Life / What is wrong with Poznan? [197]

If by "desperately searching", you mean "looking for something totally unconnected with Poznan", then yes.

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


Why would it be worth more than a mere raising of an eyebrow, given that far more serious things were going on in Czechoslovakia?

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


The whole world didn't - in fact, quite the opposite. Your knowledge of international relations during that time seems to be as good as your Polish language skills.

Now, leave the serious historical discussions for the adults.

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


It would hardly arouse the interest of Moscow. Internal party matter, and it didn't affect the top men - what was to be so interested about?

Off-Topic / Book: Gogol's Taras Bulba [37]


I would argue that the idea of "Polonophobia" actually hurts Poland more than it helps Poland.


What's even more interesting is that you keep on using right-wing buzzwords when describing things. Strange.

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


Up to the mid 50's, yes - but afterwards?

The Soviets had the Poles to do their dirty work for them after that. Why get involved and inflame the locals when the locals will do the hard work for you?


It wasn't, not in the strict meaning of the word. Occupation is when the authorities are totally under the control of another state - whereas the PRL wasn't. A great example is with the border disputes between the GDR and the PRL - if they were occupied, then these would have never existed.

News / Poland and the European Union Fund Allocations [59]


Because...because... because...

News / Poland and the European Union Fund Allocations [59]

Why? Can you outline what difference there is to the average person between a company being Polish owned and German owned in today's marketplace?

News / Poland and the European Union Fund Allocations [59]


Not true,

The owners of Tymbark are one such example - they're buying up foreign companies, not the other way round.

News / Poland and the European Union Fund Allocations [59]


Cheap. 1 billion between 350 million people is peanuts.

Law / If you lose your job in Poland is it easy to claim welfare? [36]


I understand. You moved to Poland, expecting to be treated as a queen, and now you've realised that there's nothing for you in Krakow (common problem).

Anyway, the rules in Poland are simple - you're entitled to benefits on the same basis as a Polish citizen provided you're legally resident here.

Law / 'Karta Pobytu' & long-term visa [27]


One notable thing - you can't get a Polish driving licence without one. Of course, if you have an EU licence, there's no point bothering with a Polish licence anyway.

Those things mentioned are easily got though.

Law / If you lose your job in Poland is it easy to claim welfare? [36]

Being work shy doesn't mean you're a freeloader in Poland. There's little to "freeload".

Anyway, aren't you the one struggling to find work?

News / Poland and the European Union Fund Allocations [59]


Ah, another fool who doesn't know his history.

Here's a question for 10 : who was described as "the sick man of Europe" upon her accession to the EEC? (as it was)


It might be hard to find accurate figures, because the UK has such a mess of a benefits system that there might be no reliable figures.

Interestingly enough - one common complaint about the UK is that it doesn't bend over backwards for pregnant women - doctors refuse to sign them off sick, they don't get all sorts of care on demand, they don't get all sorts of drugs prescribed etc etc.

Law / If you lose your job in Poland is it easy to claim welfare? [36]


Where did I say that they were freeloaders?


It's definitely true of those living in those horrible ex-PGR settlements - perhaps less so now, but there's still plenty of people who were 30-something when the system changed, living in such a place and having absolutely no opportunity to work.

News / Poland and the European Union Fund Allocations [59]

No, it's nothing. Let's say it's 50 euro a year - it's a tiny price to pay for stability in Europe.

News / Poland and the European Union Fund Allocations [59]

The UK does get a rebate though - generally speaking, the UK does fine with it. Germany and the Netherlands get absolutely stuffed though.


It is fair - Poland gets the most. You also have to remember that while coming up with half a billion zloty for a project is easy in Poland - coming up with 100m Euro in Estonia is going to be much, much more difficult for them.

Something else that you've forgotten - those figures won't include the massive social transfers, such as the amount of Poles in the UK claiming UK benefits.

Law / If you lose your job in Poland is it easy to claim welfare? [36]

Win win situation for everyone. Got a problem with work shy people? No problemo, send them off abroad.

I'd say the European Union must have solved much of the unemployment problem in Eastern Poland overnight.

