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Posts by convex  

Joined: 25 Nov 2009 / Male ♂ 		Last Post: 28 Nov 2011
Threads: Total: 20 / In This Archive: 13
Posts: Total: 3928 / In This Archive: 3150 		From: Wroclaw
Speaks Polish?: un poco...wait
Interests: aviation

Displayed posts: 3163 / page 97 of 106
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convex   
1 Feb 2010
USA, Canada / What do the Poles hate and love about the U.S.? [170]

I don't have any hatred or animosity towards Poland at all, but what I'm flat out sick and tired of is Polish citizens talking about a country they simply don't have. Yes, you have Poland, but it's just that.

Are you talking about an unemployment rate that is lower than that of the US? Or are you talking about country that has a growing household income? Maybe you are talking about a country who's citizens are increasing their standard of living by making and selling goods instead of borrowing money to support their lifestyles.

Welcome to the US, the only country in history that has managed to go from the worlds largest creditor nation to the worlds largest debtor nation in the span of 20 years. The road to economic hell is paved with IOUs...
convex   
1 Feb 2010
USA, Canada / CULTURE SHOCK! (of my Polish finance who visited the US) [210]

Yeah, but visitors to the US assume that they actually mean it.

Its a meaningless comment, they may as well say 'go **** yourself'

In most cases they do actually mean it. Like Patrycja said, it fosters communication with complete strangers and makes people just that much more happier. You'll also notice that people smile, as opposed to the pissed off look everyone here has. Just be weary of the guy in the subway with no pants and the big grin.
convex   
1 Feb 2010
USA, Canada / My wife wants to return to Poland...but I want to stay in the US [155]

Being away from "home" and living in a foreign country is hard enough.

Depends on the person I suppose.

Patrycja19:
But this is clearly a example of why international relationships are difficult.

Yes, you're probably right here.

They're not that difficult...been in dozens of 'em... :)
convex   
1 Feb 2010
USA, Canada / What do the Poles hate and love about the U.S.? [170]

So how can you compare that to Poland?

I think you were looking at rejection rate...if you managed to get your hands on visa overstay numbers, we'd all be really happy to see them (that is what everyone has wanted to see the entire time).
convex   
1 Feb 2010
News / The Economist: time to rethink old notions about Poland [67]

There are many countries with cheap labour in the enlarged E.U. all of whom have gone in to recession.

Poland is cheap, and right next door to the biggest economy in Europe. The zloty has been kept cheap over the last couple of years. And apparently, GDP has grown while PPS is fairly stagnant and unemployment is rising. In times of tight budgets, business investments in cheap labor continue. That's why China grew as well :) 10% of GDP available as EU funds might help too...

But it's all going in the right direction. I think that Poles are starting to take out too much debt to finance consumption, and the government isn't doing enough to encourage small business growth (while basically putting on the shin guards for big companies, looking at you Dell, gg). Keeping Poland competitive while raising wages will be the next big challenge.
convex   
31 Jan 2010
Life / Ghost Bikes in Poland [11]

Really a great idea....anything to get drivers to stop at crosswalks here...
convex   
31 Jan 2010
News / The Economist: time to rethink old notions about Poland [67]

Keep in mind that European farming investment went on for 40+ years, while Poland was under communist rule. How can you modernize a nations farming infrastructure without subsidies?

The same way that modernize the manufacturing base, FDI and investment in efficient enterprises. It doesn't make sense to subsidize a farmer who has 5ha and will never make enough money to support themselves. It's sad, but things change. We don't need 40% of the population in agriculture any more.
convex   
31 Jan 2010
News / The Economist: time to rethink old notions about Poland [67]

I am not sure I would want to be limited to what Big-Agribusiness wants to sell. Surely there must be a willingness to pay what is fair for food?

Exactly, farmers selling quality products aren't having problems selling their goods. There is a growing group of consumers willing to pay for quality (myself for instance). The meat that I buy costs about twice as much as the stuff in the stores, I don't mind because I care about what I eat. The farmer that I buy my beef and chicken from is doing well with his "bio" angle.

There is something to be said when a nation can feed itself. I would hate to think of the day when produce is imported from China to feed Poland. It makes no sense. Better to keep the zloty's in your own back yard. Not only that, easier to maintain high food standards

Absolutely, and the best way to make sure that you can continue feeding yourself is by removing inefficient farms out of the equation. I'm not saying get rid of farming, just modernize it. The biggest problem is that a single farmer can now feed 200 people instead of 10, therefore, the need for less farmers. Just like ship builders in Gdansk, and car makers in Detroit.

The government is already putting an incentive on the table for the kids of the farmers to go to school and learn something that is needed (some network engineers would be nice...).
convex   
31 Jan 2010
News / The Economist: time to rethink old notions about Poland [67]

Place a high priority on farm production/quality of output and you will make many consumers happy. They have a very important role in society and there is a combination of labour and technique in what they do.

But if you run an inefficient farm which is supported by subsidies paid for by the consumers, I'm not sure that's making them happy. Let the people who run successful farms buy out these farmers that can't seem to make it.

Says who? Maybe they are claiming other benefits of some description. You want to keep farmers in the game, there can be fallow periods and they should be guided through them.

