The pseudo-colonial takeover of Poland that this article alludes to was already unmistakable when I visited some three years ago. The cities — especially the malls and shopping districts — looked much like they do in western Europe, completely dominated by western European retailers and brands. The people wandering through these stores though looked dazed, alienated, and entirely out of place. This is what they wanted and what they fought for — western plentitude, with all those shiny, colourful goods they dreamed about. So why isn't it making them happy?

A big part of it may be that eastern Europeans are now effectively strangers in their own land. They have no sense of ownership or agency. During the day they work for foreign corporations, usually in low-level positions, and then in the evening they go out to spend their wages at those same foreign-owned establishments. This is definitely neoliberal colonialism, and it will not end well for everyone involved.