News / GERMANS WANT TO GERMANIZE KOPERNIK (COPERNICUS)! OUTRAGE! [1016]

Nah, great persons as role models benefit a country's education, its culture and its overall health more than trillions of USD freebies from the IMF. 'The right to be inspired' is certainly not a matter of childish importance, it can make a deadly difference between a poor, emasculated nation and a vibrant, initiative and creative one (some cases even between a dishonorable and an honorable one). In an ideal world, great (in the most wholesome meaning) persons are stateless and they would inspire the whole lot instead of some pieces of communities here and there. But as we are living in reality, fierce competition for 'inspiration property'between nations is natural, and in the viewpoint from within a country, it is even much obligational (you are fighting not only for your pride and inspiration, but also for your children's and their children's...etc).

Therefore, Poles have right and obligation to fight for the 'ownership' of Pan Kopernik especially when the German vice-president of the mentioned space program Verheugen, is the one who threw the gauntlet first* (who certainly has a dim view of sharing!) At such a state, suffering being called petty is actually a prettier prospect than losing about thousands of young talented scientists in the future (of course, as long as Chopin is still Polish, those thousands can be fine pianists instead!) Anyway, time to yell "To arms, Poles!"

*Let's see what Verheugen said "Kopernikus was also a true European: he wrote in Latin and German and studied, lived and worked in several different countries in Europe." A rather sophisticated hypocrite, eh! In one sentence, he managed to both stress that Copernicus was German and this Germanshould be a model, a pride of Europe and Europeanization! Why on earth that he insists to use a German (and provincial) name for the one he deems "a true European" and for a project that is even more quintessential European despite the Latin version being overwhelmingly popular in Europe and in the world? A Polish EU MP probably had the best answer: "by using the German spelling, Verheugen falsifies history and betrays either a lack of awareness or bad intentions". Nuff said.

eubusiness.com/news-eu/1223570827.01

ec.europa.eu/kopernikus/overview.htm

History / Friedrich Nietzsche - Polish or German ? [73]

I think the best gift a great person (especially whose quality works are of high complexity) should give to the world is to conjure his personal origin as messy as possible. The more countries which seek to claim him with 'irrefutable' evidences the better it is for the sake of mass enlightenment. How many less Poles would ardently read some ridiculously mental Nietzschean books if there were a universally recognized 'fact' that he were just another sausage-mongering krautlander? The same, there would be a significant decrease of interest in Chopin from the French and the Francophone (that is a lot) if Chopin had lived his entire life in Warsaw and his father were just another pure-blooded Polak panek. Music, sadly, is not and never a universal language (such has not been created), and without his conquest of Paris and its powerful publicity (taste empire), Chopin's genius might even face the crisis that all the works of Mickiewicz have faced so far. That our dear little Fred did have a Frenchy father is truly a bless to the world indeed!

To most ‘reasonable’ non-specialized folk (99% of mankind), there is no reason to grit their teeth through a complex work of art, science or philosophy other than a strong sense of affiliation (similarities in character, gender, class and most usually, nationality). Thus sometime I feel we have not learned enough wisdom from great men and women of the past not only because of our own hereditary stupidity, but also because those grand boys and girls could not manage to be all-in-one enough (e.g. a perfectly uber Nietzsche is the one which Poles, Gerries, Somalians can all consider ‘one of us’, he reigns England six month and begs in Darfur for the rest, he is a loved public figure by day and a computer nerd by night, he is both a man and woman, enjoys plenty of sex but manages to be impotent at the same time...etc)

The world would be a much better place if the great take care to round themselves up (it's pity they even fail that in their autobiography, eh)!

Life / Polish people and racism. [943]


I think xenophobia is a little different from racism and to blame 'communism' for all things is too simplistic. In the cold war, the Soviet rule demanded Poland to be highly suspicious of everything Western (xenophobia) while encouraged Poland to foster cooperation and understanding with many Third World countries (who sympathized with USSR of course). In the Soviet sphere, there was only ideology that counted so racism was pretty much pushed into near oblivion. Russia in the 1970s was a model of both Western paranoia and race tolerance (noting a huge number of TW students there and very few incidents occurring compared to today). The same happened to Poland (the famous Jewish purge in 1968 had more political overtone than your normal racist stuff). Only precisely after the collapse of Eastern Europe's "communism" that the ghost of both xenophobia (towards poorer countries) and racism (towards darker skin fellows) have crept back into those countries (possibly because nationalism is the only 'inspiring' spiritual replacement, at least for now). I am not entirely sure about this level of this 'spirituality' in Poland, but it has already been shocking in Russia and still rising.

news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4969296.stm
In my opinion, if there was one good thing about Soviet 'real communism', it was the very lack of rabid racism that characterizes its successor states.


