28.08.25. This unusual world..

28.08.25. This one.strangeThe world...

We live in a planet that is nearer and further, and is clearly brown. Autocracy is against democracy with all its might. This – sometimes – takes over strategies and practices characteristic of authoritarianism. It's all as if the collective memory of the tragic dimensions of akin events from the past has disappeared. It's like without knowing that social divides into “we” and “they” are rather simply fascism.

In this context, it may be worth reciting passages of the speech entitled Racism and Fascism published in 1995 at Howard University by an African American writer, Nobel Prize laureate, Toni Morrison (1931-2019) – has already been mentioned in these Records (see text entitled Modern Traveling of Peoples of 21.09. 2023). Morrison then said, among another things:

Let us remember that the final solution precedes the first, second or even 3rd solutions. The final solution is not achieved by jumping. You gotta take 1 step, then another step, then another step. This may be the following:

1. 1. Create yourself an interior enemy that will service both to focus attention and to reverse it.
   2. Isolate and demonize this enemy, encouraging you to direct hatred against him, both open and encrypted, and verbal force against him. Attack this enemy with arguments ad hominem And treat these charges as legitimate.
   3. Get and make sources of information and individuals to distribute them, ready to strengthen the demonization process due to the fact that it is cost-effective due to the fact that it gives power and due to the fact that it works.
   4. Surround with palisade all forms of art; supervise, discredit or remove those who question or destabilize demonization and deification processes.
   5. Declare and brand all those who represent or sympathize with this constructed enemy.
   6. Get people around the enemy to cooperate, who support the process of expropriation and can facilitate it.
   7. Give the enemy the features of pathology in technological and popular media; for example, mention to technological racism and myths of racial superiority to give pathology the appearance of naturality.
   8. Call the enemy a criminal. Then prepare and plan the budget and justify creating places to hold enemies – especially men and necessarily children.
   9. Make up for thoughtlessness and apathy with monumental forms of amusement and tiny pleasures, tiny temptations; a fewer minutes on TV, a fewer words in the press, a small pseudosuccess; an illusion of power and influence; a small fun, a small style, a small consistency.

Keep your mouth shut – at any cost (see. Racism and Fascismin: Self-esteem, Przecz. Kaja Gucio, Wydawnictwo Poznańskie, Poznań 2023, pp. 27-28).

Rather, it is certain that each of us could add to the following points of Toni Morrison's list of illustrations of the actions of both our native politicians and those representatives of forces who consider themselves to be “great world”. The registry of specified behaviours as a sign of our national tendencies has late been presented in "Election" by Jarosław Kurski in the text Are they ours?(see 23.08.2025). In the same issue – let us add – you could besides read the complete column Michał Rusinek p. Garbage. It was about an invector, which Jarosław Kaczyński late threw at opponents of his way of commemorating the Smolensk tragedy, which did not happen to him for the first time. “Sorting people”, and following this, calling any “trash” or “inhumans”, notes Rusinek, the president most likely has in his genes, but this does not change the pronunciation of specified behaviour, nor does it change their consequences.

Another approach to circumstantial problems that point to the processes of fascism of the modern world, a broader description of the context of these phenomena, many contemporary examples and a thorough analysis of the corresponding actions can be found in a fresh work published in Polish just a fewer days ago. Jason Stanley, author of the book How Fascism Works. Us versus them.who was besides erstwhile in these Records presented (see text A rerun of history... of 17.03.2022).

Stanley’s fresh Text is named The erasure of history. How fascists manipulate the past to control the future (in Polish: Dawid Krawczyk, Publishing home of Political Critics, Warsaw 2025). Incidentally, at the beginning of the first chapter, the author of Toni Morrison, quoted above, recalls that in any U.S. states, even those in which “this is entirely legal”, “it takes quite a few courage to teach about its work” (Erasing..., p. 26). Reminiscing the past of slavery, and thus the "critical explanation of race", which Morrison dealt with, is 1 of the subjects alternatively carefully removed from the past of this country. But before Stanley begins to systematically present the problems indicated in the title of his fresh work, he recalls the findings of the erstwhile work:

