Volume 19
World of Ideas and Politics
Volume 19/2020
Table of contents
Studies and analyses
Alan G. Futerman, William Barnett II, Walter E. Block
University of the Latin American Educational Center & Loyola University New Orleans
Austrian Government Cycle Theory
Summary: When government accounted for a small proportion of the economy, the Austrian Business Cycle Theory (ABCT) was apropos because private enterprises comprised the lion’s share of commercial interactions. But, of late, in more and more countries, the share of the economy accounted for by the state has increased, and that by business firms, less and less. Thus, it is time, it is past time, to introduce a new concept, Austrian Government Cycle Theory (AGCT). The present paper is an attempt to move us in that direction.
Keywords: business cycle, Austrian economics, inflation, depression
Marcin Wałdoch
Uniwersytet Kazimierza Wielkiego w Bydgoszczy
Political Extremism in New Zealand
Summary: In this paper an author state a hypothesis that political extremism in New Zealand is a permanent phenomena that is present in New Zealand, which derives itself from globalization processes and evolves as the effect of idea’s diffusion. System theory is used as a theoretical perspective and a priori assumption that political extremism deepen state-phobia is made. Research methods such as lexical analysis and comparative analysis are used. During the research main extremist political trends are reveal, such as leftist, rightist, pro-ecological, islamic and postcolonial, and „lone-wolf” extremism. These phenomenon are highlighted in the perspective of potential security threats to the state. Ideological sources of extreme attitudes are revealed and shown in the most current political trends.
Keywords: Great Replacement, racism, New Zealand, extreme left, extreme right, identitaranism, clash of the civilization, state-phobia
Arkadiusz Meller
Uniwersytet Kazimierza Wielkiego w Bydgoszczy
Commonwealth Senators in the Context of National Democracy in the years 1928–1930
Summary: The following article provides an outline of a lesser known historical phenomenon related to the actions of Polish parliamentary politicians of the National Democracy (ND) formation in the years 1928-1930. In stark contrast to the elections of 1922, the elections of 1928 resulted in the defeat of the Nationalist camp, which ended up having only nine ND politicians. First, the article sketches a sociological map of ND senators. Secondly, it delves into the activities of senators in particular Senate boards, therefore explaining the real impact these people had on the workings of the higher chamber. Finally, an analysis of various statements is conducted with the aim of summarising the political views of these senators as well as the main issues they focused on, including state administration, justice, local governance, education and foreign policy.
Keywords: National Democracy, Commonwealth Senate (1928-1930), parliament, interwar period Senate, senators
Arkadiusz Lewandowski
Uniwersytet Kazimierza Wielkiego w Bydgoszczy
Debut Members of Parliament in the Sejm of 7th, 8th and 9th Term. The Contribution for the Analysis of the Phenomenon of the Party Circulation of Elite
Summary: Parliamentary representation of political parties is nowadays becoming an important field of activity of every grouping. Members of Parliament, following the standards of party charters, become an element of party elite, holding the official positions in collegiate organs. Personal changes in the parliament then mean changes in the party elite. The goal of the article is defining the scale of the phenomenon of debut Members of Parliament in the years of 2011, 2015 and 2019.
The research question which the author was faced with is the question about the scale of the phenomenon of debut Members of Parliament and its consequences for the demographic structure of the Polish Sejm and the particular party representations in the parliament, defined as party elites.
Detailed questions concern: the importance of parliamentary representatives in contemporary political groupings; defining whether the scale of the phenomenon in 2015 was significantly different from the election results from 2011 and 2019.
The established hypotheses assume that: the important of parliamentary representation in contemporary parties is on a constant growth on the formal level and also within the political praxis, and consequently, Members of Parliament can be called party elites. Another hypothesis assumes that the phenomenon of debut MPs has stood out quantitatively in the analyzed period of time, nevertheless, it has not changed the demographic structure of the parliament dramatically, concerning the other two analyzed terms.
The period of the analysis concerns the three parliamentary elections in 2011, 2015 and 2019, which allowed to pick up on the possible tendency of the phenomenon.
Keywords: political party, debut Members of Parliament, parliament, Sejm, elections, the party in a parliament
Wojciech Trempała
Uniwersytet Kazimierza Wielkiego w Bydgoszczy
Can Life Prevail? Pentti Linkola – Finnish Representative of the Ecological Alternative Movement
Summary: In this article were presented beliefs and ideas of Pentti Linkola who was a Finnish representative of deep ecology. Taking into consideration debates and discussions on how to solve global environmental crisis, he must be perceived as one of the most charismatic and radical figure. The only solutions to protect life in biosphere are for him: organized coercion, compulsory reduction of the human population, authoritarian system managed by a strong centralized government, forcing people to reduce consumption, possessions, travelling, and usage of electricity. The concept of Linkola’s philosophy is full of negative judgments towards humans’ responsibility and wisdom. His ideas are also eco-centered and prioritize weal and value of life in general over the weal and life of a single person. The aim of this article is to present and compare Finnish thinker’s opinions on relations between people and environment with other – more popular in Poland – authors. It is worth to mention that Linkola’s ideas and demands are not mentioned in the works of domestic representatives of subdisciplines in social science which concentrate on social and political sources and effects of ecological problems in the modern world. This fact will determine the essence and value of assumptions made for the presented in the article disquisition.
