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Posts by Trevek  

Joined: 21 May 2008 / Male ♂
Last Post: 12 Jun 2016
Threads: Total: 25 / In This Archive: 17
Posts: Total: 1699 / In This Archive: 1176
From: Olsztyn
Speaks Polish?: not a lot
Interests: varied

Displayed posts: 1193 / page 15 of 40
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Trevek   
6 Dec 2010
News / John Godson, born in Nigeria, might become Poland Sejm's first black deputy! [313]

It's different when someone wins and no one loses and when someone wins and someone loses therefor.

Indeed. This is why I don't like discriminatory affirmative action. The playing field should be level and rewards based on merit.

all that I ask is to allow me to live amongst the people of my choice

That's fine and it's your choice. In Britain i had very few black friends. Not for any racist reason, simply that our paths didn't cross that much.

However, to use your right and preference as the basis to advise others how to accept incomers is not really on, is it?

Incidentally, all the multiculturalism and 'right-on' political correctness which is sprouting up in Europe these days is largely coming from your side of the pond... Thanks Franek!
Trevek   
6 Dec 2010
News / John Godson, born in Nigeria, might become Poland Sejm's first black deputy! [313]

During PRL some social classes were priviledged in Unis aplications.

of course... I'd forgotten that. But they were poor Poles, so it was OK ;-)

I suppose offering scholarships to African students etc might also e seen in the same way. Not simply a way of showing how great the socialist nations were.
Trevek   
6 Dec 2010
News / John Godson, born in Nigeria, might become Poland Sejm's first black deputy! [313]

But I do reserve my right to speak my piece

I support that right, but only as i reserve the right to reply to it (and you to me).

Yes, I've heard of affirmative action (and I am skeptical about it). The black caucus? I seem to remember something about a boys club for Black politicians? Again, I dislike that as much as i dislike an all-whites club, or a non-Jewish club.

Liberal I may be by your standards, but I don't agree with favouritism. I agree with a level playing field and not tilting it forward and backwards (which i think affact can do).

And no, I didn't think it was a good idea for people to vote for Obama because he was Black any more than to vote for Thatcher because she was (allegedly) a woman or Scwarzenegger because he made cool movies.
Trevek   
6 Dec 2010
News / John Godson, born in Nigeria, might become Poland Sejm's first black deputy! [313]

For your information, I have never worn a klan uniform.As a matter of fact, I have never seen a so called Klansman. I was under the impression that the klan was disbanded over 50 yrs ago.

I wasn't saying you were a klansman, I said that I'm not saying you are "racist" in the sense of being like a klansman.

The klan is still going, by the way. A few years ago Britain barred entry to two of their top 'wizards'. They pop on on Jerry Springer now and again and have their own website (I believe there are several factions these days).

Yep, call me an idiot, but also consider what I'm writing properly before you do.

I have made no comment about how what you say is wrong in that you know how life is there (and you're right, I've never been to the States), I have just said that your comment that everything was rosy until the Blacks came needs to consider where the Blacks were coming from.

Now, as a matter of fact, I don't agree with a lot of this 'multiculturalism'. It makes me a little angry to go for a job and have to fill in an ethnicity section on a form (particularly when 'English' isn't listed as an ethnicity but Irish is).

You mention Dorset, well I worked in Devon a few years. Until the 1960's there were hardly any Blacks there (I met a woman who was one of the first) and even now there aren't many. However, there is a growing Arab and Middle-Eastern population (probably because of all the language schools) and, I believe, Indian-Asian. however (if it is true) I didn't like hearing that there were plans to import a large group of Africans into the area from London because it was, to me, unnatural migration in that they weren't making their own way there and a new community wasn't developing. The culture shock for residents might be hard to deal with.

Britain has a large Indian population. They have been here well over fifty years and have faced discrimination etc. however, the first generations worked like hell to achieve something and they did. They've enriched britsh culture and they've given a lot (and received a lot). In many cases they've passed their work ethic onto their kids.

Your Blacks were home grown...

What I'm objecting to in many of the posts here is an idea that equality is fine as long as you aren't Black. it's OK for Poles to go somewhere and be immigrants and make successes of themselves... but not Blacks. OK for Poles to become citizens of another country and make something of themselves... but not Blacks. Poles can bleat about poor treatment in UK etc but it's fine for a tax-paying brit in Poland to be refused credit because the Polish government and credit firms can't get their joint act together with id cards.

I was speaking with an Arab who lives in Poland and he was saying although he and his friends are trained doctors (trained in Poland by Polish doctors) they have heard people ask for a Polish doctor on hearing they were Arabs. What bull! If they were hanging over a cliff and it was an 'ethnic' hand which offered to pull them up, would they say they'd rather have a Polish one?

There have been 'ethnic' students in Poland for decades and there is still not a major Black population. But for those citizens of Poland who are Black, or Vietnamese... why should they not be allowed to be represented by a Black politician. More to the point, if WHITE POLES choose him, why should their views not be considered as valid?

You Europeans are too serious about life. We Americans have a broader sense of humor.

