PolishForums LIVE  /  Archives [3]    
   
Posts by Antek_Stalich  

Joined: 6 May 2011 / Male ♂
Last Post: 16 Jun 2011
Threads: Total: 5 / In This Archive: 4
Posts: Total: 997 / In This Archive: 862
From: Poland, Brwinów
Speaks Polish?: Native speaker
Interests: Making music, photography

Displayed posts: 866 / page 3 of 29
sort: Latest first   Oldest first   |
Antek_Stalich   
17 Jun 2011
History / Pieces of Real Polish History [60]

If Poland became a sort of dictatorship after Narutowicz's assasination that has absolutely no weight as an argument against unrestricted freedom of speech.

Perhaps the US assassinations and the murder of Narutowicz had anything to do with the freedom of possession of firearms? My Grandpa the gardener indeed owned a revolver pre-WWII.

After assassination of Narutowicz, Poland was able to defend democracy. I could mention, however, the mild totalitarian system introduced by colonels after Józef Piłsudski's death, the totalitarian regime leading to imprisonment of the opposition in Bereza Kartuska, involving torturing the political prisoners. Did I already say, DE, Poland suffered enough atrocities and calamities due to nationalism, racism, discrimination, totalitarianism to let it happen again?
Antek_Stalich   
17 Jun 2011
History / Pieces of Real Polish History [60]

Alex,

The building at Rondo de Gaulle'a (opposite the former Central Commitee of the Communist Party, now Stock Exchange), the building housing the EMPIK now, carries these words: CA£Y NARÓD BYDVJE SWOJĄ STOLICĘ. (Whole Nation Bvilds Its Capital City):

Of course, it was the nation that rebuilt its Capital City. It was also Commie road system planners who made all roads leading through inhabited areas that makes all of us suffer today. Ask however, a Silesian, what he thinks about the reconstruction of Warsaw: "Them Warsawers have robbed Silesia and Wrocław of building bricks, this is the WHOLE NATION".

No, if you had quoted my entire sentence it would be apparent that I have said that you, Antek, are interpreting the constitution of Poland in illiberal restrictive manner that has resulted in your claiming that people on this discussion forum are criminals according to it.

I have quoted Polish Penal Code and said PolishForums would not be allowed in the Poland's domain as the site based on criminal rules, according to the Polish Law. And indeed, many PFers commit crime according to the Polish Penal Code.
Antek_Stalich   
17 Jun 2011
History / Pieces of Real Polish History [60]

Antek_Stalich: My mistake. Does it make you more or less patronizing Poland
I have never been patronizing towards Poland.

I believe in freedom and I assumed that in Poland, the land of the shining Golden Freedom, the freedom of speech would be sacrosanct but apparently not everyone in Poland is so devoted to liberty

You said implicitly that the Constitution of Poland is anti-liberal.

I would like BB tell us how similar points look like in the Penal Code of the Bundesrepublik Deutschland.
Antek_Stalich   
17 Jun 2011
History / Pieces of Real Polish History [60]

Have you ever heard of the PGR, Alex? (State-Run Farm) = sovchoz? The PGR are the best example of the failure of the Soviet system. Poland has survived on the private farming, and PGRs was the wasted land with whatever that could be stolen - stolen, totally counter-productive. From the sustaining lack of food under the Communism, Poland went into overproduction now due to private farming. This is the point you cannot deny.

Regarding other economic matters, Poles were very enthusiastic to rebuild the postwar Poland and would have done it without the Soviet help. The communist system was so inefficient... Alex, if you haven't already done it, please watch films of Stanisław Bareja. They are not exaggerated very much. If you ever could get in the Bar Pokusa in the very centre of the commie Warsaw, you would certainly puke. Trust my word on that.

The Constitution of the USA was not ratified until 1789 with the final state, Rhode Island, approving it in May of 1790 and so Poland was really only a year behind the USA with her May 3rd Constitution.

My mistake. Does it make you more or less patronizing Poland?

Totalitarian rule was imposed upon Poland by foreign powers. You cannot actually believe that total freedom of speech in Poland would ever lead Poles to impose it upon themselves.

The first President of the Second Republic of Poland, Gabriel Narutowicz, was killed by a nationalist assasin.
Antek_Stalich   
17 Jun 2011
Language / Czech language sounds like baby talk to most Poles. Similarities? [222]

I could tell you a story on two on Czechoslovak, Czech and Slovak customs/border officers or on behaviour of some Czech people, too, Magdalena. I, however, do not associate such things with the majority of the nation, and I find Czech people polite, cultivated and pleasant. Going to Czech Republic has been always pleasure to me.
Antek_Stalich   
17 Jun 2011
History / Pieces of Real Polish History [60]

My point, DE, was Alex views have been shaped by his British background. Alex does not need to understand continental systems based on Constitutions and Penal Codes. Besides, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, The Netherlands, Spain and whatnot are monarchies too, and these do have Penal Codes, right?