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


From 1945 until the mid 50's - yes, it pretty much was. After then - no. There were just too many people with a stake in the system staying the way it was for it to be an occupation. If you look at who was repressing who - it was Poles repressing Poles. Allowing them to claim "Soviet" occupation is just an easy way out.

News / Poland and the European Union Fund Allocations [59]


That wouldn't make any sense at all - if it was per capita, then those countries would be getting barely anything. Large sewer works (like what's taking place in Poznan, costing well over a billion zloty with a massive chunk of EU cash) are going to cost the same in Estonia or Poznan - yet there's more people living in Warsaw than in Estonia.

And the Czech Republic isn't doing much better than Poland - if you see the state of places like Nachod, you'd soon change your mind.

Anyway, complaining about not getting more free money - whatever next?!

Gummi - one big issue with Poland was with the railways. Quite a lot of cash went unspent - entirely due to the paralysis that seems to surround the railways in this country.

(and yes - the continuation of the disaster that is Przewozy Regionalne is one good reason to be annoyed with the government)

Law / If you lose your job in Poland is it easy to claim welfare? [36]


It encourages them to take jobs, rather than living nicely on a life of benefits.

News / Poland and the European Union Fund Allocations [59]


But that really is peanuts - all of those countries have nowhere near the population of Poland. Per capita, the amount isn't that impressive - but the total number is impressive.

News / Icy blast cleans the streets of the homeless in Poland.. [63]


Push for the tents to be erected in good locations. That's what the average person should and can do - I already wrote a letter to the guy who I voted for on the Rada Miasta to do such a thing.

The problem is that most good locations for such tents have NIMBY's living nearby who cannot possibly imagine that there might be some poor, alcohol-ruined people having their lives saved in such tents.

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


Not just in Poland - I'm a fan of the view that it didn't end until 1990 with the 2+4 Treaty.


Common usage among hard left-wingers who oppose Jews on ideological grounds, I think. I've heard the same nonsense from a couple of lunatic Anti-Nazi League supporters in the UK.

News / Icy blast cleans the streets of the homeless in Poland.. [63]


The tents I mentioned above are a great idea - they have somewhere warm to go, where they can be as wrecked as they want - sure, the conditions will suck inside, but they'll at least be warm. Of course - every ******* NIMBY will howl about the idea of a tent near them.

There's a fantastic place in Poznan close to the centre that could be used - but noooo. That requires thinking.

History / Was the Polish/ Lithuanian commonwealth a European power? [111]


Never a good idea really - it's interesting to see how many countries have met their match at the hands of Russia throughout the years .

Historically, the Polish-Lithuanian commonwealth is one of my favourite countries - it has such an interesting, complicated history that anyone serious about history can't fail to love it. And without a doubt - at one point - it was a major power. It must have been saddening to watch the country decline throughout the 18th century.

History / Was the Polish/ Lithuanian commonwealth a European power? [111]


Entirely in line with common knowledge - it was a power, and declined rather badly as time went on.

What makes me laugh is that the same people spouting about how great the Commonwealth was are the same people who stand for everything that the Commonwealth didn't.

History / Was the Polish/ Lithuanian commonwealth a European power? [111]


Why do you keep repeating this when no-one with any interest in Polish history would agree with you?

I know you've never been to Poland, but if you had - you'd find plenty of streets and osiedles named after kings during the era of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. If it was so 'republican' - they wouldn't be honoured. In fact - most Poles are pretty attached to their kings, given that they need to learn all about them in school. You'll never hear a real Pole say anything bad about those kings.

History / Was the Polish/ Lithuanian commonwealth a European power? [111]


You know, just the fact that Poland-Lithuania was a feudal state based on agriculture while the other countries were off making tons of cash. Nothing much at all.

History / Was the Polish/ Lithuanian commonwealth a European power? [111]


How dare you, you're using facts!

Poland-Lithuania might have been wonderfully liberal, but it was remarkably tinpot in many ways. It might have been powerful at one point, but after the Jagellonians left - the rot started. And the 18th century was a pretty crap time for the country.