For respective years it has been fashionable to mention the loud “end of history” described by Francis Fukuyama at least erstwhile per text or speech. And criticize this concept, indicating how much the full planet was incorrect with Fukuyama at the head. This criticism is usually aimed at raising the prestige of the critic as 1 who sees more and does not agree with the explanation of – mistakenly simplifying – ending conflicts.
Over the years, this kind of communicative has frequently impressed Polish recipients. Completely undeserved.
It is adequate to mention that “End of History?” essay Francis Fukuyama was first published in... 1989. As the russian Union fell apart, which was symbolized by the fall of the Berlin Wall. After many criticisms of the popular text at the time, in 1992 the book “The End of past and the Last Man” was published. Is any Polish intellectuals in 2023 inactive fighting against the thesis published more than 30 years earlier, which was criticised already at the time of publication? Yeah.
We witness a preacherial conflict with an intellectual dinosaur. Or rather, a dragon that never existed (or at least not the way it is presented about what next). It's like the Polish Don Kichoci only read the 1992 book in 2020 and stated that it is simply a completely fresh and current position with which to argue... Besides, it could have been.
The fight against the “end of history” is highly popular and bearable, although it should be considered nothing but a fight against the ladle. For Fukuyama did not claim that after 1989 a planet had arisen without conflict. He simply proved that liberal democracy is the best system, and so the improvement of human civilization is simply a quest to function in specified order. He presented the explanation that we are seeing a process leading to a globalisation of democracy. We can learn all this from the introduction of the Polish edition “The End of History...”. Which leads to the conclusion that the knights fighting Fukuyama did not even read the entry of the criticized book. Fukuyama did not claim that humanity and planet order achieved a minute considered perfect by him after 1989. There were inactive countries in the planet at the time and there are inactive countries with different regimes than liberal democracy. And while specified a state of affairs persists, wars and conflicts are, in effect, a natural order of things.
So not only did any Polish intellectuals embrace the ambition to cover an old and long-established explanation (in the US, disputes about Fukuyama's explanation took place in the early 1990s), this explanation is inactive presented completely incorrectly. So that it can be easy denied.
This kind of activity is attracted to Polish people curious in geopolitics, due to the fact that in Poland this interest only increased after 2014 due to the annexation of Crimea and the war in Donbasa. For those who were not curious in global affairs before 2014 or even 2022 are more willing to take the position that since they do not have cognition of geopolitical issues a fewer years ago, it means that nothing in the planet happened (because it is harder to admit to themselves that you have small knowledge). And since nothing happened, most likely everyone believed in this falsely portrayed “end of history.” And they were wrong. And here – so prepared to plow the intellectual field – enter like on a white horse specialists from “realism”. Beating imaginary “idealists” who allegedly naively believed Fukuyama.
Of course Fukuyama's explanation was loud and had its supporters. It seems that it was in her spirit that the United States extended its hand to China including them in the planet trading system.However, it is worth remembering that this process was initiated in the 1970s, so respective years before the publication of Fukuyama essay. In another words, considered by the realists as 1 of them Henry Kissinger and president Richard Nixon came to the conclusion – completely disconnected from later created ideological theories of Fukuyama – that the reversal of China would be beneficial to the interests of the US. Boom. End of story. Only the story that Fukuyama and his theories played a immense function in conducting global affairs and planet order – especially today.
Fukuyama in 1989 – in the context of the collapse of the USSR – created a explanation that already caused much controversy. A explanation that may even someday have a chance to come actual (who knows?), but which itself assumes that before “the end of history” comes, we will witness many events which halt or even reverse the process. Thus, even if anyone in abroad policy followed the spirit of Fukuyama's theory, he would inactive gotta presume that he would face not the perfect planet – unconflicted – and the 1 where he would encounter sovereign states, for example, in an authoritarian way, and thus not avoiding conflicts.
And surely no reasonable individual (including Fukuyama) believed in a conflictless planet after 1989, especially since specified an perfect state had never been achieved. The phenomenon of increasing conviction in Polish society that the “stupid West” believed in the end of past and was amazed by the course of events seems even more strange. It's 1 large intellectual hoax. Decision makers and leaders around the world, continuously since 1989 (or, in principle, since the dawn of political life on Earth), had to make decisions on the basis of the most rational grounds. Calculating interests, but besides considering another kinds of motives (including moral ones). Many mistakes have surely been made, which cannot be eliminated.
