There is a widespread belief among westerners that Poland is as if Rhodesia, a homogeneous society stuck in 1950s, focused on faith and tradition, I’m going to show you why that isn’t true at all
1. Aristocratic democracy
In historical times, Poland has been the first and the only country in the region to introduce democracy, Polish king never had too much power, rather he was similar to current function of president in parliamentary republics, his main function was diplomacy and war, but domestic laws were usually ruled by parliaments made of aristocratic class, king had no power to defy them, to prevent tribal and personal feuds from deciding new laws aristocracy introduced liberum veto law that allowed one single congressman to stop the session and veto the law, which led to legal paralysis.
It shows Poles are very traditionally connected to soft power and democracy rather than glorious absolute monarchies like all of its neighbors.
2. The land of the free
Poland has always historically promoted itself as land where all people can live and participate, the Jews got special rights, lands etc, Poland took refugees from the Jews expelled from other nations, similar situation with other faiths, because Poland had union with orthodox Latvians, making it a country of religious tolerance and state-faith separation.
3. Matriarchy, “ugly women”
Polish women have always been resilient and described in chronicles as ugly, it is because Poland has always had tremendous military loses for which, to common public men were to blame, and women gained status of wise, peaceful leaders, it is visible in old Polish language where boys is chłopcy (little peasants) and girls are panienki (little ladies, in sense of aristocratic and sovereign title “Pan” - Lord)
Later in times of occupation women were seen as main tool of social order, responsible for motherhood and guiding underground society towards “moral values”
Strong “patriarchal” empires were seen as universal symbol of oppression.
3. Men don’t cry, Poles do.
Polish masculinity in literature and culture have always been structured as martyrdom and sensitivity, the most classic Polish literature portrays people like Kochanowski mourning his dead daughter, the Bug-priest being repentant murderer humiliating himself by becoming a priest, Konrad sacrificing his ambitions and life attempting to murder Tsar for greater good etc.
Polish heroes contain people like Marie Curie that emigrated and stolen works of Becquerel and her husband Peter Curie
4. Fertility rates
Poland functions as matriarchy where woman has absolute rule over the house because she gives children, fertility rates in Poland are very los and close to 1 but it’s not the same situation as in the west
In the west we can see Mormons or Southern Belt that have 5 kids and northern families that have 0 kids and an abortion.
In Poland it’s not like that, here everyone just has one kid, there is huge pressure for women to have kids as it gives them ultimate power, so they just have less of them as effect of feminism but don’t choose lose the leverage by not having them at all.
5. Bitter hope
Because Poland already traditionally is a matriarchy, modern 4th wave feminism often leads Polish women to embrace paradoxically more Catholic and traditional (as per Polish tradition) life, it is still bad for men but it guards women from the most dangerous ideas by just making them think “oh just as my grandma did” instead of “I fight against oppression”
In legal terms Poland is stuck in 1980s, with most of its law directly inherited from Soviet occupation, it means at least some of the western degeneracy is legally prevented, on other hand it leads to grey-areas where drugs use or abortion are performed in dangerous way.
Current Polish political and constitutional situation prevents any changes in libertarian or right wing direction as Poland is in state of legal paralysis, but social and cultural changes occur rapidly and affect whole society.
1. Aristocratic democracy
In historical times, Poland has been the first and the only country in the region to introduce democracy, Polish king never had too much power, rather he was similar to current function of president in parliamentary republics, his main function was diplomacy and war, but domestic laws were usually ruled by parliaments made of aristocratic class, king had no power to defy them, to prevent tribal and personal feuds from deciding new laws aristocracy introduced liberum veto law that allowed one single congressman to stop the session and veto the law, which led to legal paralysis.
It shows Poles are very traditionally connected to soft power and democracy rather than glorious absolute monarchies like all of its neighbors.
2. The land of the free
Poland has always historically promoted itself as land where all people can live and participate, the Jews got special rights, lands etc, Poland took refugees from the Jews expelled from other nations, similar situation with other faiths, because Poland had union with orthodox Latvians, making it a country of religious tolerance and state-faith separation.
3. Matriarchy, “ugly women”
Polish women have always been resilient and described in chronicles as ugly, it is because Poland has always had tremendous military loses for which, to common public men were to blame, and women gained status of wise, peaceful leaders, it is visible in old Polish language where boys is chłopcy (little peasants) and girls are panienki (little ladies, in sense of aristocratic and sovereign title “Pan” - Lord)
Later in times of occupation women were seen as main tool of social order, responsible for motherhood and guiding underground society towards “moral values”
Strong “patriarchal” empires were seen as universal symbol of oppression.
3. Men don’t cry, Poles do.
Polish masculinity in literature and culture have always been structured as martyrdom and sensitivity, the most classic Polish literature portrays people like Kochanowski mourning his dead daughter, the Bug-priest being repentant murderer humiliating himself by becoming a priest, Konrad sacrificing his ambitions and life attempting to murder Tsar for greater good etc.
Polish heroes contain people like Marie Curie that emigrated and stolen works of Becquerel and her husband Peter Curie
4. Fertility rates
Poland functions as matriarchy where woman has absolute rule over the house because she gives children, fertility rates in Poland are very los and close to 1 but it’s not the same situation as in the west
In the west we can see Mormons or Southern Belt that have 5 kids and northern families that have 0 kids and an abortion.
In Poland it’s not like that, here everyone just has one kid, there is huge pressure for women to have kids as it gives them ultimate power, so they just have less of them as effect of feminism but don’t choose lose the leverage by not having them at all.
5. Bitter hope
Because Poland already traditionally is a matriarchy, modern 4th wave feminism often leads Polish women to embrace paradoxically more Catholic and traditional (as per Polish tradition) life, it is still bad for men but it guards women from the most dangerous ideas by just making them think “oh just as my grandma did” instead of “I fight against oppression”
In legal terms Poland is stuck in 1980s, with most of its law directly inherited from Soviet occupation, it means at least some of the western degeneracy is legally prevented, on other hand it leads to grey-areas where drugs use or abortion are performed in dangerous way.
Current Polish political and constitutional situation prevents any changes in libertarian or right wing direction as Poland is in state of legal paralysis, but social and cultural changes occur rapidly and affect whole society.