Keywords: deep ecology, ecofascism, Linkola, ecocentrism, ecological crisis
Jildiz Nicharapova
American University of Central Asia
Eurasian Economic Union: Integration Organization or Tool for Russian Regional Hegemony? The Case of Participation of the Kyrgyz Republic in the EAEU since 2015
Summary: This paper uses the case of Kyrgyz Republic to analyze two competing views concerning the role of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). The realist view claims that the EAEU is a tool of Russian hegemonic power over its region of influence and interprets is as a primarily political rather than economic organization designed to serve Russia’s national interests at the expense of those of other members. The liberal institutionalist view, on the other hand, sees the EAEU as a new regional organization of economic integration that is beneficial for all members. Analyzing the case of the participation of the Kyrgyz Republic in this union makes it clear that it is still too early to determine which perspective is correct as there is evidence in support of both.
Keywords: EAEU, Russia, geopolitics, international organizations, integration, Kyrgyz Republic, labor migrants, economic indicators
Maciej Klisz
The Polish Armed Forces
The Military Perspective on the Strategic Planning Process in the United States within 2017–2018 Timeframe
Summary: The article examines the development process of the national level security strategies in the United States. It explains the basic theory of the strategy-making, as well as the primary processes and relations among the major security enterprises. The author focuses on the 2017–2018 timeframe due to the significant changes in the U.S. legislative system and exceptional personalities involved in the strategy-making process. However, the article delivers a military perspective on strategy development. Still, it does not exclude general information on the U.S. political arena, legal framework, scope of the documents, or historical facts. These data facilitate a more comprehensive understanding of the complex political-military relations during the strategy-making process. The primary purpose of the article is to analyze coherent, layered strategic planning process during President Donald Trump administration (2017–2020) and draw significant conclusions, which other countries might implement in their planning system.
Keywords: national defense, strategy, planning process, DIME, ends, ways, means, national power, security, grand strategy
Sławomir Sadowski
Uniwersytet Kazimierza Wielkiego w Bydgoszczy
About the Need of the European Army in the Context of Global Geopolitical Change
Summary: The main goal of the article is the issue of organizing an effective defense system of the European Union in the context of geopolitical change taking place in the World. It is important to answer the question, whether the European Union, wanting to maintain an important role in the global political system, can do it without having a functioning military instrument? It seems that the European Union, deprived of effective military strength, may retain an important position in the global system, but will be reduced to the role of a second-order power as a non-dimensional entity. The principal research methods are various methods of measuring the power of political units.
Keywords: Global balance of power, military integration, power, armed forces, European Union
Artur Ptaszyński
Uniwersytet Kazimierza Wielkiego w Bydgoszczy
The Prison System in Poland in 1945–1958. Analysis Based on the Example of the Provincial Prison in Bydgoszcz
Summary: The subject of the article is the prison system in Poland, functioning in the years 1945–1958. The purpose of the article is to document and analyze the functioning of the prison system in this period on the example of the Provincial Prison in Bydgoszcz. In pursuit of the purpose of the work, the author formulated a research hypothesis, according to which the expansion and functioning of the post-war prison system contributed to the sharpening and expansion of the system of repression against convicts. In order to verify the hypothesis, research methods based on the analysis of archival documents and statistical data were used.
Keywords: prison, prison system, Bydgoszcz, Stalinism, repression
Barbara Panciszko
Uniwersytet Kazimierza Wielkiego w Bydgoszczy
The Role of the European Food Safety Authority in Ensuring Biosecurity as Exemplified by African Swine Fever
Summary: The issue of this article is African swine fever (ASF) virus as a biological treats in the Member states of the European Union. The purpose is to define the role of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) in the biological risk analysis process and to indicate the functions it performs. A research hypothesis was put forward: the recommendations indicated in scientific opinions published by EFSA are the basis for the European Commission implementing decisions. The research questions correspond with it are: What is the scale of the threats associated with the ASF virus? What competencies does EFSA have in the biological risk analysis process? How has the EFSA approach evolved regarding the risk management tools associated with ASF? When and in which cases does EFSA undertake ASF research? The case study method was used in the study and the desk research technique was applied.
Keywords: European Food Safety Authority, European Union, African Swine Fever, biosecurity, biosecurity policy of the European Union, food security policy
Sabriye Beste Kabaçam
Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University
Perception of Democracy in the Turkish Political Culture
Summary: The subject of this article is political culture and its relationship with democracy. The article is focused mainly on Turkish political culture and democratic practices. It is clear that the political system is directly connected with the political culture of society. But how could we distinguish political culture from other things or do we even have to? The purpose of this article is to present and evaluate the main role of political culture, which affects levels of tolerance, interpersonal trust, etc., as well as the adaption of democratic institutions to the current system. The main problems of Turkish political life are discussed in the article with the perspective of the relationship between political culture and democracy. The aim of this article is to present concepts of cultural orientations, the reflection of economic and political factors, social structures, as well as complex and unclear relations between them, which are simultaneously linked to a stable democracy. Therefore, it can be observed that stable democracy is not a coincidence but a result of all mentioned factors.
