Professor Andrzej Walicki erstwhile said that throughout our past we had 2 roles: either “eastern peripheries of the West”, or “western peripheries of the East”. Nomen omen believes that the second position was more creative for us.
The closest equivalent of this alternate are the periods 1944-1989 and III of the Polish Republic. According to the narration in force for more than 30 years, the People's Poland, called contemptible PeeReLem, was “the happiest barracks in the socialist camp”. However, it was even a “Soviet occupation” and since 1990, erstwhile we “regained our independence”, we later joined NATO and the European Union, confirming our “membership with the West”, removing any unreasonable deviations from the patterns there. Now we are no longer distinguishing ourselves: the same “western” goods dominate the shops, almost everyone speaks English, art and amusement is only “western” due to the fact that with the remnants of communism we got free of most “Polish grandfatherhood” and... originality. We are imitations, and alternatively our anti-plagiate test has been negative for us.
To this day, however, I inactive remember the times erstwhile we had the position of the “Western periphery of the East” which brought us the growth of creative originality: we did not match the East at the time – rather the opposite. What Polish was circumstantial – neither east nor western. The comparison of movie production of that period with today’s (ambient) hut is depressing. True, we have (in excess) unnecessary things produced in Asia and sold under the western brand: however, it is simply a flood of wasteland, which produces and wastes our time and resources. Why do we request to wash and dry the 20 pairs of pants that request to be utilized for energy and water (we already have little than desert Egypt)? For the East we were erstwhile an inspiration, for the West we are a outlet marketplace and a demographic reserve (until – like the real West – we started to die out).
Slowly but inevitably the time comes erstwhile we are “the east periphery of the West.” Why? That's a long answer. The future belongs to the Global South, which already prevails demographically. The West and the East are dying. And he might die out. His enclaves will remain. We have historical analogies. The Greek-speaking antique survived indirectly in Constantinople until 1453, or late, post-barbaric mediate Ages. And he lost under the punches of the Turks, who were far anti-East and anti-Western. The modern West can last on its antipodes. Similarly, the modern East, which the Russian-Ukrainian war complements its time in Central Europe.
Our misfortune is the incurable hostility and contempt towards Russia, the infantization of political thought and the stupidity of naivety. Getting active in the Ukrainian-Russian war without any reflection on the possible finale of this war causes us to be on the side of the losers, due to the fact that the US (our protector) wants (because it must) be on the side of the winners. If we do not retreat in advance from unconditional support for the "insubordinate Baltic states" or anti-Russian politicians of these countries, we will face further humiliation or something much worse.
Prof. Witold Modzelewski
Think Poland, No. 7-8 (15-22.02.2026)
