News / Changing Face in Poland: Skinnhead Puts on a Skullcap [90]


It's not exactly like that, I think. If the discussion is about "Those Evil Arabs" then Jews suddenly serve as a proof of how hateful and nasty Arabs are, when the discussion is about "Those Evil Jews" it's the other way around.

And please, don't say "They", I don't want to be associated with Sokrates and his opinion.

UK, Ireland / Polish opinion of England as a country and the English nation [64]

I was taught by an Englishman for a while and I've been to England (as a tourist). I must say that I'm always surprised at how mean they can be online compared to how sweet and friendly they appear in real life.

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

I can understand them. My family used to own lots of buildings in Kraków, I'd love to have them back as well. But it's simply impossible.

I hate when people are trying to make it some sort of Polish-Jewish issue - "Jews want money because they are anti-polish!" "Poles won't return money because they are antisemites!".

History / Why did Hitler kill so many Jews in Poland? [261]


I agree with this. There's no point denying that Jews were far from liked in pre-war Poland. Obviously, not liking Jews and wishing for their death are two different things but let's not whitewash the unpleasant atmosphere and sour feelings between us.

History / Why did Hitler kill so many Jews in Poland? [261]

mulsie
Racist attacks are sad but not at all unusual, especially at the time when a country is still in a mess and one more death might go unnoticed by the authorities. Jewish deaths are usually mentioned in books about... well - Jewish deaths, simply because that's what these books are about. Not because they were the only ones to die but, like MareGaea said, because these attacks happened so soon after a major tragedy so more attention is paid to them. I understand that bad incidents certainly influenced the decision to emigrate but let me repeat what I once said: FEELING unwelcomed and actually BEING in mortal danger are two different things. I might be afraid of being run over by a car but this doesn't mean that I'm in mortal danger every time I cross a street.

The problem with picking out specific deaths and incidents is that it creates a fake image of the situation. Loads of Poles were beaten up or even murdered in racist attacks in Great Britain in the recent years and tens of thousands have left Britain but it doesn't make the situation of the Polish minority desperate.

Please, remember that In REAL LIFE there are no extremes like 'bed of roses' or 'hell on earth'.

Travel / Why some travelers hate Poland? [45]


Frankly, sending a bodyguard with them isn't unreasonable:
israelnationalnews.com/News/Flash.aspx/146081

Travel / Why some travelers hate Poland? [45]

The girl in this article clearly isn't very smart. "The look in her eye told me" - she assumes too much. And her surprise at the fact that Poles who live close to the camps act normally intead of crying every single day of their life is just...


I feel quite the same way.

History / Why did Hitler kill so many Jews in Poland? [261]

MareGaea
I agree with you about Kielce Pogrom but just look at Mulsie's post. This guy is actually saying that nearly all of 300.000 Holocaust survivors in Poland were murdered! Defensiveness is a natural reaction to such ridiculous accusations.

History / Why did Hitler kill so many Jews in Poland? [261]


About a thousand of the 300.000 left, to be precise. And about 2% of the total victims of post-war violence in Poland. Undoubtly Jews were at a greater risk, since it was believed that no one would be searching for them, but don't make it sound as if it was a miracle for a Jew to survive in post-war Poland.

History / Israeli wants to wipe Poland off the map! [198]

Israeli wants to wipe Poland off the map!
Look on the bright side, at least Islam won't have a chance to 'talk' over Poland!

News / Is Poland the only high minded country of Cental and Eastern European countries? [41]


The OP doesn't speak Polish. Check his profile.

Love / What are the most popular ethnicities for Polish women [90]

A Polish woman prefers a foreigner to a Polish man because for the most part of her life she is surrounded only by Polish men. Women like to experience something new, different, exotic.

News / Should 16-year-olds in Poland vote? [58]


When I was 15 I could not. Teenagers generally don't care about politics, unless it's something which directly influences their life - so they would vote for the person who would promise them more school-free days, permission to smoke in school and easier math tests.

History / Adam Mickiewicz. What is his motherland: Poland or Lithuania? [93]


Why then 'Polskę przywrócono' and not 'Polskę i Litwę' or at least 'Rzeczpospolitą Obojga Narodów'? In my opinion it's because for Mickiewicz the word 'Polska' means Lithuania and the Crown together and 'Polacy' means both Lithuanians and 'Koronijasze'. Such as the word 'Britain' and 'British' mean not just the English but the Welsh too. Why else would characters in a story taking place in Lithuania call themselves 'Poles'? It's clear that 'Poland' and 'Poles' had broader meaning in the past.

