USA, Canada / Americans who call themselves Polish - how do you feel about that? [112]


hahaha, you have issues.

Law / What Polish women think about American businessmen and globalization? [10]


Thats a fairly old fashioned assumption.

I know a few male Polish 'entertainers'. They train at the same gym as I do.
They're relatively open and honest about it.
They are mostly in it for the money.
They will pretty much do anything for money.
And they sure do make a lot of money.

I know a couple of female Polish 'entertainers' but they are not that common as from countries such as the Ukraine or Romania where there is extreme poverty.

They also have a lot more competition than the guys.

A lot of these women will tell you that they don't have a choice. But thats often a lie.
A Polish female friend of mine who was doing social work in Ireland helped a Lithuanian prostitute before as she had been robbed and abused by a Polish guy that she *was* friends with, she found her a job, got her a place to stay etc..

The Lithuanian girl quit the job after a day or two, said that she could make way more money being a prostitute and she wasn't going to waste her time in some boring job.

Its often difficult to tell who is and who isn't an 'entertainer' among the Poles because if the women dislike someone, they simply label them 'a prossie' to ruin their reputation.

I've seen it done dozens of times.
The reason it works is because usually the communities are small and close-knit.

History / Memories of the Polish communist era [115]

Its always amazing for me to see the similarities between Irish and Polish history, we have a lot in common, a long history of oppression.

You could just replace Russian or Communist with Englishman and in a lot of those situations it would read the same.

Probably why both nations are such a pack of alcoholics :-)

BTW, the Pewex system is obviously an extremely strange/bizzare concept for non-Polish - here is a good url which sheds a little light on it

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pewex

Life / Army National Service in Poland [95]

Why do you say this of only Poland?

There are just as many if not more people in the West who think the same or worse.
What do you imagine the general attitude in the UK is?

No offence intended to you, but I'm guessing your quite young because its quite a naieve point of view.

Nobody will think less of you for doing armed service, but people may not necessarily think more of you either. I would respect a person far more who had to go through an extra year of medical school to go out and save peoples lives.

News / How does Poland imagine other countries see her? [84]


So why did you open/reply to the thread???

News / How does Poland imagine other countries see her? [84]

LOL, who said anything about stereotypes?

I want to know how do Polish people believe they are perceived by other europeans.

If its too complex for ye to handle, here are some examples to get the ball rolling:
A) A malasian nurse I was listening to on the radio this morning said he expected Ireland to be a place of advanced technology and systematic practises. When he arrived he saw anything but this.

He is a transvestite and organizes street carnivals, he expected extreme hostility in Ireland against cross-dressers, but said he actually experienced more hostility back home.

B) As an Irish person, I imagine non-Irish people perceive us to be hard workers, rich, well educated and a proud people with international achievements in literature, music and poetry - the contradiction being that we don't speak our native tongue.

We are assumed to be a peaceful people, a neutral country.
We used to have a reputation for friendlyness and hospitality, now we have a reputation for hostility, racisim and greed.

A stereotype would be - All Irish people are alcoholics. I drink twice per year on average so obviously thats a fallacy.

C) My sisters partner who is German imagined that Ireland was a land of fields with highly religious people. When he came to Ireland first, he expected to see old men sitting outside thatched cottages smoking a pipe and drinking whiskey and for the pace of life in general to be very slow.

All of his expectations were shattered

D) My girlfriend believed that Polish people were perceived to be poorly educated, old fashioned and backward. (Her assumptions were correct though we all know Poland has among the best education system in Europe). She assumed people didn't know how patriotic the Polish are (again correct - Polish are insanely patriotic bordering on psychosis in my experience)


HAHAHA.

Indeed Poland has been around for a long time. There was an Irish army sent to fight for a Catholic Polish King a few hundred years ago.

My point is that Poland has been absent from the consciousness of the world for over 50 years because of the Iron Curtain, its has only re-emerged in the consciousness of people in recent years, like a long forgotten part of Europe has been refound.

Also, an answer to the sub-question please.

Here is an example if you don't understand.
Irish people have an awareness/pay attention to the UK, the USA, Australia and lesser attention to other countries which speak English.

In general they have no notion of what happens in Asia e.g Mongolia, Kazhakstan, most of Africa, South America except for a major event of course.

I know Polish people pay attention to Germany and Russia, but I'm wondering since Polish is only spoken in Poland, perhaps the horizons are broader due to former communisim effects, or perhaps they are more narrow because people simply don't care.

News / How does Poland imagine other countries see her? [84]

Krzysz, you don't understand the word stereotype then.

A stereotype is a negative or limiting preconceived belief about a certain type of person that is applied to everyone in that group.

