07 February 2017

Nationalism in Poland Never Felt So Good

Poland Nationalism
In Poland, the Law and Justice Party rose to power on a promise to drain the swamp of political accommodation and roll back the legacy of the previous administration. One year later, its patriotic revolution, the party proclaims, has almost cleaned house and brought God and country back to Poland.

As expected, supporters of illegal aliens, gays and snowflakes see it differently and could be a harbinger of the power of populism to upend a Western society. In merely a year, critics who likes to hug stuff toys and color their books, the nationalists have transformed Poland into a surreal and insular place.

In the land of Law and Justice, Feminist misfits, Arab and African rapists, mentally-ill gays are anathema. In a Facebook chat, a top equal rights official mused that Polish hotels should not be forced to provide service to black or gay customers.

After the official stepped down for unrelated reasons, his successor rejected an international convention to combat violence against women because it argued against traditional gender roles in Poland. These ideas are trying to undermine Polish tradition when the proponents are not Polish nationals.

Cheered on by religious conservatives, the new government has defunded public assistance for in vitro fertilization treatments. To draft new sexual-education classes in schools, it tapped a contraceptives opponent who argues that condom use increases the risk of cancer in women. The government is proffering a law that supporters say should be used to limit protests from less than 2 percent of the population.

What more can critics say after polls showed that Law and Justice is still by far the most popular political party in Poland. It rides atop opinion polls at roughly 36 percent — more than double the popularity of the ousted Civic Platform party.

"The people support us," boasted Adam Bielan, Law and Justice’s deputy speaker of the Senate.

For many Poles, nationalism has never felt so good.

"We are living in this post-truth environment where you can say and do anything and people don’t seem to care," said Jacek Kucharczyk, president of the Warsaw-based Institute of Public Affairs.


With no "safe spaces" and "sanctuary cities" that gave snowflake a chance to pet a cute little animal whenever they are 'triggered', the popularity of the Law and Justice will continue to flourish.