USA, Canada / US Polonia 70% for Kaczyński [343]


I think that it is actually the other way round. The better educated and more intelligent members of Polonia moved back to Poland after the fall of communism. There were fortunes to be made and more than a few former members of Polonia made those fortunes. To give just one example, the majority of the oldest and most successful McDonalds franchises in Poland are now or once were owned by returned emigres: when McDonalds was first looking for franchisees for Poland it advertised in Chicago newspapers in Polish. What is left as Polonia tend to be the poorer and less educated Poles who left Poland.

USA, Canada / US Polonia 70% for Kaczyński [343]

Do you really think that the average member of Polonia could name Poland's biggest trading partner?!

Law / Polish Citizenship, do I have to travel to Warszawa (Warsaw) to get it? [13]


It's got very little to do with being a Polish citizen, unfortunately. I know of a kid here who has never left Poland and was born to parents who have never left Poland but is not eligible for Polish citizenship. But I also know of a kid who does have Polish citizenship despite never even having been to Poland and being born to parents who have never been to Poland and to grandparents who have never been to Poland. Poland clearly needs to get a grip on its laws regarding citizenship.

USA, Canada / US Polonia 70% for Kaczyński [343]


People who really love their homeland don't abandon it when the going gets tough there.

USA, Canada / US Polonia 70% for Kaczyński [343]


If they replaced the Catholic bit with nutty born-again Christianity, they'd go down a storm in th bible belt.

USA, Canada / US Polonia 70% for Kaczyński [343]


Makes sense: PiS is popular there.

Did you vote? Why or why not?

USA, Canada / US Polonia 70% for Kaczyński [343]


There you go again with your insults.

USA, Canada / US Polonia 70% for Kaczyński [343]


Do you really think that the rules here don't apply to you. Three times you have been warned or edited by mods in the last three and a half hours.


No, you need to get your Polish citizenship first.

USA, Canada / US Polonia 70% for Kaczyński [343]


To be fair, it is a two-way thing. Most of the Poles I know think of Polonia as little more than ignorant peasants who don't even know what a Polish grandmother is called. The only time they have anything other than contemptuous laughter for Polonia is when I remind them that those people can, at the moment, vote in elections.

USA, Canada / US Polonia 70% for Kaczyński [343]


No, but moving to the USA and refusing to do the slightest thing to help Poland most certainly is an action.


Probably about 50% of the number who have failed to ever do anything to help Poland (seeing as women never had to do compulsory military service in Poland).

USA, Canada / US Polonia 70% for Kaczyński [343]


I have repeatedly stated that those persons who are too selfish to meet their responsibilities as citizens should not enjoy full rights as citizens. People who by their actions do nothing for Poland should not be able to vote in Poland; be they Polonia, criminals or whatever.

Do you think you could perhaps manage to reply without insulting anybody? Thanks in advance.

USA, Canada / US Polonia 70% for Kaczyński [343]


Almost all Poles who know that Polonia vote have the same opinion.

But I suppose that one would have to visit Poland to know that, which is why so few of Polonia have realised it.

USA, Canada / US Polonia 70% for Kaczyński [343]


You trying for the world record for superb examples of commenting on the issue and not the people in a single thread?


How about you try to address the issue instead of insulting people?

USA, Canada / US Polonia 70% for Kaczyński [343]


No I think that citizens who fail to respect their responsibilities as citizens should not have full rights. That is why I have also spoken out against prisoners having the vote (and they overwhelmingly rejected PiS).

In other news, in late August I interviewed the director of a school in a small town called Wola Uhruska who was telling me how much they wanted a native speaker teacher. Charming place, I'm sure you'd like it. To find it on the map, just look at Chelm then move towards the border and Wola Uhruska is right on the border with Ukraine.

News / Poland Parliament elections in October 2011 [944]


Superb news! I didn't see that Robert had made it in too.

USA, Canada / US Polonia 70% for Kaczyński [343]


Another superb example of of commenting on the issue and not the people!


Almost all of Polonia could easily afford to pay the same taxes as the average Pole does: but they choose not to. However, tens of thousands of them think that they can still say how the Polish taxpayer's money is spent. That is hugely selfish.


If their career is that good, they can easily pay for somebody to do the work they won't do themselves. I'm more than happy to direct you to schools who will gladly accept the $600 a month you can pay for somebody to do the job here you refuse to do.


Which is why in a few years we won't be able to have a discussion about how Polonia voted.

USA, Canada / US Polonia 70% for Kaczyński [343]


Again, a superb example of of commenting on the issue and not the people!


As was pretty much noted yesterday, your post was edited by a moderator because it was too on-topic and terms such as "jackasses", "scumbag" and "ponces" are entirely on topic.