Sod it, I give up.

Language / Use of "and" in Polish... [7]

Hello,

Just to summarise, as one English speaker to another, I feel it would be easier to explain it in the following terms.

A is used when making a comparison or a comparitive/contrasting statement

I is used whenever a conjunction is required (but not necessarily making a direct contrast or comparison).

Following this logic, you should understand that 'a' can take on a variety of meanings in Polish denoted by the context.
For example, it can be interpreted as 'but', 'while'.
These are also conjuctive in their base form, just the structure is different.

Love / I miss my best friend [22]

Thanks for all the replies.

Bubba,
the other minor things are big things really, but on the scale of things they are minor I suppose. They include stuff like my lack of experience, differences in sex drive etc.

Bubbles,
I sent her 2 emails last week, one on Monday and one on Thursday.
But she did not answer either of them.
She was speaking with my sister on Saturday, they have maintained their friendship.
Its our 3 year anniversary on the 11th of November, do you think it would be wrong to call her?

Miranda,
Before, maybe a month ago, I had hoped that she would move on and find someone.
Now I don't really know what I feel. I certainly wouldn't hold it against her if she found a new boyfriend if thats what you mean.

Only lately I started realising how good we were together and how much I love her - when it was too late of course.
Unless I'm mistaken, your implying that I want to go back to the relationship.
Perhaps a part of me does, but its not possible because I am dating a new person and the same problems that pressured me into ending that relationship at the time would still exist.

Part of me hopes we will be together again in the future, but not at this point in time.

Love / I miss my best friend [22]

It sucks because she was my best friend for 3 years and nearly my wife.
And now I can't even see her. :-(
But perhaps you are right.

When I think about meeting my new GF's parents in December, it feels like treachary to my ex. My ex's parents feel like my family. Its totally fcuked up.

I was drinking on Saturday night and I had to go into the toilets to cry (I practically never cry) because I've fallen for this new girl, but I still love my ex to bits, just the circumstances are too different between us.

Its just my luck that I'd find (what at the moment seems like) the love of my life in the first serious relationship I have.

>:-(

Love / I miss my best friend [22]

Thank you again for your replies everyone, your advice has been very helpful.

I've decided that as much as it hurts me, I will not contact her, because I may simply end up hurting her more than I already have.

I assure you that I'm very serious and committed to this new girl I've been seeing. My ex is certainly not a fall back measure, I'm guess I'm just facing up to the fact that I will not be having a child with her as it was something I always looked forward to.

And I miss her like hell.

Lucynda, I agree with what you said and i defintely understand it.
This new girl is younger than me and I feel 10 years younger myself and a lot more free.

Guest, I'm not sure if your post was supposed to be inflammatory or not, but it was actually quite helpful because I stopped and thought about what you said, and remembered some of the reasons when we split up.

If I had no balls, I would have never broken from her despite how much it hurts.

I didn't run, I looked after her as best I could when we split (it broke me financially).
We were serious for a very long time.
It wasn't just lack of experience with girls, it was my lack of experience with everything in life. I was working since I left college and didn't experience much of anything else.

We were like an old married couple. When we would go to Poland, we could never do anything - even go for a drink- because she would have to spend time with her son.

I was working 2jobs, sometimes she had no job.
We tried for most of our relationship to save to buy a house but got nowhere really.
There was huge pressure with her ex in Poland for a reason I cannot disclose out of respect to her.

I should stop but I'm sure you get the picture.

Love / I miss my best friend [22]

precisely

UK, Ireland / No Irish Need Apply - Polish Builders get their own back [42]


wishful thinking bro,
things are far less pretty than you would be led to believe I'm afraid.

UK, Ireland / no anti english comments please [48]


You can find out more here:

snp.org/campaigns/letscotlanddecide
englishindependenceparty.com

News / Kaliningrad. Problem, Threat or Opportunity for Poland? [185]

Don't you mean give it back to Germany?
Why would they give it to Poland?

There are 3 realistic options for Kaliningrad.
1. Remain within the Russian Federation
2. Cede the Federation and join the European Union
3. Join a Lithuanian Federation

Given current geo-politics, 3 is not possible.
Therefore it has to be 1 or 2.

The only case where 2 will happen is if the Russian Federation collapses and Russia becomes a number of smaller independent countries. This is quite unlikely and rapidly becoming less likely as Russia is growing in economic strength, not diminishing.

Therefore, Kaliningrad will remain within the Russian Federation for the forseeable future.

In answer to the OP, I have a number of friends who have travelled to Kaliningrad.
I don't believe anyone sees Kaliningrad as a threat, in fact, many are grateful for its existence as they have been able to acquire jobs they would otherwise have been unable to acquire.

