My article is a synthetic recognition of macro-Polish governments’ evolution over 25 years of political transformation. It is presented from the perspective of education for democracy, in a democracy and not about democracy. I explain, how it is possible, that the Poles after they got rid of monistic doctrine of the totalitarian state, are subjected to hidden process of democratization of education and the school system. I analyze public education ,mechanisms and structures for its management in a way that counteracts democratic change. The school is subjected to a mechanism of political gamemakers. It becomes an institution which is painfully ineffective and without its face. This institution devastates traditions and allows intellectual regression. There are threats to educational reforms which lie not only in the sociopolitical mechanisms, but also and perhaps primarily within the education system, which has not created procedures to eliminate Pharisees of innovation from it. Polish educational system after 25 years of transformation is not only partially reprivatized but highly bureaucratic and fully involved in political parties.

Public education is educating influence of wide range media on political beliefs, worldviews and patterns of the everyday life of the audience, and of the potential electorate. The public intellectuals (the Henry A. Giroux concept), significant and respected experts (academics, journalists, politicians) play a special role. The article contains the presentation and analysis of the reaction of American public intellectuals to the election of Donald Trump as President of the United States – from the perspective of critical-emancipatory pedagogy. These are extremely critical to the consequences of D. Trump's choice: Ken Wilber's, Henry A. Giroux’s, Noam Chomsky’s, and several authors in the Berkeley Review of Education 2017/1 publications and speeches are recalled. The author concludes that Poland no longer has to imitate America, because in authoritarian drift (turn) it is ahead of it.