-Analysis-
WARSAW — The RV Oceania, a tall ship owned by the Polish Academy of Sciences and sailing in the Arctic, is not reserved for science alone. And it is in our deepest strategic interest to keep it afloat.
It would be great if our politicians dedicated a fraction of the energy they spend supporting Poland’s defense to support our science, including the kind that does not bring immediate gains, like research on nature, or quantitative sciences like mathematics and physics.
For the latest news & views from every corner of the world, Worldcrunch Today is the only truly international newsletter. Sign up here.
Why? Because these studies, which some may deem less pragmatic, can turn out to have a very tangible impact on our defense and strategic interests. Let me explain…
What politicians easily forget
I should start off with a bit of history. I am writing this with, in mind, those who think only of defense as the crunching of tank tracks, the steady marching of troops and the roaring of passing jets during military parades.
By no means do I intend to minimize the importance of people who shed blood in direct combat — especially since they include representatives of my family — but I dare say, for instance, that the greatest Polish contribution to the victory over Nazi Germany during World War II (and many historians would agree with me) was made by three people who fought without firing a single shot.
These were three unusually intelligent mathematicians, armed with no more than a piece of paper and a pencil, a blackboard and chalk, and calculation sheets. I am here referring, as some may have already guessed, to Marian Rejewski, Henryk Zygalski and Jerzy Różycki, who managed to decipher the German Enigma encryption machine.
Poland lags very, very far behind.
Some specialists boldly claim that thanks to their work, the war was shortened by two to three years. Let’s remember that these three brilliant scientific minds were chosen following military interviews with 300 eminent mathematicians. Pre-war Poland, an unusually poor country, had incredible math faculties and extraordinary scholars.
I also think that defeating the Bolsheviks in 1920 would have been an impossible task if not for society’s sacrifice, but also for the work of cryptologists who succeeded in breaking Bolshevik ciphers, and radio operators who hampered the enemy’s communication.
I have the strange impression that politicians can easily forget about this, fixated as they are on the “hard power” of next-generation weapons, rockets, and jets.
But great military powers, like the United States, countries in continual military conflicts such as Israel and South Korea, and nations who boast powerful defense industries such as Sweden, spend significant amounts on academic research. And that includes initial, exploratory studies.
The contrast between those countries and ours is so stark that detailing it would border on embarrassing. I will only say that Poland lags very, very far behind. With such small contributions to science, “national security” is merely an empty slogan.
Polar defense against Putin
And now a few words about the Oceania, because this ship, primarily dedicated to research, fits very well into what we can call the strategic and defense interest of our country.
The region where the vessel sails isn’t some sort of exotic corner of the world that Poland can simply ignore. It is the Arctic, a critical region for world stability. Not only because of its enormous stores of oil and gas, or for its potential as a new transport route between the United States, Europe, and China — which are opening up rapidly due to the retreating ice: It is also a crucial area because the climate and weather phenomena being shaped there will soon impact us here in Europe.
This is something that the Germans have long understood. During the Second World War, they spared no effort putting up meteorological stations in this region, and the Allies took great pains to destroy them.
Russia is seeking to expand its grip in the Arctic too.
I have been traveling to the Arctic, specifically to Svalbard and the region of the Barents Sea, since 1994. I can testify that it is no longer a place forgotten by everyone. Everyone is rushing there now.
In Svalbard, the international territory under the protectorate of Norway, several world powers are increasing their presence. This includes China, the U.S., and Great Britain, but also the Czech Republic and Taiwan. I even saw an Indian expedition when I was there.
Of course, we are talking about scientific presence, here. Because scientists are best positioned to provide their countries with the knowledge they need about this strategic region. And of course, Russia is seeking to expand its grip there too: Although it already boasts more than half of the Arctic, the Barents Sea region is of particular to important to Moscow, be it only for its proximity to Europe.
Cold, cold war
For a long time now, the Arctic has been a place where Russia has realized its goals as a superpower. And Poland, who feels threatened — and rightly so — by Russia, should remember that squaring off with the evil empire may not only take place on Ukrainian soil.
Norway knows this well, as they themselves do not want to be left all alone with the Russian colossus. I am convinced that the Norwegians are counting on as many Western countries as possible to get involved in the region — and not only large powers such as the U.S.
Poland matters here, not only because of our longstanding presence in the Arctic and in Svalbard (since 1932 and the first Polish expedition on Bear Island). We have a permanent polar station there, a few seasonal ones, and of course, the Oceania research vessel. And as a consequence, many exceptional scientists leading research there. It is thanks to them that, since 1998, Poland has observer status in the international Arctic Council — a status we received at the same time as Germany, the Netherlands and Great Britain, and even before China and India. It’s also worth noting that the European Union does not have such observer status.
The bottom line is: If we want to defend ourselves against Putin’s Russia, then we cannot relinquish our scientific presence in the Arctic.
It’s great that money has been found to maintain Oceania, but the government should at once start a program to build or purchase a modern research ship, to replace this valiant old ship after decades of service. And if need be, let’s take some funds from our defense budget.
Worldcrunch 🗞 Extra!
Know more • The Arctic, a polar region unique in its distinct ecosystem and climate, has long interested researchers. With climate change and new geopolitical challenges looming, this interest has only increased over time. Since 1996, the Arctic Council, a forum for cooperation among Arctic States, has convened every six months in order to discuss environmental, security, and geopolitical issues.
As of this September, a greater number of countries have begun investing in polar research, with China, Turkey, and Russia sending research delegations to Svalbard in order to start joint Arctic studies. Although plans are currently set to continue, Norway, a NATO member state, has remained skeptical of Russia’s research, as they assert that it might ultimately serve military objectives. — Katarzyna Skiba(read more about the Worldcrunch method here).
From Your Site Articles
Related Articles Around the Web
This post was originally published on here