News / How would Poland change for the better (or worse) under a PiS government? [257]

Merged: Nightly raids by PiS

PiS has a tradition of nightly raids. Let's try to keep track of them here. The last one I remember was against the PSL Sejm representative Jan Bury.

Today at 01:30 Piotr Bączek*, Bartłomiej Misiewicz and gendarmes (MP) made a surprise visit to Centrum Eksperckiego Kontrwywiadu NATO. They acted on order of Antoni Macierewicz. They had a copied key. Bączek wanted to take over the rooms of the international personnel, but gendarmes protested saying it would be illegal. Police was called and the uninvited guests were sent home. The duty officer is kept under guard.

Bartosz Kownacki, a vice-minister of Defense from PiS, said it there's nothing unsual about it. They simply want to prepare the Center for "normal work". The wages are too high, and there's need to ensure people who work there are competent.

* of the dead squirrel fame

News / Reactions of Poles to Negative Publicity from the Foreign Press [56]

I've got to admit I like what (foreign minister) Witold Waszczykowski said in response to refugees. He pointed out that
1. Germany waited 7 years before letting Poles work in the country, yet they are accepting Syrians, people from another continent, right away.
2. Poland is in NATO for many years now, but no NATO forces station in Poland.
3. Between NATO and EU, Germany is much more concerned with pleasing Russia than pleasing its nearest partner.

I like what he said because it was frank and true. It's also rare to see a PiS politician using rational arguments. But it's still a red herring. Open borders can't work only one way - only to the benefit of Poland and at expense of other countries.


So let me get this straight - you're blaming Petru and .Nowoczesna for what isn't there ? Like in the joke:

A woman carefully examines his husband's suit after he gets back home. Upon not finding a single long hair, she says: "Great! Now you don't even leave the bald women alone!".

Petru and his associates have shady contacts because you say so ?

History / Good books and games about the PRL (Polish People's Republic) [6]

Merged: Kolejka - a fun and absurd boardgame about PRL (Polish People's Republic)

Kolejka (Queue) is a lightweight but fun game prepared by IPN (Instytut Pamięci Narodowej). The organization may sound dull and pompous, but it can't be denied they got the game Right.

While the game exists to illustrate dull and depressing times of the late PRL, it feels more like the brilliant absurd comedies by Stanisław Bareja, which satirized PRL. Yes, it's bleak, it's about poverty and a system falling apart. But the competition is so fierce and so absurd it's much more amusing than depressing. Like the protagonist of "Miś", players in "Kolejka" exploit the system to the fullest. It's quite tragic and still funny.

The goal of the game is to complete your randomly chosen shopping list. For instance, sending kids to vacation requres lots of clothes, some food and other misc items.

Mechanically, it's a variation of worker placement. Each day of the week, you place a couple of people (Your family members) in queues to various shops. The shops are pretty much empty. Then, AFTER placing your people, you learn which 2 of the several shops got goods this day. It could be clothes shop and food shop, for example.

Each player gets his 3 trickery cards. Players take turns playing one of them, or they may pass. For example one of cards is a friend in a PZPR comittee, so you can peek at the top 2 cards in the Delivery pile. Or you could play Criticism of the State, which causes a chosen person to be checked by Milicja. They leave him alone, but he goes back 2 places in his queue. Or you borrow a toddler because people with toddlers can buy without standing in queue. Or you get under-counter wares. Or you play a card that causes groceries to be mistakenly delivered to a tool shop...

Aside from pawns from players, each line also has a sinister black figure - a profiteer. They don't buy wares for themselves, but to sell them on the bazaar. Those goods then end up in the special bazaar shop, where barter exchange takes place.

Every 5 rounds there's Saturday, which is a major restocking event.

There's more information on Boardgamegeek, including photos, forums and other reviews.

What I particularly like about this game is how much the mechanics are tied to the theme. You can't just reskin the game into something else. It really IS about PRL, queues, shops, profiteers, and the absurd struggle for scraps.

If you plan to buy the game, you may want to get the International edition. It comes with a big set of stickers to stick on your cards (in several languages).

boardgamegeek.com/image/923070/kolejka

News / Reactions of Poles to Negative Publicity from the Foreign Press [56]

I attended a KOD meeting in Gdańsk. There were about 3000+ people. There was also a small group of PiS supporters. We identified them by grim, bitter, hateful faces. They soon marched away while booing and playing vuvuzelas.

I think foreign media can criticize Poland as much as they like, so long as it's facts. I don't understand why PiS labels some facts as anti-Polish.

Polonius, your criticism is fact free. Examples, argumentation please.

News / How would Poland change for the better (or worse) under a PiS government? [257]

PiS agenda is full of contradictions.

1. The claim to boost small businesses. Yet they're introducing bank tax.

Banks wants profits, so they push the tax on their clients, and big clients are mostly excluded. In Hungary, this tax has resulted in difficulties for small businesses and no change for big ones. That's because banks fall over themselves to accomodate BIG clients. Small clients don't have this leverage, they must accept bank demands.