News / Kaliningrad. Problem, Threat or Opportunity for Poland? [185]


Not at all.
It would receive colossal EU funding.
The diffculty would be in trying to ensure the tinpot dictators did not syphen the money off into their own pockets, as has always been the problem in Eastern Europe.

Part of the reason Ireland was such a success compared to other countries receive EU funding was because, usually, in Ireland the money was spent where it was supposed to be spent.

As we've seen in Bulgaria and other parts of Eastern Europe, this along with political corruption is one of the primary obstacles facing the development of Eastern Europe.

In truth, it will probably be a hundred years or more before Eastern Europe and the former communist nations will catch up to the economic development of the Western and Central Europe, but there is potential for massive growth - if only there were less corruption.

News / Kaliningrad. Problem, Threat or Opportunity for Poland? [185]


There is no Lithuanian federation.

I assume you know what a federation is, so the easiest explanation I can give you is to have a brief study of the Swiss Federation and compare like for like.

Effectively, Kaliningrad would become a 'canton'.

This is also the proposed political system for Ireland when it will be united with the North of Ireland. It is successful in giving regions a large amount of autonomy, while still maintaining unity.

Of course, language and cultural barriers will always be a problem, as we have seen Belgium has been rocked to the core in recent years.

This is the primary reason why it would not be returned to Prussia/Germany or joined with Poland - i.e. you can still speak Russian in most Lithuanian cities with the exception of Kaunas.

Then of course, the issues with geography and shared past. i.e. the Russian Diaspora.

Ultimately of course, this is mental chewing gum at the moment.
Geo-politics would exempt any such scenario until there is normalisation of relations between the Baltic and Russia...................which could be some time away.

I think the biggest issue at the moment in Russia's eyes, is a potentially impending civil war in the Ukraine, between the Western Nationalists and the South Eastern Pro-Russian communities.

News / Kaliningrad. Problem, Threat or Opportunity for Poland? [185]


I think many of the above listed characteristics are quite individual, so it is very difficult to generalise about those features on a wide scale based on nationality, equally many of those characteristics apply to non-Slavic people(s) as much as they apply to Slavic people.

To be honest, I think on the surface, Russians and Poles probably seem similar much like German and Dutch, but underneath, there is a world of difference.

Czechs/Slovaks & Poles share some visible similarities, but Czechs and Slovaks are by far the most Western European slavic nation, the mort progressive, most open, most cultured and most worldly.

Poland while gradually moving more west, is still quite isolated in reality. While there are many brilliant Poles, there are still a great number of people with the faux-gangster villager mentality which damages the Polish image frequently.

This will change in time, but Poland seems to be still searching for its image.
Polish people often strike as as unsure wheter they wish to be respected for their talent and intelligence, or for their image/coolness and reputation.

Possibly the funniest thing I have found is that Warsawvians have the worst reputation in Poland, but they are easily the nicest and most friendly.

The people from Poznan and Lodz, all of those I've met, I would like to put them on a big space ship and sent them to a different galaxy.

They are by far the least useful, least friendly Poles and very frequently are involved in crime over here.

Lithuanians, Latvians, Estonians are somewhat closer to the Russian mentality while but most definitely moving in the opposite direction. (Lithuanian people are nice once you get to know them but appear quite rude if you do not know them).

Ukranian are closer again to the Russian mentality but Western Ukraine is moving in the opposite direction i.e. toward Berlin, Eastern Ukraine becoming increasingly pro-Russian and moving toward Moscow.

Belarus are very close and move toward unison with Russia, probably one of the only European countries which is actually moving into the Russian sphere of influence, mostly due to poverty.

It would appear that the Central Asian nations are very pro-Russian, but this is not unexpected considering the rise of China.

Then there is Georgia. A truely strange country.
They are a very small ship in a very big sea.
The tail wags the dog.
The men are anti-muslim, but as close culturally to Islam as one can get without actually being Islamic.
As a Western European, I often find their views on women very disturbing.
I have found them to be racist and xenophobic, but in truth I have only met their least educated people so it would probably not be fair to comment any more on them.

Then there is Hungary. Geographically it is in Eastern Europe, but they are totally Western European, they remind me of the Norwegians. Very nice people, many highly educated.

I utterly detest Romany gypsies, but find Romanian people quite friendly and a very different mentality from the slavs..

And so we come to Russia and Russian people.
The immediate thing that is apparent about anyone who has ever had a Russian partner or speaks the Russian language or knows their country, history and culture is that it is a land of polar opposites.

They have the richest and the poorest of people.
They have the smartest and the least educated of people.
They have the warmest and the coldest of people.
It strikes me as quite similar to the United States in this way.

