Divided as never before

Not a reassuring post at the start of the new year, yet inspired of my observations made back in 2018. As a nation, Poles appear to be drifting apart in many realms of their lives, moot points are mushrooming, while arguments between opponents get fiercer.

The most vivid divide line which already has torn several families apart and put many friendships to the test is being pro-PiS or anti-PiS, which, if drilled down, is just a touchstone, since people on both sides of the divide line differ in terms of the vision of the world, role of family, society, religion, economy, the state. This topic has however been explored several times and probably deserves to be revisited in the election year.

Just before the Christmas Eve one of the Facebook groups I have been signed up for (Obywatele Ursynowa) was a scene of mud-slinging (the Polish language has invented a new word for worthless, but heated quarrels which is gównoburza) between advocates and opponents of shooting fireworks on New Year’s Eve and New Year’ Day. The former were standing up for tradition of celebrating the turn on the year, the latter pointed at the problem of scared animals which suffer badly that one night. In response the former accused the latter of letting animals cack on pavements and grass and not cleaning up the turds and claimed superiority of humans over animals. Not joining the dispute, which will resurface in late December again, I am against fireworks. Apart from feeling sorry for animals, I believe this is a dangerous (check the number of injuries and fires caused by them) waste of money, therefore I have been glad to learn several cities had abandoned the firework shows during city-staged celebrations.

In a week Wielka Orkiestra Świątecznej Pomocy will play again, for 27th time. Each year, despite the wave of hatred spilling on the event, and its commander-in-chief, WOŚP raises more and more funds for medical aids. The divide line nearly overlaps the pro-PiS / anti-PiS one. Needless to say, I will support WOŚP this year as well, more generously than before, not only to help raise money for medical equipment for children wards in hospitals across Poland, but to spite everyone who wishes to put the initiative down.

In the coming year car-ridden dumbheads will be clashing with cyclists and ecologists, vegans will keep calling meat-eaters murderers, same label as stuck to pro-choice campaigners by pro-life activists and so on and so forth. Individuals will inevitably differ between one another, but it depends on them whether they exploit those differences to enrich the society or harness them as pretext to fight enemies (i.e. those who dare to think differently). All aforementioned disputes have touched upon the limits of human autonomy (yes, the political one as well, if not the most) and where one’s freedom begins to harm others.

Tidings from the remont front next week – much progress to boast of recently!