2. Lowering of retirement age. Hostility towards migrants.

Lowering of retirement age will make old age pensions LOWER. Someone will have to work to earn for their pension. Migrants would be a natural solution. But PiS hates migrants. It makes no sense.

News / Adam Michnik awarded for integrity, professionalism and high standards. Poland's No. 1 fascist? [321]

Wow, moderators changed my original title of the thread to fit their opinion. That's putting their words in my mouth. - see #58

News / Is this the first clear and open signal that Poland makes preparations for war with Russia? [163]

In my opinion Poland has nothing to gain from an armed conflict with Russian Federation. And going for nukes is a fight Poland can't win, I'm afraid. It would have terrible international opinion repercussions.

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News / The myth about Poland and EU fundings [30]

You may cry at financial exploitation, but economic ties worked wonders to keep wars out of Europe. That must be worth something.

Germans received taste of their medicine recently - it turns out Amazon parcels meant for Germany are first sent to a logistical center in Poland.

Language / Polish Accusative Pronouns - Plural [30]

I'm Polish, I don't know the precise grammar terms for everything especially in english. In Polish, I think they're called "rodzaj męskoosobowy" and "rodzaj niemęskoosobowy". In Polish, plural distinguishes between male and non-male. "It" ("to", "ono") gender has no plural form.

"Oni" and "One" are generally associated with persons, yes. But there are exceptions.

These are valid sentences:

"Na stole leżą książki. One są ciekawe." (Książka - book - is of feminine gender)
"Pod stołem leżą koty. One są znudzone." (kot - cat - is of male gender, and because they're not considered persons "one" is used!

For persons, it would be:

"Dwie laski stoją pod oknem. One się kłócą." (Two chicks are standing below (the) window. They're arguing.)
"Dwaj mężczyźni czekają na zewnątrz. Oni palą papierosy. (Two men are standing outside. They're smoking cigarettes.)

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Your sentences are wrong! It should be:
"Kanapki, kocham je!" (for items and animals of any gender). But this sounds artificial, most people would exclaim "Kocham kanapki!".
"Muzułmanie, kocham ich!" - (Muslims, I love them!)
"Muzułmanki, kocham je!" - ((female) Muslims, I love them!)

Hmm, I don't envy you. It makes me wonder how I learned this. Brute force memorization and repetition, I guess.

News / The myth about Poland and EU fundings [30]


Maybe because they would be able to trade with a wealthier Poland ?


Meanwhile people who started massacres like Powstanie Listopadowe are heroes. In the November Uprising, about 200 officers pulled the rest of the society into armed conflict against their will. They lacked a skilled leader - their oldest was 34 year old lieutenant whose specialty was drilling soldiers. So they went around the capital trying to find a general friendly to their case. In the uprising, Poles killed more Polish generals (6+1 colonel) than Russians did.

A man that survives can wait for a better opportunity to strike. That's assuming you honestly believe EU is a German dictatorship.

News / Poland to end state funding for IVF treatment [102]

There is no one Church. Polish episcopate is distinct from the teachings of Christianity, and they very much dislike Pope Francis for his criticism of greed and luxury. Pope Francis also encourages peaceful coexistence with refugees and caring about natural environment, they don't like that either.

Then there's Rydzyk, whose teachings have been called a sect in the past. He twists words just enough to sound as if he's Catholic, but he's a power-hungry businessman. Initially the episcopate was quiet about him, then they reluctantly said they like him.

News / The myth about Poland and EU fundings [30]

Even if Germany dominates Poland, this time it seems to be happening without 1/5 of Polish population dying. I think that's an improvement ?
Lots of EU money was lost because of inefficient bureaucracy.
They should finally spend EU money on making Wisła navigable. Ukraine, Białoruś are practically begging Poland to do this, to make the Baltic-Black Sea route work and boost trade.

News / How would Poland change for the better (or worse) under a PiS government? [257]


While Kornel Morawiecki was in Solidarność Walcząca, he planned to blow up a police station (komenda milicji). His plans failed. So he decided to burn the SB (Służba Bezpieczeństwa, secret police) chief's holiday villa. They burnt down somebody else's villa by mistake.

Kornal Morawiecki says: "Good of nation is more important than law." This is close to Carl Schmitt, who orchestrated Hitler's coming to power.

Polonius, Crown & company: please provide more POSITIVE examples. Saying "not this, not that, PO this, PO that" is living in the past. It seems that what PiS declares and what it actually does is very different.

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News / "We will not hesitate to shoot Kaczyński dead" - KOD Facebook page [164]

If you think this is low...

fronda.pl/a/uwaga-we-francji-masowo-powstaja-komitety-obrony-demokracji,61895.html

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News / Poland to end state funding for IVF treatment [102]

State funding of religion in schools costs approximately 4x more than In Vitro.

Instead PiS will promote so-called "naprotechnology", which is a fancy word for analyzing a woman's sludge, diagnostics and observation of fertility cycle. There are no large scale studies of its effectiveness. The important thing is, Church approves.

Konstanty Radziwiłł, Minister of Health from PiS, doesn't like things like natural medicine (herbal), homeopathy and physiotherapy (exercise).

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