Travel / Ticket controllers in public transportation vehicles in Poland [24]

Lots of things under Communism were a total waste of time. Today ticket sales go a long way towards financing public transport in Polish cities - and that's a whole lot better than most American cities, I must say.

News / Alchemy Polish vodka commercial - "Polaks innovations" [48]


Hmmm. Not if you tell them an off-color joke about their ethnic origins. Ever try testing a black American's sense of humor, for instance?

The problem is that people still feel free to tell Polack jokes even if they would consider Jewish or Black jokes an insult to humanity. There IS something wrong there, I think.

News / The new Polish government is going to do... reprivatisation [25]


They "shook down" poor little Switzerland, which never, ever trafficked in stolen Jewish property. They "shook down" poor little Germany, which in no way had anything to do with that property being stolen. You're right, these Jews are horrible. How could the world have been so blind. Glad you're around to set us all straight.

As far as Poland goes, if property was nationalized illegally, then why the hell shouldn't the former owners be compensated, regardless of their ethnic origin? Having said that I'd be against any sort of group settlements - individuals who have been harmed should be given compensation, not organizations that claim to represent them.

Life / Polish legal system. [30]


You know countries where this isn't the case? Not that I'd want to defend the Polish legal system, which I think is deeply flawed in very many ways, but that's one feature I think it shares with most others.

BTW, you are right about the recourse to European courts having already made a difference - for one, people are talking about the horrid practice of preventive "temporary arrest", where people sometimes spend years in jail with no formal charges, in conditions far worse than those already sentenced (no visits, crowded cells, etc.).

Study / Choosing an International School in Poland [9]

If you have $10000 and upwards per kid per year to send yours to international schools, by all means do so - they're great, overall much better than most of their Polish equivalents. Lacking the funding I've sent mine to a regular public school in Warsaw, and I'm personally pretty happy with it. I know others who have done likewise and aren't complaining too much, either.

History / Jewish love towards Poles [389]

Yet another voice on the Polish-Jewish thing (specifically the new Gross book): nwe.pl/forum/viewtopic.php?t=82

History / Jewish love towards Poles [389]


This is a two-way street. Organized Israeli trips concentrate on the death sites without any help from Poles, and I believe consciously avoid any sites that speak about the life of Jews in pre-war (or for that matter today's) Poland. As an example, there is a small Jewish museum in the old synagogue in Oświęcim, but hardly anyone goes there, despite the droves of people visiting the camp. Warsaw has a small but lively Jewish community, but from what I know none of the Israeli tour organizers are very interested in showing that to the school kids they bring here.


At the time you're talking about, religion was a huge part of national identification pretty much everywhere. Kennedy's election was a shock in largely Protestant America. Jews, Latinos and Blacks couldn't join many clubs and organizations until fairly recently. Don't let today's PC propaganda tell you otherwise - there was plenty of institutionalized racism and anti-Semitism in America before the 1970s, and it makes no sense to evaluate the situation in pre-war Poland by comparing it to today's liberal Western Europe or the US.

Life / New Polish I.D. card. [Dowód Osobisty] - big fine if you don't apply [55]

The whole operation was idiotic, to say the least. Instead of telling people "Your ID will be no good after Date X" and letting them figure out the consequences, they told everyone "You must do it by Date X or else". Then they moved the date by three months, which confused everyone, and when I asked at my local office what the consequences of not getting mine on time would be, they at first said that it would just be not having a valid ID. On a second visit they said the late cases would be sent to court to get sorted out and there might be a fine, but they didn't really know. I can just see how the courts will deal with even a million cases like this - with many of the tardy applications from people not even living in the country. Of course the reason I asked in the first place was that there were 77 people waiting in front of me, with only one of three windows open for business, and even that working at a snail's pace. I finally paid my PLN 30 and left - if they send me to court at least I have the argument that I tried to comply and it was they who didn't do their job properly.

Of course the first idiotic thing is the REQUIREMENT of having an ID in the first place - frigging totalitarian, if you ask me - but that's another story.

Real Estate / Poland property boom over???? [54]

I may be wrong, but I wouldn't put my money on property in an environmental disaster zone. Now Silesian countryside is a whole different story... There are some real gems out there, and I'm sure sooner or later there will be plenty of takers.

History / Jews...and their Polish experience [520]


Well, it has a lot to do with the very effective pro-Israeli lobby in the US. And please notice I said pro-Israel and not Jewish. It also has a lot to do with the fact that many Christians see their spiritual roots in the region, and probably look for signs of Armageddon there. Let's not forget Israel's nuclear capability, which makes the latter a real possibility. I'm not surprised people are anxious about what happens there at all.

Real Estate / Can I buy a small farm in Poland? [49]

I would be interested in hearing from any of you who have bought farms in Poland for a possible article in the New Warsaw Express. PM me if you're interested in sharing your experiences.

Thanks,
Simon

History / Roman Catholic Poland, how did this happen - why not Orthodox? [19]


The defense of Jasna Gora was mostly a propaganda victory, and was made into a national symbol during the counter-reformation under the arch-Catholic Vasa kings (especially Zygmunt III), and of course in the 19th century with the publication of Henryk Sienkiewicz's trilogy.

