US Polonia 70% for Kaczyński

There you go again with your insults.

DE, why do you think US Pol votes for PiS? Instinct or...?

Hang on a second. I've been abused thoroughly in this thread, called all sorts of names (look back, including in the bin) - and yet *I'm* being threatened with being suspended for discussing the issue in a rational way without personally attacking anyone? Look back - do you see any red text in my posts? Do you even see any personal attacks towards Des? There's nothing there - yet I've been called a "clown", "spiteful", "hateful", "stupid", "idiot" and more.

You made it crystal clear that personal attacks would result in a suspension - and if you actually look at the previous posts, me and PWEI have made absolutely no personal attacks on any member here.

Not really fair to threaten us with suspension, is it? I mean - over the last two days, Des has gone insane with his attacks on posters. He's been throwing abuse left/right/centre towards British members on this forum, including referring to them as "prostitutes" and all sorts. Yet - he's still here.


Nah, they get told who to vote for by their newspapers.

History suggests that they would be feverent PiS voters - patriotic (but only when it's easy to be so), misguided and driven by a false sense of nationalism from the days that have long gone.

The fact that their newspapers often print utter garbage about PO and the President also helps - I've read so much rubbish in one newspaper that they would be sued out of existence within seconds in Poland. They even make Gazeta Polska look like a credible newspaper!

PennBoy - interesting that the highlanders there support PiS - I don't know if it's the same in Poland.

"a person naturalized as a U.S. citizen may not lose the citizenship of the country of birth.U.S. law does not mention dual nationality or require a person to choose one citizenship or another." It's therefore tolerated in America and vice versa in Poland. Back to the topic of discution here in Chicago where I am right now, PiS is very popular especially on the south side among the Polish highlanders. I don't know if they're the right party for Poland but I do think that neighter is PO. Something new is needed.

I never did either of these things. Your claim that I have is quite stupid. My arguments for not disenfranchising Polish citizens are here in this thread for all to see. Let the reader judge them.

The reason this thread continues on and on is because a few of the expatriate English teachers on this thread cannot bear to allow anyone to have another opinion than themselves and so they will keep posting, and posting, in a laughable attempt to assert the unquestionable authority that they think they deserve. Its quite pathetic really. They think they are the bearers of light in dark Poland and they can't stand it when someone says that they are wong.

we've got new and they got 10% of the vote

I've reported this post.


Still an amazing, stunning result. When you look at what Palikot did - he managed to take a very stable 4 party setup in the Sejm and break down all the doors.

Does anyone have the final voting figures for the US Polonia to hand? The total vote for Ruch Palikota would be interesting there.

Makes sense: PiS is popular there.

Did you vote? Why or why not?

the fact that folks are trying to get a rise out of someone is what is going to land them in trouble.

discuss in friendly terms, please.

edit: were trying... was

Seanus, the Polonians that voted in the election are overwhelmingly from Chicago and that is a part of Polonia I am not very familiar with, but I suspect it has nothing to do with being Gorale. The Gorale branch of my family has always been staunchly progressive.

Wong was either Jonathon Ross or plain Chinese ;)

So, instinctive voting or...?

PiS (at least in theory) is traditional, nationalistic, Catholic things the Highlanders adore. They are proud of their region, faith and country. Come to Chicago you'll see.

Interesting, because in Poland, no such thing exists. Without being offensive to your family - it shows how America has changed the political identity of people. No bad thing - they're thousands of miles away from their homeland!

For instance - in Cieszyn, we can see that Ruch Palikota only got 11% of the vote.

Why is nationalistic desirable in the EU, Penn? Or is it desirable?

I don't think the highlanders here care much for Catholicism. They value tradition and drinking more :)

So let PiS emigrate to Chicago and run for office there. In Poland, we chose something else.

Gorales that went throught the Great Depression here in America became lifelong Democrats after they saw how the other party was willing to let them starve and die.


Ruch Palikota got 10% of the vote in Poland altogether.


Yes Pennboy, I think that it is most especially the association of this party with the Roman Catholic Church that made Chicago Polonians vote for it.

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

Indeed thats the problem isn't it? Why do they have such radical views so out of step with the Polish population who will be affected by the vote.

Aside from the 'no Taxation without representation' argument (whereby Polish Tax payers are being dis-enfranchised by non tax payers), you have to ask why this selection of voters are so extreme in their views. Have they been affected by foreign influences? Something isn't right.

Maybe its demographics, the poorer, less educated who emigrated?


The election results have been welcomed around the western nations, the Poles themselves have voted for what they want and its certainly not PiS. They are damaging to the image and economy of Poland. Why vote for a party with such a non-productive leader? Poles need to become richer.

I can't think how PO would detrimentally affect them so there must be sth alluring to PiS. To me, money transfers are money transfers ;)

Peterweg, US Polonians didn't disenfranchise any Poles in Poland by voting, and since 30% of Poles voted Pis you can't really say that they were radically out of step with the Polish populace. You should also note that only 27,000 US Polonians voted in 2007 and it seems unlikely that the number who voted this time around is much higher. This thread is about the number of votes of a small town that had no significant effect on the outcome of the election.

So what is so good about PiS? Values are values but how would they manifest themselves in reality? Fine, be Catholic but what does that really mean in politics? The church windows are glossier? Nationalistic? That can't be good. Traditional? What, Poles cease/have ceased being traditional under PO? So much gutrot spoken!

The issue is that their views are in contrast to the general population and were voting for reasons at odds with Poles in Poland. The disenfranchisement is by the fact that someone who is going to be affected by the vote has their vote subtracted by someone who isn't.

In American terms , 'Not taxation without representation' was only a problem when they started to have to pay tax. So allowing a vote without responsibility for tax is equally unfair.

My personal opinion is Polish citizens should be allowed to vote, citizenship of a foreign nation is at odds with Polish citizenship, but its should only be a problem if its damaging to Poland in a significant way. As it is, a small pocket of extremists in another country is little different from the same small village in Poland B - irrelevant to the majority.


80% to 30% is radically out of step. Mind, could be because PO voters simply don't care.

Everyone can vote for the party they like, but... what would PiS do for Polish Americans ?... Voting by Polish Americans doesn't make any sense for me, if they don't live here, why they vote ? I don't want to disenfranchise anyone, but I don't see the target of this voting :)

No one will say it and every country wants the other to be liberal and open but they themselves would prefer to be nationalistic and look out strictly for the interests of it's own people. Well I know a few who've promised before a priest they'll never drink again and are so far keeping their word, so there is some kind of old fashioned belief in the church and respect for it.

That's patriotic, Penn. Nationalistic is a dislike of other nations. I'm sure the priest who heard the case drinks. Heck, some of the most moral people I know drink. I wonder why :)

PiS is basically a communist party isn't it? Its appeals to basically the same electorate, so why would it appeal to richer, better educated, Polonia?

Very close. Pro-nationalised industry, pro-welfare, anti free-market, paranoid, mendacious and devious, willing to make a 'non-agression pact' with Giertych's fascists and Lepper's whatever. That's why they were thrown out of office at the earliest opportunity, not even completing one term and kept out of office by the electorate since.

If as Pol3 claims 80% of 'polonia' who have votes supported them it does make you wonder how they can claim to be somehow Polish yet be so out of touch with Poland.

Yet JK spoke out against the commies. Odd indeed!

not near enough