USA, Canada / Poles and Americans, what do you think, are we friends or enemies? [187]


LOL! I knew it was only a matter of time before one of you PolAm/ PolCan nut jobs - or as Kaprys called you "my-greatgrandparent-were-Polish posters" - show up.

USA, Canada / Poles and Americans, what do you think, are we friends or enemies? [187]


Yes, and they'll all get drunk on St. Patrick's day...

USA, Canada / Poles and Americans, what do you think, are we friends or enemies? [187]


Just like all the "Irish" on St. Patrick's Day ... Americans.

Law / The right to own guns: would you support such legislation in Poland? [2237]


Gun violence is usually measured by "deaths per 100,000 population", so it doesn't matter how many people a country has.

News / Austria's swing to the far right on Poland? [229]


It will be yours before you know it. Sticking the head in the sand and blaming the Germans is not really helpful, because it doesn't solve the problem. And voting in the far right is playing with the fire.


That's why Merkel still says "We can make it", right? You do not understand the reality on the ground in Germany, Lyzko. A large part of the population is still willing to help the new arrivals (whatever you want to call them), but a growing percentage is getting fed up with the situation. Thus the success of the AfD. Nobody is blaming Brussels. They are questioning how committed some countries really are to the EU, and rightfully so.

News / Austria's swing to the far right on Poland? [229]

@ johnny reb

We are on topic, my friend. You are just a little slow today, that's all.


LOL! You folks and your Orange Fuehrer are blaming the Dems for the terror attack in NYC even though a majority of the GOP plus president Bush signed off on the immigrants provision. Just admit it: lies, deflections, distractions, hate - that's all you've got. And the crazy ultra right wing politicians in Europe follow you like lemmings down the same path. If you don't understand that the birthplace of Adolf electing a right wing populist is a really bad development, then I can't help you. If you are fine that the far right is taking over all across Europe and the US, then you will be doomed to repeat history one way or the other. Good luck, you'll need it. Or do you have bone spurs?


What? Following the world's deplorables into the abyss? No, thank you.

News / Austria's swing to the far right on Poland? [229]


Why would anyone agree with political and religious fringe elements that are destined to go the way of the dodo? Right wingers, left wingers, Muslim or Christian fundamentalists - doesn't matter. What you see in the US and Europe right now is a temporary phenomenon. The rude awakening will come soon enough.


Just looked it up. 55 Dems, 45 Reps. The final vote was 89:8 in favor, so a majority of Republicans must have supported the legislation and the Republican president signed it.

News / Austria's swing to the far right on Poland? [229]

@Johnny

Try the truth for once:


"The legislation passed in a bipartisan vote of 231-192 in the House. The Senate version, which contained the "diversity immigrants" provision, passed in an overwhelming 89-8 vote and was signed into law by President George H.W. Bush at the end of 1990."

News / Austria's swing to the far right on Poland? [229]


(Blind) faith crosses party lines...


Fully agree.


Just wait until trump decides to push the button. His fingers are really itching, that's for sure.

News / Austria's swing to the far right on Poland? [229]

It all boils down to a major flaw in the economic system: it's based on unlimited growth. Which is also called cancer, and if you deplete your resources it will kill you. That's why we have to cull the herd with wars on a regular basis to reset the system. And how do you drive people into wars? With populism, nationalism and religious extremism.


Why am I not surprised?


Oh, they will see the light sooner or later. A few more hurricanes, a few more major floodings, a few more wildfires ... et voilà ...

News / Austria's swing to the far right on Poland? [229]


Most of these people live in red states and don't believe in evolution...

The point is that terrorists are certainly the most despicable scum on Earth, but that fact is taking away the spotlight from the real culprits in designer suits who hide behind the scenes and kill far more people with their actions than anybody else. 100,000 per year, 1 milllion in a decade ... and that is in the USA alone! Their names are NRA, big pharma and the drug lords, and I haven't even mentioned all the wars around the world yet that make the fat cats of the miliitary-industrial complex even fatter every year and cost millions upon millions of lives. The rise of the right is a result of their meddling in societies across the globe.

News / Austria's swing to the far right on Poland? [229]

In the US, we are losing approx. 100,000 people every year to drug overdoses and firearms, and no one seems to care.

drugabuse.gov/related-topics/trends-statistics/overdose-death-rates

News / Austria's swing to the far right on Poland? [229]


All good and understandable, but do not forget the lessons that Germany taught us in March 1933. It takes only a minority vote to end up in a dictatorship. Extremist parties both left and right of the political spectrum seem to be an easy fix at first glance, but you will always pay a price when you allow them to grab power. What would you propose should happen to the refugees and migrants that flooded Europe, and the large Muslim populations in the west in general? Round them up in concentration camps and deport them by force? Not as easy as ICE deporting illegal Hispanics, I can guarantee you that much.


Iron, you cannot deny the fact that far right parties are on the rise all across Europe. If you take a close look at their party programs/ manifestos you will soon realize that many of them are not that much different ideology-wise from the NSDAP before they grabbed power. It's obvious that this development is a direct result of the recent influx of migrants, but that doesn't mean that we should welcome it or take an unnecessary political risk simply because it seems to be the easiest "final solution" to a pressing social issue in Europe.


Why?


Got anything else to add to the discussion?