Alex, can you insult the British Queen, when we are at the Articles 156 & 157 of the Polish Penal Code?

Poland made her first Constitution only 17 years after the United States had made their own. Moreover, Poland had parliamentary monarchy and election of monarchs when America was a colony. I do not think, DE, you should be patronizing Poland.

The United States never experienced a totalitarian rule, so your views are shaped completely differently from the Polish views, DE.
Antek_Stalich   
17 Jun 2011
Language / Czech language sounds like baby talk to most Poles. Similarities? [222]

Magdalena, I really wished you were here...

In the most active part of my life spent in the Czech Republic, I spoke with many people there. The view about making the modern Czech different from Polish was expressed by many. It could be a stereotype and another thing told me by the Czech was the Czech nation was folk in essence (as opposed to the Polish szlachta). I do not claim I know those matters as if I were a Czech person.

In 1991, on my first trip there, I knew nothing about the Czech history, the Czech matters. I was asking Czech people if they were affiliated with the German language. Czech people were scowling at me and answering: "Not really... we prefer English". Now BB comes and tells me something very opposite...
Antek_Stalich   
17 Jun 2011
History / Pieces of Real Polish History [60]

Alex,

The WWII and 44 years of the Soviet oppression in Poland were the result of spreading nationalism, racism, religious discrimination, and totalitarian ideology and it created so much of atrocity and calamities that Poland decided that it shall never happen again and this is reflected in the Law. Whatever you say, Alex, your residence in Poland requires law-abiding, do you like it or not. Dura lex sed lex.

Those two clauses of the Penal code are slippery at best, Ant - and in the best (?) tradition of Polish law need a lot of case law interpretation before one can really get a sense of what's allowed and what's not.

Why do we discuss that? The Law is Law and you rather do not find sites such as PolishForums in the Poland's domain.
Have you heard of the band Honor? They have been effectively prosecuted. It did not help them to talk on "artistic values" because they were spreading hatred.

2) Proletaryat pub in Poznan is covered with portraits of Bierut, the odd ZOMO uniform, and various other curios from the not-so-good old days. Should we be sending the boys in blue round?

This is the "artistic" purpose. The pub does not promote the totalitarian system, don't you think so?

And while we're on the subject of perceived insult: any constitution or penal code that criminalises, without further clarification, 'insulting the office of President' and thus allows individual presidents to press charges is a pretty cack-handed formulation, which does rather devalue clauses 156 and 157 you quoted above.

Am I wrong thinking you shall not insult the Queen in UK?

1) Am I liable for prosecution if I say - accurately, I believe - that the Communist system DID being about some concrete improvements in the general living standards of many Poles? For example, the postwar expansion of health care provision, the electrification of the countryside (1967)? Of course, this came at a cost - probably too high a cost in terms of personal freedom and national sovereignty but that shouldn't have to be said in the interests of balance.

Such matters can be discussed. Do you think Alex the postwar expansion of health care provision, the electrification of the countryside would not happen without the Communism? How was it possible in West Germany for instance. Have you heard about the UNRRA programme that helped rebuilding West Germany but the Polish Commies refused accepting the UNRRA driven by orders from Moscow? Was it Soviets who rebuilt Warsaw?

A thought: Does UK have a Constitution? Is there written Law in UK?
Antek_Stalich   
17 Jun 2011
Language / Czech language sounds like baby talk to most Poles. Similarities? [222]

This is only your opinion, Gumishu, however the Czech revivalists thought differently, and you can ask any educated Czech person to get their confirmation. This is also why Slovak resembles Polish in far greater extent.
Antek_Stalich   
17 Jun 2011
History / Pieces of Real Polish History [60]

I thought you were a law abiding person, Des Essientes? Don't you respect the Law of the Republic of Poland? Do you claim any affiliation to Poland? Are you an anti-Pole? Are you a political refugee to the US, fleeing Poland because of her oppressive system?
Antek_Stalich   
17 Jun 2011
History / Pieces of Real Polish History [60]

You can probably express your views where you live, Des Essientes, but now you know what are your acts according to the Polish Law. If you act against the Polish Law, you are a criminal in Poland. Simple like that.
Antek_Stalich   
17 Jun 2011
News / Polish flag was changed by taking the coat of arms? [48]

Polish Penal Code:

Article 137:
Para 1: Who publicly insults, destroys, or removes coat-of-arms, standard, gonfalon, ensign or flag or another State symbol, is subject to fine, restriction of liberty, or imprisonment up to one year.

