Life / In Poland on holiday - need help with bad case of homesickness [108]


You don't get to decide that.

And yes, they're very much part of society.

History / What should Russia and Poland do to become if not friends, then at least not enemies? [945]


There can, actually.


Yet oddly enough 99% are happy to give the place a wide berth.

News / What should Poland do with the problem of Belarus? [1800]


I'd guess that the numbers will be higher than that.

News / What should Poland do with the problem of Belarus? [1800]


Glad you agree that capitalism should be eliminated.


Lukaszenko 'invited' them and they have zero interest in staying in PL.


Where that can happen, by a secure border fence, good. Where it isn't happening, give them decent food, warm clothes, a medical check, a toy for the kids and a ticket to Berlin.

News / What should Poland do with the problem of Belarus? [1800]


Generally, suffering is created by lack of compassion.

A good rule in life is to treat people decently and public opinion here in Poland tends to confirm that.

News / What should Poland do with the problem of Belarus? [1800]


That's something that the guards should try very hard not to do.


No. The people who have to deal with a situation (whether they get it 100% right or whether they struggle with that aren't the same as those who deliberately caused it.

News / What should Poland do with the problem of Belarus? [1800]


They're hardly working in everyday conditions, however yes, compassion is essential. They are victims not perpetrators.


Nor are they.


Your 'book' is clearly not a dictionary.

News / What should Poland do with the problem of Belarus? [1800]

Why would they? Perhaps you forget that freedom of religious belief and practice has long been a deeply held value in Poland.


Fortunately for humanity, you are almost unique in that weird view.

And they aren't 'pagan' either.

News / What should Poland do with the problem of Belarus? [1800]


Irrelevant. Compassion to fellow humans who are victims of Putler and Lukaszenko is not restricted by their or your culture and beliefs.


Classy.

Very good that people in Poland who protected Jewish people during WWII at immense risk to themselves and their families did not share your outlook.

News / What should Poland do with the problem of Belarus? [1800]


Don't blame the (often desperate) people who responded to that offer. The authoritarian conservative Putler and his potato-like flat-headed burak in Belarus are to blame. Nobody else.


I doubt that many are interested in Poland and many had probably never heard of it before Putler and Lukaszenko started fekking with their lives to exploit them in their hybrid war. What matters is whether or not Poland and Poles treat them (they are victims too) with compassion or with small-mindedness. I (and I suspect most other people here in PL) prefer the former.

If JPII was alive, I wonder what his comments on the crisis would have been.

History / Warsaw Rising 1944 - National Disaster or Triumph of Spirit ? [515]


Also one ingredient to remind tyrants that people can stand up bravely to tyranny, something Putin would do very well to remember in his evil deeds in Ukraine.

History / Warsaw Rising 1944 - National Disaster or Triumph of Spirit ? [515]


Hard to disagree with that.

I wonder who's side he'd have taken in the war.

Travel / Being Transgender and visiting Wroclaw [467]

How vile.

It must be odd to hate something so much and be able to nothing about it and knowing that day by day, it's becoming g more commonplace with no going back at all.

History / Warsaw Rising 1944 - National Disaster or Triumph of Spirit ? [515]


We know where your sympathies lie.

Not with Poland or Poles.

History / Warsaw Rising 1944 - National Disaster or Triumph of Spirit ? [515]


They died so Poland and Europe live.

Exceptionally brave people. It's very hard to imagine the horror of those times.

Travel / Being Transgender and visiting Wroclaw [467]



What a little ray of sunshine.

Anyone would think that there are hordes of transgender people storming the Capitol.


The future's theirs not ours. Their decision what they do.

Travel / Being Transgender and visiting Wroclaw [467]


Since you have problems with simple English, let me try again.

The younger generation just don't get worked up about it.

Travel / Being Transgender and visiting Wroclaw [467]

Tough.

There's nothing you can do about it.

And the Zoomer generation think differently tfrom me and more differently yet from you.

Life / In Poland on holiday - need help with bad case of homesickness [108]

Or more likely that the parents were reaching retirement age, had a house they wanted to return to, and the dire job prospects in their home area had improved.

I know a couple like that. They like the U.K. and are pleased they got jobs there but are looking forward to going back (with a good pension too).

History / Did Poles living in Germany support Hitler's rise to power before World War II? [151]


I was once at a business meeting in Poznan where there was a group from Germany. All the Poles had German names and all the Germans had Polish names.

Life / In Poland on holiday - need help with bad case of homesickness [108]


Yes, it's tripe.

It's available online if Lenka wants to read it. Most other Polish newspapers are better though.

History / Polish Army Day [82]


I'd not seen the local paper so it was a surprise when we couldn't get back from the shops. Hopefully they've finished now and hopefully it was worth it and the parade will be a good one.

Travel / Being Transgender and visiting Wroclaw [467]

Unfortunately for the wrinkles, nobody under 30 gets worked up about it.

The future is trans.

History / Khazar migrations to Eastern Poland, Belarus, and Ukraine [106]


This one's been going on for a while. Some people have returned however most of that generation have died now and their kids/grandkids/great grandkids don't necessarily identify as Polish (and are often mostly not by blood now and certainly not by language or identity).

Those who wanted to return should have been helped in this, however there can't now be many still alive,

History / Polish Army Day [82]

The main road out of Warsaw going north has been closed entirely for the past two hours. Apparently for rehearsals for Army Day, however there haven't actually been any rehearsals at all. Meanwhile, buses don't run, shoppers can't get back from the shops and people who live on culs-de-sac off it can't get in or out. Shops and businesses on the road can't get customers and disabled residents have to make a detour. Yet no actual movement at all, no rehearsal, no soldiers.

If they must close one of the country's biggest roads, perhaps it's better to do it on Sunday morning when most people don't leave their houses rather than late afternoon/early evening on Saturday, normally a busy time.

Good to see the road empty and quite though perhaps not so good for those who live on it and want to get home.

Travel / Being Transgender and visiting Wroclaw [467]

And the wonderful thing is that however strongly he feels or pretends to feel, he can do nothing at all about it.

History / Did Poles living in Germany support Hitler's rise to power before World War II? [151]


I doubt it, given that the fascists considered them to be 'untermensch'. Especially though not exclusively those Poles of the Jewish faith.

Then again, there were conservative Rabbis who encouraged their congregations to vote NSDAP because they thought the ridiculous crap about 'kinder kuche kirche' outweighed the thuggish street violence and endless rhetoric against Jewish people.

Travel / Being Transgender and visiting Wroclaw [467]

Quite obsessive really

Real Estate / Deposit not returned [5]

Agreed.

Poland pre-war (and afterwards) had it right with housing associations often connected to professions. As did Britain with (member-owned) building societies. Better than renting from the city who often get it wrong and better than renting from bottom feeding 'landlords' most of whom are about as far from being a 'Lord' as it gets.

Real Estate / Deposit not returned [5]


Normal enough in PL. You may as well cut your losses and forget it. If you're still angry, write to the tax office telling them, how much you paid your landlord, how long you were there, and (if you've got such a thing) proof of payments. Include a copy of the contract if you still have it.

Unfortunately Poland doesn't have a system like the UK where deposits are held centrally and any landlord has to prove their claim if they want to keep all or part. And if such a system existed here, landlords would do whatever they could to illegally get round it.

Given their reluctance to part with money, it's best to time your departure discreetly so the deposit acts as the last payment. They hate that but wouldn't think twice about doing it themselves.