Prior to what's occupation? Those after 1772 or 1939? Obviously the old Polish Noble Republic was the the model of tolerance for Europe (for the time being) but if you also mean that applies for the Second Republic as well, then you are kinda off the mark. Taking into account all its tremendous difficulties (reborn after 123 years, huge ethnic diversities, two vile and powerful neighbors, internal quarrellings...), still with its treatment of Jews and Ukrainians, I am unconvinced that it could ever win a Human Right Award by its very contemporaries.

Love doesn't need to blind, does it?

News / Poland - Third World Country?? [300]


Stunning post, well at least you yourself have just proven that immunity to the football mania is not the surest path to wisdom!!! ;)

News / The New World Order and Poland's place [50]

I have been very busy recently, so here is my rather late reply:


I must be more than a thousand year old to see the Chinese 'tyranny' in Viet Nam, at least 54 year old to witness French Indochine in its lame glory and well, you are the first ever to tell me about American tyranny! Certainly with all respectful neutrality, to the South Vietnamese, the Yankees were quite a generous ally while to the Northerners, they had been properly kicked in the butt. End of the story. About our 'native commies', the question whether they are proper tyrants or not will bring up a very big topic, thus outside the theme of this one.


Thank you very much for your sagely advice, and I suppose that I would kindly reciprocate by suggesting you be less bleak. I have even bothered to write a rather long and sumptuous sermon about the inevitable triumph of universal idealism but then I decided not to post it. For I am afraid that, first I may appear insufferably smug (which is against my principles) and secondly, it may convert you, thus eliminating your principal usefulness in all forums that you participate: Your jaded ‘pragmatism’. A tolerably coherent pragmatist like you is well-recognized in 'our circle' as a good training ground for young and overly impatient idealists, tempering their zeal and sharping their ideology. We ‘experienced idealists’ are certain that ‘our cause’ will end in victory (in a very far future) so leaving a utilisable 'pragmatist' ‘intact’ is no big deal (as long as he is acceptably decent in his shiny cynicism).

Kind regards.

News / The New World Order and Poland's place [50]



Agreed with your point about the Germans, still your idea that every country (or even region), big and small, can live peacefully together without a common law and a common law enforcer is even more than pure utopia. How can you explain the ever rising expenses on weapons around the world? How come that arms industry is still among the most expanding and profitable? As at some stage of mankind development, humans grouped together to form a nation for a locally relative safety, there will be the stage when all nations will have to join up into one single body for the universal 'relative' safety (There is no perfect safety, the term 'relative' I use corresponds with the definition of 'risk' in each era, so just try to imagine the risks in the next 100 years). This is a fact bases entirely on speculative reason. Thus our (and our descendants') responsibility is to make sure when it happens, it will not be the same immaturely developed models that failed repeatedly in the past.


I dont know how many times I have stressed the importance of citizens being well-equipped with advanced technology education in the age of world government. Please try to imagine how technology will drastically reduce geographical distance in the next hundred years (the only problem would be human colonies in the universe, but I will not bring into the discussion for fear of enormously complicating it!) As I have said somewhere in this very topic:

News / The New World Order and Poland's place [50]


The rulers of this 'universe' will be Poles themselves and the rest of the world that they consider their own. 'The elite' will be simply the ones who are personally more concerned with administrative aspects and get universally elected for their administrative talent. They get their treatment no better than the rest. And


Hope your noble curiosity has been satisfied.

News / The New World Order and Poland's place [50]

Dear Mr joe, Tran Anh is my name and I am from Viet Nam. I spouted this nonsense about Poland because in a characteristic fit of weakness, I could not resist to write down some of my half-baked ideas about our very far future that corresponded with the topic. I suggest that, as you dislike it anyway, you should not be bothered at all since I am sure you will be dead long before that speculation becomes a reality (may even not). So now just be happy and live the rest of your good and free-care day to its full.

News / The New World Order and Poland's place [50]

In my statement, I wanted to stress on your word 'regionalism', not really the size of a country that bar the development of its economy and democracy. The only but great disadvantage of 'Small' (i will clarify it below) countries is when someone simply decide to swallow them and quickly accomplish the deed (the scenario is very likely if "each only sticks to its own business''), thus rendering all development a waste of time.


