News / Don't let Poland become like my country, France. [630]

Again, I agree. OK, let's stay on topic here. Your country is Greece, yes? We all know that Greece fell (was pushed) into economic difficulties. What advice would you give to relevant Polish personnel in order to stave/ward off any collapse?

News / Don't let Poland become like my country, France. [630]

I agree with that assessment. Applying the same logic of instability, do you feel that America is trying to do sth similar by provoking Russia into harsh rhetoric and threat of action against Poland? NATO is the grand general of warmongering and it's about time they found a new line of work.

News / Don't let Poland become like my country, France. [630]

As a Greek man watching the Balkans crisis unfold, southern, what was your take on the build-up to the Balkans War? What diplomatic failures and expression of sentiment would you like to see avoided by Poland?

News / Don't let Poland become like my country, France. [630]

PMoc, I know what you mean. Despicable governments like those in Germany, Britain and France (the REAL axis of evil, IMHO) will profit from raids into other lands and will also leave a major mess behind and then pull out as if they are doing them a great service by retreating. That's why I don't want a US presence here, even if it is only for 'security' purposes. I don't want Poland to descend into the farce that happened in the Balkans where nationalist tensions, rather than being diffused, were positively stoked up/inflamed.

UK, Ireland / Are you Poles proud of your country? Then why do you keep coming to Britain? [100]

Poles want to spread their pride, that's what it is ;) ;)

News / Don't let Poland become like my country, France. [630]

I echo the sentiments of wildrover. Not many of us can attend certain meeting points to discuss sth on a face-to-face basis with an international audience. PF is an invaluable asset in bringing people together so we can learn from their experiences what is happening or has happened in their countries. Let's face it, most of us pick up second-hand news and take it as given due to the lack of an enquiring mind. If the EU is to work then its citizens have to discuss a wide range of issues by using various media/fora.

The French poster was nice enough to alert posters to the state of play in his country. BB is merely doing the same.

News / Don't let Poland become like my country, France. [630]

People will resort to what they feel as necessary. I remember an interview with Arkan where he said that he didn't dislike Albanians as he grew up alongside many. However, politics changes many things and his hand was forced. If tolerance was pushed to the limits, Poles wouldn't think twice about bringing out GROM and their army.

Life / Positive things which make a Pole stand out positively in the World! [30]

Part of GB does ;) ;)

Identity here is quite strong.

News / Don't let Poland become like my country, France. [630]

Oh, I think Russia was pretty rough on Chechens but it was they that screwed up. There wasn't enough tolerance and too much nationalism/religious fervour in the Balkans.

Poland has a different dynamic but I can imagine many responding strongly here too.

Life / Positive things which make a Pole stand out positively in the World! [30]

Mike was having a laugh in post 15.

Positive things? Most have a sense of Polishness. That's one strong one for a start.

News / Don't let Poland become like my country, France. [630]

Slavs don't tend to respond well to foreign elements on their soil. Just look at the Balkans or Russia as evidence of that. Some wrong moves and Poland could face the same.

News / Don't let Poland become like my country, France. [630]

A restaurant? Wow, that'll go down well when Ramadan comes round ;) ;) A cultural centre would be good to raise awareness but I don't think many Poles want to learn about such matters. Any screeching calls to prayer would be drowned out by the mohair berety brigade.

News / Don't let Poland become like my country, France. [630]

Isn't there already a mosque in Warsaw? One is symbolic and is enough. Let's say Muslims are dispersed within Poland. What is to be done them? Erect a mosque for every community? If it was for Tatar communities, then fine. However, they have been here for a long time and not asked much of the Polish state which leads me to believe that a new wave has cropped up with advancement plans.

Language / What I learned so far about the Polish language. [30]

I used the wrong word, I think. I wanted to say that it didn't follow the logic of what Koala was describing as Antek was focussing on another use of it. They are both right.

News / Don't let Poland become like my country, France. [630]

BB, what is European society anyway? I mean, even when you perform bunching/precise classification you can see differences, e.g the Baltic states. If you loosely refer to the Baltic states' religious preferences then you are doing them an injustice as Lithuanians are far more religious than Latvians (not to mention the different religious faiths involved). It's better to speak of individual countries and their own dynamic rather than tarring Europe with the same brush.

Poland's Muslim population is 0.07%. Germany's total foreign population is only 6%, right? What percentage of them are Muslims? More than 0.07%, right?

