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Posts by convex  

Joined: 25 Nov 2009 / Male ♂ 		Last Post: 28 Nov 2011
Threads: Total: 20 / In This Archive: 13
Posts: Total: 3928 / In This Archive: 3150 		From: Wroclaw
Speaks Polish?: un poco...wait
Interests: aviation

Displayed posts: 3163 / page 15 of 106
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convex   
14 Jan 2011
USA, Canada / Things that Polish-American should know about Poland. [168]

You don't have any Italian roots so this comparison is ridiculous.

Roots are just a question of how far back you want to go. Many times, those roots are nothing more than names on a piece of paper.

Identification with a nation also seems differ based on the country. Most Italians will identify themselves based on where they're from first, and then work their way up to "Italy", same goes for Germans, French, Spanish...

Dunno, as far as renouncing Polish citizenship though, that seems pretty straightforward in that one no longer wants to be identified as Polish.
convex   
14 Jan 2011
USA, Canada / Things that Polish-American should know about Poland. [168]

If they renounced their Italian citizenship, they're Americans. They might enjoy their Italian heritage, but, they're as Italian as you or I. Semantics, sure, but at some point those people decided that they were no longer Italian, and would rather be American. That's a simple choice, and one that can be respected. I enjoy Italian traditions as well, and even went as far as to pick up some of the language, and spend some time there. I think it'd be a bit ridiculous to call myself Italian based on that :) I'm in the "doesn't matter where your parents decided to make you" camp, and don't really identify with one or the other. People want to explore different cultures, cool deal. People can even identify with different cultures, as silly as that might be, they're free to do it :)

You are talking legal issues, passports. I'm talking about traditions, memories, culture.

Sure the legal aspect, as well as the simple meaning of the action of renouncing your allegiance to Poland. You might have a point of course if you were to bring up renouncing your allegiance to the Polish state vs the Polish people, but I think those are more or less bonded pretty tight. No one is talking about "my country is better than yours", at least I haven't seen it anywhere in this thread.
convex   
14 Jan 2011
USA, Canada / Things that Polish-American should know about Poland. [168]

I think your trip home has gotten to your brain convex.

Surely you have to agree that someone that renounces their allegiance to a country and then claims to be a member of that country should be treated as suspect. If they want to connect to Poles, that's great. They did however decide that they no longer wanted to be Polish. People born in the US to parents of Polish descent, that's a completely different story as they never made a conscious decision to no longer be Polish. Good deal to those folks for trying to connect.
convex   
14 Jan 2011
USA, Canada / Things that Polish-American should know about Poland. [168]

Then we have the real Poles.

For me it's pretty easy. If you're a naturalized US citizen, you're no longer legally Polish. You're American. No ifs ands or buts. You have sworn to renounce all other allegiances and citizenships (unlike when you become a naturalized Brit, Aussie, or Canadian) and defend the US before any foreign interests.

It's something that every adult naturalized citizen swore to. Exercising the privileged of a foreign passport after having been naturalized is a crime. Retaining a foreign passport after being naturalized is a crime which the State Dept actually used to pursue. Poles who become naturalized US citizens renounce all allegiance to Poland, promise not to fight for Poland, and of course declare that you're only a citizen of the US.

That's not a gray area type deal. Poles naturalized in the US no longer wanted to be Poles, ergo, they're as American as it can get, by choice. I never had to recite that oath, and I doubt I would if say I wanted a Swiss passport and they made me renounce my other citizenships. But hey, there are a lot of criminals and swindlers out there breaking US laws. It seems pretty common now a days to break immigration law with no repercussions..
convex   
14 Jan 2011
Life / $3,000-$4,000 a month - would we have enough money to live in Poland? [273]

Whoa, that seems incredible. I live in Sweden and it is considered to be one of the most expensive countries in the world, yet a couple can get by on 1000 zloty a month for groceries.

Those are Manhattan/San Francisco prices. Median income in Manhattan is close to $10k/mo. Using your couple examples gives you 20k before taxes.

All depends on where you're at.
convex   
14 Jan 2011
USA, Canada / Things that Polish-American should know about Poland. [168]

How many of them swore allegiance to another country - and with it, declared that they renounce their Polish citizenship?

Most countries don't require renunciation of allegiance to another state. The US is one of the few that do. Every naturalized US citizen has sworn to give up allegiance and renounce citizenship of any other states. Anyone who has been naturalized and retains their original citizenship is a criminal.
convex   
13 Jan 2011
Life / $3,000-$4,000 a month - would we have enough money to live in Poland? [273]

The house we living right now is about 2800 Sq ft. and the largest place I was in (when we were visiting) had basically 3 or 4 rooms.

You won't be making enough to afford to rent a house. Time to get used to apartment living...it's not too hard. Just get a place over 100m2 and you'll adjust just fine, especially if you're not dragging a bunch of stuff over.
convex   
9 Jan 2011
Life / I got beaten and kicks in my face just cuz i dont look polish [205]

The aim of my post was to show that what happened to Maxine can happen anywhere, that's it.

The difference being that the OP was attacked due to being different, and you were robbed. It seems like everyone that looks different has a racist story to tell in Poland. Is that to say that all Poles are racist? Of course not, but there is a very vocal (and violent) minority that tends to rear it's head pretty often.
convex   
7 Jan 2011
News / Poland's atheist loonies have had their 5 minutes [239]

On one future date our species could be such beings...
We are headed there now. Heck, all this talk of God could be a self fulfilling prophecy...

