It passed on 11 November, a day marked red in Polish calendars. This year on Saturday, for most days off anyway. On the streets and buses, white-red flags, tv presenters replaced Ukrainian colours with bows in Polish colours.
A well-known march passed through Warsaw, with over 50 people arrested for armed robbery. On tv celebrations and films about Piłsudski, possibly Witos, Paderewski, Dmowski, Korfanty and Daszyński. This is what many Poles look like on 11 November. But – and this may be a surprise – that is not the point. It's kind of a symbolic holiday. The date is due to the anniversary of the end of the planet War, the authoritative communicative presented with Piłsudski in the lead function is an overshadowed and idealized communicative popularized by the Pilsudczyk authorities to make Piłsudski a national hero.
But is there truly something to celebrate? After all, Poland is far from independency – Poland is constantly marginalized to the function of the European province, or the east flank of NATO, sold out Polish industry, Poles work for Germans and buy German products in German stores driving German cars (this is simply a deliberate simplification) and power in Poland keeps marionettes whose command centre is located in the American embassy. It is emphasized that Poland is on the map (although under the partitions the Kingdom of Poland was on the map as part of the Russian Empire) but this country on the map is to become a front state. Our language is not officially imposed, but in practice we learn English at all turn.
Well, is there anything to celebrate? I think so. Polishness (the word “Polishness” is frequently synonymous with primitiveism on the Internet, wrongly). 1 can celebrate attachment to Polish tradition and culture. It is possible to celebrate patriotism – patriotism is not equal to chauvinism – patriotism as a love and respect for Poland, without having to accept its current authorities or its policies. Neither PiS nor PO nor Bąkiewicz have the right to respect themselves as monopolists of patriotism, no 1 can take it from us. Patriotism is besides a fight for better Poland, for its safety and justice. Finally, attachment to national symbols – Flags, Emblems and Hymn. It is obvious, but any people are burning Polish flags or would gladly follow the flag of the European Union.
The dignity is what it is – any argue that it should be in a closed crown or with a cross, others that the pattern before 1927 and others that it should be without a crown (personally the eagle without a crown I like most) but the eagle in the crown is the binding emblem of Poland and so it deserves to be respected (I am an opponent of the monarchy, but it is simply a bit as if I did not accept the adjective "Kingewski" speaking about the castle). Hymn may not like it either, but it is an existing Hymn (it was before the war, it was in the Polish People's Republic and is now) and constitutes the continuity of the Polish statehood.
This vacation is not to idealize Sanitational dictator Piłsudski, it is not to throw rags and firecrackers at the Bąkiewicz march shouting about hanging communists, nor to idealize your country as it is and to agree to everything. Andrzej Duda is right – Poland's independency and statehood is peculiarly threatened today. But not by Russia, as the puppet head of state tells us. It is threatened by the federalization of the European Union in its current form, the spread of American troops across our country, the pushing of us to the brink of war in the interests of the American Hegemon and due to the expanding contempt for Poland, Polishness or language among highly liberal environments.
There is no Independence, but possibly this vacation suggests that it is worth fighting for for Poland? This is our vacation as Poles, regardless of political options. Poland lost its independency respective times but besides managed to regain it. He will do it again and we will be needed for it, Poland expects it from us. Poland will be free and independent erstwhile we regain our subjectivity so severely weakened by the last and so far present elites.
Jakub Janek
The author is an activist of the Polish Left Movement