The question is in a hostile and suspicious atmosphere, how big is big enough? My examples of Luxi and Sing are somewhat extreme, but as big as the old USSR, the survival was not assured if there were many that hated and tried their best to destroy it. Now forgo the 2 extremes and return to something quite in a middle: Switzerland. I agree that Swiss internal system is one of the best in the world (keeping such a diverse country intact, even enlarging it, throughout the great turmoils of Europe in 8 centuries is quite an impressive feat!). It is indeed natural that some positive aspects of this model should be incorporated into EU (as a EU citizen, you can help to do it) or into the bigger world government.

However if you meant that a certain country can adopt the stance and model of Switzerland to be free, prosperous and safely forget the rest of the world, then you are kinda utopian now (in a worst sense). The Swiss were only spared in the 20th century thanks to its neighbour (we know who) was clever enough to realise its utter uselessness other than being a 'temporary' docile safe for stolen money (there is no doubt that had Hitler fulfilled his goal, he would have finished off "Helvetia" as old Bonaparte so smoothly did centuries before). And in later time did it lie diffirently from its current location (say, in Balcan or Middle East), the oh-so-famous model would either not exist or be quickly consumed.

The Swiss model of neutrality and prosperity is ironically inimitable as long as everyone still 'stick to their own business' but it can well be universal if everyone is ready to foster a more 'cooperative' atmosphere (at high level). But of course, when countries are at such cooperative level, they may not hesitate into forming up into one body (just a little step further). And then the Swiss model with its idiosyncratic neutralism will be disposed of. Quite a sweet irony!

Anyway, I want to conclude my discussion with you by summerizing all my points so far:

-There is no country in the world safe to develop itself and its citizens as long as there is negative dog-eat-dog atmosphere, which is so prevalent today.

-The establishment of a world government in its true sense is neccesary to cleanse that atmosphere, bringing prosperity and equality to all particating nations and accordingly to every citizen. Thanks to that, it will be the thing all governments dream to be: Sustainable.

-This establishment will take a very long time but it must be developed consistently and simultanously with advanced education of every person (on citizenship and high tech communication). I stress again that proficient knowledge of communication is vital to guarantee that every citizen can watch, react and participate in all actions of this massive government if they so choose. That will make the old ideas of Centralization or Regionalisation become of much less consequence. And principally, it will make any abuse of power and corruption easy to detect and be denounced. Again it is the business of a hundred years so any more details might be a little more early.

-The EU is the first step toward that necessary future. It has the fortune (can be the cause too) of founding in the region most advanced in economy and education. The benefits it has brought to many of its members clearly outweight any of its defects (which is mainly due to its inexperience). I believe whatever imperfections the Eu may have, until the foundation of a world government, I challenge anyone to find a state or an international entity that has made such a great effort and has succeeded in bringing prosperity, equality to more people or member states. Just don't mistake obligations with oppression and it will be okay.

-In that New World Order, Polish people has nothing to fear. Poland will lose its statehood in the end, but the gain for its people is immense: Universal prosperity and safety, multiplied heritage, the firm sense of equality and freedom. The idea that serves to unite people for good causes is good as long as it not blocks another idea that serves to unite more people for better causes. I believe sooner or later, the idea of Poland, after having accomplished its historic role of uniting the Poles to resist tyranny, will have to be replaced by a higher, more universal idea. (Of course, in case something bad happens in this rather rosy scenario, no one forbids Poles to turn back to their old Polish root anf strike another round of 'Za Wolność naszą i waszą'!)

-And finally, before even the thing is kicked into action, everyone must be vaccinated with a nice and hefty dose of anti-cynicism!

News / The New World Order and Poland's place [50]


If in your mindset, every Brussels politician is a thug while every Eu citizen is a wimp, then I suppose all our arguments concerning the EU will be useless. The task of convincing you thinking otherwise must belong to someone nearby, preferably a 'proud' and decent EUnite instead of a guy 10000 kms from it.


Alright, here I won't celebrate the 'utopian ideology', instead I just point out the 'benefits' of 'being responsible' (according to your idiosyncratic vocabulary):

-There is no guarantee that in small country, people 'could directly' control their leaders. In many cases, it is actually due to its "regionalism" that the leaders of those countries have little pressure from outside to bar them from 'milking' their citizens consummately.

-There is no guarantee that in small 'regionalist' country, the standard of living has potential to be higher. Luxembourg has the highest GDP per cap in the world only thanks to full cooperation with the rest of the Benelux and EU. Even with the case of little Singapore, it has managed to thrive only thanks to its complete specialization: Services (any Great Depression like the one in the 1930s is assured to bring it back into the Stone Age). Thus you must know that Singapore is now the most adamant in building ASEAN into an equivalent of EU.