The defense itself wasn't really as dramatic as all that. The 48 days of siege consisted mostly of negotiations, and the Swedes ended up leaving largely because the fortress had very little strategic importance and there was a bit of trouble brewing, possibly with peasant unrest (caused mainly by high tax levies under Swedish rule, not Catholic sentiment, though that could be disputed, I suppose). As far as religious-national symbolism, about a quarter of the 3200 attackers were in fact Polish troops - which is about twice the number of defenders.

History / Roman Catholic Poland, how did this happen - why not Orthodox? [19]


Belief in God, for one. If 94% of Poles claim to be Catholic, but only 80% believe in God, then something's amiss, isn't it?

History / Roman Catholic Poland, how did this happen - why not Orthodox? [19]

Catholicism is by no means a permanent fixture of Polishness -- during the reformation most Poles ended up Protestant, only to come back to Roman Catholicism after the Swedish invasions in the 17th century. Later history, as Omniba wrote, has reinforced Poles' Catholicism, but even today many Polish Catholics have very little idea of what their faith demands.

UK, Ireland / British Airways cancels Heathrow to Warsaw flights ! [23]

Yes, except it was in the 80s, and it was a Soviet-made Il-62 - hardly comparable to today's aircraft. LOT may have many problems, but flight safety standards are not one of them.

Life / New English Language Magazine for expats in Poland? [24]

I just came across this thread and first off wanted to thank those who've had kind words for our publication.
In terms of a resource for expats, unless you're looking to start a business, in which case I can only wish you good luck, I'd be glad to consider any ideas any of you might have regarding coverage of expat life in the New Warsaw Express (for those interested: nwe.pl). For more than five years now we have been trying to cover not only the news, but also the human dimension of life in Poland, and I think we've done a fairer job than most. However, I'm always looking for ways in which we can improve, and if any of you have ideas for things that it would be good to cover, I'm all ears.

Also, feel free to PM me if you'd like to contribute articles or research - especially from outside Warsaw.

Simon Cygielski
New Warsaw Express

I hope a bit of shameless self-promotion won't ruffle too many feathers, but we have just gone live with the new New Warsaw Express website: nwe.pl

In coming weeks we'll be filling it up with older stories and as usual continuing to bring you all the latest on Polish news, sports, business and entertainment.

As usual, we're looking for any feedback you may have.

History / Polish Jews - they changed their Jewish surnames to Polish [532]


Again, you're generalizing. Though I've heard anti-Semitic remarks more than once in Poland, I've heard very strong reactions against these kinds of things, too. I'm not convinced that deep down Poles are in any way more anti-Semitic than others in Europe - though those who are do seem to feel a bit more at ease with their convictions.

Don't judge a whole group of people by how many loonies post garbage on a forum anonymously - I would say that if it wasn't for moderator censorship, many American and British forums would have just as many of them. Covering up a problem doesn't make it better, though.


Are you serious? Is someone's death less significant just because he wasn't "targeted" due to his ethnic background? Is the victim any less dead? Did his family suffer any less? That kind of thinking really burns me up.

The Roma were targeted as a group just as much as the Jews, and even more efficiently (a larger percentage of the pre-war Roma population died during the war than of Jews). Does that mean that the Jews' suffering is somehow reduced or made less relevant?

And joepilsudski - unless that's your real name, I would appeal to you to use another nick - while you are free to hold any views you like, associating them with Piłsudski is distasteful at best.

History / Polish Jews - they changed their Jewish surnames to Polish [532]


The problem with this kind of thinking is that you're generalizing, just as racists and anti-Semites generalize. As someone knowledgeable about people's psychological make-up, you should know that perceptions are often distorted under stressful situations. The Germans in Auschwitz (and I know this because I've delved into the subject a bit) didn't on the whole have to be physically cruel to the inmates - they got other inmates to do most of their dirty work for them. Still, it wasn't the Poles or Ukrainians who organized the camps.

The Polish underground had an organization, Żegota, specifically aimed at helping Jews (AFAIK the only of its kind in occupied Europe). Hardly a sign of rabid anti-Semitism. Jews fought alongside AK troops in the Warsaw Uprising - I dare say they would not have if they saw the AK as their enemy.


Anti-Semitism is a problem in Poland, as much as it is anywhere else. The only difference is that political correctness has not made very big inroads into society here, and people usually talk about their feelings and fears more openly than in the West. I'm sure you know what I mean - like white boys never saying the n-word unless they are in their own company: they are no less racist than anyone else, just don't come out and say so in public.

Lanzmann's film showed back-woods villagers, who may have seen a camera for the first time in their lives, talking about Christ-killers, and you use that as an argument for inborn Polish anti-Semitism? Get real.

