How do Polish special services work? WSI officer "Kafir"

Majcher says this is the number one basic thing. He explains that people postpone dental visits, but in war, a toothache can become your biggest problem because there will be nowhere to go. He ties this to the broader advice to take care of your health while specialists are still available.

He warns that people think they can just go to the doctor next month, but in a crisis, there will be no one to prescribe. He says to keep a rotating stockpile.

He clarifies it's not that shops will close forever, but there may be periods where deliveries fail. He says to have enough to get through a week or two without resupply.

He says people should learn the topography of their city: where to get drinking water (e.g., a well), where the nearest hospital is, and where shelters are. There is an app for shelters. He stresses being able to find these places without a phone, as power may be out.

He says it's not a full survival backpack, but a grab-bag with personal documents. He emphasizes that in a panic, you might otherwise leave empty-handed.

He says it's worth investing in first aid training above all. For shooting, it's good to have the skill so that if you're called up, you already know how. But he warns that Russians have lists of gun owners and may target them. He says a gun can harm you more than help. He explicitly says he doesn't believe in lone wolf survivalists.

Majcher says he only reads documents and non-fiction, and avoids films and novels so that he doesn't fixate on something and later think it's his own idea. He does this to keep his books authentic.

Majcher explains that before any field operation, officers spend enormous time on documents. He says dynamic actions are rare, and the work is more like office work. He contrasts this with the film 'Akwarium', which he says accurately shows the need for paperwork and authorization for every action. He also notes that officers are not 'agents' but rather handlers who recruit and run agents, like a director with actors. He personally avoids watching spy movies or reading spy novels to prevent unconsciously copying ideas into his own books.

Majcher states that WSI was a true military service, with 99% of its officers coming from the army and specialized in air force, navy, or land forces. In contrast, SKW is only 'military' in name, with about 70% of its personnel never having served in the military. He says this lack of military background means they don't understand the army. He also claims that before 2006, no officer would have dreamed of speaking publicly, but the declassification and destruction of the service led people like him to come forward. He mentions that under Minister Macierewicz, counterintelligence training courses were as short as two weeks, which he considers useless. He says the current service is 'not good' because it's not composed of people who know the army, comparing it to a cosmonaut working as a lifeguard at a pool.

He explains that the situation is now uncertain because Poland lost its biggest ally. He says Trump has effectively abandoned Ukraine and given Russia a free hand. He believes Poland should prepare for a real threat, and that within a year or even sooner we will know more. He ties this directly to civilian preparedness advice, emphasizing that the threat is no longer theoretical. He notes that the US's reliability is in question, and privately, Polish leaders might not be sure of support.

Majcher firmly states that Polish services never did such things. He says in Russia there were schools for this, and some defectors have spoken about it. He says in democratic countries, such methods were not used. However, when pressed if there were situations where only a woman could extract information, he refuses to answer, implying it might have happened but he won't discuss it. He also notes that men can also use seduction, but again won't elaborate.

Majcher argues that the system always has tools, but they are not used against the powerful. He points to the post-1989 reckoning: only SB officers were convicted, while the judges and prosecutors who issued the sentences were untouched. He says to this day, none have been held accountable, and one of them is now a judge on the constitutional tribunal. He implies a deep rot in the system where the legal enablers of repression escape justice.

Majcher explains that recruitment is entirely psychological from start to finish. It's a difficult, complex process that can take half a year in counterintelligence and up to five years in foreign intelligence. He says each officer develops their own approach, and it's not a step-by-step recipe. He stresses that voluntary recruitment is more successful than dependency-based (coercive) methods, which he associates more with intelligence than counterintelligence. He refuses to share specific techniques, saying 'let them suffer' (meaning let others figure it out). He also won't discuss his own agents to avoid compromising them.