Oh come on... you can't even say 'the N-word' in NY now! A US politician dresses as an SS soldier in reenactment and the world turns upside down. Ted Danson blacks up and the halls of hell reverberate.

Miley Cyrus does a slant-eye face and there's law suits flying around.

We live with it.

Our Royalty still uphold it.

By the way, how was the fishing?
Trevek   
6 Dec 2010
Life / Expats in Poland - would you fight for your new country? [105]

my point was I think MOST expats would not go back and fight because they have a better life in their new home already or else they wouldn't be there.

That's better put and explains it more.

Yep, I'd agree a bit more with this. Plenty of ex-pats stayed out of wars by staying put, although they may have done more to help economically or by doing publicity work (like British actors in US during war etc).

I know what you mean about ex-pats moaning. My studes were shocked when I said i wasn't voting in UK elections. I just asked, "Why? I don't live there and haven't lived there for a few years."
Trevek   
6 Dec 2010
News / John Godson, born in Nigeria, might become Poland Sejm's first black deputy! [313]

The Blacks arrived frpm the south

Yep, and why do you think they came from the south? Why do you think they were uneducated and such? The south is still part of the US (much as they may not like it).

I'm not saying your a racist in that you like to wear pillow cases and burn crosses, I'm just suggesting you haven't considered a few social aspects of things.

For your info, the thing in UK and Ireland was that most of the first wave of Poles were highly educated but often took low status jobs cos they were easy to get and paid better than a higher status job back in Poland. Eventually the good stock dried up and more of the chaff started coming over.... firms took advantage and started paying lower wages... wages went down in many industries etc...

Not the fault of Poles, just shyster bosses, as usual.

I got more of questions about THIS!

This isn't just a Polish thing. Plenty of Africans have come to UK and France as missionaries, cos we're all so godless.
Trevek   
5 Dec 2010
News / John Godson, born in Nigeria, might become Poland Sejm's first black deputy! [313]

mass immigration was a complete failure in Western Europe. Even leftwing Angela Merkel admitted that multiculturalism has done more bad than good things to society.

But you need to consider how a lot of the mass-immigration started and why multiculturalism developed.

Places like Britain and France had colonies around the world. They had exported their culture (to put it nicely) and then the culture started coming home to the motherland of the empire. Funnily enough, after the war there was a move in UK to encourage Polish ex-servicemen and refugees to migrate to Canada, Africa, Australia etc, and yet a few years later UK was encouraging economic migration from the Caribbean and India.

But it was not against the law to discriminate ("No Dogs, Blacks or Irish").

Germany was allowing Turks in as 'gastarbeiter' but wouldn't give them full rights.

When people are expected to do all the work for less of the rights, they moan!

Hence the rise of equal-rights movements.

I'd argue the 'need' for multiculturalism came from trying to placate an angry section of society which felt it wasn't getting what everyone else was getting for no other reason than their ethnicity/faith etc.

If you don't start from that point then you don't need to promote multiculturalism.

Um, like when did this happen?

Well, there was that woman Gordon brown called 'bigotted'.

plenty of people in industries like building and driving have complained and there were a few protests earlier this year.

And then there's the swan lovers association...
Trevek   
5 Dec 2010
News / John Godson, born in Nigeria, might become Poland Sejm's first black deputy! [313]

Nunczka,

Great website you have there. I'm honestly glad you shared it with us. Fascinating stuff.

However, I did notice something from your "growing up" page:

They struggled along with all other ethnic nationalities. There were Poles, Germans, Irish, Italians, Greeks, and Jews etc. We all lived in perfect harmony.

Isn't this a multicultural society? Oh, might I suggest it is because there aint no negroes there?

Now, my question to you is, as an American: Why did your parents move there?

I imagine (please tell me I'm wrong) it was because America was a symbol of possible wealth, a chance to be who you wanted to be and a chance to improve yourself. perhaps, it was also a chance to escape poverty and persecution somewhere else?

Isn't one of the great things about USA that anyone can strive to become who they want to be and has almost every chance of getting there if they work hard enough: Jews, Poles, Irish... even Hispanics and Negroes?

So why is it so objectionable to someone who grew up in a land founded on migrancy that a well-educated, allegedly-sincere, man should be denied his chance to serve the country which has given him a home... just because he's an immigrant?

You commented about 'the Blacks' destroying everything the white man had built... but perhaps you didn't grow up seeing how the Blacks who did the work, especially in the South, were treated. They did not have the chances of white immigrants (and born-Americans) to progress and educate themselves. Are you telling me, when you were in the army, in England, all the Black soldiers were treated the same? What would happen if they danced with a white girl in England, I wonder?

Likewise, Poland was for centuries a place of many cultures: Germans, Poles, Rusyn, Tartars, Jews, Scots... and many of these races/cultures were allowed voting rights in Poland (OK, at a certain level of society). Poland was a safehaven for 'heretics' from Holland and Scotland (hey, Warsaw even had a Scottish mayor!). Why should Poland spit on its own history?
Trevek   
5 Dec 2010
News / John Godson, born in Nigeria, might become Poland Sejm's first black deputy! [313]

Marrying a Polish woman doesn't make you a Pole, neither does speaking the language or making a "huge" contribution to society.

