[MoFA] I really like Poland

Day 1,808, 11:16 • Published in Canada Canada • by Jacobi
Poland is an enemy of Canada.

Before that, we were allies with little in common besides EDEN, before Poland was a critical help in retaking Canada from the forces of Phoenix, before that we were estranged former allies over the Swedish-German war, and before that we were allies again.

Our history with Poland is complicated, and probably would be more so had we been neighbors throughout. Recently, however, we have been neighbors and sparing partners, and there’s been a renewed sense of importance in finding out what’s been motivating Poland since “over there” has turned into “right here.”

I categorically refused to treat Poland as an enemy during the illfated Congressional NE proposal of the UK in August. Their actions were justified, measured, and appropriate: we had attacked an ally of theirs without any particular reason, and they weren’t doing anything better at the time, so they ended it. I could have treated the Polish invasion as a hostile incursion, but knowing their motivations weren’t to conquer, I intended on a policy of full cooperation. I made certain Poland knew where we were intending on NEing, and even offered some strategic help had they lost Saxony to cut off their NE path to Portugal so they could NE Germany to get back that region instead. I decided to be helpful, and cooperative….to a point. When Poland said that they wanted negotiations to keep some Canadian regions, I politely refused under the long standing doctrine that Canada simply doesn’t surrender. They accepted, were okay with us getting back on the map, and we went our separate ways.

In September, when we were on the cusp of an NE proposal with Spain in order to get the September missions, Wally Cleaver negotiated a TW agreement with Poland instead to allow us to get our missions. Having absolutely no incumbency to give us the time of day, Poland actually helped us RW our regions back. Certainly didn’t have to, but they dealt with us more than fairly and didn’t get near enough props for doing it in our media.

Now in October, we NE another ally of Poland’s, and once again not having much of anything better to do, Poland thoroughly makes sure that we can’t significantly disrupt Spain’s strategic objectives. This is what an ally does, this is what Poland should have done, and they cannot be faulted for protecting the interests of their close friends against a country that hasn’t exactly exhibited friendly behavior to Polish interests.

This time, having bore out Canadian pestering in the Polish sphere, the Polish Congress is determined to deny us a Congress to teach us the consequences of interference. Poland has every right to do so, just as we helped deny the UK a Congress earlier in the year so they did to us in October. And this indeed was an instructive lesson, because it does very effectively demonstrate that if we become irritating enough they will put and keep us down and have it quite within their power to do so despite our best efforts during the October 24 Ontario RW.

Now Ontario and Quebec are back on the map, purely because Poland has made it clear to the October executive that they have no intention of keeping Canadian regions, they have no intentions of consciously helping us take them back because this wasn’t a “scheduled war” but neither will they terribly mind if we NE them in order to get the Halloween missions completed.

My point is, for all of what’s happened Poland hasn’t been behaving like an enemy of Canada. Poland has been behaving like a perfectly rational country with its own interests that occasionally collide with ours. When they do collide, they have acted judiciously and reasonably within the confines of being a nation that has no real issues with us apart from an annoying habit of attacking their allies. My interactions with them as President and MoFA have been pleasant, as opposed to what I’ve occasionally received from “allies” and allies.

Honestly, I really like Poland, and it’s a shame that countries we have obligations to (Colombia, France, Portugal) put us on the opposite side of what I’d consider to be our most reasonable neighbor.

I suppose I write this because there are some impressions amongst Canadians that Poland is some sort of big baddy picking on innocent Canada, the sort of “those against us are always evil” mentality that doesn’t really have any grounding in logic or reason. Poland has been more of a friend to Canada than several of our “allies”, more helpful to us, more patient with actions that directly hurt Polish interests, and more willing to discuss issues with us. That attitude needs to be public knowledge, so that we don’t fall into the trap of thinking that Poland is some cruel invader picking on our helpless country.

Please remember, when any politician spews off on the topic of Poland, that every bad thing that’s happened because of Poland since at least July, has really and solely been brought upon us by ourselves.