Keywords: political culture, democracy, mass, democratic institutions, democratization
Robert Reczkowski
Centrum Doktryn i Szkolenia Sił Zbrojnych w Bydgoszczy
Geopolitical Gameplay with COVID-19 Pandemic: Russian Ecosystem of Disinformation and Propaganda
Summary: Both disinformation and propaganda are not new activities, but they have been accompanying societies practically since their inception. What’s more, their usefulness in the actions of states is confirmed not only by numerous historical examples, but also by those we are currently witnessing and are closely related with the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. The article is an attempt to define and describe not only the Russian ecosystem of disinformation and propaganda, but also an attempt to answer the question of how different pillars of this ecosystem play different roles, feed each other and strengthen each other.
Keywords: disinformation, propaganda, information security, COVID-19
Светлана Шералиева
Bishkek Humanitarian University. K. Karasayeva
Specifics of Use of Mass Media in Kyrgyzstan During Election Campaigns
Summary: Kyrgyzstan will hold regular parliamentary elections in 2020. Kyrgyz mass media took an active part in almost all previous election campaigns. On the one hand, state mass media acted as an administrative resource. The airtime area of the KRTRC (Public Television and Radio Broadcasting Corporation of the Kyrgyz Republic), state newspapers Kyrgyz Tuusu, Slovo Kyrgyzstana, Erkin-Too and others mainly served to voice and approve candidates, parties lobbied by the ruling power. On the other hand, activities of various political actors and private media are the basis of mosaic of information space in Kyrgyzstan. Political technologists, who see the media as one of the effective mechanisms of influence and public opinion formation, interact closely with them, setting the tone necessary for the client. All these political and information processes led to the fact that in 2005 a multiparty parliament was elected, citizens were politicized and the development of social networks continues to periodically change the mosaic of the media picture of the country. This is especially intensified, as it has already been noted, on the eve of the elections. However, the relative freedom of the mass media, the possibility of confrontation between different political actors, the use of political technologies, in the absence of a clear state position and ideology do not increase the level of civic activity.
Keywords: election political campaigns, “tulip” revolution, media system, information resources, political technologies
Paweł Malendowicz
Uniwersytet Kazimierza Wielkiego w Bydgoszczy
Vulgarisms in Political Communication
Summary: Vulgarisms – called indecent words in the language of Polish law, occur in the process of political communication. It involves the two-way flow of political messages between broadcasters and recipients with the participation of the media. Vulgarism is a lexical unit that can exist in public space thanks to the media, but the Internet is the entity that perpetuates it. Verifying this hypothesis is the aim of the article. Vulgarisms perform many functions in the process of political communication. The most important of them are: discrediting, escapist, catharsis, descriptive, entertainment, provocative, and – symbolically – representation, integrating, delimiting, mobilizing.
Keywords: vulgarism, political communication, language, politics, Internet
Adrian Konefał
Mazowiecka Uczelnia Publiczna w Płocku
Edward Gierek as the Subject of Propaganda in Trybuna Ludu
Summary: The work deals with the issue of analyzing the propaganda approach of the figure of Edward Gierek in the newspaper Trybuna Ludu. Based on the analysis of press releases of the Trybuna Ludu from the period of the rule of the First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Polish United Workers’ Party in 1970–1980, an analysis of the content of shaping the propaganda image of E. Gierek was carried out in the area of economic policy of the Polish People’s Republic and evolution in the field of image policy against the background of other First Secretaries of the Central Committee of the PZPR. The research problem adopted for the purposes of this article were the questions: What methods did Edward Gierek promote in the People’s Tribune? How was Edward Gierek created as the first secretary of the PUWP Central Committee? In addition, the author presented a brief description of Edward Gierek and his political activity in the Polish People’s Republic in the 1970s. This article uses the method of content analysis, which the author considered the most effective research method to address the subject, including in particular the presentation of propaganda mechanisms and political activity of Edward Gierek as the First Secretary of the Central Committee of the PZPR in the 1970s.
Keywords: propaganda, Polish People’s Republic, Edward Gierek, Polish United Workers’ Party, “Trybuna Ludu”, economic policy
REVIEWS
Łukasz Perlikowski (rev.): Marcin Polakowski, Sceptycyzm w polityce. Studium myśli politycznej Michaela Oakeshotta, Wydawnictwo Naukowe Państwowej Wyższej Szkoły Zawodowej w Płocku, Płock 2017, pp. 286.
Piotr Walewicz (rev.): „Teoria Polityki” 2020, No. 4.
Joanna Wieczorek-Orlikowska (rev.): M. Migalski, M. Kaczmarzyk, Homo Politicus Sapiens. Biologiczne aspekty politycznej gry, Post Factum, Katowice 2020, pp. 223.
