News / Poland's economic future? [294]

I really appreciate your response, I agree with just about everything you said save for a few details. Thank you for responding to each point with a clear and rational argument, even though we may disagree on some of the minor details, I think we're on common ground at this point. I like that you're looking to the root cause of many of these problems.

News / Poland's economic future? [294]

@Dougpol1

Quite simple, and in the case of Australia they have housed people who arrive by boat on Papua New Guinea. They are safe from the war they fled there, but as per the Australian law because they did not follow the proper channels of asylum they are being offered resettlement in third countries, and this seems perfectly reasonable and within the bounds of humanitarian law as they will not be forced to return to a country at war. I thought I read that resettlement in Zimbabwe was offered as well, but I can't find the article so it may have been unrelated, however if that had been offered it seems equally reasonable.

To your earlier point. No, there would not be a significant difference between a group of Americans with an axe to grind. However, Americans do not have a systemic problem of axes to grind via indiscriminate attacks on people going about their daily lives, if they as a group or rather a pervasive American ideology led to significantly higher numbers of such assaults and murders, then yes I'd see it as a prudent criticism. The ideology in question DOES have a problem with systemic violence, oppression of women, and murder. This doesn't mean all members of that group are beholden to that, but it does mean there is a systemic problem which should be openly discussed, debated, and criticized; as all ideologies should. Recognizing this objective reality is not an indication of 'hate' or 'bigotry,' but rather a path toward rectifying such a problem within that group via dialogue and discourse.

@cms

Slavery was also legal at one time as well, but we've realized the error of our ways. I view hate speech laws with the same contempt that I view the laws which allowed one person to own another. It is a loosely defined set of criteria, and here in the United States speech which would be prohibited needs to meet a stringent 3 criteria test in order to be deemed illegal. A person does not have the right to be free from "emotional distress," as the way that I read many of the 'hate speech' "laws." I fail to see a victim, or how speech alone can cause physical harm to another human being. It may invoke bad feelings, but sadly many of the cases I've read were merely people being mean. I see it as an existential threat to political speech, and the criminalization thereof.

News / Poland's economic future? [294]

@Dougpol1

"Hate speech" is not a legitimate term in any legal lexicon. It is a fake, made up word, which can be used to stifle opposing opinions by conflating genuine racist hatred with opposition to such things as immigration. We refer to it as the path down the slippery slope, and it leads to censorship.

@Tacitus

My solution would be tighter border security, and implementing a policy similar to Australia's,"No one who arrives by boat will EVER be resettled within Europe." You don't have to be inside the United Kingdom for instance, in order to file your claim of asylum. Furthermore, these asylum seekers would be just as safe in Belize, Equitorial Guinea, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Malaysia, the Maldives, Indonesia, South Africa, or the Solomon Islands. The idea people fleeing actual wars should be resettled in the most advanced and wealthy societies on Earth is quite distasteful to me. But this is really a matter of opinion rather than policy.

Yes we could make that argument about beer, but we all have beer in the supermarket. As I pointed out previously, there exist other safe countries they can go to. Germany has a policy where any asylum seeker convicted of a crime punishable by more than 3 years must be deported. I disagree with this policy completely. I believe any asylum seeker who breaks any German law should be immediately deported. They should be held to a higher standard, and not break any laws in order to show their gratitude to their hosts. We know for a fact that female genital mutilation occurs in the United Kingdom, yet the first 'landmark' prosecution has only just begun in November 2017. Can you at least concede that hyper political correctness is causing real harm to people, and in this case children? Authorities allowed over 1,200 underage females to be sexually abused for 10 years because they didn't want to appear racist. There are consequences to these policies.

I have given a bit on this issue in our discussions Tacitus, so at least a few concessions from you would show me you're reasonable and not an ideologue.

