News / New European Council's report: "Poland oasis of racism, xenophobia and homophobia" ... [343]


No, no. It's not. I've yet to hear Polish young people trade four letter words in English. Some might be polonized and used in the middle of sentences or as stand alones, but Polish people chosing to speak to each other in English outside the classroom (or workplace if they're forced)..... doesn't happen (no reason it should).

Food / Poles have a more loving attitude to food than here in the UK [169]


I think he's saying more that they're often bought not at supermarkets but at produce wholesalers (giełdy).

In the city that's probably true (for those setting up stands on the sidewalk). Though in the country side it's more liable to be from the field (not a given, but more likely)

News / Why Poland has no problem with terrorism [64]


Not if the majority of Polish citizens has anything to say about it...


Honestly...irony is just totally lost on some people. I thought you English were supposed to good at that.....

The point is that the experiences of Polish people in countries like the UK is one reason for resistance to plans to try to help Mama Merkel save face.

News / Why Poland has no problem with terrorism [64]


One of the reasons that Polish people are not eager to replicate the UK's experiment with large scale muslim immigration....

Food / Poles have a more loving attitude to food than here in the UK [169]


It's called "World War II followed by communism". Throughout the communist period food was generally available but required planning and forethought (and large cash outlays at times). In the worst of times there were ration cards for some types of food (if people could find the rationed items which was by no means a given).

Empty stores (or 'grocery' stores mostly selling vinegar) and endless lines to buy anything were the daily course of things in the PRL.

News / New European Council's report: "Poland oasis of racism, xenophobia and homophobia" ... [343]


meh, ime Poles are not afraid of open verbal conflict and would much more likely address the objects of their disaffection directly. If they reported that the locals yelled mean things at them.... that would sound more Polish. Alternately if it were reported that locals were saying mean things about them to other tourists (and didn't care if they were overheard), that would fit. But the wording "locals could be heard (in English) making abusive remarks " doesn't immediately suggest that.

News / New European Council's report: "Poland oasis of racism, xenophobia and homophobia" ... [343]


This is a big red flag that the story is invented. Why would Poles speak to each other in English? So that foriegners can 'overhear' them?


What evidence do you have that they were circumspect in their behavior and reasonably polite?

News / New European Council's report: "Poland oasis of racism, xenophobia and homophobia" ... [343]


Iranians going to Auschwitz? Isn't that like Disneyland for them?

Food / Poles have a more loving attitude to food than here in the UK [169]


How recent is that? When did fresh produce come to be available year round in the Isles? The current system of southern Europe (plus some non-European countries) providing year round 'fresh' tomatoes and the like is relatively recent in Poland (began in the 90s but only hit the big time with the arrival of the big hypermarkets and chain supermarkets).

Food / Poles have a more loving attitude to food than here in the UK [169]


Part of that is historical food trauma, which is realtively recent in Poland (most of the 1980s for almost everyone and into the mid 90s or so for the poorer part of the population). I don't think the British have really had food trauma since the late 1940s early 1950s (or whenever it was when rationing ended).

Also related is shopping trauma which is why the prospect of stores being closed for one whole day is preceded by masses of people buying enough food to feed a family of 17 for three weeks and why closing stores on Sunday is a non-starter here. Closed stores still make a lot of Polish people nervous. It takes over a generation for trauma to work itself out of the population (in severe cases like for Ukrainians it's still there).

Language / Polish slang phrases - most popular. [606]

Yes, at least as recent as a year or so ago. But it doesn't mean c1pa, just something like great, super amazing etc. I just heard that a recent slang expression is 'kot' (meaning very good).

"Oglądałeś Django? Mówię ci, film jest naprawdę kot" (courtesy urban dictionary)

News / Poland's post-election political scene [4080]


Why would I do that? All news sources have their biases and the intelligent consumer takes the biases (and the degrees of same) into account. You seem to see the world in very weird black and white. If someone doesn't share your laughably extreme cartoon views they must have equally absurd opposite views. How old are you anyway? Six?

News / Poland's post-election political scene [4080]


you really need to turn your shtick into a nightclub stand up routine, it's hilarious!

Life / Boże Ciało (Corpus Christi) - a beautiful celebration in Catholic Poland [22]


I think it was more that trying to disallow Church activity would have been a way to make them very active and that trying to cancel a free day (or communize it) would have created more opposition than it was worth. Remember that the official line of communism in this part of the world was that religion would whither away and the communist government shouldn't try to reverse that but the government shouldn't try to hasten the process along either.. of course no government actually followed that policy, but that was policy.

I think it's interesting how the 'same' holidays play out in different countries this year I was in Malta for easter and the TV had a short news item on the Polish community there bringng świeconki to church on Saturday (the Maltese don't do that). On the other hand, I was at a good Friday service that was genuinely moving (despite me being non-religious and not understanding the service which was in Maltese).

News / Poland's post-election political scene [4080]


Freudian error! Veeeeeerrrrrrry illuminating...

News / Poland's post-election political scene [4080]


I'll take that as confirmation that you don't pay taxes in Poland, which together with your lack of Polish citizenship makes you about as Polish as Betty White.

The funny think in the envelope video is the way Błaszczak tries to let Szyszko know that they're being filmed.... (if this were completely innnocent why would he say anything?)

wiadomosci.onet.pl/kraj/szyszko-memy-reakcja-internautow-na-list-corki-lesniczego/xzy7plf

"I've been set up by PO, that envelope was manufactured during the PO government!"

