The title quote ("Your hens to piss lead alternatively than politics to do") from Joseph Piłsudski's strong and sarcastic message to members of the Provisional Government of the People's Republic of Poland under the leadership of Ignacy Daszyński is among the most celebrated historical ruling assessments.
Looking at today's planet of politics, it would be possible to repeat this negative assessment without hesitation, realizing that the current pathologies and perversions of power would merit not only metaphorical sarcasm, but besides categorical condemnation.
Traditionally, the state is seen by the prism of power, which is exercised by groups of people in different ways authorized to make decisions and influence them. This phenomenon is considered natural, since the hierarchical structure of each state is based on an organization division between the ruling and the governed. The essence of power is its unequal division. Against it there is simply a concentration of political power in the hands of few, and the social isolation of this group is progressing from the remainder of society. As the Italian elite theorist claimed Gaetano Mosca, power has always belonged and belongs to a minority. Its sources may have a different character – from the divine will, through tradition, property, right, to individual charisma.
Because of its exclusivity, its separation from society, as well as its claim to a peculiar role, excellence and insight, these groups of people were called "elites". In addition to the mentioned Moscow, another prominent Italy has contributed to enriching the cognition of elites – Vilfredo Pareto. crucial that their works were never translated into Polish.
Elites and Power
The recognition of elites with the phenomenon of power frequently creates pejorative associations. It suggests undeserved privilege, distinction, pompous “aristocracy”, gross exclusivity. It denies the thought of equality and is so anti-democratic. A group of people chosen by any criterion is associated with the division into better and worse, with the arbitrary granting of a higher position to someone, whether by origin, wealth, ability, power or education.
Sometimes the sources of the definition of social groups are sought in ancient theology erstwhile the judaic people, “the tribe of Israel”, were called “the chosen of God.” possibly this was the kind of take that began to dislike those who professed to be special. It was strengthened in the judaic diaspora by their various skills, from their adaptability, from entrepreneurship to wealth and participation in local governments. This must have caused an aversion in the form of anti-Semitism over time.
One origin of a critical view of the elite is that they pretend to be independent in their activities from the public opinion, and even more – frequently imposing their views and will on the public. A prominent political sociologist Max Weber called this social layer professional politicians. As for their creation, he was right to say that it was not the elections that decide who would be the typical of the voters in parliament. In this case, the organization leaders decide. The candidates are appointed by them to be imposed on voters during election campaigns. The masses most frequently succumb to electoral demagoguery and rather unreflexively adopt another people’s views. organization Oligarchies – as another prominent sociologist and German politician saw it Robert Michels – are so a origin of recruitment of political elites in all modern country.
It is no secret that, regardless of the systematically organised elections, the ruling groups besides form an increasingly closed ellipse in democratic countries, subjecting to pathological self-reproduction through “gathering of relatives” and “institution”. The dependence of recruiting ruling elites on organization careers and leadership will lead to almost complete rejection of competence criteria. It is not known from this day on that the greater the closure of the ruling group, the greater the alienation and separation of power from society. Extremes in this respect are observed in totalitarian and authoritarian systems. In democracies, they are considered pathological, but they are getting better.
Just look at the past 3 decades of government in Poland, where you can see the concreteization of the political scene. It is inactive ruled by forces linked to the pedigree of solidarity or Popeerel. 1 and the another have already denied the very foundation of their axiological identity. The alleged post-communists for credibility in fresh political and geopolitical conditions will negate the achievements of the Polish People's Republic, abandon social gains, secularity of the state, social marketplace economy. In turn, the inexperienced and unprepared to regulation the alleged Solidarity elite departed from the slogans of social justice for the liberal marketplace economy and the minimum functions of the state. As a result, each of these orientations led to deep disappointments of the electorate and caused the emergence of delegitimization of power.
The challenge of political and world-view pluralism exposed the thrust of the rulers to a circumstantial “only power”. Conservative "integrators" (called fundamentalists) of the United Right began to search to subdue all citizens of 1 and only a just elite of power. Its basis is the Kumoterian sieves, combined with selfish interests and half gangster connections, separating themselves from the general population in a sense of their actual or alleged superiority and impunity.