News / Poland's economic future? [294]

@Dougpol1
Yea, if you're going to shoot off at the mouth about his "hatred," and then when presented with the evidence about why your statement is hyperbolic and patently untrue, choose to obfuscate and change the subject; then yes I am going to call you out on it for making a statement which you are either unwilling or incapable of backing up with evidence. If you further try to distance yourself from it, I am going to reiterate it once again until you present some evidence or issue an apology. So do we want to rehash the statistics about the violent crime in Europe and who's committing it, or do you want to continue to misconstrue factual information as 'mean' 'racist' and 'hateful' ?

@Atch
It would be about as insulting if TheOther who is living in America were to tell me I am less American because I'm currently living abroad. It's MY country and NOT his. In this case, Dougpol is a GUEST in Poland, while Dirk is a CITIZEN of Poland, those are very very important distinctions and the precision of language when discussing them is important. Your 'feelings' about its perceived fairness is absolutely irrelevant, and the only thing germane to such a discussion is the LEGAL distinction and what rights are conferred to each party based on the distinction of citizenship.

News / Poland's economic future? [294]

Decided to abdicate on the coherent argument bit and just stick to anecdotes and personal insults against Dirk to obscure your complete lack of competence to discuss complex subjects like this, ey? Ok, fair play to ya.

Law / Illegal in UK but moved to Poland with Polish wife help for residence card [65]

Your marriage sounds absolutely fraudulent, hopefully the Polish authorities are as smart as the ones in the U.K. have been thus far.

News / Poland's economic future? [294]

They're more likely to report foreigners, can you please cite the study you are referencing which backs up this claim?

No, you are making a false equivalency. After the free movement of people Poles did not engage in running people over with box trucks, blowing themselves up at concerts, or committing 1,000 sexual assaults on a single night in a single town. The scale and proportion are completely different, you are comparing apples and oranges my friend.

This is all very easy to talk about because its not YOUR family member whose life becomes irrevocably damaged and changed due to these people. I'll agree with you about Syrian refugees and not ask you to cite the source, because I believe it to be relatively accurate. The issue is, NONE of the people other than Syrians have a legitimate claim to asylum, ergo they should not be in Europe, ergo they should be deported and repatriated at the earliest possible date, but first possibly serving a prison sentence in total isolation and solitary confinement. That would please me.

News / Poland's economic future? [294]

@Dougpol1

Let me clarify once again. I'm American, not Polish.

Moving on, I've taken a look at you rebuttals and I find them to be completely lacking in substance or coherence. Specific examples and facts are pointed out on the issue of citizenship, and you choose to move the goal post or to respond with your emotions rather than something resembling a logical argument. Second, with regard to some of the issues Dirk has raised about the deleterious impact of migrants, you don't refute any of the assertions made with regard to that impact, and write something rather vague and also completely irrelevant such as "do you parents know the "hate" you spew." For instance, if rapes in Sweden have not risen 50% since 2006 according to BROT, then refute that with a statistic that proves the counterfactual. If the 10% rise in all areas of crime in Germany is not committed by 90% migrants, then please regale us with the opposing statistics which prove such a point. However, you will earn no points here with your emotional nonsense and hyperbolic labels. That tactic is fast becoming a joke, and your labels are fast becoming totally irrelevant.

When you think you can write something resembling a coherent and factually based argument, feel free to join the adults. Until then, you've been bested.

News / Poland's economic future? [294]

@Dougpol1

You're moving the goal post in this conversation, lets focus on one thing at a time. I'm American, so I've never lived in Poland, I vote by absentee ballot in American elections. With regard to where Dirk has or has not resided, it's immaterial to the question of citizenship and what legal rights that grants versus non-citizens residing in a country. I've met plenty of people middle east who hold a US passport, and have never lived in America, however they still have more legal voting rights than a non-citizen who has lived in America for 30 years. So do you have any factually based argument to dispute that, or is your argument just basically "thats not fair!" ?

