News / Poland to get the newest version of M1A2 Abrams tank [90]

I don't think you quite get it, Novichok, it doesn't matter what Biden says. I matters what his syndicate of behind the scenes handlers do. Give it some time, Biden will contradict his statement soon enough.

News / Poland to get the newest version of M1A2 Abrams tank [90]

@BB

No, he didn't get the 2%, but real headway was being made. That stuff doesn't happen over night--takes some time. He did a lot of positive stuff in 4 years time--all the while being attacked domestically by the media and tech, unlike anything seen in our history. I miss the Great Orange Combover!

From what I've seen and read/heard, you're 100% correct, the Biden Syndicate is undoing as much of Trump's agenda as possible. It's scary just how nihilistically neo-marxist this group is.

News / Poland to get the newest version of M1A2 Abrams tank [90]


Many may not have liked Trump's style, but he was a very effective leader. He got things going and done.


That's the whole point of NATO isn't it--to join together to fight off common enemies. Ergo, the reason the US is not only right to demand all NATO members hold up their end of the bargain, but justifiably so.

P.S. If Oathi is Grunni, could Gef be Torqi--there's some similarities?

Polonia / Which country is better SPAIN or POLAND [118]

@Oathbreaker

I wouldn't say that lack of microscopes and lack of development in health sciences meant the Spaniards and other early American explorers did not know that disease was infecting the Indian population. We know they were well aware of the spread and ravage of diseases like smallpox and measles.


The proof for the claim of the Spanish purposely spreading disease is pretty weak. I'm unaware of any well-vetted credible historical claims that the Spanish were offering infected blankets. There is some proof that the Brits tried...once. And, there is no proof it was effective. history.com/news/colonists-native-americans-smallpox-blankets


That's undeniable for the vast majority. But, there were those who did want to spread civilization and Christianity. You can argue whether or not that's just or noble, but there certainly were a good number of early settler/explorers from Europe who thought it to be just and noble.


It's not like the native peoples were not brutal in their treatment of other native population. The Aztec were and they oppressed other conquered natives. history.com/topics/ancient-americas/aztecs

So, if Spain is to compensate for something that happened 500 years ago, shouldn't Aztec descendants be held accountable to compensate other Mesoamreican descendants whose ancestors were conquered by the Aztec? If you can even determine who is descendants of who--I mean, there has been so much inter-marrying and intermingling of all those peoples over the past 500 years, it's an absurdity to think you can even identify who comes from who: oftentimes, you'll find in a single Mexican who has a cocktail of Euro and Mesoamerican blood and DNA running through their bodies.

News / Poland to get the newest version of M1A2 Abrams tank [90]


If there was to be an EU army, wouldn't there need to be more than 2-percent spent to build and maintain such a force?


Oathbreaker is Grunni? Makes sense--sensible fellow.

History / What do Poles owe to Jews? [593]

@Novichok

What I wrote was supposed to distinguish religious belief from ethnic origins. Granted, the Jewish people's ethnicity is unique in that it is tied up with the Abrahamic faith, but one doesn't have to believe in that faith to be a descendant of Jews.

Your example illustrates only ethnic origins or the difference between ethnic origin and national residency or citizenship.

@ BB

I think it's a more complicated than that, but I get your point.

History / What do Poles owe to Jews? [593]

@Bratwurst Boy

The State of Israel isn't the same as the Jewish people. Not all Jews are Israelis. Besides, the formation of Israel as a political nation was in the works before European Jews were being tortured by you uncivilized Europeans, check out the Balfour Declaration.

@Novichok

A Christian Jew is still a Jew, like, say, a baptized Pole who converts to Hinduism is still a Pole, just a Hindu Pole.

A lot of people also like them as a people. I admire them as a whole. Individually, they are like anybody else, some are great folks, others are complete a-holes, and others are run-of-the-mill.

History / What do Poles owe to Jews? [593]

...and that all Jews who convert to Christianity remain (and still recognize themselves as being) Jewish.


If the mother isn't Jewish but the father is, the child isn't automatically Jewish?

If not, what exactly is being Jewish? Is not ethnic?


We should also ask what Jews owe Gentiles. The answer is we owe each other much...and it has nothing to do with redress of historical grievances. We have contributed to each others cultures, economic and social well-being in many positive ways. The perpetual victim-victimizer schtick often distorts that reality.

Life / What do Polish people think of the Asia and Middle East? [86]

No, no, not an angel. Fully human...just a better version-and I say that with complete humility and charity...and chagrin.