News / Poland's post-election political scene [4080]


who pays taxes in Poland? I pay taxes here, do you? If not, then why not?

News / Poland's post-election political scene [4080]

Perhaps the government should shut them down? Or maybe assign someone to read everything before it's published so as to not displease the government?

News / Poland's post-election political scene [4080]

The good change government continues this time dong their influence peddling and promotion of unqualified people on camera!

The minister of the environment was filmed handing an envelope to the minister of the interior with the explanation "there's this ranger's daughter..."

wiadomosci.onet.pl/kraj/mariusz-blaszczak-zwrocil-janowi-szyszce-list-od-corki-lesniczego/zgc9c3h

News / Poland's post-election political scene [4080]


Tusk didn't allow the heads of the military on the flight, LK (or his office) did - an inexcusable act of neglect. If he had really taken the event seriously he would have gone by train or flown into a more reasonable airport and been driven to the sight. But he wanted to swoop in and out in hurry in a ill-conceived attempt to one up the PM.


To the incompetence of LK's chancellery and the shameless hubris of his surviving brother who wants to blame everyone else rather than acknowledge the truth.

News / Poland's post-election political scene [4080]


Then why did he permit the unforgiveable sin of allowing ALL THE HEADS OF THE MILITARY ON THE SAME PLANE AS HE WAS??!??

The stars of ABBA used to travel on separate planes to avoid orphaning their children in the case of a crash, but this "greatest president" was fine with a situation that could put the entire country in grave danger! Greatest schmeatest, he was a bungler and all the PiS deathcult mumgo jumbo in the world won't change that.

News / Poland's post-election political scene [4080]


BFD, that is not an accomplishment. An accomplishment would be financially contributing to the welfare of the country by holding down an honest job and paying taxes. Does either apply to you?

News / Poland's post-election political scene [4080]


Name one European country where this model has ever worked... It's not a viable socio-economic model it's a video game fantasy, appealing for some, but unworkable in the real world.

No single link in the chain is bad, but trying to create a self-sealed Polish only universe won't work.

News / Poland's post-election political scene [4080]


You clearly have not read any of this thread....

Life / Comparing Poland and Romania [108]


Actually the general consensus is that the Lech derives from Lęda, an old Polish word meaning something like 'field' (just as the modern name is related to 'pole' with the same meaning). The modern reflex of lęda is ląd (land, in some contexts).

Lithuanian Lenkije and Hungarian Lengyel preserve the nasal element never present in the word for ice (AFAIK)

News / The dossier of TW "Bolek" - Poland's IPN assisted by police enters the home of the late general Kiszczak [306]


Actually... "For example, there is a tradition in many newsgroups and other Internet discussion forums that once such a comparison is made, the thread is finished and whoever mentioned Hitler has automatically lost whatever debate was in progress"

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godwin%27s_law


I'm pragmatic and interested in truth, and overblown claims about Polish poverty sound.. neither truthful nor are the proposed solutions (wrecking the rule of law and appointing incompetent boobs to key positions) going to be effective for long.

I just don't see the evidence of massive looting of the Polish economy by ex-commies (of course there has been corruption on various sides). So I don't buy the fairytales about how such a state came to be.... because it didn't. It's all feelgood just so stories for the feckless.

News / The dossier of TW "Bolek" - Poland's IPN assisted by police enters the home of the late general Kiszczak [306]


you've just manifested Godwin's law - you lose

News / The dossier of TW "Bolek" - Poland's IPN assisted by police enters the home of the late general Kiszczak [306]


If it makes you feel better to believe that. Just remember that not everybody here believes in the bandersnatch of the post RT clique. Competent people (which includes those sensitive to changing realities) tend to do well in any system. Disproportionae advantages quickly go to nothing in the hands of the incompetent so you're basically arguing for the competence of post 1989 governments....


If I were an economic illiterate (like many supporters of the PiS losers support club), I would assume that a government could turn around an economy in ruins (per PiS campaign boilerplate) to booming in two years. Since I'm not an economic illiterate I recognize that PiS is largely taking the credit for years of hard work by their enemies including PO and the EU) to build the country up.

News / The dossier of TW "Bolek" - Poland's IPN assisted by police enters the home of the late general Kiszczak [306]


You've convinced me! Poland is a country of the biggest losers on the planet, who can't even get rid of the communists with no communist government around and who take, what? 25 years to elect a non-communist government (tricked into voting for communists for 20 years, what losers!) and despite all the cultural and economic advantages of being in Europe the average loser Pole still lives in poverty? Like a loser?

What a loser country!

News / The dossier of TW "Bolek" - Poland's IPN assisted by police enters the home of the late general Kiszczak [306]


The truth: I'm glad communism ended. There were many mistakes made in the transition (partly because no one had tried anything of the sort before) but nothing like the organized exploitation ring that the post communist losers' club likes to blame their unhappy lot on.

Dwelling incessantly on a single, incompetent government failing a no-confidence vote is the sure sign of loserdom. But PiS's base is all about making losers feel better (though even their narrative: 20 some odd years to win an election, is pretty loserish).

Stay back with the losers mired in the past if you want, I'm more interested in building a better tomorrow.