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The parade is over…
I have never been a keen enthusiast of love, equality or minority parades and the like. I have always claimed that certain transformations in our minds are supposed to be introduced gradually, not immediately. As it has turned out, it is exactly what has happened. This year’s parade, despite a few objections and protests (which, [...]
The implications of gas crisis between Belarus and Russia
Paweł Luty: Recently, we have experienced a huge crisis between Belarus and Russia over natural gas. Belarus owed Gazprom millions of dollars. Minsk answered that Russians also had not settled their debt for the transit of LPG. Apart from the economic reasons, do you see any other source of the conflict?
Przemysław Żurawski vel Grajewski: [...]
The Internet – a New Escape From Freedom?
Perpetually repeated by the media and politicians phrase “we gain safety on the expense of liberty” is just another false package deal which is forced on an ordinary bulk consumer. Whereas the price can be drastically and palpably sensed, the benefit – the mythical public safety – seems to be a bit illusory.
The [...]
Syndrome of Astherix
A settlement of Gauls,in which Astherix used to live, was surrounded by four fortified camps of Roman leggionaires. Leggionaires hardly left their fortresses, because they were afraid of bumping into the Gauls, overindulged with the magical drink that was giving them a magical superhuman, power. In short, the whole service of every next shift was [...]
The Strasbourg Court Is Beguiling Our Children!
How nice it is to be the judge of the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg – only obvious cases! The case brought in 2002 by the Grzelak family against Poland, concerning the lack of promised ethics lessons for the pupils who do not attend religion classes, was easy. There is no doubt that [...]
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PoliticsMore Politics »
Ambivalent consequences of Ukrainian presidential elections.
Ukraine got stuck somewhere between liberal democracy and authoritarianism, which is identified with the era of Leonid Kuchma rule. It suffers – and the last elections have not changed anything– from a syndrome “disabled pluralism”, characteristic for hybrid form of political regime.
Choice made by Ukrainians on 7th February, sparks and for a long time will [...]
EconomyMore Economy »
After the Crisis: What Kind of Capitalism?
Jażdżewski, Żakowski, Sobolewski, Bochniarz, Winiecki, Rybiński, Gutkowski
Leszek Jażdżewski: The greatest economic crisis of last thirty years seems to be over. But the example of Greece shows that the restitution will not be easy. The econimies of almost all of the developed countries are groaning under the weight of their debts. The public debt of the [...]
SocietyMore Society »
Open Patriotism
A great celebration for Polish liberals – Congress of Liberty – pushed me into some musing. The most important and interesting track of the event seemed to be the issue of patriotism, covered during panel discussion entitled “Freedom of choice of patriotism. The Polish and European Identity”. Why do I think so? Although patriotism is [...]
ThoughtMore Thought »
Polish Flavoured Patriotism
Couple of weeks ago when I was disembarking from a plane in Brussels, I came across a woman with two exceptionally polite and well-mannered small children. On the way to the baggage claim the boy of preschool age was singing loudly “Mazurek Dąbrowskiego” (“Dąbrowski’s Mazurka” – Polish national anthem). “One can see that the boy [...]
CultureMore Culture »
The phenomenon of popularity of Sex Pistols
The story of Sex Pistols and their influence on the cultural changes seems unbelievable. The first, simple question that comes to everyone’s mind is how this complete morons managed to make a cultural earthquake, such a revolution in thinking of thousands of people. In what way this cretins gave so much to think and encouraged [...]