-If everyone only thinks about his own country's interest (regionalistic!), then there is no reason why some bigger ones don't want to pray on the smaller. At first economic, then diplomatic and finally, according the the dictate of reason, why not territorial conquest? Ask yourself how long did Luxembourg stand against Nazi Germany? 1 day (10 May 1941)! Being small is only wonderful in a peaceful world, but this world will not know peace as long as there are still big and small countries which all cherish the doctrine of 'Regionalism' (your vocabulary).

To conclude, the aim for a kind of world government is for the sustainability of everyone. It is based entirely on reason without any chippy sentimentality. Though of course any lessening of cynicism would help.


Please, never allow in your mind the existence of this crushingly enervating idea!

News / The New World Order and Poland's place [50]


I personally think the word kinda 'stinking', so I just use it as a simple and short indication of top administratives of one's country (probably with top media owners as well).


The system of Eu is currently very far from a kind of comprehensive global government that we happened to mention earlier (which certainly demands advanced personal communication for effective mass participation).

Individual governments in EU still possess a massive amount of initiatives and any disagreement from the majority of the citizens of one country will either bring changes or at least lots of concessions from the EU. Just see how the normal Poles united with the gov in demanding voting power or the Dutch protesting at the quickening of enlargement process has greatly shaken up Brussels.

I think the foremost concern with all responsible EU citizens is how to make the speed of integration into one single proper EU state simultaneous with the advance of citizen education and personal communication technology. If the former is faster, we will have oligarchy, if the latter is faster, then we will have anarchy.

After that, the final ultimate step: World goverment will be within grasp (I suppose I can be optimistic for a change!)

News / The New World Order and Poland's place [50]

Not yet, as long as you and your 'elites' (highly mergeable!) still consider yourself Polish (or Briton) a hundred time more important than to be EUnite.

News / The New World Order and Poland's place [50]

I myself think the concern that our voice may not be heard in a world government will pose little problem in the next 100 years as a significant majority of mankind will have already received advanced education (especially on hi-tech communication). It is unnecessary to wrap up ourselves with our contemporary limited means and then fear the scenario of a rather far future.

News / The New World Order and Poland's place [50]


It is about to happen in the next 100 years, i believe and as long as the small 'elite' is democratically elected (or elected by better means), the system would be alright. The quicker we make everyone feel at home everywhere on this earth the better.


Your vision is kinda backward. There is little chance that any country can achieve single (or even double) hegemony without severe protest and confrontation in future, particularly Russia and the US, who have proved again and again they dont deserve it. And I dont think Polish people are content to be a subservient sidekick of anyone. Rather they will again help to destroy the 'so-called' "NEW" world order if it unfortunately reoccurs.

News / Poland - Third World Country?? [300]

Whether Poland is currently a TW country or not is of no big deal since it is highly probable that Poland will have the same GDP per capita as the rest of EU in the next 20 years.

Meanwhile, this Polish generation can always fall back to their cultural heritage for the steadying of confidence, the heritage which I believe unrivalled by that of many so-called First world countries.

Anyway, I just want to say this topic is total trolling.

Life / What Polish people think about the Italian and Spanish men? [39]

Possibly, those girls you mention are psychologically complicated (which are perfectly normal for young educated Poles now and in the past). And its combination with Polishness make things nearly impossible for non-Polish men to approach (to be a popular stereotype 'Latin lover' without being devastatingly handsome is even more a barrier than a bonus). Trust me, Poles used to adore all things Italians (you will see it all around literatures, architecture and music). But the feelings are increasingly lukewarm due to the fact that the Poles sense their feeling unreciprocated (Italians prefer Russians, and Red ones at that!), and the Polish identity of martyrdom, of tragic suffering (I am quite exxagerating here, sorry) which stand in strong constrast with the 'bon vivant' attitude of male citizens of luckier countries (especially Italy).

If you are one of the 'bon vivant' type as I suspect you to be (which to me are perfectly sound and righteous according to your own circumstances), your chance of an exhilarating relationship with a nice Polish female can only improve if you can 'transcend' both your stereotype and her stereotype. Be Rigidly and 'intransigently' truthful, be empathetic (you know even how strong and beautiful she is, she suffers greatly from bad-image identity), be appreciative of Polish arts and thoughts (which, trust me again, enrichs your life times and times over) and finally, be adamantly masculine! The ideal combination of those is the very key for her heart.

I apologize for my assumption.
Good luck.