The difference is that in the United States, a large number of people fall into the extreme categories, while in Russia, a large number of people fall into the middling and lower categories with only a tiny fraction at the top.

If we took societies such as the UK, France, Germany - these societies are generally well balanced in terms of class and very stable.
Russia is very unbalanced, and seems to be constantly fluctuating.
Change in Russia is inexorable.

Many Russian people are very warm and open and welcoming.
When I learned to speak Polish, many Poles would often laugh at me, try to belittle me or see my ability to understand them as a threat.

In general, Russians are quite encouraging and proud of the fact that you have chosen to learn Russian and seek to help you as much as possible.

It is a lie to say Russians are not family orientated. They are very highly family orientated.
So are Poles.
One of the most striking differences between Poland and Russia or Poalnd & Europe is the strength of Religion in Poland. I was truely amazed to see how seriously the young Polish took their religion, how many attended church services etc.

For someone who grew up during the biggest transition in Irish history which religion is now essentially defunct, it was quite a eye opener and give me insight into what Ireland must have been like 30 years ago.

All in all, I would say Russian people are the most friendly in Eastern Europe, although many of the least educated are patriotic to the point of nausea.

Poles and other Western Slavs would be a close second behind Russia in terms of friendliness, but Polish are generally the most provocative and most patriotic -somewhat understandably- as they feel the need to assert themselves, given their recent history.

If nationalitisim is a tool for brainwashing individuals and building armies, then Poland is civilian army.

The most frustrating thing about Poles for me is that they constantly need to assert themselves. They need to be the best at everything and Poland needs to have the best of everything. They are quite similar to the United States in this way, quite uni-lateral and arrogant/isolated. This is why it can be quite tiring speaking with a Polish man.

Polish women are generally more balanced to be fair.

It is quite ironic that Poles do not understand the mentality of the Russian diaspora.
The Russian mentality is quite similar to the Irish, in that, no matter what country you live in, you will always love the Motherland and always identify with it.

Poles mistake this for aggressive patriotism, but this is not true.
Only the least educated Russians are so openly provocative.
I think most Russians realise that their home country cannot support them and while they love and miss their home and their culture, it is now quite Russian to have 2 countries i.e. Russia and the adoptive country.

==

For the person who asked what territorial claim Russia has over Kaliningrad, you must read about the Potsdam conference.

You also need to understand the buffer which central and Eastern Europe was supposed to provide against future attacks on Russia.
Russia lost 28million people in World War 2, nearly 14% of it population.

Only Poland suffered more with 16% losses, and of course Lithuania which suffered the most and lost an estimated 20% of its population (a large percentage of these murders were committed by Russian communists)

News / Kaliningrad. Problem, Threat or Opportunity for Poland? [185]

I make no secret of my hatred for Romany Gypsies.
I despise them.
They come to this country to steal, to beg and to live off of us.
They never contribute anything to society.
If they approach me on the streets, I tell them go back to their own country..... I am neither violent nor aggressive, but I am assertive, and I tell them to go back to Romania.

They won't do this of course, unless the Irish government pay them, as they did in 2007 i.e. extorted money in order to return to Romania.

I don't work in nightclubs anymore, I became tired of it but when I used to, I often did this.
I was tired of seeing them indiscriminately rob Irish, English, Polish, Lithuanian, American, African, whoever...
It is normal for all doormen and many of the regular people on the street to shout abuse at them when the see them.

At first, I was idealistic, I thought they should be treated no differently than anyone else because of their dress or their beliefs.
Then of course, I saw the reality and learned why they so adequately deserve the reputation they have garnered.

I wouldn't expect you to understand and I'm sure I've already invoked Godwin's law and you already have already labelled me a fascist.

But I'm confident that when you visit this country or the UK, then then you yourself will begin to understand, and until then you will be forming opinions on issues of which you have no knowledge or experience.

Lets ignore the credit card scams and the bank machine card copying, I have seen a number of things done by Romany gypsies which genuinely shocked me.

I have seen them rob the homeless & the people who have nothing on the coldest winter nights.
I saw them rob a man who was hit by a car & later died, not concerned with calling an ambulance, simply in relieving him of his posessions.

I have seen them rob mobile phones from young boys and girls who learn to hate them from an early age.

My opinion is that anyone who wants to come to this country and this society to work and to contribute, should be allowed to do so, regardless of their religion, their skin colour or their nationality.

I have yet to see a Romany Gypsy contribute anything other than misery.
They are a plague upon us.

Lastly, I suggest you speak to a Romanian citizen about Romany Gypsies.
They are by far the most vehement in their hatred of the Romany Gypsies.
People see the Romany Gypsies on the street and immediately associate them with Romania.
Would it surprise you to learn that many Romanian people are ashamed to admit their nationality when they come to this country?


