History / Would you classify the Poland's Communist years as a "Soviet occupation" ? [221]


Oh dear; a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. I invite you to Poland to meet some of the people who live there, to discuss with them if they think they laboured under the brutal yoke of occupation. The souls of those butchered in occupied territories throughout history would laugh to hear you describe the PRL as an occupation.

History / Why are Jews pestering Poland for "proper" WW2 monetary restitution/reparations? [750]


Now look carefully at the thread title. It doesn't mention Judaism at all. We are discussing Polish Jews, a cohesive community and distinct ethnicity. Jews were murdered because of their ethnicity - their race, according to those who killed them - and that ethnicity (including people who practise Judaism and people who don't) forms a distinct community who are perfectly entitled to file a claim.

History / Would you classify the Poland's Communist years as a "Soviet occupation" ? [221]

@MrGrunwald, my post was addressed to the troll who posted above you.

Worth mentioning that all these points have been made and it was established that the PRL, while hardly a paragon of liberal democracy, was not an occupation.

History / Would you classify the Poland's Communist years as a "Soviet occupation" ? [221]

Nice to have that luxury of distance, however you'd find that in Poland, if you eventually get round to visiting (I invite you) you'll find that the general consensus is quite the opposite.

Work / Warsaw or Krakow - what is the better place to work in? [19]

There's good and bad everywhere, but generally I find Warsaw people warmer and more relaxed than Krakow people!

History / Why are Jews pestering Poland for "proper" WW2 monetary restitution/reparations? [750]

Intestate members of their community did.

History / Would you classify the Poland's Communist years as a "Soviet occupation" ? [221]


The what??

Your post doesn't actually add anything to the discussion - but then again, your experience of Poland could be written on the back of a postage stamp. One thing you might like to do is to come here and actually speak with people who served in the administration during the PRL, who were party members, who got on with their lives and did what they could for Poland - they would be very offended indeed if you suggested they were collaborating with a foreign occupier.

History / Would you classify the Poland's Communist years as a "Soviet occupation" ? [221]


Briefly and tragically during the war. We've already established that the PRL (or as the OP describes it 'the Communist years) was not a 'Soviet occupation'.

History / Would you classify the Poland's Communist years as a "Soviet occupation" ? [221]


And doesn't now.

UK, Ireland / Are Polish people importing a new wave of ancient racism into the UK? [402]

Less so than in most European countries with mass immigration.

History / Why are Jews pestering Poland for "proper" WW2 monetary restitution/reparations? [750]


We covered this several pages ago, in case you'd forgotten. Some resident of a house they never paid for should not be allowed to profit from the holocaust. If anyone has title to it, it is the Jewish community.

History / Why are Jews pestering Poland for "proper" WW2 monetary restitution/reparations? [750]


This issues are inextricable.

History / Why are Jews pestering Poland for "proper" WW2 monetary restitution/reparations? [750]


You know perfectly well. The ones that are the subject of all those court cases this thread is about.


???

History / Why are Jews pestering Poland for "proper" WW2 monetary restitution/reparations? [750]


There's something in that, but the issue isn't so much about suing here; it's more about people getting their houses back.

History / Why are Jews pestering Poland for "proper" WW2 monetary restitution/reparations? [750]


By whom and how?

History / Why are Jews pestering Poland for "proper" WW2 monetary restitution/reparations? [750]


If somewhere's your home, why move?


It is.

UK, Ireland / Polish Doctor in UK discriminiated and bullied against gets millions. [28]




Are you from a Trade Union or a lawyer? Or something else entirely? The webmail address doesn't really suggest much.

History / Would you classify the Poland's Communist years as a "Soviet occupation" ? [221]


In this forum there seem to be two polarised opinions on this. I suspect (and everything anybody over about 65 has ever said to me about it points that way) the reality of the situation was not at all black and white.


In many ways it is. Legally China are in the right - the only real argument against that is that the aboriginal nature and unique way of life of Tibetan society created a situation where they didn't assert statehood, and as the first nation inhabitants they should be treated as a special case as regards self-determination. India got it right with Bhutan and Sikkim.


Very true.


Quite a good answer.

History / Would you classify the Poland's Communist years as a "Soviet occupation" ? [221]


Legally part of China and recognised as such. Even prior to 1959 nobody (including the Tibetans) claimed it had full independance.


Both still hold.


International law exists and the majority view holds. The PRL was not an occupation. Case still closed.

History / Would you classify the Poland's Communist years as a "Soviet occupation" ? [221]


Exactly. Case closed.

History / Why are Jews pestering Poland for "proper" WW2 monetary restitution/reparations? [750]



So what would be your final solution to this 'problem'?

History / Why are Jews pestering Poland for "proper" WW2 monetary restitution/reparations? [750]


Undoubtedly very talented, however what Mel Gibson is responsible for his behaviour, and has a duty to behave decently whether drunk or sober. Hate speech should be addressed by prosecutors. Same as Galliano. Somebody media-sensitive should know better than to shoot their mouth off, alcohol or not. You seem to be justifying his behaviour...


And hate speech needs to be stamped out.


Read the post.


Plenty of it documented.

History / Why are Jews pestering Poland for "proper" WW2 monetary restitution/reparations? [750]

You've got the wrong end of the stick. He said it in the first place; everything newsworthy he says is likely to be reported, and he knew that. He cared not one little bit that it was adding to the already seamy store of hate speech about the particular people he chose to malign.


Read it.


Are any of those a race?

History / Why are Jews pestering Poland for "proper" WW2 monetary restitution/reparations? [750]


Bigoted drunk talk from Joe Bloggs, Foreigner4 or Uncle Tom Cobbley is one thing - bigoted drunk talk by a very high profile A list Hollywood Royal that's reported round the world and goes unpunished is quite another.

And it adds to the vile racist sentiment that is reflected in the title of this thread.


Fortunately you have absolutely no say about who is or is not 'welcome' in 'your' country.

Love / Any Polish Muslim girls living in Poland? [103]

You can't be 'half Catholic'. Either you're Catholic or you're not.

History / Why are Jews pestering Poland for "proper" WW2 monetary restitution/reparations? [750]


Not a single thing.


Yeas I am right. Historical anti-semitism in Poland was the background to the 1968 Polish pogrom.


The holocaust and post-war emigration might have has just a little to do with that.


No. Put the tin-foil helmet back on.

History / Would you classify the Poland's Communist years as a "Soviet occupation" ? [221]


All of them: the PRL was recognised by every country who recognised the Second Republic. The Vatican (until 1959), General Franco's Spain and the Irish Republic (until 1979) were the last stragglers. The US recognised them from the start.


A very good point.

USA, Canada / Compulsory military service for Polish-Canadian returning to Poland? [11]

kowalskiii
You do realise that there's about a million Polish citizens in the UK and Ireland - a great chunk of whom are the right age to have done military service when it still happened. If you keep getting letters from a prosecutor perhaps you should try replying to one and telling them you're outside Poland.

Life / Yard waste / plastic burning - is such typical behaviour in Poland legal? [30]

In towns people aren't supposed to, but it happens.

News / Warsaw Modlin Airport is finally moving [29]


Manchester's second airport is in some ways Liverpool. Like most smaller British ones built in the last few years it is almost identical to others - virtually a prefab. This would be a good idea for Modlin. What surprises me is that it's been planned so long, but the rail link won't be in place from day one.