A Quote from Polands' Past

They say if you're not a socialist when you're 20 you have no heart, but if you are still a socialist when you're 40 you have no brain.

Leszek wasn't brainless, nor his opinions easily defined. It seems he walked the tightrope between ideologies. On this one he was correct.

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I seem to be going the other way with this.

Apparently most people start off socialist when they are young [as you say] and then gradually, as they make a bit of money in life, they become more capitalist and are less keen to share.

With me I started off more to the right financially but have become more sympathetic to socialist ideas over the years. It's probably the only left-wing ideology I agree with, and why I like PiS so much, because even though they are considered right-wing around Europe, they are fiscally very socialist.

Yes, and it's starting to hurt them a bit. Morawiecki publicly saying that the rich will be taxed a bit more to pay for benefits for disabled people hasn't gone down well among the centrist voters, because 'rich' in Poland is still relatively poor compared to people in the West. But you're right, they're a very socialist party fiscally, even in terms of how they are trying to renationalise businesses, something unheard of in most of Europe.

But let's not pretend otherwise: PiS did *very* well to understand that a socialist economic policy generally works in Poland when appealing to society. People are quite economically clueless, so 500+ worked much more than if it was a 500zł monthly tax credit, even though the latter makes much more sense if you want to encourage people to work.

As for the quote, it's worth knowing the context before blindly posting it.

Correct me if I'm mistaken, but

a) Morawiecki himself is very rich

b) he has ogne to some efforts to both conceal that and to not be taxed a bit more himself in the past

Another "do as I say.... now! dammit!" politician?

Poland needs children, and the first one works well to encourage people to have them.

But what's the point in having more children if they later on migrate in great number to more affluent countries than Poland and pay taxes there and raise children there. Notice that Poland incurs the costs of education for these people and has nothing in return in the long run? What's the point in increasing the population at a considerable cost if the surplus of the population thus received eventually leaves the country in search of a better life and their children and the next generations subsequently become British, American or German in the long run?

Well dude, people are economically clues not only in Poland or not only particularly in Poland. On the other hand who can blame them. Poland's economy is for the most part post-communist economy, if they see taxes are going for benefits of a chosen few they are happy if money are distributed more evenly.

Is that makes an economical sense in the long run - no. Same as it doesn't make sense to keep commie judges in courts or commie officers in the army. It doesn't make any sense to not return all that private property that had been stolen by the Soviet into the hand of the rightful owners.

In short post-colonial, post-communist problems any other society would have the same or similar problems if it would undergone what Poland's people had been through.

Also let not pretend that democracy would work if a ruling class would announce to the plebe what is what and expect them to obey. Well, you might be used that this kind of 'democracy'.


The point in having children is to have them. That is a natural thing for all creature big and small. However no matter how inaptly you put it I get your point and well met Z. You have a point here, the point nobody can deny.

I see it this way - PiS is there to make a way for another force that will actually address fundamental issues of the Polish society, politics and state.

No matter how little they're doing, they at least try to do something for t he country.
THAT is a big step forward.

Solzhenitsyn came to roughly the same conclusion as Kolakowski. He stated that the West has been inundated with a tide of secularism and it's rejection of God saps it's strength from within, a greater threat than any from without.

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Not relevant and off topic. We don't need quotes from Russians on a thread about "a quote from Poland's Past".

Will somebody please get this commie scum off the polish forum! I am sick of his sub 90 iq and filthy lies.

There is nothing wrong with the desire to help those in need. It's a very Western view. One can choose to teach a man to fish, or to catch and cook it for him but only once.