brie, 1 month ago

So, today is a national holiday in #Poland. Anniversary of our first constitution, 1791. That never really worked, because… and this may be interesting for readers in other countries.

For hundreds of years Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was quite democratic state, for the time and place at least. Our kings were elected by popular vote (that is, by all nobility. More than 10% of society at the time, much more that typical elsewhere), the candidates had to present their programs beforehand, swear by it before coronation, and were held responsible before Parliament. The lower house of Parlament consisted of delegates chosen by popular (same note as before) vote in their lands, and were bound by voters' instructions; that is, they could deviate from them, if needed, but then had to explain the decision back home. Upper house was crewed by high-level state and church officials, no hereditary seats. To ensure that nobody's rights were denied, nor voice silenced, there was institution of veto, that had to be taken back by the one who stated it – after the settlement was reached.

Oh, and speaking of nobility – its structure was flat. A noble was a citizen, as good as any other. No formal aristocracy, no range ladder, no titles (some boasted, usually foreign, titles of barons, dukes, counts, whatever; it was a matter of courtesy to address them using these titles, but nothing more). Sure, there were differences of power, of wealth, of connections – just like in today's democratic societies. Any noble was eligible for any state office, including the throne. Any noble was entitled to vote (or not).

Of course, it always could be better – for example, cities were strongly underrepresented, and peasants not represented at all (formally they were, by ”their” lord, but such representation did not make them much good). System was clearly not ideal, but worked for long time — and I dare to say, for citizens it was better than absolutism so popular elsewhere. So how did it fail, and fail to the level of the state itself disappearing?

Well, dear reader in one of democratic states of today. Have you heard that simple message, that “taxes are bad”? That any attempt to curb oligarchs/barons/magnates influence is an attack on your rights? That every reform is just disguised plan to “take away your traditional freedoms”? That only warmongers want army, because who would attack us and why? Have you seen state organs paralyzed by seemingly absurd obstruction, with no real reason and no attempt to negotiate any settlement? Heard loud voices to abstain from voting, because it's futile? Seen random candidates out of nowhere, with history of enormous debts, but somehow having truckloads of cash for propaganda? Welcome to 18th century Commonwealth, then.

Finally we managed to get to senses. Rewrite laws. Vote a new constitution. It was too little and too late by then, and those who paid for all preceding paragraph took the ripe fruit. There was a war, so short that almost nobody remembers it, so ridiculously it was lost. Uprising. Another one. And another. It took, let me count… about two hundred years, ten uprisings (not sure if I counted all of them), multiple wars (including two world ones), two revolutions…

One of our then-neighbours has two hundred years of experience more in ”how to deal with democracies” field. You are at war. You just don't know it yet.

#history #democracy #Poland #Lithuania #interference