There seems to be some iron social law that states that the good life is always followed by runaway foolishness. Wouldn't it be nice if beyond this stage there was an expansive conservative upland where no one claimed to be non-binary or dyed their hair pink? But experience seems to tell us that all that lies beyond is disorder and reprimitivisation. Poor Poland. They still have decades of slow social decay to go through and then get used to. The only consolation is that humans soon get used to pretty much anything and adapt.
It is very much single and childless women, a phenomenon in Poland as elsewhere in the West, who lean left as they seek to express increasingly thwarted maternal instincts via culture and politics, with minorities as a proxy for children and the state as a proxy for the family.
I mean this constructively and do not see this as the fault of women or anything like that. If we can reverse this trend then there is considerable cause for optimism, but that would involve a paradigm shift from the ego centric individualism that currently fills the vacuum previously occupied by religion. Does anyone know what birth rates look like under communism!
And a bit of context on this. The mean age of Polish women at birth of first child was 23.1 in 1989 and 25.7 in 2006. It is now 29.6 and rising rapidly. The highest mean rates in Europe belong to Ireland (32.2) and Spain (32.1) (tied with Belgium) weirdly both formerly catholic countries
I speculate that it is not just "weird" that these are former Catholic countries, but that there is something about the "old regime" in Catholic that leads to this kind of backlash, and which Catholic postliberals have not really reckoned with.
Ross Douthat frequently makes this point against the Catholic integralists: Quebec, Ireland etc. walked away from the "Catholic state" as soon as they had the chance to do so; what's your (integralists') plan to avoid that happening again?
The level of internationalism in Poland now is unprecedented. The whole bag of liberal ideas may destroy Poland as it has the three countries of Great Britain.
"The Left, which wants abortion legalised up until the twelfth week, the introduction of a 35-hour working week, and a house-building programme."
Putting aside the desire for abortion, don't The Left understand that a 35-hour work week conflicts with a house-building programme? How long is it going to take to build any reasonable number of houses at 7 hours of work per day?
A shorter work week means less stuff for everyone, including workers, and fewer services for everyone. Anti-capitalist youth may claim they don't care about stuff - easily said when you can sponge off your parents if you need something - but employees are needed for the service, hospitality, and mental health businesses they patronize. Otherwise, it's wait wait wait, and then they get your order wrong ... and good luck getting any sympathy from your parents.
Depends what you want. You can knock up a 2 up and 2 down bedroom house in a reasonable amount of time.. 4 men for 4 days for example. Also roofers can for example only work when it is dry and light
Construction is much simplier than it was. It is a Europe wide industry so there are 10 of millions of people who will simply move to Poland if necessary- This is a way about the 35 hour rule. You award the contract to a company- say Acme and hire hundreds of sub contractors Breeze blocks and Steel frames are very easy to assemble. You do get women working in the trades. Specifcally Germans- Fitters the people who are installing central heating- Also Banksmen 'Project managers/ Architects / would be women. Building sites close earlier for women- because they are rapey and violet. Also there restrictions on noise, clothing, and traffice to be considered
Sample size of one alert. I have a middle-aged Polish friend who (understandably) hates Russia, has high achieving kids he dotes on and is very pro business. A genuinely good person, a great father and no fan of the left. He can’t stand Morawiecki and think he panders to ignorant, aging rural Poles to the very real detriment of his country.
You might be right to view Poland through a prism of ‘What’s gone wrong in the UK?’ but it would be totally foreign (it, of course, is literally foreign) to his conception of Poland’s future and the problems it faces. He has lived in the states so he’s familiar with what’s happening here as well.
You need to study the present: and look at what liberalism and affluence have done to the Catholic Church in the West and what they are doing to the Catholic Church in Poland, which since 1990 has shown alarming signs of melting down. Whereas Stalinism caused Polish Catholicism to flourish.
Liberalism and affluence are more insidious foes, thus more dangerous than Soviet Communism was.
And moe successful foes.
Though looking at the Middle East, they may soon be gone.
An appropriate time to be writing about Poland given the Holocaust underway. A horrible shame that it too is abandoning its Christian heritage. Hope everyone has read up on their Hadiths and is looking forward to a bright shiny Islamic....sorry SECULAR future
It does feel like a country divided, not knowing which way to turn. I just wonder whether events in the Middle East might move the dial just enough to make a difference? Open borders and multicultural progress are nice in theory, but maybe less attractive at the moment?
True, but for women not being especially interested in sex in isolation from other things in the way men can be. Compare the lifestyles of gay men and lesbian women.
I've heard from internet rumors that the bizarrely-incongruous, wildly-overrepresented black people in advertising thing has recently started in Poland, lol. No idea if that's true though.
That's an interesting article. Maybe I didn't read carefully enough as I don't understand the last paragraph, why will there be more immigration in Poland?
And there was me thinking Ed would finally return full of hope and optimism...
There seems to be some iron social law that states that the good life is always followed by runaway foolishness. Wouldn't it be nice if beyond this stage there was an expansive conservative upland where no one claimed to be non-binary or dyed their hair pink? But experience seems to tell us that all that lies beyond is disorder and reprimitivisation. Poor Poland. They still have decades of slow social decay to go through and then get used to. The only consolation is that humans soon get used to pretty much anything and adapt.
It is very much single and childless women, a phenomenon in Poland as elsewhere in the West, who lean left as they seek to express increasingly thwarted maternal instincts via culture and politics, with minorities as a proxy for children and the state as a proxy for the family.
I mean this constructively and do not see this as the fault of women or anything like that. If we can reverse this trend then there is considerable cause for optimism, but that would involve a paradigm shift from the ego centric individualism that currently fills the vacuum previously occupied by religion. Does anyone know what birth rates look like under communism!
