Liberte World

Poland has good reasons to build nuclear power plants. They existed before the earthquake in Japan – and the still exist. However, considering the failure of the Fukushima nuclear power plant and the concern of people about the possible consequences it is better to first understand what really happened in Japan – and whether it [...]

Trite slogan, according to which in order to successfully help you have to give a fishing rod instead of fish, summarizes the main feature of liberal thinking about social policy – conviction that it is allowed to equalize opportunities but not to give away goods, which normally have to be worked for. This attitude is [...]

Our experience of the world, of relations between our countrymen and strangers is quite specific, characterized by some kind of introversion: Poles usually feel more at ease with their own countrymen than with strangers, even with those towards whom they do not feel any hostility. This is why abroad they immediately create their own group, [...]

The Giedroyc – Mieroszewski duo began creating the concept of the Eastern policy of Poland about 60 years ago.  It was not even that much about creating it, but about adjusting and updating the federal policy of Pilsudski, which was based on strong belief that Poland regains an independency and becomes the subject of international [...]

Helping the excluded may sometimes lead to intensification of their passivity. Social benefits alone, without proper comprehensive programmes enabling these people to leave the margin group, do not bring expected long-term effects.

World economic recession deprived the indigent of chances to make use of consumer goods and services up to the expected standards. They were also [...]

At some point communism suffers defeat. It would seem that this defeat would be the end for our hero, but it is not. Homo sovieticus discovers his hidden depths: everything he yesterday expected from communists he  expects today from capitalists.

The notion of Homo sovieticus – a citizen shaped by the communist regime – was [...]

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, [...]

Perpetually repeated by the media and politicians phrase “we gain safety at the cost 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.
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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 [...]

Howard Gardner perceives the university as a cross-eyed beast, which has one eye focused on financial issues and the other on the expectations of the students.

In 1972 the Journal of Higher Education published an article in which the author wrote: “It doesn’t matter what it’s called, who’s doing it or where in the institution – [...]