News / Polish President Lech Kaczynski and gov officials die in a plane crash in Russia [686]


What are you talking about? Lech Kaczynski had little influence on Poland's political process - if you actually had read the Polish constitution, you'd know that the Presidential role is ceremonial and advisory, nothing more. He certainly wasn't part of the Government - and his veto was about 2-3 votes away from being overridden.

Russia, the EU and the USA couldn't care less about Poland - it's just not that important.

So, what's the "facts" and "truth"? What do you know that the highest Polish military prosecutors don't know?

Genealogy / Americans of Polish descent. How many of us are on Polish forums? [216]


They weren't running away from politics, they were running away to make more money. Indeed, plenty of them didn't want to live in the newly established Polish state.

News / Polish President Lech Kaczynski and gov officials die in a plane crash in Russia [686]


What "facts" and "truth"?

USA, Canada / Polack/American Polonia/Plastic Pole "culture" [568]


Yup, I'm a fan of American history. I like American politics too - the way that individual members of Congress have such power (compared to most parliaments) is very interesting - as is the way that the President yields executive power, yet still has to rely on Congress.

The most interesting thing for me is the whole issue of whether or not the Confederate states were allowed to secede from the Union - I actually did a history course on the American Civil War, including quite a few discussions on the actual constitutionality of the secession.

Interesting stuff, and certainly is counter to the whole "America has no history" nonsense. I only wish I knew more - my knowledge of pre-Reagan era politics (except the Civil War) isn't as much as I'd like to know.

History / Are Poles happy with the current Polish borders? [134]


Really? That's why most of the top universities in the world are in America? That's why American companies mostly rule the world? That's why Wall Street is so massively important?

USA, Canada / Polack/American Polonia/Plastic Pole "culture" [568]

Interesting article, and proves a lot about what I've been saying.

buffalonews.com/life/taste/elements/article247067.ece


It would seem that what Americans think of as "Polish" bears no relation to what is actually Polish.

(And hey, Fuzzy, I know fine well that the same applies in reverse ;))

History / POLES NOT KEEN ON REPRODUCING? WHY ARE THERE SO MANY GERMANS AND RUSSIANS? [67]


Seeing as Estonians, Latvians, Lithuanians and plenty of other small countries do just fine, I doubt there's much harm of that happening.

History / Are Poles happy with the current Polish borders? [134]


Plenty of street lights around, even in the mean streets not far from the train station.

Dirt roads? I know exactly what roads you're talking about - and they've been paved with some sort of nice paving recently.

Buildings are falling apart? There's a huge amount of renovation at the minute in L'viv. The area around the Mickiewicz statue is undergoing what can only be called "huge" renovation.

L'viv looks no worse than £ódź.

History / Are Poles happy with the current Polish borders? [134]


Have you actually been to L'viv? It doesn't look like a dump...

Law / Polish EU Drivers Licence - can I get one the easy way (by paying for it)? [185]


The IDP isn't a licence, it's a translation of your licence. Anyway, Colombia doesn't appear to have signed the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic, so you won't be able to exchange your licence.

You'll have to be legally resident in Poland for more than 185 days (ie, a long term Visa cat. D or holding some sort of residence card). The course will take 30 hours of theory and 30 hours of practical, the cost is around 1600-2200zl and you'll have to pass a medical examination and a first aid course too. Then the theory and practical test, and you must have a sworn translator present (at your cost) if you don't speak Polish.

Life / I saw Polish nationalism today [249]


But the UK is a very weird place - look at how Welsh and Scottish nationalism has grown significantly in the last 20 years. They used to play God Save The Queen at the end of the night on TV in Scotland - now? not a chance.

Life / I saw Polish nationalism today [249]

They seem to think that Poland is worse off now than 70 years ago, not 10 years ago ;)

The sentimentality towards the II RP is partially what holds some people back, even though the people who are sentimental towards it would be, in all likelihood, on the verge of society.

Life / I saw Polish nationalism today [249]

No, not insulting you at all.

One of the worst problems right now is the way that Poland is acting like a fully developed country - it's one thing to have bitter political rivals in a country like the USA or UK, but Poland really desperately needs consensus to keep growing :(

Life / I saw Polish nationalism today [249]

Certainly - at a high level, Poland has done quite a lot of it. It was a great shame that Komorowski's apology wasn't taken seriously recently :(

Life / I saw Polish nationalism today [249]

Ah, come on, it's just one of the things that make Poland what it is - Poles generally never apologise. It's just a cultural thing - no-one wants to admit that they've ****** up, because of the lingering fear that it'll be punished somehow. Probably another relic of communism :(

USA, Canada / Polack/American Polonia/Plastic Pole "culture" [568]


What use would studying to be a lawyer be? Last time I checked, lawyers didn't make laws.


Not difficult - I see people making an honest difference every day. You know, real Poles doing real work - not Plastic Poles hiding in America.


There's nothing more Plastic and Fake than a person who doesn't speak Polish, proclaiming themselves to be Polish.

Incidentally, why have none of the "Polack" haters commented on Polack Johnny's?