If PolishForums were Polish...
Antek_Stalich   
17 Jun 2011
History / Pieces of Real Polish History [60]

Related to the post of David_18, which was untidy and therefore hard to quote:
Yes, Poland and Russia had hard history but Poland and Germany had hard history too, and Poland and Sweden also had "some" problems. I avoid talking in terms of nations because it is far too easy to make generalizations, and it is a step to get into spreading ethnic hatred. When I say "Russians and Poles can get along well", I mean the Russian and the Polish individuals can get along well. A Russian individual in Poland can feel safely and will be respected because we Poles respect foreigners. "Gość w dom, Bóg w dom" (A guest in my home is God in my home). Compare it to "My home is my castle", which is definitely not a Polish saying,

Antek_Stalich: You are not allowed publicly talk on Communism in Poland.
are you sure ?
i know there was a move to ban symbols

I have checked the Polish Penal Code for you and it is more interesting than I thought. Sorry for poor translation to English, I'm not a lawyer:

Article 256
Para 1: Who publicly promotes the fascist or another totalitarian system, or spreads hatred based on nationality, ethnic, racial, creed differences or due to (someone else's) atheism, is subject to fine, restriction of liberty, or imprisonment up to 2 years.

Para 2: The same penalty is applied to who, in order to disseminate, produces, records or imports, purchases, stores, owns, transports, or sends printed material, recording or another object, comprising the content as described under Para 1, or that is a carrier of fascist, communist or another totalitarian symbolic representation.

Para 3: A perpetrator of the act as forbidden by the Para 2 does not commit the crime, if the act was done in the framework of artistic, educational, collector or scientific activity.

Para 4 discusses loss of the objects as described under Para 2 as the result of the court sentence.

Article 257
Who publicly insults a group of population or an individual due to their national, ethnic, racial, religious or atheism affiliation, or, for above reasons violates the bodily inviolability of another person, is subject to imprisonment up to 3 years.

(Administrative regulations define the totalitarian systems, including communism).

Now, will you agree with me, Wroclaw, that:
1. PolishForums rules violate the Penal Code of the Republic of Poland and such site could not operate in the Poland's domain?
2. The big number of PF members spread views recognized as criminal in Poland?
3. Many of PF members, the residents of Poland (foreigners and natives), violate the Law of the Republic of Poland and find the haven to spread their criminal views here, on Polish Forums?

4. I, as a law abiding ciitizen of Poland, have good reasons to be shocked by opinions that I can read on PF?

Yes, I know PolishForums are not Polish but American, however, I have reasons to be disgusted.
Antek_Stalich   
17 Jun 2011
History / Pieces of Real Polish History [60]

Can you tell me, Svet, why you did copy and paste that hypocritical decree of Lenin just after my post in which I had tried to explain my mother-side family miraculously avoided extermination by Soviets (with two uncles actually killed by Soviets and an aunt made insane by the Soviets), and my Dad also miraculously avoided execution by Soviet soldiers who "liberated West Ukraine"?
Antek_Stalich   
17 Jun 2011
Language / Czech language sounds like baby talk to most Poles. Similarities? [222]

Beer always works in Czech Republic ;-)
Once I met a guy in Prague, a Beskyd highlander from Trinec. The guy was Polish by ancestry, Czech by birth, and góral by heart, so he spoke two languages and one dialect perfectly. He told me that his ambition at school had been:

1. To speak and write perfect Czech to prove he was a worthy Czech citizen
2. The same for Polish not to make his parents ashamed
3. The same for the dialect so he could drink his beer at the inn peacefully ;-)

While we have been sitting at Radegast inn in Prague for six hours, he taught me a lot about the Czech language and we had so many beers together... I met him couple of years later in Trinec, and then he told me I would never be able to pronounce "kriz" properly ;-)
Antek_Stalich   
17 Jun 2011
History / Pieces of Real Polish History [60]

Antek_Stalich: starts a ramble on Lenin

Did i ? I hate Communism as well, but it's our history and we have to be able to see the good not only negative.....

What good?!
You start with the decree of Lenin and omit the Soviet Russian invasion on Poland in 1920.
You omit the Katyn and Ostaszkow Massacre.
You omit stealing half of Poland's pre-war territories by Soviet Union and "giving" us big part of German territories that were not ours.

You omit the tough oppression of Poles post-WWII during the Stalin era.
You talk about the economic input of Soviet Union and forget that the Soviet Union "input" into Poland led to such economic collapse here that Polish Commies had to yield power.