Perhaps you could point out the posts in which we lie? Instead of just throwing out a baseless accusation.
Let me give you an example: in this post you claim that "I have engaged in no personal abuse." and in this post I point out the abuse that you have posted in this thread.

Now, any chance you can explain why people who are so selfish that they refuse to pay even a grosze to the Polish Treasury, even though they could easily afford to pay what the average Polish taxpayer pays, should have any say in how the money which the Polish taxpayer pays is spent?


I'll throw in half of the price of that ticket (paid now into an escrow account and released to him when he completes the school year).

USA, Canada / US Polonia 70% for Kaczyński [343]


Superb example of commenting on the issue and not the people!


So you mean that you have never done a single thing to help Poland. Not really a surprise that.

You do know that the vast majority of Polish people do not want anybody who calls their grandmother busia to have any say in how Poland is run, don't you?

Life / Looking to immigrate to Europe. How is life in Poland? [116]

I found it fine in northern Poland (which was admittedly a long time ago) but the times I've had the misfortune to use it here, it was nothing short of a disaster. After the last time I upped our medical insurance to the max.

Law / How /where to recruit workers in Poland? [15]

What kind of people?

USA, Canada / US Polonia 70% for Kaczyński [343]


I wonder how much the average Pole does pay in taxes. Any idea?


Except doing anything to help Poland, of course.


No they don't. The vast majority of them have pledged allegiance to foreign powers and many have sworn to attack Poland when so ordered.


That is their choice and their problem.


They can certainly afford to pay. And people who live in Poland but use none of the government's social service or the education system or the health care system have to pay taxes here.

On another note, congratulations for making a post without insulting anybody and purely attempting to comment on the issues. Keep up the good work.

USA, Canada / US Polonia 70% for Kaczyński [343]


Polonia are not too poor to pay taxes in Poland. Polonia earn more than the average US wage: they are simply to selfish to contribute to Poland.


Kindly refrain from using that insult again.


And if you could possibly refrain from racist comments, that would also be good.

And for the third time of asking, please comment on the issue, not the persons. Kindly explain why Polonia, as persons who refuse to accept any of the responsibilities which go with being Polish, seem to feel, in their tens of thousands, that they have a right to enjoy the rights which go with being Polish.

USA, Canada / US Polonia 70% for Kaczyński [343]


Could you please be so kind as to use less inflammatory language. You have already referred in this thread to the British as “ a nation of shopkeepers”, so it is clear who you wish to insult with the phrase dirty little shopkeepers.

And for the second time of asking, please comment on the issue, not the persons. Kindly explain why Polonia, as persons who refuse to accept any of the responsibilities which go with being Polish, seem to feel, in their tens of thousands, that they have a right to enjoy the rights which go with being Polish.

USA, Canada / US Polonia 70% for Kaczyński [343]

I always vote Green in the local elections (in large part because I personally know and trust the guy). In the other elections I vote PO but only because they are the least worst option. Did I read somewhere that the EU is planning to ensure that only people who should have a voice in European elections will have one?

USA, Canada / US Polonia 70% for Kaczyński [343]


And yet again you completely ignore the question of why Polonia should have any influence on elections in a country which they have rejected.


Could you perhaps make the slightest effort to comment on the topic and not comment on the persons? For example: kindly explain why Polonia, as persons who refuse to accept any of the responsibilities which go with being Polish, seem to feel, in their tens of thousands, that they have a right to enjoy the rights which go with being Polish.

Life / Looking to immigrate to Europe. How is life in Poland? [116]

Interesting to see a member of Polonia actually visiting Poland! Makes a very refreshing change.

While I agree with you that Warsaw is a cracking city to live in (which is why I live here), are you really saying that the health service here is good?!

USA, Canada / US Polonia 70% for Kaczyński [343]


Not quite the same as coming back to the motherland and laying it on the line, is it?

A thousand American citizens coming to Poland and getting themselves arrested en mass would have had very significant news value. Even a hundred of them doing it would have certainly made the papers and forced the US govt to take action. But I'm unaware of any actual on the ground efforts being made.

The fact that I was able to spend years working with and around various voluntary organisations and never meet a single member of Polonia speaks volumes for how much they actually care about the country which they think they have a right to be involved in the governance of.

News / Will you be proud of tranny (transsexual) representing Poland ? [124]


The Adam's apple is a bit of a give-away.

USA, Canada / US Polonia 70% for Kaczyński [343]


And where do you choose to pay your taxes and live your life?

USA, Canada / US Polonia 70% for Kaczyński [343]


Support as in buying their grandmother a "World's greatest Busia" t-shirt or as in actually doing something useful?

I have been in Poland for more than a decade and a half and I cannot recall meeting a single member of Polonia who was out here doing voluntary work.