I assume you know the image of the Polish guy I'm speaking of.
The young 'blokars'/'kilar'/'biznezmen'.
Wearing their hoodies and their leather jackets.
Their chains.
All driving in black Bmws or Audis, with the windows tinted black.
Often drunk or on amphetamines.
Selling jobs, taking protection money from other Poles, selling cigarettes and doing 'Biznez' i.e. making profit from friends.
In truth you hear them long before you see them - the string of 'Kurwa', 'jebana sukiensyn' etc. etc.
These guys manage to use the word Kurwa as a verb, noun, adjective, adverb, preposition, conjuction etc. etc.
The most aggrivating thing is the Polish favour system - this drove me to the brink of insanity. Polish guys always wanting favours, but never paying them back, or else trying to make a profit from you if they do pay you back.

.....this is not to say all Polish people are like this - far from it.
Many Polish women are among the most decent human beings I have encountered.
In truth, many Polish men don't deserve the women they have. But many of the Polish men who came to this country in the begining, 2004, were the genuine lowlifes who weren't wanted in Poland.

The one thing that struck me unlike any other country was the difference between the Polish in Ireland and the Poles in Poland.
The Poles in Poland were some of the nicest, genuine, decent people I ever had the pleasure to meet.
The Poles in Ireland were .............sharks.

Of course, things changed, after 2004 we had many good Poles arrive.
Many of the bad ones have moved on, because they have used up the good will or their lies are no longer believed.
But still, this crisscrossed American/Russian gangster seems to persist among young Polish guys.

I spoke about this to my ex-girlfriends father and brother.
They told me in simple terms:
These guys are from deep, dark villages - they have probably never seen money before, they come here, they get a job, they finally have money and they don't know how to behave.

They make me ill, lol.

Poland is an amazing country, with an amazing history and one of the toughest breeds of people in the world. I just find it a shame that these guys disguise their identity so much and are so superficial, that they are almost ashamed of being Polish.

Instead they adpot the faux Italian/Russia Gangster with a dash of Eminem thrown in.
(before anyone tries to say this is like any other country - its not!)

Lord spare me!


What makes you believe that Russian people are primitive?
If you are referring to the villagers in Central Asia, then I guess some of them could be.

But if you have met a Muscovite for example, I often think Irish people are primitive in comparison to the Russians.
In Moscow, you need a degree just to work in a sweet shop, lol.

St.Petersburg, incredible history/architecture, highly educated and cultured people.

I have to disagree with this comment:
"Russians and Poles prefer the same places for vaccations,drink the same and leave the same impressions."

I can't speak for Poland now as I don't have much contact with the nation anymore, other than my friends here, but many of the Poles in Ireland and the UK visit the same destinations as us. The only barriers are economic.

Personally, I don't drink alcohol, but I worked as a bouncer for many years so I have a pretty good idea about this country.

Poles generally don't like to go to pubs/nightclubs in this country.
They prefer to go to house parties and drink/use drugs in the company of other Poles.

It is quite rare to see a Polish man drinking in a pub, however, they frequently buy large amounts of the cheapest beer. That is not an criticisim by the way, just an observation.

I woudn't think to criticise Polish men for not wanting to participate in Irish night life.
There is a massive difference in Polish and Irish nightlife, everything from opening times to closing times and all that goes in between.

Many women are way of Polish men because so many of them were lying about being married and were having affairs here.
Polish women do go out from time to time, but other in the company of other females.
It is quite rare to see a Polish men and women together in a venue unless it is a social even for their job or something.

I hope I'm not coming across as derogatory to Polish men here, I don't intend to be.
I am simply sharing my experiences.
I have seen a number of good Polish friends get used by Polish women. Often they are treated as commodities. Some of them can be quite cold hearted and use men as ladders, jumping from one ladder to a better ladder when they see an opportunity to climb higher.


My partner is Russian, as are her family.
I speak the Russian language reasonably well, I have visited the country and met a great number of Russian people and former Soviet Satellites.
Russians, Lithuanians and Poles living in Ireland are among some of my best friends.
I have travelled throughout Eastern Europe, but most heavily in Poland, Lithuania and Russia.

I used to speak Polish quite well, but have forgotten a large portion now as its not very useful outside of Poland and many Polish friends have left Ireland during the economic crisis.

Russian is an extremely useful language and somewhat easier to learn than Polish, as it is more standardised. All international languages have to be standarised for non-natives to learn.

You may label my opinions as superficial if you wish, I don't mind. I'm simply sharing my experiences which I believe to be the truth.