Besides, like I said before, Mickiewicz's nationality doesn't matter, his love for Poland is clear and can't be denied. It's even better if we think of him as a Lithuanian because it proves that Lithuanians in the past loved Poland.

Genealogy / Why Polish aren't white?? [272]

Here's a map showing the distribution of African DNA in Europe. I don't know if it makes any difference in physical characteristics, though countries like Spain or Italy aren't exactly known for being predominantly blond.

History / Adam Mickiewicz. What is his motherland: Poland or Lithuania? [93]


This is Jankiel, Nathan, the person who "- Miał także sławę dobrego Polaka."

Guess what? I have even MORE quotes:

"Że będzie wojna. Książę wysłał mnie na zwiady
Z rozkazem, żeby byli Litwini gotowi
Dowieść przychodzącemu Napoleonowi,
Że chcą złączyć się znowu z siostrą swą, Koroną,
I żądają, ażeby Polskę przywrócono."

This quote clearly shows that Mickiewicz thinks of Poland as one country made up of two administrative districts: "Korona" and "Litwa". And here's what Poles from Korona were called: Zawsze zwykł za patrona brać Koronijasza

And now a proof that characters in Pan Tadeusz are Poles:

Sędzia's words:"Jestem Polak, dla kraju rad bym coś dokazać,"
About Hrabia:"Poczciwy, dobry Polak; potrzebny nam taki;"
About Soplicowie:""O polska krwi!" (...) "Prawe dziecię Sopliców!"
Others:"Zaczęli z dawnych gniewów ostygać powoli.
Bo szlachta polska, chociaż niezmiernie kłotliwa
I porywcza do bitew, przecież nie jest mściwa."

"Zdrowie Państwu naszemu!" - ze łzami krzyknęli;
Tadeusz krzyknął: "Zdrowie Spółobywateli,
Wolnych, równych, Polaków!""

What Ryków thinks about them:
"Gniewny, że sam nie może dać ognia, bo w tłumie
Moskalów od Polaków rozróżnić nie umie,"

"Oj! wy Lachy! Ojczyzna! ja to wszystko czuję,
Ja Ryków; car tak każe, a ja was żałuję;"

He! Ojczyzna! Ja nie szpieg, a po polsku umiem -
Ojczyzna! Ja to czuję wszystko, ja rozumiem!
Wy Polaki, ja Ruski, teraz się nie bijem,
Jest armistycjum, to my razem jemy, pijem."


It's more complicated than that, I'm afraid. After all, technically all Slavs used to be one people before. The reason why we aren't is because we've stopped identifying with each other. It's the same with us and Lithuanians: the Lithuanians of today are definitely NOT Poles and whatever Mickiewicz and others like him thought 200 years ago doesn't change the situation today.

History / Adam Mickiewicz. What is his motherland: Poland or Lithuania? [93]

Some more quotes from "Pan Tadeusz":

„Nie nam to pisać akta, ma Polska pisarzy
Koronnych i Litewskich, tak robili starzy”

„Ilekroć z Prus powracam, chcąc zmyć się z niemczyzny,
Wpadam do Soplicowa, jak w centrum polszczyzny:
Tam się człowiek napije, nadysze Ojczyzny!”

„Marsz tryumfalny: "Jeszcze Polska nie zginęła!"
"Marsz, Dąbrowski, do Polski!" - I wszyscy klasnęli,
I wszyscy "Marsz Dąbrowski" chorem okrzyknęli!
(…)
Aż gdy na Dąbrowskiego starzec oczy zwrócił,
Zakrył rękami, spod rąk łez potok się rzucił:
"Jenerale! - rzekł - ciebie długo Litwa nasza
Czekała... długo, jak my Żydzi Mesyjasza.
Ciebie prorokowali dawno między ludem
Śpiewaki, ciebie niebo obwieściło cudem.
Żyj i wojuj, o, ty nasz!..."
Mówiąc, ciągle szlochał.
Żyd poczciwy Ojczyznę jako Polak kochał!”