Language / How do people mispronounce your Polish names? [60]

Interesting thread. I went through four years in the US Navy as "Ski", even though after a while most of my shipmates knew more or less how to pronounce my name. This doesn't only happen to Polish people though - in the Navy I had a Thai friend who was known to everyone simply as "Swani" - his last name stenciled on his uniform was wider than the pocket over which it appeared.

Honestly though, you can't really expect people to know how to pronounce last names in all of the world's languages. If your name's Brzęczyszczykiewicz, you either have to deal with the hassle or change it to Smith or something. Of course then in Poland you'll be Mr. Smis or Smit, depending on who you talk to.

History / Polish Jews - they changed their Jewish surnames to Polish [532]


The first Christians were Jews, so it's no wonder they were persecuted as heretics by other Jews, just as heretics were later persecuted by the Church.

History / Polish Jews - they changed their Jewish surnames to Polish [532]


Unfortunately your Nazi friends didn't keep such exact tallies of their victims, so your request may have to go unfulfilled.

USA, Canada / Standards of Education in US vs Poland [22]


I was thinking of preparing for a discussion ahead of time - obviously when called up for an impromptu debate, if you don't have the required information, you're baked. Still, discussions are only one reason why you'd want to analyze a topic - most real-world situations would call for writing a report or giving a prepared presentation.

Let me stress this again - I'm not for abolishing rote memorization of selected facts. I just thing the Polish system puts too much emphasis on it.

USA, Canada / Standards of Education in US vs Poland [22]

Well, I didn't go to inner city schools, where the problems are most pronounced. I know functional illiteracy is a problem in many US schools, but I was talking about college-level education, which is reserved for above-average achievers no matter where you go. The problem with US primary and secondary education is the polarization of extremes - while many schools maintain very high levels of education, many poorer schools do not and produce people incapable of functioning in society.

While the Polish system is not quite as polarized as that, many schools in poorer areas do not cut the mustard and let out students who can't even read at a normal level.

Of course you are all right - you do need information to be able to draw conclusions from it. Still, I think that with the broad availability of information today, the value of memorization is declining, but you still have to be able to analyze what's out there to be able to function in most walks of life.

USA, Canada / Standards of Education in US vs Poland [22]

Well, the Ben Jonson bit is pretty funny, I'll grant you that, though in fact not that hard to understand, considering the relative popularity of both gentlemen.

It's hard to judge personal experiences - mine are evidently different than yours. And mind you, I'm not saying the Polish system is all that terrible - I have seen absolute dipsticks graduate from both systems, as well as some pretty smart cookies. I just noted the differences as I saw them.

To be honest, although I've only got second-hand information on it, I think the British system strikes the best balance between giving students raw information and the tools with which to analyze it. But like I said, that's just hearsay.

News / Things you might not know about Poland [76]


Unfortunately this is only in theory - doctors are generally afraid to take organs from anyone without the family's express permission, and this means that most Poles are not organ donors, even if they would like to be.


Poles as in Polish citizens or as in ethnic Poles? The Volksliste was not exactly open for just anyone to sign.

BTW, my grandfather, who in World War II was a Polish officer but ethnically half-German, was offered release from prisoner-of-war camp for signing the Volksliste, but refused and remained a prisoner until the end of the war. Of course in retrospect he would have probably died at Stalingrad if he had signed, but that's another story.

USA, Canada / Standards of Education in US vs Poland [22]

I wouldn't agree about the Polish college education system being more advanced than the USA's. I've seen both first-hand, and in Poland it boils down to rote memorization of dry facts, while in the States you are pushed to analyze information and to draw conclusions from it. In Poland colleges produce a lot of walking encyclopedias who don't know how to use the information they have, unless they've learned how to do it on their own.

UK, Ireland / Daily Mail - mudslinging a specialty; guide on starting financially in PL [10]


Majority? You've got to be kidding. You shouldn't believe every story you hear after ten pints. Besides, I doubt "most Northampton taxi drivers" could tell a Pole from a Czech or a Romanian.

News / Things you might not know about Poland [76]


Old, old data. Credit cards are widely accepted in larger Polish cities and in many places in smaller towns. In the countryside it's still a bit difficult, but evil western capitalists are quickly making inroads there, too.


A few years ago this changed to 230 volts, in line with EU standards.

Regarding the Copernicus thing: you just can't apply today's national standards to the 16th century - just makes no sense at all. Here's a nice quote from the 1875 Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie I found on Wikipedia. I think it sums things up pretty well:

"The nationality question has been a subject of various writings; an honoring controversy over the claim to the founder of our current world view is conducted between Poles and Germans, but as already mentioned nothing certain can be determined concerning the nationality of Copernicus' parents; the father seems to have been of Slavic birth, the mother German; he was born in a city whose municipal authorities and educated inhabitants were Germans, but which at the time of his birth was under Polish rule; he studied at the Polish capital, Krakau, then in Italy, and lived out his days as a canon in Frauenburg; he wrote Latin and German. In science, he is a man who belongs to no single nation, whose labors and strivings belong to the whole world, and we do not honor the Pole nor the German in Copernicus, but the man of free spirit, the great astronomer, the father of the new astronomy, the author of the true world view."