News / Austria's swing to the far right on Poland? [229]


That's exactly what the Nazis said before 1933. I don't understand why you guys can't see the danger in the current shift to the far right in Europe. You really want another guy with a funny mustache coming from Austria to get rid of the migrant problem? Fighting fire with fire? Hold on for a sec ... I get the popcorn ...

USA, Canada / What Airline do you take to Poland from Chicago? [98]

Shoot, you're right. I didn't notice the tiny fine print at the very bottom of the page saying "Not the official airport website". My bad.

History / MAP OF POLAND IN 1880'S [95]


Do you know when your ancestors came to the US? The LDS lists several Piotr Serafin who arrived at Ellis Island.

USA, Canada / What Airline do you take to Poland from Chicago? [98]


LOT doesn't have its own terminal at O'Hare; I thought that was clear already. My point was that some folks here got confused by the usage of the word "terminal". The official web site of O'Hare Airport calls Terminal 5, from where LOT and other airlines currently operate, the "LOT Terminal". But only under circumstances - i.e., when you search for LOT at O'Hare.

airport-ohare.com/airlines/lot-polish-airlines

(check the page title on your browser tab; it says LOT Terminal O'Hare)

USA, Canada / What Airline do you take to Poland from Chicago? [98]


I believe you guys simply mix up the terminology. Here's is the official page of Chicago O'Hare which explains what terminals, concourses and gates are.

airport-ohare.com/terminals.php


That's true, but also kind of misleading because it simply means that LOT flights (and others!) will depart from that terminal. It doesn't mean that only LOT flights depart from there or that the airline has leased the whole terminal for its operations.

Splitting hairs, I guess.

Life / Why are Poles always so miserable? Why do they never smile? [512]


Well, and then your engineer ends up working as a plumber (to use that stereotype) who undercuts local wages somewhere else. How is that better?

Life / Why are Poles always so miserable? Why do they never smile? [512]


Nobody forced them to leave their country and work for a pittance somewhere else.

I believe it's all about cultural differences. Poles, French, Germans, Dutch, Austrians and other Europeans would never call someone they've just met a "friend" (like in the US for example). If you have a 180 degree grin in your face when meeting them for the first time, they will automatically consider you to be somewhat "strange" or worse. The other way around: when Anglos meet Europeans, they often think they are arrogant or grumpy because they don't smile immediately and don't pretend to be overly excited to meet you. It's a simple misunderstanding.

Life / Why are Poles always so miserable? Why do they never smile? [512]


I prefer the European way of being a little reserved over the fake smile overload here in the US.

History / Poland and Britain started WW2 [307]


Guess you've never been to Bavaria then.. They are catholic to the bone.

News / Poles say a big YES to our European Union [957]


Not really, and especially not EU nationals. That was the point.

europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/work/work-abroad/work-permits/index_en.htm

News / Poles say a big YES to our European Union [957]



Yes, but as an EU member state Poland is bound to agreements such as the fundamental right of EU citizens of free movement within the EU.

ec.europa.eu/justice/citizen/document/files/com_2013_837_free-movement_en.pdf


Not yet.


Correct. That's why Trump's promise to bring back manufacturing jobs to the US is mostly hot air. Same goes for Germany for example, where large corporations and politicians have been whining about the lack of trained employees as long as I can remember. Total bull.

News / Poles say a big YES to our European Union [957]


I thought I made myself clear enough...
Poland cannot prevent anyone from the Middle East, Africa or Asia (no matter what religion or skin color) from settling in the country as long as they are citizens of an EU member state that signed the Schengen Treaty. Nationalists are kidding themselves if they think that Poland will be able to preserve its homogeneous society under these circumstances.

News / Poles say a big YES to our European Union [957]


Yes, I understood that. What I was trying to say is that neither language nor wage levels will keep EU citizens - Christian, Muslim or otherwise - out on the long run. No matter what one thinks about the current migrant problem or religion in general, in the end Poland will have to choose. It's either being part of the EU and accepting the influx of other cultures, or leave.

News / Poles say a big YES to our European Union [957]


The language isn't a problem. German and French are bloody difficult languages, too, but that didn't prevent people from moving there. Keeping wages low to prevent a certain group of EU citizens from moving to Poland would be a unique approach. I'm quite sure though that the Poles won't like that idea...

News / Poles say a big YES to our European Union [957]


There's only one way to keep other EU citizens out of Poland: Poland has to leave the EU. Doesn't look as if the Poles are interested in such an endeavor.

News / Poles say a big YES to our European Union [957]


Poland is part of the Schengen Area. If a Spanish-Moroccan, French-Algerian or German-Turk decides to settle in Poland, nobody can prevent that. Different cultures and religions are a legal non-issue in Europe as long as these people have citizenship of an EU member state.

History / Can anyone from Poland tell me about Auschwitz and The Ghetto? [582]


BS! Turkish workers came to Germany in larger numbers only at the very end of the so-called "Wirtschaftswunder" in the early 1960's and the chancellor of that time was actually against inviting them to Germany because they were "not compatible with German culture". As usual, the US pressured the Germans (and other European countries) to let them into the country because Turkey was a relatively new NATO member and had massive problems with unemployment. That Turks helped to rebuild Germany is what you right-wingers call "fake news". Read up on it.