As for the point which I have missed, what point is that?
I haven't seen you offer any points to be refuted, not even conjecture, so I'm not quite sure it is what I am supposed to be missing.

I know it is often a bitter pill for the uber-patriotic North Korean.......sorry, I mean uber-patriotic Poles to swallow. That is the bitter pill of truth that they are not the greatest people on the planet, and that other nations and other cultures also have many admirable qualities and triumphs.

All I have seen you offer is simply mildly offensive stereotype about 70% of Russians being pro-communist and drinking vodka on October days in their summer houses.

I believe it is actually you who is likely ignorant of the truth.
(Also for your information, somewhat ironically, many of the Poles I met in Central Poland commented to me that they missed the communist times when life was easier and they had a 13th paycheck at Xmas and there was less crime etc.

In constrast, only a small portion of the Russians have wished for the old communist days back, as they offset of financial trouble would not be compensated adequately by the loss of liberties)

Believe me, I used to share these opinions of the Russians in the old days, when my only opinions were obtained from Poles.
But then a funny thing happened.......I grew up.

Many years ago, I used to believe the English were demons with horns..........and now funnily enough, probably my favourite people on the planet are English.

Because I got out there and met English people, I rejected the propaganda and saw what fantastic people the English really are.

Times change and people move on.
It is your job to sift through the propaganda and discover the truth.
If you take your opinions from magazines and gym locker talk and biased media & political commentary, you will never know who you hate or why you hate them.

You will simply recite generalised abstract nonsense, with no experience of your own.

The only way to do this is. Get out there and meet people of the nationality it is you claim are so bad.

Lastly, allow me to return the question:
What is your knowledge of Russians based on ?


Western European does not equal 'more cultured'.
Allow me to simplify.

I defy anyone to visit Prague or Budapest and then tell me that Warsaw or Vilnius or Riga are more highly cultured.
Prague is quite a fascinating place with an atmosphere not unlike Rome.

Personally, I love Warsaw, but it could never equal Prague.
The only place in Poland that comes close (of which I am aware) is Krakow in the summer & possibly Zakopane during the high season - incredible atmosphere.

The Western European implication only intended to imply that they are the most Western European of the Slavic community.

I doubt anyone could argue they are the most progressive.
Poland is still locked in a power struggle, as are many of the larger countries.

My comment as regards progressive was in technical excellence.
I have heard a million sob stories from Poles about how highly skilled they are, the best in Europe etc. etc.
Or I often heard how over-qualified so many of the Poles were, yet when I learned to speak their language, their friends will laugh at the lies they told.

The reality is that many of these guys claim to have degrees coming out their arses when they are in this country because they are inexplicably ashamed of whatever it is they do, yet when they are back in Poland, many of them admit the truth that they no qualifications.

To be fair, this is likely a characteristic of the immigrant society as opposed to Polish society as a whole.
In my office, there are 9 Eastern European workers in high skilled software jobs and exactly 0 of them are Polish.

If these guys ears worked as well as their mouths, they may start to get somewhere.

News / Kaliningrad. Problem, Threat or Opportunity for Poland? [185]


Borrka, I'm not sure as to the level of your proficiency in English, but if you concluded that my point was that Polish & Russian people are one and the same, then you have badly misinterpreted everything I have written.

I suggest you revise my comments - starting with the point where I correlated the superficial similarities of Dutch & German with Polish & Russian, only in order to refute it.


I'm not sure as to where you were joking or what the joke is.
Regardless, your 'jokes' are simply stereotypes, which some Russians may find offensive.
Personally, I don't find them offensive as I don't believe in Nationalisim, I believe in individualisim, but I do find them irrational and somewhat pointless.

If you fail yet to comprehend why some Russians may dislike you, yet you persist with those opinions, then you should be empathic enough to reverse the situation and imagine that a Russian person is claiming that 70% of Poles are alcoholic, car thieves who eat sausages and drink everyday before noon.

Both you and I knew this is a nonsensical stereotype, so why allow it to subsist.

Many of my friends were frustrated with the opinions that Westerners had about their country, especially after Kaczynski made his remarks at the conference with Tony Blair about all emmigrant Poles being 'life failures, toilet cleaners' etc.

This was at the same conference where he made the highly controversial comments about homosexuals if you recall, prior to Tusk.

Perhaps the most poigniant issue is that the lies and misconceptions which you have re-iterated here about Russia and Russians, are precisely the same misconceptions which many Western Europeans hold about Poland.

If you knew how many times I had to fight ignorance and stereotypes about Eastern Europe. How many times I had to explain to people that Poles have electricity, computers, they live in houses and not caves, they are highly educated etc. etc. etc......

