"I feel disappointed with Viktor Orbán," said my good friend Mr. Zbigniew of Sosnowiec. This happened after he read 1 of the books by prof. Bogdan Góralczyk devoted to Hungarian politics after 1990.
Mr Zbigniew was disappointed not only at the Prime Minister of Hungary, but indirectly besides at “Polish Thought”. After all, “you have written about Orbán’s actions so many times, and he is not ours.” Then there was a enumeration: “Do you know that he was a scholarship holder of the Western Foundation, in the past he did not disturb Soros, he was a man of Netanyahu in the Union and he yet pursued anti-Russian and anti-Chinese policies in the interests of the US?” I replied very briefly that a large part of these allegations are customs, but I do not know what this means in assessing the actions of the Hungarian Prime Minister today. I besides don't remember writing about him as our political ideal. We don't have political beatification processes and we don't look for virgins in politics. We effort to advance what presently serves the Polish nation and what is beneficial to our national community. Today's policy of Hungary governed by Orbán is useful to Poland, as it shifts the imagination of our part of Europe's engagement in the war with Russia. However, this does not mean that we recognise the Prime Minister of this country as a half-god and will uncritically describe what is happening in Hungary. And this is not only about Hungary. It's a permanent regulation in our editorial and environment.
This is precisely how we look at Russia, Belarus, Germany or any country in the planet influencing our policies and their politicians. We describe certain processes and facts, frequently overlooked in authoritative media. This does not mean that we will blindly praise and look uncritically at actions that will be harmful to us. Knowing what mistakes governments make in Poland and realizing the reasons for many problems, we always remember that we are Poles. So we will not uncritically share the explanation of the causes of the outbreak of planet War II and its course outlined by president Vladimir Putin. We won't be allowed to fake the fact about the Katyn crime or the 1 in Mednoje. We will not be allowed to call soldiers of the National Army bandits or to destruct Polish cemeteries in Belarus. We will argue any attempts to whitewash the Germans for actions during planet War II. We will not demonize Russia, Belarus or Germany, of course, although they anticipate public and secret centres of power from the media in Poland. We compose and compose the fact about modern Russia, Belarus, Germany or Ukraine.
As long as any people accuse us of pro-rossyness, pro-bialorusity, or pro-niemiescy, and others, on the another hand, it remains convinced that in these matters we compose honestly. Our communicative strikes the gauges on both sides. The determinant of our line from the very beginning is only pro-Polishness. "Think Poland" despite various harassments and difficulties in issuing remains an independent letter, and if always this independency would be threatened, I powerfully believe that the full editorial board, headed by chief editor John Engelgard, would say, "Non possumus". We are not curious in being a typical of the Russian, Belarusian or German interests. We are not servants of any nation. It is our enemies who put specified lying thesis, frequently being scholarship holders of American, German or Israeli foundations. The nation, but besides the Polish state, is simply a point of mention for us, and it will always stay so, in my opinion. We support analysis and moderation in describing reality. This is why we do not participate straight in electoral activities, which protects us from the request to usage propaganda in the interests of a peculiar political party. While remaining critics of the politics assigned by the III Polish elite to Russia or Belarus, Germany, we do not request to act as polytourists of Russian Miru or enthusiasts of German politics in Europe.
Our “prorossiness”, “probiality” or “pronimity” is, in fact, writing about matters concerning these countries without prejudice and previously formulated in various think tanks and foundations of prepared opinions. We want to be free from russophobic or Germanophobic prejudices, which have been caught here by people having their own non-Polish interests. We will be in what we compose hard to defend the interests of the Polish people. present it is not easy, but 1 must endure. The war will end, and our geographical location will stay the same. What seems unreal present may become a fact in 2 or 3 years. Processes in a globalised planet are accelerating. We must be prepared to safeguard the interests of the nation both in the country and in our erstwhile Borderlands. We must realize the function of neighbours, as the leader of the National Democracy Roman Dmowski and the primate of Poland Stefan Wyszyński understood. We want, of course, good and peaceful relations with Russia, Belarus and Germany, not for the love of these countries, although 2 of them inspire my sympathy, only due to the fact that it is beneficial for our people.
Why do we compose so much about Russia, Belarus and Germany? It's very simple. Countries neighbouring Poland must be subject to careful analysis and critical assessments. We must effort to organize the facts and processes within these countries. We should know the statements of politicians and analysts from these countries, including those bitter to our people. erstwhile and for all, we must reject in political analysis the spells saying that everything about Russia, Belarus, Germany must be wrong. Just as those who claim that these countries are ruled by elves sent by the gods, and people live there like in a biblical paradise.
What would I advise people like Mr. Zdzisław? First of all, presume that the Polish nation is always the most important. stay critical of the propaganda of all parties in mass-media, keep the sobriety of judgment, think forward, avoid listening to abroad whispers (usually zaoceanic) and take into account variables in politics. More trust in common sense than a tv show. First of all, realize that we are not heated teenage emotions and not looking for strength in idol politics.
Łukasz Jastrzębski
Think Poland, No. 41-42 (6-12.10.2024)