The Bill Hicks philosophy, we're already there.
convex   
7 Jan 2011
News / Poland's atheist loonies have had their 5 minutes [239]

They believe there isn't a godlike entity that can create sections of the universe, perhaps even controlling these places.

Why not? Seems plausible enough. Atheists might not believe that those entities have always existed and will always exist, but I'm all for matter mastering godlike creatures. Hell, if you can show me one, I might even worship it by sacrificing my best goat.
convex   
7 Jan 2011
News / Poland's atheist loonies have had their 5 minutes [239]

When you consider it, atheists are narrow minded and closed off to the possibilities existing in outer space.

I tend to disagree. Atheists don't believe that there's nothing out there, they would just ask "hmm, wonder where that came from?" upon encountering something.
convex   
7 Jan 2011
Travel / Getting from Krakow to Warsaw [99]

If you want to visit mosques, it might be a bit more interesting to visit Tatar mosques in the countryside. They're Sunni, and they're probably much different than what you're used to.
convex   
7 Jan 2011
News / Boeing or Airbus - which ones would be better for the Polish Airlines (LOT)? [35]

sky is...

sky gets paid for it and is competent, I just use mine to avoid the famous Central/Eastern European infrastructure.

Anyway, LOT will go with whatever makes them the most on their routes. Apparently they have a pretty good relationship with Boeing for their long haul routes.
convex   
5 Jan 2011
Genealogy / CIOCHOĊƒ from Brzeg Dolny [15]

Could you post that information? Last name/city/year of birth would help.
convex   
5 Jan 2011
News / Why is Poland developing so slowly or in the wrong direction? Who is responsible ? [317]

There are not many countries outside of the EU...and countries like the Swiss and Norway have possibilities most other countries just don't have so they are not quite usable as models.

Well, Poland is one of the countries outside of ERM2 and the Eurozone...

No, it wasn't, there were no informations about pro and contra of joining EU, just propaganda, pure propaganda !

What was the message to voters? What were their expectations when they joined the EU? Curious what that 80% signed up for. Ignorance is of course no excuse, but I'm curious how it was sold.
convex   
5 Jan 2011
News / Poland's atheist loonies have had their 5 minutes [239]

its as relevant as saying that Potatoes are better than Pasta.

Watch yourself there, there are practicing Pastafarians here that might take offense at your callous comment.
convex   
5 Jan 2011
News / Why is Poland developing so slowly or in the wrong direction? Who is responsible ? [317]

What if Greece would had been within and under a real economical union? Probably they wouldn't had to go through that now...because they wouldn't had let them.

How would the needed reforms have been implemented? What reforms would have been implemented? Do you find it all interesting that the countries which were not a part of the Eurozone or members of ERM2 weathered the "crisis" better than the ones that were?
convex   
5 Jan 2011
News / Why is Poland developing so slowly or in the wrong direction? Who is responsible ? [317]

But you won't make a country more successfull as all the structural problems don't vanish magically because of that.

The happens as a result of their debt becoming unattractive to investors, thereby forcing the country in question to reform. Everyone takes a hit for the stupid investment and spending of money that was never available in the first place. Bailouts perpetuate the status quo....by design.
convex   
5 Jan 2011
News / Why is Poland developing so slowly or in the wrong direction? Who is responsible ? [317]

And what with all that sense about devaluation. It doesn't help your economy in the long run. It's a sign of weakness, of resignation...you can't build a future on devaluation... how often do you plan to do that?
Does that help with your corruption, with your tax fraud, that your main export are olives??? Nooo, of course not!

Devaluation allows a country to pay off investors in national debt. That in turn makes the debt less attractive to borrowers which forces a country to stop reckless spending, you can't magic money afterall.

So post bailout, how is Greece in a better position fiscally? There is a huge moral hazard when you bail out a country.
convex   
5 Jan 2011
News / Why is Poland developing so slowly or in the wrong direction? Who is responsible ? [317]

And...say...how did they rebuild and helped to spread wealth and democracy in Europe?

Through private investment

That's why it would be better if those who want even more union split with those who have already enough.
Or else we enter a century full of griping, whining, sniping, feet dragging and finger pointing.

The point is reform. Clawing back power is difficult once it has been given away.
convex   
5 Jan 2011
News / Why is Poland developing so slowly or in the wrong direction? Who is responsible ? [317]

Which one?

The ones I mentioned for starters. Throw in all of Asia (barring Japan), South America, the Middle East...hell, just about every country except those in sub saharan Africa...and even most of those countries are doing better than they did 10 years ago.

Do you really think Europe would be better off without the EU?

I think the principals (and implementation) of free trade and free movement are great. I don't like how the scope of the EU has grown.
convex   
5 Jan 2011
News / Why is Poland developing so slowly or in the wrong direction? Who is responsible ? [317]

PS: Thank you again for the banking and credit-crisis!

You can thank Federal regulation for that. Tell me which state was responsible for that? The SEC isn't a local entity, neither is the Federal Reserve. States aren't trillions in the hole to foreign countries..

There will always be someone quick to call communism when a lot of what gets "given" are actually loans that need repaying. Unless a country defaults, the bank gets paid with interest. Sound like capitalism to me.

Poland was given grants, in addition to loans. The large part of the aid was in the form of grants. That's wealth transfer.