History / Adam Mickiewicz. What is his motherland: Poland or Lithuania? [93]


univ.gda.pl/~literat/ksiegi/003.htm

"A w Ojczyźnie naszej, w Polsce wiernej Tobie, nie wolno jest wołać do Ciebie; i starcy nasi, kobiety i dzieci modlą się do Ciebie w skrytości. myślą i łzami. BOŻE Jagiellonów! BOŻE Sobieskich, BOŻE Kościuszków! zlituj się nad Ojczyzną naszą i nad nami."

History / Adam Mickiewicz. What is his motherland: Poland or Lithuania? [93]

I don't give a fvck what his real or imagined nationality was. The fact remains - a man who titled his collection of poems "The Books of the Polish Nation and the Polish Pilgrimage", who called Poland a "Christ among nations" and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth "husband with wife, two souls in one body. And there was never before this such a union of nations. But hereafter there shall be. For that union and marriage of Lithuania and Poland is the symbol of the future union of all Christian peoples in the name of faith and freedom." (yes, freedom, not oppression) definitely had great love for Poland, no matter how you look at it. If Lithuanians want to believe that he was Lithuanian they are free to do so but they can't at the same time pretend that he and other people like him were unhappy about the Commonwealth.

So, he was either a Pole who didn't notice the terrible oppression of Lithuanians, or a Lithuanian who didn't feel oppressed in any way at all.

History / Have Poles blood on their hands? :) [496]

Why do you people keep digging up this old, pointless thread? Aren't there enough active threads of this kind?

Genealogy / If your ancestors were in the "Wehrmacht"... [217]


Except "back then" it was not considered an occupation at all. Force was never used against Lithuanians, there were never any specifically anty-Lithuanian laws or restrictions. If they had complaints they were free to leave, rebel, or veto any legislation they didn't like. The Lithuanians today are simply bitter about the fact that a good portion of their nobility preferred the Polish lifestyle and culture to that of their own. My advice for them is to stop eating at McDonald's and to put on their national dress before complaining about the influence of foreign culture. If they want to claim Mickiewicz as a Lithuanian then they have to accept the fact that he loved Poland dearly.

News / Belarus - grateful ally of Poland...? [16]

jwojcie

Yes, that it certainly a problem. However, it could be resolved in a better, more diplomatic way of dealing than by openly ignoring and disobeying the authorities and getting Poland involved. The Belarussian government is simply trying to keep face, to show that they are the ones who have the last word in their own country, not Poland.

News / Belarus - grateful ally of Poland...? [16]

There are two organizations of Polish activists in Belarus. One is legal and the other is not yet it was openly working for years and was openly supported by the Polish government all this time. It's not surprising that its memebrs were arrested. The only thing that surprises me is that Belarussians let us spit in their faces for such a long time before finally reacting.

History / "Poland's Concentration Camp" ?? [570]

1jola
Ugh, terrifying. I didn't realize how bad it is. But there were about 30 kids on that trip and only about three interviews with them were shown so it could be that other kids didn't have a bad opinion on Poland and only those with really shocking views were shown - that's how documentaries are usually made. Still, the people who constantly tell them to watch out for an army of antisemites are idiots and deserve to be sacked.

History / Polish soldiers in '68 made Czech men to drink beer from his shoes... [34]

Actually, they did - in 1919, while Poland was busy fighting with the Soviet Union. It was just as much a d*ckish move as the Polish invasion of Czechoslovakia.

History / Have Poles blood on their hands? :) [496]

Marek11111
Thank you for contributing with your thoughtful insight.

History / Is Jozef Pilsudski the king of modern Poles? [138]

Don't be hatin' Borrka ;) I'm sure your opinion would be the same as BB's if the discussion was about Polish influence in Lithuanian/Ukrainian/whicheverelse cities.

History / Is Jozef Pilsudski the king of modern Poles? [138]

BB, what exactly are you trying to prove? In 16th century they were 'polonized' and not by force so technically they are included in our ancestry. Yes, the input of our German ancestors was quite invaluable xD

History / Is Jozef Pilsudski the king of modern Poles? [138]

Bratwurst Boy
Would you prefer 'Brzęczyszczykiewicz'? ;)


Better than Feliks Dzierżyński at least.

History / Is Jozef Pilsudski the king of modern Poles? [138]

bullfrog
Also Kopernik's mother was Prussian, Wit Stwosz was born under the name Veit Stoß and Matejko was Czech. Most of our kings and queens weren't ethnically Polish either. Still they were better Poles than most ethnic Poles.