“The End of History” in the World
The explanation that whoever believes in the "end of history" – mistakenly understood as a conflictless planet order – falls with a brief analysis of the chronology of events. After 1989, a number of armed conflicts, including in Europe, broke out that required constant response, supervision or even monitoring by the world's top powers. Only in 1992 the war in Yugoslavia ended, and the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina had already begun (1992-1995). Then another conflict broke out in Kosovo (1998-1999).
At that time, in 1994 the Chechen War at the same time warmed up and continued until 1996. After that, there was an extra 10 years (the Second Chechen War 1999-2009). Only Moscow dealt with the Chechens, and already Russian tanks entered Georgia (2008).
In the West, erstwhile the situation in the Balkans was stabilised (which required a UN mission), there was an attack on the planet Trade Center, which resulted in the US invasion of Afghanistan (2001). Just 2 years later, the United States hit Iraq. After both wars, there were many years of attempts to stabilise the military states attacked.
When the United States troops were engulfed with actions in Iraq (until 2011) and Afghanistan (until 2021), North Africa and later in the mediate East revolutions called the combined "Arab Spring" broke out (2010-2012). Chaos associated with this led to the collapse of Libya, where civilian war is inactive going on today. At the same time, in 2011, the civilian war in Syria, which resulted in the uprising of ISIS (2013), which was fought until 2018 (they were active in the conflict on this issue both the US and Russia).
These are just examples of the most turbulent events. It is worth remembering diplomatic initiatives. The 2009 reset of relations with Russia, whether the customs war with China started in 2018 required a large intellectual and political commitment. Like deal with Iran (JCPOA) concluded by Barack Obama in 2015.
The relation between the US and Russia could be presented on the amplitude. rather favorable between 1991 and 1999. Enemies around 2000 (an extension of NATO in 99’, Putin in power and the case of the sunk Kursk). Friendly under 2001 (attack on WTC). Sceptical after 2003 (US invasion of Iraq and in 2004 an orange revolution in Ukraine). Again hostile in 2008 (Russian invasion of Georgia). Hopeful after 2009 (reset, global gosp. crisis). Sceptical after 2011 (war in Syria) and again hostile after 2013 (maidan in Ukraine).
Any internationally-oriented reader could surely add a long list of more or little applicable events. About which books were created, and which events required a large intellectual, procedural, as well as real actions from the most crucial organizations and countries in the world.
To compose that in the last 30 years there has been a lot and fast, it is not to compose anything. The message that we had to deal with the "end of history" would have been as accurate as the assessment of a blind and deaf mole who would have quelled his head from a mound in the mediate Fifth Avenue In fresh York City, after which he would hide to return to an underground tunnel in the belief that there was silence, peace and even an old Indian village disappeared somewhere.
“The End of History” in Poland
Our native critics “the end of history” like to repeat that in Poland we believed that we had reached the geopolitical finish. Therefore, abroad policy (especially after 1999) was to be conducted in the III Polish Republic in a way based on an idea, not on the concept of national interests. Does that message withstand a collision with reality?
After the dissolution of the USSR and the Warsaw Pact, troops of the Russian Federation left Poland only in 1993. Until then, Polish elites inactive could not be certain that Poland had indeed escaped from the Moscow sphere of influence. It is so no wonder that the precedence of the Polish state's right was to guarantee its own independency and independence. III of the Polish Republic was then a very weak country, undergoing crisis and systemic transformation. This should be remembered in the context of criticism, according to which already then Warsaw should play as a regional leader, playing a chess game even with Belarus.
Before 1999, Polish authorities sought to join NATO. This was highly crucial from a geostrategic point of view, and this goal was achieved very quickly. After attacks on WTC in 2001Poland took part in missions in Afghanistan which continued continuously between 2002 and 2021.Poland besides participated in war activities in Iraq and later stabilisation missions (2003-2008). Poles commanded in Iraq as part of the Multinational Cetrum-South Division.
At the same time, it sought accession to the European Union, which was successful in 2004. Thus, for at least 15 years since the creation of the 3rd Polish Republic, Polish elites have been busy with the implementation of key for Poland from the position of safety (on different levels) of geopolitical projects.
And here it would be tempting to say yes, but after 2004, we fell for a geopolitical nap in Poland. Really?
At the turn of 2004-2005 There was an orange revolution in Ukraine. Poland and its elite have engaged in this process in a unambiguous way. The support for the revolution was expressed by erstwhile president Lech Wałęsa, then president Aleksander Kwasniewski and future presidents Lech Kaczyński and Bronisław Komorowski. Poland played a key function in the negotiations.