Life / I saw Polish nationalism today [249]


Jesus, Harry....

what planet are you living on? A Polish person...apologise?

Genealogy / Americans of Polish descent. How many of us are on Polish forums? [216]


Go on, answer one question for me.

What do you do when cruising? I've always imagined the cruise part of flights to be ridiculously boring for the pilots...

Travel / Best places to visit in Poland [87]

Katowice above all but Gdynia? No way!

Krakow, Poznan, Wroclaw and Gdansk are all far nicer places to live than Katowice.

And for that matter - Warsaw below Bialystok? errr...

News / Poles are getting rich... [63]


Probably, they won't actually pay. It'll be the ex-nomeklatura that will be punished - the ones who had a reasonable career during Communism and are now sitting on decent pensions.

Farmers on the other hand...the sooner KRUS is abolished, the better.

Genealogy / Jewish Roots of Poland [638]


I think it's just a sign of the times then, as you say. Poland was anti-semitic and nationalist, but who the hell wasn't? They weren't particularly welcome in the UK either at that time.

(actually : was there any anti-semitism in Ireland? I've never heard about any...)

Genealogy / Jewish Roots of Poland [638]


Uh...I understood perfectly. You don't have to reply to sarcasm with sarcasm, you know...

It appears that you're the one who didn't understand :)

Genealogy / Jewish Roots of Poland [638]


It wasn't tolerant at all - it started out badly (the Lwow progorm) and ended badly.

It's a shame, because the 1st RP sounded like a great place to live at those times.

USA, Canada / Polack/American Polonia/Plastic Pole "culture" [568]

Interesting mathematics ;)

But they're Plastic Poles, not Plastic Polacks ;)

History / Are Poles happy with the current Polish borders? [134]


Indeed - Poland suffered from the fact that the country more or less ceased to exist as a viable entity during WW2.


I guess at that time, they could have easily dropped a couple of nukes in Russia to force her into submission quickly and effectively. But at what cost?

USA, Canada / Polack/American Polonia/Plastic Pole "culture" [568]


Fair enough, admitting it is the honourable thing to do.


About normal, sadly. And sure, there are Plastic Polacks here too - many people talk the good talk, but do nothing in reality. One thing that was actually admirable about the "Defenders of the Cross" was that the citizens were actually taking their displeasure straight to the head of state. Regardless of what you think about them as people, as a citizen's initiative, it was fantastic.

USA, Canada / Polack/American Polonia/Plastic Pole "culture" [568]


Only an unpatriotic, dumb Polack would say that. The application is rather straightforward where the right to citizenship can be clearly established. It takes time, sure - but all good things in life do.


For the love of God, stop lying.

There were polling stations in Berlin, Leipzig, Hamburg, Bremen, Cologne, Dortmund, Frankfurt am Main, Munich and Stuttgart.

Yet again, a Polack can't tell the truth. Are you all compulsive liars or something?

prezydent2010.pkw.gov.pl/PZT/EN/WYN/W/149901.htm

USA, Canada / Polack/American Polonia/Plastic Pole "culture" [568]


If they have a Polish passport, they can vote. No exceptions. The only people that claim that they can't vote are the ones who are too damn lazy to get a passport.

It's morally wrong, but it's the way it is.


Of course they don't - it's what makes them dumb Polacks as opposed to Polish. If they were actually Polish, then they would actually know what it's like to be, you know, Polish. But they don't - and eating "kielbasa" (hey, stupid morons, it's just the Polish word for sausage!) doesn't make you Polish, it just makes you even more of a Polack.


Really patriotic there, then. I'd drive to Warsaw quite happily to cast my vote if needs be. Anyway, you're proving yet again that you're a dumb Polack - because there are countless polling stations set up for the Polacks that vote.


Hey, mods - wasn't this nonsense supposed to stop?


Worse - many of them let the passport expire once they get the American one! And those ones are even dumber than the Polacks!

But as for the Polacks - the vast majority of them are only Polish when they want to act superior to someone else. If the USA and Poland went to war, I don't think anyone would be particularly surprised if they joined the American side.

Life / Orphanages in Poland [82]


Maybe those are the ones that really need looked after.

Or is it that only a blue eyed white child will do? In which case, they don't deserve to adopt a child. After all, if you can only love a white child, then you're not a good parent.

USA, Canada / Polack/American Polonia/Plastic Pole "culture" [568]


So why are their supporters so irrationally afraid? Why do PiS supporters on this forum keep bringing up anti-semtic remarks, complaining about the "Jewish" Michnik and so on? Why don't I hear the same nonsense from PO/SLD supporters?

guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/nov/30/antisemitism-polan d-michal-kaminski

Torq, there's no point in denying that certain aspects of PiS have been flirting with anti-semtism. How else can you explain Michał Kamiński being head of the bloc in the European Paliament?

As I said - Lech Kaczynski's good work will be forgotten about, solely because of the other lunatics who seem hell bent on destroying anything good about the party. And - the only person to blame for this is Jarek.

Anyway, care to deny PiS's homophobia next?