You omit the Soviet occupation of Poland for 44 years.

What "good" did the Soviets do to Poland? Don't you think that Poles would manage better off themselves, especially taking into account it was not Soviets who rebuilt Warsaw after WWII but Poles? The only "input" of Soviets into Warsaw was that monstrous Palace of Culture and Science after Joseph Stalin and that ugly MDM quarter. The Soviets were even incapable to build Metro in Warsaw.

Svet, take my advice: Should you ever come to Poland, behave as a normal, contemporary Russian person, and you will feel good in Poland. Shall you, however, tell Polish people what you are telling me now, prepare stretchers.
Antek_Stalich   
16 Jun 2011
Language / Czech language sounds like baby talk to most Poles. Similarities? [222]

You're a linguist, Lyzko, so it's easier for you to get understanding of different languages. I fell in the trap of "the Czech language made different from Polish" instantly. Anyway, I like learning languages, so I bought me a "parka v rohliku" (a hot-dog) and approached a Czech couple in Prague, asking them in my first Czech words ever used for the route to Vaclavske Namesti. They smiled at me... I was theirs ;-) The very next thing I did was buying a copy of Svejk in Czech ;-)
Antek_Stalich   
16 Jun 2011
History / Pieces of Real Polish History [60]

Our countries will never get together on that point...or some one don't want that we are friends?

Our people, I mean Russians and Poles can get along well until some Svet comes and starts a ramble on Lenin...

Did you know that August 15th was a national holiday in Poland, dedicated to the Polish victory over Bolsheviks in 1920, in defense of our capital city Warszawa?
Antek_Stalich   
16 Jun 2011
Language / Czech language sounds like baby talk to most Poles. Similarities? [222]

Lyzko, I can understand English quite well as long as it is not written at the University level or with totally casual lingo, thanks anyway. Besides, I'm too old to improve my English any further ;)

What do you think about the history and the present of the Czech language?
Antek_Stalich   
16 Jun 2011
History / Pieces of Real Polish History [60]

Please read the Polish Law.
The Communism is banned exactly the same way as the Nazism is. Symbols, literature, pictorial material, spreading views. Research is allowed but it is not a public forum where you do the research; libraries and archives serve such purposes. The Law was updated together with establishing the Instytut Pamięci Narodowej.

To make my previous statement clear (my previous post): You can speak about the Communism but you must not promote it. In the light of the above, the posts of Svet praising Communism are banned in Poland.

The Monument of The Exiled to Siberia, Warsaw, Poland.

I can only tell you personally: Do not promote Communism and I'm am happy.
Antek_Stalich   
16 Jun 2011
History / Pieces of Real Polish History [60]



This is what Polish youth thought about the "goodness' of Soviet Union over 30 years ago (audio). I could not find good imagery for that video because... Communism is banned in Poland. Do you understand me now, Pro_Svet?

You are not allowed publicly talk on Communism in Poland. You can do research. For your own knowledge, I would recommend reading Solzenitsyn books, in Russian.
Antek_Stalich   
16 Jun 2011
History / Pieces of Real Polish History [60]

If this is a free forum and everyone have different point of view?....

This is -- unluckily -- an American forum.

I'm telling you clearly: The level of calamities caused by the Soviet system to Poland and Polish people resulted in declaring the Soviet ideology criminal by the Law of the Republic of Poland, equally with the Nazi system. The difference between Germany and Russia is that Germany had already had a long period of settling accounts with their history, while Russia has never done it.

Let me make it clear for you: In Poland, spreading your views is a criminal activity, for which you could even be imprisoned.
Antek_Stalich   
16 Jun 2011
History / Pieces of Real Polish History [60]

Please, Pro_Svet:
1. I have lived for 28 years in the country "made happy" by Soviet Union, the country occupied by the Red Army, the country where Polish WWII liberty fighters were being killed, tortured and imprisoned by Soviet Union. The country kept slave by the Soviet Union 1944-1989. The Soviet system is recognized by Polish Law as criminal one - kept equal with the Nazi system, and if this Forum were Polish, your posts would be removed and you would be permanently banned.

2. Part of my family was killed by Soviets.

3. Soviet Russia declared independence of Poland after WWI and very soon attacked Poland in hope of spreading global revolution.
Antek_Stalich   
16 Jun 2011
History / Pieces of Real Polish History [60]

Soon after publishing the paper as quoted by Pro_Svet, Red Russia attacked Poland. Period.
Antek_Stalich   
16 Jun 2011
History / Pieces of Real Polish History [60]

OCTOBER REVOLUTION TO RUSSIA AND INDEPENDENCE OF POLAND

Your point to quote this document is?