News / Poland's economic future? [294]

No moral right? Your morals are for YOU, my morals are for ME. Whatever you think is moral is quite frankly irrelevant, as what is legal is an entirely different matter, the only one that matters in fact. I vote by absentee ballot over here, and I donate to political campaigns that I believe in at home, because its my country. As an expat you have absolutely no legal right to influence the political process in the country that you're a guest in. You may have lived there 10, or 20 years, but until you attain citizenship you are merely a guest, albeit a long term one. These are inescapable facts, much to your chagrin it appears.

News / Poland's economic future? [294]

@Dougpol1

I don't live in America right now, but I still have a voice in what happens in my country, while those in America working on H1B and permanent residents paying taxes have absolutely no say in influencing the policies of the government in my country. Borders are real, sovereignty matters, and citizenship is real. They are the only thing that make a country what it is. Citizens and non-citizens are a very clear distinction, harking back to the days of the Romans and the Greeks. It doesn't matter whether you don't "like" it or don't think its "fair." Feelings are not facts.

Law / Can a refugee in Germany come Poland to marry Polish lady [5]

@Ironside

Oh boy, I'm just gonna let you on this one, if its real. Honestly read it and thought someone was trolling.

History / WWII - who really was the first to help Poland? [900]

@Dougpol1

You got a little carried away. The United States defends Poland, the 87 tanks, 144 IFVs, and the 4,000 men and women there are American service members. The 400 Marines in Norway right now, are Americans, not Brits. You lot can barely defend yourselves, pipe down.

USA, Canada / Visa and US Army (I live in Poland) [10]

That's unfortunate, good luck to the OP, if the program opens up again and MOS 09L is available to you it's worth looking into, the DLI school in Monterey is great, and its a rewarding career.

USA, Canada / Visa and US Army (I live in Poland) [10]

You'll want to use one of the recruiting stations in Germany, they cover Europe and the Middle East recruiting. They will pay for your flight to and from the recruiting station, and put you up during MEPS.

gutefrage.net/frage/als-deutscher-zur-us-army-gehen

History / Thinking of changing Wikipedia's Holocaust article to include genocide of Poles. [78]

@ZalMer

You have lost all credibility by giving cover to Russian war criminals. They lost thousands of soldiers in pursuit of their own goals and their own ends, they didn't do it for the sake of anyone except for oppressing half of the European continent.

@dolnoslask

Brilliant idea mate. I think a statue of two Russian soldiers raping a Pole in the middle of town squares would be absolutely brilliant, historically accurate, and the most important to me, it would anger Russians in Russia who still wish their gas station masquerading as a country was a world power.

Real Estate / Expatriate mortgages + Property in Poland [24]

Perfect, thanks for that PI, just what I was looking for, you pointed me in the right direction.

Real Estate / Expatriate mortgages + Property in Poland [24]

Right so that mirrors what she's told me. The majority of people who live around her all own businesses in other parts of Poland, as theres not a plethora of jobs or industry in this part of the country, and all of the houses look like they're built to suit.

Real Estate / Expatriate mortgages + Property in Poland [24]

Lol, luckily her mom owns 2 homes and a good chunk of land, so that would be unlikely, but yes absent the possibility of being able to rent, we probably won't be ready to live there for 2-3 more years. That PLN thing may be an issue, as all of the foreign countries I've worked in, I've only ever been paid in USD or GBP, and never in local currency. I wonder if depositing the USD into an account in zloty every month would satisfy that requirement?

Real Estate / Expatriate mortgages + Property in Poland [24]

Lol yea, I will probably hold off and just buy it in cash in a couple of years. Her moms house is on a dirt road, really gives it some character! Although I must say the houses on this dirt road could rival most American homes, they're huge and nicely put together and landscaped.

Real Estate / Expatriate mortgages + Property in Poland [24]

Hey thanks for your reply. No, I'm not a Polish citizen, I'm marrying one. I receive my money in USD to my US bank account via direct deposit, although based in Horn of Africa/Middle East region. I tried Hamilton May, but as you rightly pointed out, they insisted that I be a resident of Poland and receive an income in PLN.