Fascism divides people into “us” and “there”, referring to ethnic, racial or spiritual differences. In my last book How Fascism Works. ‘We’ versus ‘they’ I have described tactics characteristic of Fascism. These include: the mythologicalisation of the past; the usage of propaganda and anti-intellectualism to make a state of untrueness; the justification of racial or spiritual hierarchy; the usage of the reputation and the victim's syndrome; the prioritising of the "law and order" at the expense of freedom; the appeal to unrest about sexuality; the promotion of the story of Sodom and Gomorrah, according to which cities drown in decadence and crime, and the actual heart of the nation are agrarian areas; the promotion of a strategy of values that hierarchizes social groups according to their expected ability to work, which best summarizes the hypocritical slogans of the Nazis: "Arbeit macht frei", or "Work makes free".

And then Stanley writes:

Today’s increasing popularity of Fascism is simply a serious threat, and it is crucial to deal urgently with the knowing of its mechanisms. However, in order to truly realize the successes of fascism today, we request to look not only at how it works and gains weight, but besides at how it is legitimized. We must focus our attention on specified education and culture as make fascism effective. It is in this context that memory erasure plays a key role.
In fresh years, the debate among dormitories and publicists on whether the word “fascism” adequately describes modern authoritarian right-wing movements that are gaining in importance virtually worldwide. However, we can mostly ignore this discussion. Whether we call these fascist movements, there is common consensus that social and political movements that are increasing stronger in our eyes are taking advantage of many political and rhetorical strategies from the repertoire of erstwhile fascist movements: an organization of violent manifestations that aim to intimidate opponents; the casting of courts of people loyal to the leader or party; the passing of hatred on immigrants and LGBTQ people; the limitation of reproductive rights; and the usage of an education strategy for indoctrination of young people in accordance with the nationalist communicative of the uniqueness of a nation whose roots go back to a boastful past (Erasing..., pp. 8-9; the voices of these speakers curious will find easy online, but they do not change the situation – cz).

And then again:

Anti-democratic movements are gaining worldwide importance, which is why my analysis is global and includes fascist or authoritarian cultures in countries specified as Russia, India, Turkey, Israel and Hungary. However, as I live in the United States, my country will service as my prime example. As in respective another places in the world, there is besides an ideological war going on in fresh years, which permeates almost all aspect of culture. The ongoing fight affects our immediate neighbourhood, courts, and even bedrooms, but I am going to prove that the strongest impact is on 1 of the most egalitarian public institutions: schools (Erasing..., p. 10).

Consequently, in Stanley's book we get an overview of historical and contemporary examples of "educational reforms" carried out under authoritarian systems or to authoritarianism going. It is always about designing and controlling school programs to service the furniture or even colonizing of young heads according to the ideas and interests of those in power. "Fascist moves focus on education as a tool for Fascist intentions" – we will read in Stanley's book (see p. 30). Even classical literature texts can, it turns out, be utilized to advance nationalism and fascist supremacy. Suffice it to say that “our nation” belongs to the direct heirs of classical culture. This is what the Nazis preached.

In view of Stanley’s analyses, it should not surprise anyone that Hitler was an “absolutely outstanding” education expert. Regarding these matters quotes from Mein Kampf 1 could multiply – Stanley brings out more accurately. Mussolini's deficiency of interest in education could not be denied either. Lenin and Stalin besides undoubtedly knew what educational activities correspond to their visions of planet order. Today, as experts of this measure, both Trump and Putin operate.

The latter, according to Stanley’s words from the Russian ruler’s speech, besides claims that “Wars win teachers” (see in Erasing History chapter motto How to make Autocracy, p. 19). It is clear that it is teachers who win wars, especially if they are first trained to see the problems of this planet and deprive any independence.

And there's nothing missing from Orban, who gave the fresh schools an appointment in 2020. National curriculum. The same is actual in India and Hungary. In Turkey Erdoğan ordered extremist changes in school textbooks. Narenda Modi organizes this in India. Netanjah besides does not give up. We besides know that there are no vacancies erstwhile it comes to education reformers. The variations around the list of readings are known to everyone, and the number of successive reforms becomes incalculable.

