Poland

"Polonia Christiana" published (June 4, 2019) an interview by Tadeusz Kolanek with Dr. Teodor Gąsiorowski, entitled How the myth of Haller's Blue Army was killed. It is very good that we return to the figure of the great Pole and the great commander, General Józef Haller, and recall the Blue Army. It is a pity that, at the same time, the same text is part of the plot to kill the memory of, the destruction and concealment of the figure of another great Pole, Ignacy Paderewski. His name is never mentioned in this interview, which is a poignant "abandonment" — hard to believe, and impossible to justify. I will focus here on the "Paderewski Case" - and rather than on Paderewski's "myth", on the truth about Paderewski.

Sometimes, in order to better understand the situation in which the American Polonia found itself after 1989, it is worth analyzing how the relations between the Polish State and the Polish community developed after Poland regained independence in 1918. Reliable research by several independent teams of scientists, and a political will, are needed in this matter.

Aleksander Doba, Poland's world-famous traveler, died at the age of 74 after climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest peak. Best known for his solo ocean expeditions, he was the first person to paddle a 23-foot sea kayak across the Atlantic, a voyage of 3,352 miles. He was also the first person to cross the ocean using only his own muscle-power.

Everyone tried to anticipate what issues President Biden would raise in his speech to the international community. Such an opportunity to hear the most important theses of American foreign policy took place during a speech at the Munich Security Conference. The whole world heard Biden's "America is back, the transatlantic partnership is back."

The first use of the bridle, i.e. a headstall with a bit, took place in 3500-3000 BC by the Botai culture inhabiting the territory of Northern Kazakhstan. This is evidenced by the local archaeological traces in the form of mechanical damage left on the bones in the toothless part of the horse's jaws. The editors of Kuryer Polski were invited to a historical lecture on the horse harness to Tarnów, where we could admire the most beautiful exhibits gathered in the local Tower.

There is an urgent need for Polish Americans and Poles to join in the process of crafting Poland’s short-term and long-term strategy for success aimed to improve her cultural, economic, and political relevance. Polish Americans are a part of Poland’s diaspora, often called Polonia. Short-term strategy should describe desired status of Poland five years into the future and identify actions needed to reach that goal. Long-term strategy should span the next twenty-five years. We should include strategic flows and connectivity in this strategy.

This year, January 27, was the 76th anniversary of the liberation of the German concentration camp in Oświęcim (Auschwitz). It was a very quiet anniversary, virtual, hardly mentioned in any media. Paying tribute to all those murdered in this camp, we are reminded of one of them who survived and lived among us in Chicago.

I listen with great attention to the serious and insecure voices coming from Poland about cooperation with the United States after the dramatic end of President Trump's term of office. I can hardly believe the opinions of serious politicians, who attacked the Biden administration from the very start, without even scratching the surface of the American foreign policy. I would like to remind everyone that, in politics, it is not morality that counts, only the interests of a given state.

Historical truth is an objective reality, existing regardless of the situation that could distort it. It is something that is happening today, or has happened in the past. It is the responsibility of each of us to investigate, learn about, and be faithful to it. Very often historical truth falls victim to politics, is twisted, manipulated and replaced with lies. The generation that knew the facts is dying out. There is only hope that the documents it left behind will help in finding out the truth.

Today, it is difficult to avoid the omnipresent news about the course of vaccinations against COVID-19, or about their alleged risks and harmful effects, or about their effectiveness, or lack thereof. Many people express their opinions on this subject, both publicly and privately, but few really understand how – on the basis of which principles – these vaccines work at all, what their mechanism is, what their risks are, and how they are different and novel, compared to the traditional ones. We all know that they were developed and approved for use extremely quickly – as far as vaccines go – in less than a year; but hardly anyone realizes why it was even possible. Let's try here, at least in part, to answer these questions and, along the way, point to the partially Polish origin of the technology that made these vaccines possible.

Medicine and art are two different fields so it is not easy to compare and assess them directly. For me the most important has always been the human being and his or her life. Life is the most important value in our stay on Earth. Our existence here and now, on the most beautiful planet in the Universe, is connected with having a soul and a body.