You probably believe from this forum that all Westerners know Poland is a civilised country. This is because all people who come to this forum have an interest in Poland, such as a business or a girlfriend.

But that is only a tiny percentage of the population.

In reality, many of the older generations in the West would have difficulty to point out Poland on a map, & they imagine parts of Poland to resemble a picture similar to what you would see in Stalingrad in WW2, or else to the Red Square in Moscow.

Many people can barely discern the difference between Poles & Russians, other than the fact that the Russians tend to be more orderly and quiet, and Poles are louder and more excitable (and their 'Kurwa' siren).


I don't understand why you are leaving the conversation, you haven't yet offered anything for discussion.
I would like to know where you developed your opinions on Russia and Russians?
Why do you perceive Kaliningrad to be a threat?

You may call it a lecture if you wish.
As I stated, I was just sharing my experiences based on reality, rather than opinions obtained from biased propaganda or an opinion shaped by mistrust, hatred or jealousy.


First, I should clarify that I don't take any personal offence to comments about Russians or Russia, and especially not because my partner is Russian.

My sole aim is to tackle some of the frequent lies and generalisations I hear spouted on a regular basis, frequently by people who really don't know what they are talking about.

Is it true to say that all Russians are warm, friendly, non-politicised, non-militant individuals?
No, of course not. But the vast majority of those I have met would be.

Many of the Poles I met had a deep set hatred in Russia, but didn't know why.
Ironically, these were the young people who neither spoke Russian nor had ever visited the country.
As a matter of fact, many of the older generation were beyond hatred, and were simply apathetic. They had a severe dislike of Germany however.

I am confused by your final comment I'm afraid.
The Poles are notorious for their euphemisims and romanticisim about Poland, it is well known that Poles believe they are the political centre of the Universe, as opposed to simply desiring to be so.

However, the Russians frequently have been and occassionally still are. Not in the same manner as the United States is today, but they were one of the two world powers for over half a century.

Perhaps it is jealousy on behalf of many Poles?

In closing, as I have clearly elaborated, my opinions haven't been acquired from another individual, especially my partner (in truth I hate to hear her talk about Russia, as my former Polish gilfriend practically used to write Poetry about how fantastic Poland was - so I have developed a potent dislike of such romanticisim)

My opinions are based on personal experiences, with my own eyes, my own feet and my own body.

UK, Ireland / Poles flee N. Irleand homes after World Cup riots [70]

I would like to know how many of these people fleeing recently became unemployed.
There is always a deeper issue.
The media always over-sensationalise and twist every topic.

I'm not saying all, but I'm pretty sure some of them are simply taking advantage of an opportunity to end their tenancy early with a legitimate excuse.

Or some have moved for other reasons.
Certainly wouldn't be the first time I've seen this type of thing.

News / EU regulations cost Poland 27,8 bilions euros so far [7]


canada-poland.com/files/EUStructuralFundsInfoForCompanies.pdf

Poland's National Convergence Strategy for 2007-2013. Under the current convergence
policy, 85.5 billion Euro has been earmarked for Poland; which includes 67.3 billion Euro from the EU budget - the remaining 18.2 billion will come from the Polish state budget

Complete non-issue in my opinion.
It is easy to take a very narrow view with a limited amount of information.

Poland has gained so much via EU Membership, its ridiculous to even consider Poland outside of the European Union.

Is there any viable alternative for Poland?
(FYI, I never met a Polish person in my entire life before November 11 2004, much less heard their language)

If Poland were a net contributor rather than a benefactor, such as Germany or Sweden, there may be an issue for debate. People who consider Ireland or Poland outside of the European Union have failed to ever give a solid rational reason why this should occur.

Its true that there is a lot of bureaucracy in the EU, and not are not terribly efficient.
However, local governments are even more inefficient.
I would be in favour of reform, equally I am certain that any country planning a future outside of the EU, without a valuable natural resource such as oil, may as well go join Iceland and prepare for catastrophe.

History / Territories of eastern Germany should rightfully belong to Poland? [161]

Not sure if the OP is a troll, but just wondering if the OP is aware that Lithuania was at one stage the biggest country in Europe?

Austro-Hungarian Empire?

How about giving Poland and France back to Germany?
Or to Russia?
French Empire under Napoleon?
Persia?
The British Empire was the biggest Empire the world has ever seen, why not put it back together too?

The only people who determine what rightfully belongs to where are, the democratic majority or the people with the biggest guns.

UK, Ireland / POLES SUPERIOR TO BRITS? [260]

Poles superior to Brits?
Lets see....................

Language:
English is the global language, language of science, aviation and computing.
Fail.