So it's better to have some corrupt, system-working power-seeking gangster because he's a white, 'catholic' Pole than a bloody foreigner who wants to make a positive contribution to Polish people and Polish society?

That might explain a lot.

They mainly choose Poland instead of other countries because of the nice weather and the quality of universities right?

Yeah, those cold African days really get a guy down.

There are a group of Arab students coming over to my town to study... they end up here smack bang in the middle of January. What's the betting the first question will be, "Teacher, how do you ask for thick, wooly socks in Polish?"
Trevek   
5 Dec 2010
Work / If you were to compere Polish Unis and Unis/Colleges in your country... [75]

Quite why there isn't one centralised system is beyond me.

Because even 'they' can't work how to clog up something like that with bureacracy?

Unfortunately unis in Polad are graded on the basis of research and publications rather than quality of teaching. Until that changes, there won't be any improvement for the students.

Yeah. One of their biggest worries was a) I didn't have a PhD and b) even if I did one within 3 years I'd be too old to become a professor.

so, imagine a student conversation: "Hey, my teacher is well qualified, has wide-ranging experience and can teach some useful, interesting things."

"Huh, that's nothing!y teacher is young enough to become a professor in time!"

"Kurda! I'm so jealous!"
Trevek   
5 Dec 2010
Work / If you were to compere Polish Unis and Unis/Colleges in your country... [75]

Well, I applied for a job at the local uni and it took them from may to October (a week into the semester) to turn me down. When i wrote to complain about being messed about, they said they had wanted to employ me but didn't know how many students they were going to have.

My experience of UK system of student recruitment and application to uni suggests a British uni would have known a hell of a lot sooner than the first week of the semester.
Trevek   
5 Dec 2010
News / John Godson, born in Nigeria, might become Poland Sejm's first black deputy! [313]

My Parents landed in America with $14.00 dollars in their pockets.

So what's the difference between some poor 'polacks' going somewhere to make a better life and some highly educated 'negroes' doing the same? Part of my family are Scots and have done pretty well in Canada since emigrating there... I'm sure there are a First nations folk who wish they hadn't.
Trevek   
5 Dec 2010
News / John Godson, born in Nigeria, might become Poland Sejm's first black deputy! [313]

All that the European immigrants built.

with the use of Black slave labour. Come on, US had offical segregation until 1960s. If they had had the equal society they claim to have then Black communities would have been able to educate and develop, but what there is now is at least part a hangover from those days.
Trevek   
5 Dec 2010
News / John Godson, born in Nigeria, might become Poland Sejm's first black deputy! [313]

If i were a Pole i wouldn't allow non-Poles to enter the Sejm.

Imagine all the Africans who might have been saying that a couple of years ago when white europeans ruled them.

I guess Schwarzenegger might be out of a job if you were American.

And how the heck can he represent Polish people?

The same way a white catholic Pole can represent a constiuency with a number of ethnic minorities. Perhaps better, cos he knows there's life outside of the village. Historically Poland allowed other ethnicites to become szlachta.

He'll make a wonderful politician though. Very able, as honest as they come, highly intelligent, a trained lawyer and a skilled networker.

Sorry, I don't understand... how can he make a wonderful politician if he's honest?

i'm happy to see a proud Pole (i assume you are Polish) after all the Polish people here on this forum who don't care if their country would be invaded with people from 3rd world.

That's what a lot of people in UK said when Poles started migrating there. Some blacks saw it as a racist attempt to rewhiten UK.

So, what about all the other ethnicities who have had children here and have been brought up as Polish citizens. OK for them to work here, obey the laws and pay taxes as long as it is too da white massa, huh?

In essence, HAVE YOU NOT JUST LEFT MULTICULTURAL SOCIETIES?? You know, on your own accord?

Yeah, to get away from all the Poles ;-)
Trevek   
4 Dec 2010
Travel / Restaurant reviews in Poland. [86]

There is no Culinary school in Poland

Funny that... I just spent last year teaching Culinary English to teachers of English who are teaching English to students in Polish culinary schools... Shame to think it was a waste of their time.
Trevek   
3 Dec 2010
Life / Expats in Poland - would you fight for your new country? [105]

you don't like your country enough to live in it but you claim you would go die for it?

Who has said they don't like their country enough to live there? the reasons some of us are abroad are many. Also, you forget that most of us have family there.
Trevek   
3 Dec 2010
Life / Expats in Poland - would you fight for your new country? [105]

True, Trevek. Some might say that the SAS were Thatcher's skivvies in a sense.

I was thinking of the number of Scots who fought abroad while their homes were being ransacked during the Clearances.
Trevek   
3 Dec 2010
Life / Foreigners commenting on Poland - a minefield? [30]

but he's bang on the money when he says that Poles are leaving university at 25 with absolutely no experience.

These weren't work-experience guys, they were uni students working at a telesales place. Mind you, I know in UK plenty of studes never used to have much work experience either (although they left at 21)

I've also never seen a manager get stuck in either here - again, same attitude of "not my responsibility".

See, that's the difference, I think. The company getting their ass sued is the responsibility of the workers.