Life / What do Polish people think of the Asia and Middle East? [86]

Well hell, then I am flattered. Well, not really, but that's just me being deeply humble about my obvious brilliance, erudition, and just all around superiority-all things I'm embarrassed by, because of my deep humility and self-effacing charity for others. Which, ironically, makes me even a greater guy deserving of more flattery, which will then cause me great angst because of my humility. It's a torturous cycle! If God would've made me only average or touch below average {sighs}.

Life / What do Polish people think of the Asia and Middle East? [86]


Ha!

Life / What do Polish people think of the Asia and Middle East? [86]


*chuckling*

I'm curious to know what possesses someone to make such a comment on an internet forum.

@novichok

Who the possession of Taiwan was negotiated to by the victor allies has all the relevance .

Life / What do Polish people think of the Asia and Middle East? [86]

Again, there is no comparison. The differences between Taiwan/China and the American Civil War are important, IMO, for the justice argument you are trying to make.

The Am South was a part of the Union and operating under the same US Constitution as the Northern states. In other words, the south was a part of the USA.

Taiwan had not been a part of China since the late 1800's when it came under Japanese rule after China ceded it after losing a war with Japan. It was Japan who lost Taiwan after WWII, not China, and it was agreed to be handed to the REPUBLIC of China, not the commies. The ROC gov escaped to Taiwan after the chicom rebellion.

What's interesting and contrary to contemporary belief about Taiwan is that it wasn't under Chinese rule until late 17th century and before that was actually under the control of the Dutch, ie the Dutch East India Company. So, the Chinese don't have a hereditary claim to the place.

Life / What do Polish people think of the Asia and Middle East? [86]

I don't think they are remotely comparable.

Here's an interesting article I came across during lunch, it radiates the intricacies of the situation:

thediplomat.com/2017/07/the-chinese-cult-of-cairo-and-the-status-of-taiwan/

History / Why Was D-Day So Significant for Poland ? [266]


Was this reported pessimism consistent from 1933 until 1945, or was it just during the war years?


Interesting, indeed.

Life / What do Polish people think of the Asia and Middle East? [86]


It was part of China until the Chinese signed it over to the Japanese in the 19th century. Then, during WWII, the allies gave it to the Republic of China. Then, the Republican gov gets into a war with the communists and the republicans relocate to Taiwan and setup shop. There's at least a very compelling, if not rock solid, argument that Taiwan isn't a rogue breakaway.

History / Why Was D-Day So Significant for Poland ? [266]


The amount of support the war received within Germany is something I've wondered about. When you say most Germans, is there a reliable estimate about the percentage of ordinary Germans who were against war at the time?


Or, maybe, the repercussions of voicing opposition had more to do with it than the winning :{

News / Abortion still under control in Poland [2986]


Yet, Zieodimwit, he never made a religious argument one time. Maybe its not being able to stand PF's inability to make cogent rational arguments that chases the more intelligent posters away. After awhile you realize swine don't know what to do with pearls, so you take your bag of pearls and leave...because that's the wise thing to do.

Language / Cultural disparities shown through Polish and English languages [195]

:):):). Because, it is the glass' fate, afterall.

Language / Cultural disparities shown through Polish and English languages [195]


I'd go even further and say the traditional Polish mindset is the glass is 10% empty and it's only a matter of time before someone comes along and knocks the glass over and breaks the damn thing. :)

News / Poland rejects international criticism over LGBT rights [28]

@cms neuf

You know your cliches-I'll give you that.

Even though your assumption is wrong, if I was getting all my info from a priest, who may he getting action, if that info is good and correct, does the priest's hypocrisy make what is correct any less correct? He may not be practicing what he preaches, but that doesn't necessarily effect the veracity of what he preaches.

But, anyhow, it'd be more interesting if you had something more substantive.

News / Poland rejects international criticism over LGBT rights [28]


That's also a part of it. Sex also has a very strong bonding characteristic, that's why guilt is often felt after the fun ends when there's no commitment involved. Here's the thing about marital heterosexual sex, every now and again that endorphin rush of sex has associated endorphin rushes when the child you made is born and develops throughout his or her life. It's the gift that keeps on giving.


A unitive purpose is the other.


And you think heterosexuals don't sin? They do, so following your logic, heterosexuals aren't made in God's image either, because they're sinners.

