[ Spaces of Identity ]

Obviously, everything started with an attack of some sort of a gang on the children of a Russian diplomat whose cell phones have been stolen. This happened in Warsaw. Later on, the Moscow correspondent of the Polish daily, Rzeczpospolita, was beaten up in Moscow (but did not lose his cell phone; thus, it is not a perfect situation of "an eye for an eye"). Both presidents of Russia and Poland appealed on each other to stop the attacks and also both seemed to understand the attacks in the frame of politics.

The bloggers of both blogs agree on the interpretation of a political situation. "Helen" from "EU Referendum" stresses even last year's confrontation of Poland, Lithuania and Ukraine with Russia during the Ukrainian elections. She clearly attributes the former as "democratic", but the latter as "undemocratic". This might within some limits very well be. Yet, the somewhat "biblical" situation of beating up second-rate representatives (children of diplomats) does not at all fit in this context. Thus, calling for an EU sherrif is overacting. While the EU had to react during the Ukrainian elections, this situation is indeed some sort of a backyard fight.

Who could not understand the resentment of the former Soviet countries against the former hegemonial super-power Russia. But thinking and acting within the logics of resentment will break up any lose solidarity especially between Poland, Lithuania and Ukraine. In this context Polands ruling over Lithuania and Ukraine won't be forgotten but remembered as soon as possible.

Any arguing in the context of enlightement and democracy almost unavoidably brings forward images of the childhood, the puberty, and the growing up of nations and nation-state. It is worth questioning again and again if this should not be marked as an absurdity. Calling for a "sherrif" in every situation is for sure the wrong way to get out of the circle.