Political elites, or more strictly elites of power, are effective in decision-making if they include those with the highest substantive and moral values. Unfortunately, the Polish characterization of political elites contains a denial of qualifications and prestige. People rightly anticipate more from the elite than from themselves. However, it turns out that the social structure in the state determines the quality of the political elite. He was right to criticize Lech Wałęsa for his mistakes erstwhile he replied that “you have the kind of president you deserve.” He most likely meant that society in its mass does not present any peculiar virtues, so it is hard to anticipate it to be able to appoint a superior leader. Today's ruling elite in Poland can be boldly determined by the emanation of this part of the society, which is anachronistic in the knowing of many social issues, devotive and clerical, populist and xenophobic, paddling and inbred. Above all, it is politically and economically inefficient.
Maybe he was right. Karl MannheimWhen he sought out the causes of the degradation of the ruling elites in the process of democratisation. In aristocratic societies, ruling elites recruited from tiny privileged minorities, while the classes were subdued at a low level in terms of various social features and had no impact on the lives of the full community. As a consequence of the cultural revolution and the equality of the mass of average individuals, with limited intellectual horizons, with a low, even embarrassing level of cognition and culture, they began to exercise electoral rights, claiming the highest positions in the state. In the process of Polish systemic transformation, it is clear how people who were completely unprepared to exercise power began to usage electoral mechanisms not only for the acquisition of public offices, but besides to pretend to make models of “worthy imitation”.
Along with the ruling elite in democratic society, the opposition elite develops, providing an alternate (transversal) power in the political system. It would seem that the opposition has all chance to make alternate scenarios to mobilise its supporters and win fresh voters in the next election. However, the persisting parties in power have far more resources to keep the power position in subsequent term.
This involves a variety of manoeuvres that lead to violations of democratic rules. The appropriation of public media, the usage of government funds for campaigning, masking fraud and embezzlement, intimidating unruly citizens, pacifying protests and procrastinating propaganda are frequent practices of political power, which, strangely enough, in Polish society finds acceptance and support of adequate parts of it to rule.
Authority Allowed
It seems that Poles in their mass are opponents of authoritarian rule. However, in view of the real consent for governments violating the principles of democracy and the regulation of law, 1 can get the impression that due to their complex historical origins (usually the alleged social pits), poverty, ignorance and non-climbing agree with the authorities resembling old masters. The deficiency of modernization aspirations, aversion to risk-taking, as well as the idiocrity and vanity of moral condition are conducive to the usurpation of government by political gelfists and embezzlers.
Democracy by nature means a majority-based government, but in the interests of all. Meanwhile, the ruling Poland for 3 decades has led to specified political polarisation that pseudo-democratic governments are held solely in the interest of part of society. This is on the 1 hand the consequence of the tremendous ideology of power (nationalist-cleric solidarity versus cosmopolitan liberalism), and on the another hand the increasing frustration of those belonging to groups without political representation.
Due to the conflict of society, ruling elites increasingly respect politics as a clash of power with all those who deny its social legitimacy. We are dealing with the closing of the ruling group in a "besieged fortress", which, in fear of losing power, is ready to face the political opposition, even with non-constitutional means. There is simply a clash of right-wing authoritarian nationalists, scurvy with their insane mission and notions of power, with pseudoliberal opposition, attempting inconsistently to reconcile the tradition of a Catholic nation with the challenges of modernity, beginning up to integration processes and unlimited invasion of abroad cultural patterns.
In all political orientations there is simply a primacy of ideological reasoning over pragmatic. Anti-communism as an recognition mark of the Polish political scene is the first sin of common hostility and incontinence. This was done by russophobia and instrumentalization of past in political combat (the alleged historical policy). All attempts to deal with the relics of the erstwhile system, decommunization or deagentization have taken on quite a few energy, time and money, without depreciating any confusion in the common accusations. Silly and typical Polish political charities dominated political life for many years. It is simply a pity that no 1 has succeeded in effective demarcation to prevent destructive processes.
Polish political elites have a Komrador character, which can be explained in various ways. This adjective can mean dude, vassalized, submissive, puppet, sold, juggling, both in terms of interior relations and in relation to powerful external protectors. Concept taken from Portuguese (comprador This buyer) referred to local merchants and intermediaries in the relations of erstwhile colonies with metropolises. From this social group in colonial countries grew a wealthy bourgeoisie that served abroad interests.