News / Poland rejects international criticism over LGBT rights [28]

With the LBGT agenda, it's not about what people do in bed as much as it is accepting what is being done in bed as natural. It's about socially normalizing an abnormality.

Regardless of how you slice it, sex has a couple co-equal purposes, one being procreation. We can use all the semantics we want, but you cannot erase from nature the reality that the sex organs have one biological use: making babies. And nature has so designed it that a man and woman are complementary to each other sexually, whereas homosexual sex is not and cannot be complementary.

The very basic building block of any civilized and ordered society has been the family-this is designed within nature. The family being where humans are created and nurtured. So, when you start redefining the foundation of society, society itself will not only become redefined but disordered.

BTW, same can be said about certain heterosexual behaviors, like adultery, incest, etc. All disordered.

None of this is to say that homosexuals should be denied respect and dignity as persons, they are human beings made in God's image and therefore are equally deserving of dignity as anyone else.

News / Poland rejects international criticism over LGBT rights [28]

Trump doesn't appear to want to fight against the LGBT agenda-I think he's a libertarian when it comes to sexual relations. The US needs to stop promoting it, though. It's one of my few complaints about the Trump admin.

News / Poland rejects international criticism over LGBT rights [28]

Mosbacher is pushing the LGBT agenda in Poland?

Travel / Poland one of the best places to see golden Autumn colours [11]

You can get those Autumn colors throughout much of the US. But Polish Summers are truly sublime.

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


Interesting. I'll check it out.

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


Because i haven't, but without the unity under Solidarity it was highly unlikely the government would have made the concessions it made.

In 80 or 81 the gov was trying to put a wedge between the different industry workers and negotiate relatively meaningless wage increases, e.g. separately negotiating with the strikers in the shipyard and truck factory, etc., correct? It wasn't until all (or, at least, most) of the strikers at different industries demanded the 21 demands as a unified voice did you see the gov willingly, although not in total good faith, start to consider more meaningful demands, correct?

If there wasn't the solidarity under Solidarity, the opposition to the gov would've been markedly weaker and impotent.

Again, I don't refute there was violence on the part of protesters, but it wasn't widespread and sustained and not significant enough to bring the commies to the table. If there's proof that the Solidarity leadership called for or condoned it, I'm unaware of it.

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


But annoyance doesn't mean violence. It overwhelmingly meant strikes and protests, yes? I'm not trying to refute there wasn't any violence, but it was typically, if not always, started by the authorities (what were the security police called back then?), which matters because it shows that demonstrations were peaceful --demonstrators only reacted violently when provoked. And, that's been my point all along, the Solidarity movement was a peaceful movement and its demands were met because of non-violent pressures, not violent ones.


Apparently they did, as they kept propagandizing that evil foreign forces were trying to expand their activities against the state and stuff like that.


That certainly helps, but there still needs to be some legitimacy (granted this legitimacy is typically gained by brainwashing through the education systems and cultural institutions).

That book you recommended is it in English, also. My feeble mind struggles mightily with learning the Polish language.

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

The importance of it all would be to highlight that violence was or was not an effective and important tactic or response to drive the communists to negotiate. If violence against communist authorities was not widespread and sustained (as I understand, it wasn't widespread and sustained, but rare and unsustained), it would not have much if any effect. If it was more common and sustained, it would give the government a reason to negotiate, if for no other reason than keep the Soviets from intervening--something they were prepared to do in 80/81.

You're right, I don't have the experience of living under the regime. My wife and in-laws did, though. So, I know of their experiences. Although, those experiences don't tell me anything about whether or not violent action against the communist regime played a part in the government negotiating with Solidarity.

Didn't you say the Belarussians were being too soft with peaceful demonstrations? Or was that Crow? I get you two confused sometimes; my apologies if you didn't say it.

We agree that communists didn't have patriotic feelings for Poland or cared for the plight of common Polish people, but only cared about power. But, their power depended on what the future of Poland would be--economics plays a central role in that future and a failing economy has a way of putting a regimes power in a precarious position (the uprisings in the 70's and 80 began over food price increases, right?). And, of course they cared what the opinions of the people were, why do you think they had a propaganda division within the government and a tight grip on media?


Well, yeah, but you seem like a guy who has a punch two guys in the face per day quota. :):) What do you think the chances of a Polish victory would've been? And, wouldn't it have been the Polish commies fighting the Soviet commies? However you slice it, you're left with commies.


How? Besides, Pawian says they weren't that damned peaceful anyhow.