Real Estate / Expatriate mortgages + Property in Poland [24]

I understand where you're coming from, however, I like to keep as much cash mobile as I can. Things can change very very fast in the part of the world I'm in right now, and I need access to a lot of cash in case of different scenarios. If the rates are low enough, it just makes sense to me to use the banks money, or to leverage equity in another property instead of needlessly sinking so much into one project at once. Thats my rationale at least.

Real Estate / Expatriate mortgages + Property in Poland [24]

Thanks PI, I am fairly confident that I want to buy a new construction home as there are several close to that point in the area I'm interested in. The cost to purchase flats in the same area are astronomical when compared to the new home prices. The idea of buying 2-3 flats for rentals crossed my mind, but the expected rents are just too low to justify it, it would be a poor return over a longer time than I'm comfortable with. I actually got pitched an investment the other day, I'd like to pick your brain via PM about it.

News / Did George Soros want to destroy Poland with his economic shock therapy? [87]

How many 9/11 hijackers came from Djibouti? Your point is moot as I'm no longer in the Gulf.

Fact: Gulf states are allied with Israel in the fight against extremism and terrorism. This is not 2001.

Fact: Gulf states are US security partners, Israel are US security partners. Working with either supports the interests of both.

This has been funny Harry, but truthfully your stupidity has exhausted me. So, I'm going to exile myself, I feel dumber having to do this circle talk where you cherry pick nonsense and try to string together a coherent argument.

News / Did George Soros want to destroy Poland with his economic shock therapy? [87]

Who is a mercenary? You really had to create a new account to spout your tripe? You are rushing to the defense of Soros because you agree with his policy of open borders. You joined 23 hours ago and your first post is an intimate knowledge of the Polish ESL teaching scene. Really original mate.

The Gulf states have partnered with Israel as security partners in combating radicalism and terrorism in the middle east. You are reaching mate.

Yes, we should believe Soros at his word that he was "only a spectator," some real spurious logic and mental gymnastics going on there to justify his collaboration with Nazi forces. If what you say is true, he was a passive participant and used his position of wealth to disguise his identity and he was bedfellows with the enemy in oppressing his fellow Hungarians.

News / Did George Soros want to destroy Poland with his economic shock therapy? [87]

@Taxpaying voter

What? His ethnic and religious background is immaterial to his actions during the war. I have the highest regard for my Jewish brothers and coworkers (Yes, Jews work here, shocking isn't it, we call that the CNN effect). I believe what Soros says, as he accompanies his Godfather around Hungary confiscating property from Hungarian Jews, directly from the horses mouth. He admits in his interview that he has no guilt and no remorse. A direct quote, "If I weren't there, somebody else would be taking it away anyhow [Jewish property]." (60 Minutes).

I have no idea what you're talking about, propping up evil regimes. America is a security partner of several M.E. countries AND Israel. Get out of here with that nonsense mate, stop talking about things you haven't the faintest clue about.

News / Did George Soros want to destroy Poland with his economic shock therapy? [87]

George Soros is an admitted Nazi collaborator of the worst sort, who helped to confiscate property from his Jewish brethren in order to save his own skin. That he was 14 years old at the time was no excuse. Many others stood for their principles, with honor, and died. A far preferable fate than being a traitor to ones own people.

Law / Want to divorce wife - Need Help (married in Poland) [9]

Are you back in the UK? If you're married in Poland, wouldn't it just be easier to go back to the UK if you're not there, and kind of just forget about her? Or is there something to do with the EU which means a Polish marriage can be enforced in the UK? Genuinely curious how that works now.

News / EU confirms it will take action against Poland over court reforms [554]

@Atch

Umm...we can vote in America through an absentee ballot. We never lose this right, since many do still pay tax either on property in the states, or for those of us who live abroad as expats, we pay tax on our income once we exceed $104,000. I will pay 28% tax on $6,000 this year. Plus when we earn bonuses, they are taxed at a 25% rate regardless of our income. Absurd to suggest you would ever lose your right to vote in your home country if you haven't renounced your citizenship.