‘Compradory capitalism’
In Poland, the concept of “comrador capitalism” was popularised (Stanisław Michalkiewicz) besides called the guy. It is seemingly a free marketplace strategy based on free competition and private property. In fact, however, the “chosen ones” who have good relationships with people of power dominate. The penetration of politics and the economy leads to the oligarchisation of the political system. authoritative regulation of economical freedom allows for the benefits of “capitalism” and “state money” of loyal and co-operative people. This creates harmful social divisions and conflicts the political scene. An example of misconstrued protectionism towards agricultural products from Ukraine (notabene ownership of a large global oligarchy) shows further mistrust of the self-ruled national interests.
Polish Comprador elites, regardless of their perfect provenance, are incapable to defend the inalienable scope of interior competence of the state. The efforts to legitimize power through external protectors are a genetic flaw as the left as the right. They lead to the consolidation of Poland's position as an easy acceptable country to addiction and submission, serving abroad interests. What, if not enslavement on your own request, is to request the permanent stationing of abroad troops in your own territory, to agree to the penetration of all institutions by the American peculiar Services, as well as a immense tribute paid for weapons arsenals, whose future usage can only bring destruction?
This is seen by many external observers, including Polish allies. Why do Polish politicians, liable for the destiny of the nation and the state, neglect to see these phenomena? Why is no 1 curious in creating a sovereign state doctrine (the ideas of the Ziobrists do not constitute any doctrine) in which both collective, coalition and own interests, circumstantial due to the position of Poland, geopolitical situation, resources and experience, would be found?
Instead of a tromtadration about any peculiar function of the leader of the “Międzymorza” or the promoter of the “Sarmatian” (sic!) of the Polish-Ukrainian community, 1 must begin to heal one's own system, improve standards of social life in the fields of education, science, wellness protection, natural resources, but besides rationalisation of the army, prepared to defend alternatively than seeking a struggle. The interests of our own citizens must be put first, and then care for everyone else. It is time to realize that future generations will pay for the mistakes of Polish abroad policy today. Given the advanced harmfulness of today's governments to the condition of Polish democracy, to destruct political culture and to dismantle the regulation of law, it will take many years to rebuild the image of a state effectively managed, serious and prudent (though in politics towards its neighbours).
The unfortunateness of Polish democracy...
consists of adaptation by the ruling anachronistic rule taken from authoritarian and totalitarian systems that erstwhile gained power never surrenders itself. Political opponents are treated as enemies to be destroyed. Aggression towards a planet outside of the group of “flaws” is based on rejecting the differentness and intolerance of differentness. reasoning political notes is based on primitive stereotypes and superstitions. The lust for power manifests itself not only in the propriety and mafication of the state, but besides in the aberrations of emotional-personal leaders. It is obvious, even without in-depth research, that political activity is simply a perfect place for them to express deep fears, obsessions, frustrations and interior intellectual conflicts.
Authoritarian personality researchers have highlighted the qualities of leaders, specified as cynicism combined with destructiveness and hostility to people, advocating for the penalization of all acts contrary to the explanation of power, or even obsession with human sexuality and "sexuality", combined with the desire to punish. erstwhile we add different forms of influential “lobbing” on Polish politics (although from the Catholic clergy), it turns out that we are dealing with a peculiar syndrome, which directs the state towards repressiveness, isolation and aggression.
This characteristic should be supplemented by manifestations of paranoid behaviour in the Polish political elite. There is rich intellectual and political literature on this subject, but it does not consequence in any critical reflection among the rulers. The paranoid personality of the leaders is characterized by permanent persecutional or grandeur delusions. Strong conviction that you are better than others and trustworthy in combination with determination to transform reality in accordance with your beliefs and beliefs allows for the mobilisation of supporters (sometimes enthusiastic and fanatical) who are the alleged hard electorate of the chief and his acolytes. The chief government is characterized by obsessive suspicion, seeing evil will everywhere and spying, but besides allowing peculiar privileges for the "chosen" to keep the integrity of the ruling group.
The crisis of Polish democracy and the ageing of leaders of ruling and opposition groups prompts reasoning about the necessity of extremist generational exchange in the circles of power. Among the younger generation, however, there are imitation and imitation syndromes. Privateism, particularism, deficiency of respect for fellow citizens with different views, mistrust in human relations, which are a "model-forming" effect of preserving parts of the old elites. Examples of low political culture proceed to flow “from above”, and this does not bode well for the evolutionary way of change. possibly we must pray for national catharsis in the form of a fresh revolution.
Prof. Stanisław Bielen
photo public domain
Think Poland, No. 21-22 (21-28.05.2023)