Just 3 years later – in 2008 – the Russian Federation invaded Georgia. As the Russian army approached Tbilisi, president Lech Kaczyński gathered allies in the form of leaders: Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Ukraine, and then went to the Georgian capital for a rally where he gave historical and memorable words at the time. Poland had previously sent arms to Georgia, including hand-held GROM anti-aircraft launchers, which played their part in the battles.
Although we have been dealing with a policy of "reset" relations with Moscow since 2009, this policy became past already in 2013. At that time, American-Russian interests in Syria clashed, and Ukraine broke out at the end of the year maydan. It should not be forgotten that in the meantime Germany started building the Nord Stream pipeline, which they completed in 2011. This investment was protested by Poland from the very beginning. So the interests of Poland were perceived, but besides the threat to Ukraine.
In 2014 the war in Ukraine broke out, which was vital for Poland's perception of its own security. Since then, it has been decided in Warsaw to increase the defence budget, to grow the Armed Forces of Poland, and to modernise the army. At the same time, a clear anti-Russian policy was pursued with the awareness that only the hard stance of the West can halt Putin's urges. present everyone in the West admits that we were right about this.
Therefore, it cannot be said that Poland has “slept” any geopolitical period. The only political pause we had in the last 30 years took place between 2009 and 2013 and covered with geopolitical thawing worldwide (caused, among others, by the global crisis, erstwhile a lot was happening too, but fires were extinguished on an economical and financial level). It is only 4 years, so the time corresponding to the dimension of 1 parliamentary term...And then there were lots of things to do and decisions to make.
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Even if individual in this period was reasoning about the “end of history” and geopolitical finish for Poland, specified a conviction was rapidly verified. We had only 4 reasonably quiet geopolitical years throughout the period of the III Republic. A time erstwhile we could afford the comfort of not taking independent initiatives internationally. Meanwhile, specified initiatives required: efforts for full independency (up to 93’), accession to NATO (99′) and the EU (up to 2004), support for the Orange Revolution (2004-2005), support for Georgia (2008), support for Mayan (2014), neutralisation of Russia's policy by convincing allies to take a more firm stance (up to 2022).
This is simply a very demanding list of geopolitical challenges facing the 3rd Republic. Especially if we compare this to another countries in the region, namely Hungary, the Czech Republic, or looking further south: Romania or Croatia. Thus, the thesis about any "sleeping" of Polish elites and society is completely remote.
In 1989-2022 Poland took an active and frequently crucial part in all major geopolitical events of the region and even the planet (Afghanistan/Iraq). If individual does not see this, it means that he himself slept through the events of the last 3 decades and became the victim of a false explanation about “the end of history”.
Summary
In conclusion, not only the “end of history” explanation is 30 years old. Not only is she frequently mistakenly portrayed as the thesis about the unconflicted planet she was to come after 1989. "End of history" has never simply occurred, nor has any of the political decision-makers specifically believed in it. And that's why, among another things, he became a comfortable sack to beat, due to the fact that no 1 can even defend that false image of Fukuyama's theory. The only victims of the "end of history" explanation (in the sense of a planet without conflict) were citizens of Western societies who focused on individual life and did not pay attention to a large global policy. Including a large part of the Polish society, which has its own ignorance and deficiency of cognition covering the allegation that it was politicians (in Poland and in the West) who fell asleep and were like children in the fog – led down by Putin and Xi Jingping. In the meantime, it is worth remembering that erstwhile our geopolitics preached openly around 2016 that China would become a hegemon and the US had slept its chance, the United States had for 4 years (in 2012 Clinton announced Pivot on the Pacific) officially acted towards Beijing's enslavement. China's growth was already seen by the G.W.Bush administration, and was being prepared for pivotu at least since 2009, as I have written many times about this blog.
"The end of history" is just 1 of many old, reheated chops brought from America, which are fed to fresh crowds of Poles. These – trying to catch up – frequently absorb like a sponge all phrase that has never been met. Even if she doesn't have any coverage in reality.
This phenomenon has given emergence to this text, and I hope that the content will stimulate more critical thinking, even if only any people curious in global matters. It will show a somewhat broader position and turn to alone exploring cognition of the subject. So it would not be essential to base your own views only on catchy simplifications or manipulations, and to believe that behind them lies any secret cognition or actual history.
Krzysztof Wojchal
geopolitics, politics, economy, law, taxes – blog
