Polish leftist/radical culture...

I used to be a looney leftist, but after a few protest rallies and debates with other looney leftists, I've decided to give up all labels except that of common sense (according to me.) But what about here in Poland? What passes for left-wing ideology over here? What do radicals want, or are they the same everywhere in the world? How numerous are they? Are authors like Noam Chomsky, Howard Zin & co well-known?

Sh*it...

Ronald reagan,George Bush,Adolf Hitler.......

Oh, and Tony Blair.

Nah,even the Poles know blair isnt left wing :)

Interesting point. Many American hicks react to the mere mention of the word 'left' in much the same manner. Many of them would love to see all leftists brutally massacred. But wouldn't such a complete, unqualified dismissal of an entire wing of the ideological spectrum serve as a censure upon the intellectual substance of the right? Your complete disinterest in identifying and engaging the ideas of the Left in Poland may not be representative of right wing sentiments, but the human tendency to make quick generalizations can't help but think that it is. That is why it is incumbent upon you to make your case by spelling your opinions out for us, or you'll always find yourself on the losing end of the argument.

You can count the members of communist party.They were millions before 1989.

Communists were the only group I could think of, but I figured I would be foolish to reduce the entire left to a mere communist cell.

Do you dislike Yaruselski?

Yaru who?

Focus is on critical mass, workers rights, gay rights, Iraq and animals rights and more locally on US missile shield and Belarus human rights plus defending some always endangered squats. Radicals in Poland are divided and the groups luck often cooperation, feminist are not necessary against Bush war and bike activists don't care about anarchists problems with police. In fact bike activists can hardly be called radical although monthly events are infiltrated by radicals.

They all talk a lot in their cafes, bars but hardly can gather more then 50 on any given demonstration, which is often made by dozens only. You would normally realize they are THERE by ...stickers or by visiting internet sites where all radicals blossom. Anyway they have some inspiring printed publications like bi monthly Obywatel. I wish we had some more serious car busters type movement reclaiming street etc. Alternative music seems to be flourishing though.

Noam Chomsksky is a guru. Howard Zinn is probably focused too much on US to get wider interest here. Generally corporation bashing isn't fashionable.

What is that?Are they leninists on a bike?

I like this guy

I like these two guys well enough.. but remember there's a lot of jewish intellectuals who's chief goal in life is to "comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable". Noble at times, annoying at others.

Read them, discuss them.. but don't ingest every word they say.

Now that was informative thanks!


I don't know who that is, I could look it up on google, but perhaps you could quickly school me on this figure?

I believe he's refering to General Wojciech Jaruzelski, the communist military man who declared martial law in 1981 as a right-wing reaction to Solidarity. He would be considered the opposite of what you're talking about.

All the 'radicals' are Jewish...what do they want?...attention, and a way to make money without doing honest work.

Excuse me... ?

Yeah so after reading up a bit on this Jaruzelski guy it seems that he was a complete arse, why mention him southern, do you admire him?

He was cult figure of the 80's.You always saw his characteristic profile next to the other communist leaders.

come on comrade, Chomsky is a "good one".

I don't know any Polish leftists the way you define them Masks98 - though there are of course punks, hippies and some drunkyards. Most of them are young and it will pass - I hope. Hell, I know! Give them a few years and they will be the new elite covering each job from advertising though journalism to lobbyism. The way it turned out in Germany with their '68-generation.

But none of them will do decent work. Because working hard is not a leftist ideal. Rather it is a desire for decent people to help their comunity and not rip it of! And I don't mean only core-industries - I mean, you see seldom an engineerer with a leftist background. All this dope-heads want to do is play hackisack or sit in a circle and chat. They study languages, psychology, history or politology - I study that "for fun".

But I know many leftists the way I define them. Hard working patriots who say that some things were better in the socialistic era. For example the work climate in some industrious and ore-mining areas. Everybody had a sence of pride and was not forced to abandon it to stay employed. The employees power had limitations and also there was no porn and less prostitution. The only one who did rip you was the "leftist" clique at the top.

Funnily enough I know quite a few 'dope-heads' who hold high level positions of responsibility. are post-grads in subjects other than those described as fun and who earn bucket loads of wonga. Most of them live very exciting lifestyles and havent succumbed to so called corporate bollox.

Some people let drugs control them, others control drugs. It's down to the individual which path they decide to follow.

Anyway...

back to topic

I ment by dope-heads drug addicts and not people like me who have an aim in live and can cope with drugs and take a lot of white powder up their noses without loosing the aim. I ment it like in the song by Minor Threat "I'm a person just like you // but I've got better things to do // than dope my head, hang out with the living dead//"

I have my experiences with leftists in Germany and most of them are the way I described them above, unemployed collage-drop-outs. At best they study medicine or architecture.

Well bugger me,hang the barstewards at dawn for that,the evil leftie loons!!!!

Leftists have higher IQ than right wings.It is common knowledge and proved fact.
Guess what party has the voters with lower IQ?Republican or Democrats?

Having an IQ of 156 did not make me stay a leftist for lifetime, so anybody can be saved. I think you are right, there is a region above the avarage inteligence in which people tend to become leftists. But once reaching a level above this region one realized ones superiority and can not stay a leftist anymore.

Or as,I think,Winston Churchill put it, An 18 year old leftie is an idealist to be aplauded,a 30 year old leftie is a fool"

(ok,my words but his intention.....and I kind of agree,to the point that,if by a certain age you havnt realised that life is not as simple as left and right and that at certain points or in certain situations one is more suited than the other.)

"If you're not a liberal at 20 you have no heart. If you're not a conservative by 40 you have no brain."
-Winston Churchill

I thank u :)

This from a guy born on 3rd base. If you're destitute you might hang with the lefties a little longer into adulthood.

lol,yep,the heir to the Duke of Marlborough may not be the most unbiased when it comes to class struggle :)