And a bit of context on this. The mean age of Polish women at birth of first child was 23.1 in 1989 and 25.7 in 2006. It is now 29.6 and rising rapidly. The highest mean rates in Europe belong to Ireland (32.2) and Spain (32.1) (tied with Belgium) weirdly both formerly catholic countries
I speculate that it is not just "weird" that these are former Catholic countries, but that there is something about the "old regime" in Catholic that leads to this kind of backlash, and which Catholic postliberals have not really reckoned with.
Ross Douthat frequently makes this point against the Catholic integralists: Quebec, Ireland etc. walked away from the "Catholic state" as soon as they had the chance to do so; what's your (integralists') plan to avoid that happening again?
That makes sense to me
FWIW, Poland is well on its way to being the military superpower of Eastern Europe.
In other words, it has shelled out a lot on weapons.
Whether Poland's yuppies will fight the Russians is another matter.
I know one good way for Moscow to find out
I reckon a modest acquaintance with history should answer that one.
The level of internationalism in Poland now is unprecedented. The whole bag of liberal ideas may destroy Poland as it has the three countries of Great Britain.
Worse than Stalin, then?
Yes. Less tyrannical, but more damaging.
Liberal ideas are a solvent, dissolving everything in their path.
Beneath a sugar coatng of pretended idealism (costing nothing), liberal ideas are mere selfishness.
Mate seriously, you need to study some history - and maybe talk to some people who experienced communism; even the milder post-Stalin sort.
Not surprising, really. For fear of the Russian bear they have embraced the American dildo.
Ouch. Tough but fair.
"The Left, which wants abortion legalised up until the twelfth week, the introduction of a 35-hour working week, and a house-building programme."
Putting aside the desire for abortion, don't The Left understand that a 35-hour work week conflicts with a house-building programme? How long is it going to take to build any reasonable number of houses at 7 hours of work per day?
A shorter work week means less stuff for everyone, including workers, and fewer services for everyone. Anti-capitalist youth may claim they don't care about stuff - easily said when you can sponge off your parents if you need something - but employees are needed for the service, hospitality, and mental health businesses they patronize. Otherwise, it's wait wait wait, and then they get your order wrong ... and good luck getting any sympathy from your parents.
are you suggesting a radical left party hasn't thought through their economic policy? shocking.
I suppose I am. I hadn't thought it through.
Depends what you want. You can knock up a 2 up and 2 down bedroom house in a reasonable amount of time.. 4 men for 4 days for example. Also roofers can for example only work when it is dry and light
Four men for four seven hour days can go from foundation to move-in? (And what about women: we're talking about The Left here, literally!)
Roofers can work 14 or 16 hours in the summer.
Construction is much simplier than it was. It is a Europe wide industry so there are 10 of millions of people who will simply move to Poland if necessary- This is a way about the 35 hour rule. You award the contract to a company- say Acme and hire hundreds of sub contractors Breeze blocks and Steel frames are very easy to assemble. You do get women working in the trades. Specifcally Germans- Fitters the people who are installing central heating- Also Banksmen 'Project managers/ Architects / would be women. Building sites close earlier for women- because they are rapey and violet. Also there restrictions on noise, clothing, and traffice to be considered
All western countries falling like dominoes.
The final comment on immigration is somewhat vague; surely this means migrants from Ukraine rather than Middle East/ Africa?
both
Which will be the subject of part two, tomorrow
At least maybe try and get RCs from Congo. Or you know - Latin American Rcs.
I mean I am pretty sure Lubock is several steps up from Luzon.
Sample size of one alert. I have a middle-aged Polish friend who (understandably) hates Russia, has high achieving kids he dotes on and is very pro business. A genuinely good person, a great father and no fan of the left. He can’t stand Morawiecki and think he panders to ignorant, aging rural Poles to the very real detriment of his country.
You might be right to view Poland through a prism of ‘What’s gone wrong in the UK?’ but it would be totally foreign (it, of course, is literally foreign) to his conception of Poland’s future and the problems it faces. He has lived in the states so he’s familiar with what’s happening here as well.
Bye Bye Poland.
You need to study the present: and look at what liberalism and affluence have done to the Catholic Church in the West and what they are doing to the Catholic Church in Poland, which since 1990 has shown alarming signs of melting down. Whereas Stalinism caused Polish Catholicism to flourish.
Liberalism and affluence are more insidious foes, thus more dangerous than Soviet Communism was.
And moe successful foes.
Though looking at the Middle East, they may soon be gone.
An appropriate time to be writing about Poland given the Holocaust underway. A horrible shame that it too is abandoning its Christian heritage. Hope everyone has read up on their Hadiths and is looking forward to a bright shiny Islamic....sorry SECULAR future
Probably quite soon! Yay
It does feel like a country divided, not knowing which way to turn. I just wonder whether events in the Middle East might move the dial just enough to make a difference? Open borders and multicultural progress are nice in theory, but maybe less attractive at the moment?
"Younger women are embracing progressivism in all its forms."
In other words, want more abortions - in other words., want to have more sex.
True, but for women not being especially interested in sex in isolation from other things in the way men can be. Compare the lifestyles of gay men and lesbian women.
Nice piece, Ed.
I've heard from internet rumors that the bizarrely-incongruous, wildly-overrepresented black people in advertising thing has recently started in Poland, lol. No idea if that's true though.
Seems unlikely, at least based on Allegro the leading online Polish retailer
https://allegro.pl/dzial/moda/on
That's an interesting article. Maybe I didn't read carefully enough as I don't understand the last paragraph, why will there be more immigration in Poland?
that was a "stay tuned for part 2" hook to keep everyone in suspense, Ed is a showman you see