Science:
Britain led the scientific world for 2-300 years and still at the forefront
Fail.

Empire:
Britain had the largest empire the world has ever seen
Fail.

Wealth:
Britain is one of the wealthiest countries in the World
Fail.

Industry:
Britain was the first industrialised country in history and led the industrial revolution.
Fail

Music:
Britian had the highest proportion of successful recording artists in the 20th century, and little know acts such as The Beatles, The Stones, Pink Floyd.

Fail.

Military:
Britain is one of the 5 SEC Cardholders on the UN council, one of the first members of the nuclear club, and one of the higest military budgets in the world.

Fail.

War:
Britain was on the winning side in 2 World Wars and held out against Hitler by themselves until Russia crippled the Germans.
Fail.

Global cities:
London is one of the five global Cities.
Fail.

Legacy:
Former British colonies such as Canada, Australia, the United States are the among the most progressive countries in the world.
Fail.

Its clear, the British are a drastic failure.
(Sad state of affairs when an Irishman has to stick up for the Brits ;)

UK, Ireland / POLES SUPERIOR TO BRITS? [260]

I've a better idea Ironside, why don't you explain why Poland is superior to Britain?
Is it because you cannot? :-)

I read the thread and it was the usual misinformed Polish tripe about how the Brits sold them out (ignoring the fact that the Soviet Union had the biggest strongest army in the world which was already mobilised), the Brits never attacked Hitler (ignoring Chamberlin and Dunkirk), the Brits only defended Poland to protect her empire (even though she lost her empire in said defence of Poland).

Poles seem to forget the Molotov/Ribbentrop pact & the fact that Hitler wanted to preserve the British Empire initially (read it in Mein Kampf if you doubt).

The British did not actually have to fight at all.
Hitler believed they were true aryan people and wanted them as his allies.

Poles conveniently tend to forget that the Soviet Union was the superpower in this side of the world, what exactly did they expect Britain to do?

If it was so easy, why didn't the Poles just not surrender to Hitler in the first place - then we would never had this mess!?

Poles are so ignorant of the facts, they don't even realise that FDR & Stalin were on good terms and Churchill was simply the third wheel.

I have had this conversation with many Poles, and the one common theme is that they never acknowledge the true facts, but instead twist them in order to alleviate themselves of their national shame and defer the blame to someone else.

You need to read about Poland's aggressive movement post 1918 to get the full picture.

The most bizzare issue is the fact that Poland has her own completely independent history of the war, which doesn't correlate with any Allied or Axis accounts.

When we learn history in school, we are taught that the Russians defeated Hitler in Europe, the British defeated Hitler in Africa, and the Americans liberated Western Europe and beat the Japanese.

The Poles have a mere mention in similar terms as the French resistance.

Yet, when you discuss this history with a Pole, they would have you believe that the Poles actually defeated Hitler and the Russians simply arrived in time to kill their scholars.

If the Poles were so virile, why didn't they just defeat the Russians too?

UK, Ireland / POLES SUPERIOR TO BRITS? [260]


Nicely summarised, imo.

Matyjasz, I didn't take the thread seriously, its just that sometimes it feels so nice to give some of the more arrogant Poles a taste of their own medicine :)

Sometimes, this is how I see Polish people:
Irishman: God, I love orange juice
Englishman: Me too, I love orange juice and I like apple juice
American: Yea, I love apple juice, don't love OJ tho
Australian: I don't like either, but I enjoy cranberry juice
French: I like all 3
German: I love all 3!
Polish: POLAND HAS THE BEST JUICE IN THE WORLD, RA RA RA. ALL OTHER JUICE IS SH1T COMPARED TO POLAND, RA RA RA. WHEN YOU DRINK POLISH JUICE, YOUR WHOLE BODY HAS NINE ORGASIMS, AND IF YOU DRINK NON-POLISH JUICE, YOUR TEETH ROT AND YOU SH1T YOURSELF INVOLUNTARILY, RA RA RA

;)

UK, Ireland / POLES SUPERIOR TO BRITS? [260]

LOL, at least you guys have a sense of humour anyway, hahaha :D
Cheers

@Piorun, Ana mhaith ar fad, ach cheapim go bhful an uisce bheatha ufasach, an firsceal, ni maith liom aon alcol
(Bardzo dobry, ale mysle, ze whisky jest straszne, rzeczywiscie, ja nie lubie alkoholu )

News / Kaliningrad. Problem, Threat or Opportunity for Poland? [185]

Southern, this is the truth :)

I had to explain to a group of people that Poles have computers and houses.
They believed that the Poles lived in caves because they didn't have money to build houses.

Many people are completely ignorant of Poland and still believe the propaganda from the Cold War.