book Gomułka and Ochab managed to make Khruschev back off and stop Russian forces marching on Warsaw:
[...]On October 19, 1956, the central committee met for its regular plenum,
and the plan was to elect Władysław Gomułka to the position of
First Secretary (replacing Edward Ochab, who had held the position for
less than a year). The Soviet leader, Nikita Khrushchev, interpreted this
as a challenge, and he flew unannounced to Warsaw just as the PZPR
leadership was gathering. Even more ominous, Soviet troops stationed
in Poland began to advance towards the capital. Ever since the previous
plenum in July, the gap between the Soviet and Polish communists had
grown deeper and deeper. As the latter pushed for more political openness,
the former was still using the old rhetoric blaming “enemy agents”
for all dissent. Even before Gomułka’s return, Ochab had taken dramatic
steps to demonstrate the independence of the Polish party. During
the July plenum the First Secretary had said pointedly that “our Chinese
comrades have a great deal of understanding for our situation,” and
shortly thereafter Ochab flew to Beijing for a state visit. He later said
that Chinese intercession held Khrushchev back from using military
force against the Poles. While we don’t know for sure that this is
true, there’s no doubt that the symbolism of that well-timed friendly
meeting in Beijing was noticed in Moscow.4With the Soviet army marching on Warsaw and the PZPR central
committee preparing to gather, both Ochab and Gomułka met with
their uninvited Soviet guest. Some Polish military units were already
preparing to resist a Soviet attack. There are several accounts of exactly
what happened next, but the end result was that Khrushchev was persuaded
to return to Moscow and allow the PZPR to go about its business.
The Soviet troops returned peacefully to their bases, and Gomułka
was voted into office as the new First Secretary. The mood was euphoric
the next day, when Gomułka addressed a massive crowd of hundreds
of thousands of ecstatic supporters in Warsaw. [...] [Brian Porter-Szucs, Poland in the Modern World: Beyond Martyrdom, p.235, 236 of English edition]

Obviously there is also Solidarność and Wałęsa and their contribution to fall of "communism".

P.S.: It may very well have external consequences. Its news in Germany, and it should surprise noone, since Poland is a direct neighbour and of quite some importance to Germany. I am wondering anyway why Poland is working so hard to make Germany an enemy (again), when in fact it could benefit very much from Germanys current role in the EU as well as the guilt complex (rightfully so) of the 1940s. The current polish admin is probably suffering from the delusion of having a completely overblown image of itself.

Current administration is [in my opinion] made of fools who think that crap they say to gain votes among extremists will effect no reaction from outside country. Also I suspect that they don't really give a shit about Poland staying in EU as they already stolen enough cash to have a good life. Nor they have a reason to be afraid of consequences as it is thing unheard off in Poland when on is a politician.

[Szuchow]

Ever heard lie so hilarious that you couldn't stop laughing? If not look below:

The government’s new economic programme will make Poland the best place to live in Europe, the prime minister has pledged. Mateusz Morawiecki also hailed the fact that many Polish emigrants have already chosen to return to their homeland.

[Szuchow]

Anti EU propaganda don't stop:

535 billion zlotys - that's how much, according to calculations presented at Monday's press conference organized by MEP Patryk Jaki, Poland lost at being EU member.

Entire article is in Polish, I translated most relevant part.

[Deesse23]

Anti EU propaganda don't stop:

535 billion zlotys - that's how much, according to calculations presented at Monday's press conference organized by MEP Patryk Jaki, Poland lost at being EU member.

Entire article is in Polish, I translated most relevant part.

Is this like 500mio pounds sterling the UK pays every week to the EU, yes?

[Szuchow]

Anti EU propaganda don't stop:

535 billion zlotys - that's how much, according to calculations presented at Monday's press conference organized by MEP Patryk Jaki, Poland lost at being EU member.

Entire article is in Polish, I translated most relevant part.

Is this like 500mio pounds sterling the UK pays every week to the EU, yes?  

Similarities has ben noted on Reddit. 

Some think that this is merely pis trying to gather far right votes but in my opinion they are preparing ground for Poland leaving EU. Poland itself need EU but ruling fascists do not. In fact EU may work as brake on their ambitions so leaving it can be boon to wannabe satraps.

[Szuchow]

Belgium’s government will provide funding for women in Poland to obtain abortions abroad. The decision follows a Polish constitutional court ruling introducing a near-total ban on abortion in the country, which went into force at the start of this year.

“Access to abortion is a fundamental right that every democratic state must ensure,” says Sarah Schlitz, the Belgian secretary of state for gender equality, equal opportunity and diversity. “When the state fails to protect its citizens, civil society must step in.”

It's a shame that other countries must save polish women from cross wearing taliban.

[Szuchow]

It's nice to see that polish gov always have it's priorities straight:

The Polish Foreign Ministry angrily summoned the British Ambassador to Warsaw on Monday, demanding that she explain why a writer and propagandist with a track record of antisemitic and racist views had been denied entry to the UK over the weekend.

[Minimalist]

So I guess it is time to throw Poland out of the EU, eh Szu?

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-58835758

Poland's top court ruling marks major challenge to EU laws

Poland's top court has rejected the principle of the primacy of EU law over national legislation in certain judicial matters, in a major challenge to the EU's legal framework.

The Constitutional Tribunal said some EU treaty articles were incompatible with Poland's constitution.

Any place where the fucking church has too much to say is anathema to any democracy.

[SYZ]

Some are using a viral video to claim that Poland has condemned Australia's lockdowns. In this
week's edition of CoronaCheck from ABC News, a video from Poland which supposedly shows
government MPs condemning Australian COVID-19 lockdowns is investigated, and found to be
fraudulent.  Poland has not condemned Australian lockdowns.

Shot on 28 September, the video has been shared in Australia along with English subtitles. It
shows four men standing in front of the Warsaw embassy as they label Australia's COVID-19
restrictions and the police response to protests in Melbourne as "totalitarianism".


Grzegorz Braun [wearing glasses]

The men in the footage, members of the Polish far-right political party Konfederacja (the
Confederation of Liberty and Independence), do not represent the Polish government, which
has not issued any official statement on Australian lockdowns.  Indeed, two of the men in
the video, while members of Konfederacja, are not elected MPs.

Moreover, Konfederacja, and at least one of the politicians featured in the video, have a
history of sharing COVID-19 conspiracy theories and misinformation.  Grzegorz Braun—an
elected member of the lower house of the Polish Parliament—has likened the compulsory
wearing of masks to "how the Nazis forced Jews to wear armbands as a first step on the
way to ghettoisation and then death".