With cheap greenhouses and efficient farming techniques, there are no major periods of fallow anymore. Grain keeps well, and just about all the vegetables can be grown indoors. Should there be a bad year, prices go up and exisiting grain stocks get more expensive. If the Dutch can do it, why can't Poles?
convex   
31 Jan 2010
News / The Economist: time to rethink old notions about Poland [67]

It's kinda hard when that's all you have known. Your home is tied with your work and there aren't many transferable skills in today's competitive world.

Why should others have to adapt, and farmers are excluded from that requirement? The workers in the village who were employed at the shoe factory that closed down because it was no longer viable, they aren't getting the handouts that failing farmers are getting.
convex   
31 Jan 2010
News / The Economist: time to rethink old notions about Poland [67]

There are many farming families that have struggled through the generations, many.

Might be time to close up shop, you can only pump massive amounts of resources into failing businesses for so long. Subsidies are destroying farmers.

When making comments, relativity should almost always play a part and "doing good" here is not doing good by Scottish standards.

"doing good"....for Poland. Same as a lawyer "doing good" by having a VW golf, and not a BMW, a doctor "doing good" by going on vacation to Spain, not owning a house there.
convex   
31 Jan 2010
News / The Economist: time to rethink old notions about Poland [67]

I am also for the farmers getting a better deal

The actual farmers that have productive farms are doing pretty good. The other big chunk of people that call themselves farmers because they own land and can't find work (and are therefore classified as farmers and aren't included in the unemployment statistics..)...no sympathy. They're country welfare leeches...
convex   
31 Jan 2010
News / The Economist: time to rethink old notions about Poland [67]

While I agree with you on growth in Poland (that's one of the reason I'm setting up shop here), there is a very worrying trend of consumer debt in Poland piling up. I'm kind of worried about further growth when interest rates go up. Poland is attractive because of low wages and a weak zloty. I think the last 5 years were easy, I'd keep my eye out on the zloty gaining value and interest rates going up, as those two factors could very easily stop Poland in its tracks for a long while. Lets hope the infrastructure is in place by that time for Poland to be viable on it's own merits.
convex   
31 Jan 2010
News / Poland: In Top First 15 Countries in the WORLD by the number of CRIMES [286]

so according to your source the most dangerous countries in the world are: USA , UK, Germany ,France and Japan?

no, look at per capita
nationmaster.com/graph/cri_tot_cri_percap-crime-total-crimes-per-capita

It's New Zealand, Finland, Denmark, Holland...
convex   
31 Jan 2010
Food / Polish Beer Recipes [39]

Sounds good to me! Where are you located? I'm in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Wroclaw :(
convex   
31 Jan 2010
USA, Canada / What do the Poles hate and love about the U.S.? [170]

so every country fighting in this war deserves some sort of present for being there.

Quite a few are getting presents for being there, whether they deserve it or not is another issue.
dir.salon.com/story/news/feature/2003/03/12/foreign_aid/index2.html

I agree with you on NATO membership, that was a gift.
convex   
30 Jan 2010
USA, Canada / What do the Poles hate and love about the U.S.? [170]

As it was explained to you before contrary to what you believe Military dose not issue visas or can set policy in that regard for the US

Do you really think that foreign policy isn't influenced by national security issues? I think that Poland could have better used the issue of missile defense to further the immigration agenda, but decided not to.
convex   
30 Jan 2010
USA, Canada / What do the Poles hate and love about the U.S.? [170]

Right, and the bargaining tool that Poland had in the international arena was missile defense and troops in Iraq. Poland did not use that chip in order to secure visa free travel for its citizens.
convex   
30 Jan 2010
USA, Canada / What do the Poles hate and love about the U.S.? [170]

My point is there is no short term Polish visa anymore, there is only a schengen visa, legislated by Brussels. Long term visas are still under control of the Polish government.
convex   
30 Jan 2010
News / The Economist: time to rethink old notions about Poland [67]

Can you imagine what Poland would be capable of economically if the infrastructure was in place to provide easy movement in the country? It's a shame that contracts here are managed by the autistic kids in the back room.
convex   
30 Jan 2010
USA, Canada / What do the Poles hate and love about the U.S.? [170]

That's TO Uganda, though. I was talking about admission.

Right, I was talking about admissions as well. Should have read "to Ugandans".

True but what Poland can do is to reciprocate in the same fashion to the way US is doing business and Brussels can’t object either.

Using the same example, if Uganda granted visa free travel to Poles, Poland couldn't reciprocate without breaking the Schengen Agreement. That bit of sovereignty was traded out the same way that monetary policy will be outsourced to Brussels once Poland adopts the Euro.
convex   
30 Jan 2010
USA, Canada / What do the Poles hate and love about the U.S.? [170]

Surely the Polish government retains the ultimate right to decide in the case of the admission of Africans, for example.

The Polish government can't unilaterally grant visa free travel to Uganda for instance. They are bound by European Council decisions.
convex   
30 Jan 2010
Life / Can foreigners really understand Poles? [136]

What kind of internet technology? On the service side, there is a huge lack of competent network engineers in Poland. On the R&D side, is anything coming out of the universities?