The Nazis were known for their rigorous control of books—the process of publishing and distributing them. The Minister of Propaganda of the 3rd Reich, Joseph Goebbels, compiled lists of titles to be censored due to the fact that they were allegedly ‘foreign’ or ‘decade’. Today, many activist groups in the United States are besides trying to limit the free movement of books and ideas. This is done not only in the walls of schools, but besides by interfering in the catalogues of local public libraries" (Erasing..., p. 32).

In another place we will read:

An example of Nazi Germany, like the analysis of another fascist movements in the world, shows that in fascist education 5 main topics can be distinguished:

1. 1. National Size
   2. National Purity
   3. National Innocence
   4. Specific sex roles
   5. Demonisation of the Left (Erasing..., pp. 97-98).

Here again, on each of the topics of education identified by Stanley, we could note crucial examples of programming recommendations made by both our politicians and average citizens, and confirming the essence of the above characteristics.

Stanley’s coverage of politics is rather strong, although it is not hidden – a very sad reading. 1 might add that the author born in 1969 Erasing History – The American philosopher, prof. of Yale University, studying in Germany at his time – besides has any household connections with Poland and on the pages of his book he occasionally mentions these biographical accounts.

If the observations and analyses presented were to mention to our fresh past and political efforts of decision-makers about the "proper form of national education", it is adequate to mention the modifications made in time in the planet War II Museum or the educational dimension of IPN activities, including the world-famous bill, which was to defend our pristine nation from false accusations of Poles' engagement in crimes committed by the 3rd Reich. Similarly, erstwhile it comes to ideas defining the activities of the Witold Pilecki Institute of Solidarity and Fortitude or the Roman Dmowski Institute, or decisions establishing the National Day of Memory of the Cursed Soldiers and suggestions to honor the memory associated with the past of the Świętokrzyska Brigade. Everyone knows about ongoing disputes about “the real Polish canon of reading”. Pre-established clarity of interpretations of historical events, erasure of what is uncomfortable, and as a consequence exercise in megalomania and national tromtadration – these are the basic recommendations of Polish guards in actions for the massacre of the school.

Truly, “the planet is strange,” we would like to repeat the text Czesław Niemen (1939-2004), to which the title refers present Entries. This song, first sung by the author during the 1967 Opole Festival, was and has since been frequently repeated by various artists and alternatively widely known. The problem, as always, is whether we're just repeating a text, or whether we're besides asking about its meaning...

The final fragment of these Entries As a rule, it concerns education, but today, thanks to Stanley’s story, it is all about that. Then let's just read the Niemen's fresh text to discover its actuality:

Strange is this world
Where else?
There's plenty of bad.
And it's weird.
That for so many years
Man despises man

Strange world
The planet of Human Things
Sometimes it's a shame to admit
And yet it is often
That individual has a bad word
Kills like a knife

But there are more men of good will
And I firmly believe that.
That this world
He'll never die due to them.
No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No!
It's time.
It's about time
Hate to destruct itself...

But there are more men of good will
And I firmly believe that.
That this world
He'll never die due to them.
No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No!
It's time.
It's about time
Hate to destruct itself...

Niemena is no longer among us, but his song is simply a shocking reflection of interpersonal relationships – 1 would like to say: unfortunately, they do not lose the actuality. The hope of eliminating hatred from the planet may so seem impenetrable. And despite the efforts of those who have in head and take seriously the famous, formulated in 2020 during the celebration of the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau camp, Marian Turski (1926-2025): "Do not be indifferent erstwhile any authority violates existing laws. Do not be indifferent, for if not, you will not see and any Auschwitz will fall on you from heaven.”

In any case, for meaningful education, regardless of what politicians imagine, it is crucial that it serves the knowing of the planet alternatively than creating divisions. Teachers are not from conducting and winning wars, but from helping learners to realize the diversity of what is around so that there is no war and sorting of people. If individual is curious in this kind of practice, it is worth taking advantage of Peter Kołodziej’s comments How Not To rise a Fascist (see article).