Language / What I learned so far about the Polish language. [30]

That looks like an exception only, Antek. What Koala said was fine.

News / Don't let Poland become like my country, France. [630]

I agree with this, £ódź :)

News / Don't let Poland become like my country, France. [630]

I don't think £ódź knows too much about the Balkans experiment, BB. You have this big Saudi Arabian donated mosque in Sarajevo and all kinds of tension were stirred up. The Balkans is a prime example of how religion can create friction. Does Poland really want to go down that road?

News / Don't let Poland become like my country, France. [630]

No, £ódź. I was thinking more about the terrorist cells that are active in Hamburg and other cities. To my knowledge, Poland has no such issue and long may that continue.

Life / Uptight Poles [262]

So please establish the connection between the RCC and uptight Poles then ;) ;)

News / Don't let Poland become like my country, France. [630]

Social engineering for votes is tantamount to treason, yes. People are not merely statistics or pawns to be manipulated. Without people, where would governments be? Who'd pay their salaries?

Germany is in a bit of a mess and, although I pray that I'm wrong, I fear that terrorist attacks will take place on their soil in the not too distant future. Poland doesn't need that nonsense.

Smallyfry, I like what you have to say. Why not sign up? It's free :)

News / Don't let Poland become like my country, France. [630]

Fair enough, FP. France has had problems with their bidonvilles before but introducing unruly elements into the mix could only ever lead to strife. They like their cosmopolitan tag, fine, now they have it :)

News / Don't let Poland become like my country, France. [630]

And it is this passivity that could lead to our downfall in the future. It is all connected with awareness but you make a fair point about time. Too many have too much on their plates already. I really hope that Poland facilitates more cultural exchanges through available networks as grassroots progress begins with normal people. We should never assume that politicians don't want to make our lives harder and we should learn how things are in other countries through info swapping. Most Poles don't really want to know how things are in France but if they heard that similar problems were to befall Poland then I'd predict a rapid change of tune.

News / Don't let Poland become like my country, France. [630]

Citizens are in touch with regards to 'scoping' whereby they convene meetings before any Environmental Impact Assessment is done. However, I take your point when it comes to major decisions. This is why I will ask you, convex, how representative are their decisions?

News / Don't let Poland become like my country, France. [630]

Polish burglars? This was proven or just a convenient scapegoat due to the stereotype? They have far bigger problems with Muslims there as I also saw a documentary on their policing operations.

Convex, I wasn't advocating nationalism at all. I agree that the answer should lie somewhere in the middle. I think the problem is exacerbated by the reality of 'dubious ambassadors' abroad.

News / Don't let Poland become like my country, France. [630]

France and even the Nordic countries are beyond the warning signs stage. They have very real problems, as Germany do too as Merkel alluded to. Let Poland learn from others how things are there. Read, watch documentaries and always try and maintain perspective. Dariusz Telka wrote many things about Norway and I'm grateful to him for that. I followed up on that and watched a documentary (a quality production) whereby a Norwegian kid was made to feel unwelcome in his own country by Muslims. I rue the day when Poles are subjected to the same.

News / Don't let Poland become like my country, France. [630]

The key is to avoid paranoia, live and let live but read the warning signs properly. Tusk could easily sell Poland down the river to the highest Arabian bidder but, for now, Poland is in a secure position.

UK, Ireland / Are you Poles proud of your country? Then why do you keep coming to Britain? [100]

David, it was the same in Scotland for so many. You have to have some get-up-and-go, not mere lethargy that comes from humphing and grumphing. It isn't solely a Polish phenomenon.

UK, Ireland / Are you Poles proud of your country? Then why do you keep coming to Britain? [100]

I don't think that was the main reason and you know it.

Their wives and mothers-in-law, LOL. Yeah, the moaning is quite incredible.

News / Don't let Poland become like my country, France. [630]

You make a number of fair points there. Poland must stand up as a bastion of freedom and resistance to some of the realities you mentioned with regards to 'no-go' areas etc. I could go to quite a dangerous area here in Poland and still feel quite safe as I know how to talk to Poles and you can reason with most of them. The French government also stirred the hornets' nest by taking a firm line against the burka/niqab. Poland hasn't had to deal with it yet but I sincerely hope they'd be more sensible than that pathetic excuse for a human being, Sarkozy. He is a dirty little man who needs to disappear.

Everything is a question of balance. I'm no stranger to Africans as there are so many in my home city but Poland is primarily white and I hope that it isn't swamped by Islamists or any other group.