News / Goodbye Sunday Shopping in Poland - Hello Electoral Reform [246]


I meant to say that if shops have longer opened, people will roughly spend the same amount of money, during the longer buisness hours.


a) Germany had less than 2% inflation, and few economists would argue that even 2% are "too high". What is worrysome though it Poland's growing debt, given its' future demographic problems and overall economic outlook. If a government still records a high deficte even in times of economic growth, that does bode poorly for the future.

News / Goodbye Sunday Shopping in Poland - Hello Electoral Reform [246]

Inflation in Germany was in 2017 under 2%, indeed Poland had a higher inflation in the same time period.

inflation.eu/inflation-rates/germany/historic-inflation/cpi-inflation-germany-2017.aspx

tradingeconomics.com/poland/inflation-cpi

Besides, the fact that you continue to compare Poland's economic growth with that of Western Europe betrays your bias. Poland's economy is still developing compared to the saturated economies in Western Europe, and thus can achieve higher growth rate; in fact as delphie has pointed out, the distance might not even get closer because total growth might still be higher in the west. The important is now how Poland will be able to make sure that all citizens benefit from its' economic growth.

Regarding the topic of this thread, I can understand why many people are annoyed about these changes, but I can also understand why they are implemented. I have recently read a study that longer shopping times do not necessarily lead to an increase in total spending (because people usually know what they are going to buy, and how much they need), instead people are simply spending the same over a longer amount of time. While large companies can afford to pay their employees for the additional working times, smaller shops might find this difficult, since their profits do not necessarily increase. So this practice puts a lot of pressure on smaller shops.

It seems to me that we need to find a compromise regarding the shopping time, and to be honest I think that a ban on Sunday shopping could serve as a compromise. As long as you can shop 6 days a week, you ought to be able to get your shopping done in the allocated time.

News / Poland in the European Union. Polexit? [559]


They are far from the only one, the Benelux countries among others are also in favour. Anyway we shall see how their idea proceed in the next months.


No doubt the Eurozone will see some further reforms, and there have been many demands (including by EU sceptical countries like the Czech Republic) for greater military cooperation among European countries. Those are the two areas where we might see some drastic changes rather soon. It already started with the PESCO initiative.

News / Poland in the European Union. Polexit? [559]

[/quote]
Such reforms always have to be instigated by the member states, since they must agree to the loss of sovereignity. And France and Germany have usually the diving force behind deeper integrations, nohing unusual here.

As for the rest of your post. Macron won his election campaign with the promise to reform Europe, and Merkel has now formed a government and is thus fully legitimized to do the same. This will be her last term in office, and she knows that she can fully cement her legacy as the saviour of the EU by making sure that the EU is prepared for future crisis. She will also have little trouble with the AfD on this matter, since a) most Germans like the EU and want it to work and b) te AfD has so far done little to critize the EU because of this.


Not wanted in a few country perhaps, but the core countries are still very much commited to it. But I'd prefer it anyway if some countries press on with deeper integration, and leave the rest to either follow them, or be left behind.

News / Poland in the European Union. Polexit? [559]


Indeed, and there are very promising signs for this. Merkel and Macron will no doubt instigate great changes this year.


I hope you are not implying that the EU is any way responsible for the problems in Slovakia, when in fact the EU is usually cited (including by colleagues of the murdered journalist) as the main factor to keep those tendencies in check?


Again, the problem here was not the EU being blind to it, because even if it had been aware, there was nothing it could have done anyway. The memberstates have still reserved themselves the final decision-making in most cases, and as we are currently seeing with Poland, the EU can hardly interfere even when the rule of law is at stake. Even when Greece literally depended on the help of others, the influence on it was limited.

If we look at it objectively, most problems we currently have are not because of Bruessels' power, but because of its' impotence.

News / Israel opposing potential new Polish law to criminalise term 'Polish death camps' [1538]

Another foreign policy masterstroke by PiS.

politico.eu/article/polands-leaders-barred-from-white-house-meetings-over-holocaust-law

News / Poland in the European Union. Polexit? [559]

And he was actually a succesful buisnessman... .

Law / Weapons laws in Poland. Carrying a concealed handgun? [918]


There are mentally ill in every country, yet it is the USA which suffers again and again from mass shootings.

Law / Weapons laws in Poland. Carrying a concealed handgun? [918]


I never understood this argument. Even strict gun control does not mean that people loose their right to own guns. It is entirely possible for law-abiding citizens to own guns in countries with strict gun control like Germany, which has a very high gun percitizen ratio, and even in Japan. It simply takes time to pass all backround checks and tests that show that you can handle a gun. And given the low number of mass shootings in these countries, the system clearly works.

Law / Weapons laws in Poland. Carrying a concealed handgun? [918]


Because said military still follows (mostly) the basic rules of military conduct and fights on foreign soil with somewhat limited efdort. A tyrannic government would hardly have any of those limitations.

@mafketis


You still try to deflect from the desire to prevent mass shootings by bringing up migrant problems.

Law / Weapons laws in Poland. Carrying a concealed handgun? [918]


This might have been justified 200 years ago bit nowadays this is simply laughable simply out of practically reasons. The government has now tanks, planes, drones, how do you think will some guys with guns stand up to this? We can see in Syria that a scrupulous government can stamp out any resistance as long as it is ruthless enough.

Law / Weapons laws in Poland. Carrying a concealed handgun? [918]

Using guns to protect your family is a rather questionable anyway. If you are a responsible gun owner, you'll have your gun safely locked away where your children won't find them. But then it will be difficult to reach them in time.

I mean when I read statistics like this I am very happy that gun owners in Germany are legally obligated to have their guns locked away at home.

verywellfamily.com/gun-and-shooting-accidents-2634213

Law / Weapons laws in Poland. Carrying a concealed handgun? [918]


And both are higher than in Germany according to this list:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_firearm-related_death_rate

It is also quite interesting that Germany and France have more guns per citizen than Switzerland and Czech Republic.


You should have read the list carefully like I did before you posted this here.

No mass shooting happened after Fort Arthur (mass shooting is usually described with 4 or more deaths). The only exception was the Hunt family murdersand as the name implies, that was a family tragedy. We are talking about cases when a deranged individual tries to kill a large number of people in a public space in a short amount of time.

Again, we are talking about mass shootings here.


Except cars are not primarily made for killing. AR15 are made for killing. Banning cars would drasitically inconvenience everybody, banning AR15s would only inconveniece a few and to a much smaller degree.

Do you really find it normal that school children in the USA have to learn how to behave in case a gunman storms the school? You keep on rambling about terror incidents in Europe when people are getting gunned down at a regular base in the USA. How many mass shootings have to happen until people like you change their mind?

Another excellent video that debunks those arguments against gun control (and it is even meant to be entertaining).

youtu.be/0rR9IaXH1M0?t=2m50s

Law / Weapons laws in Poland. Carrying a concealed handgun? [918]


There have been 3 mass shooting incidents in France in this century according to Wikipedia.

If gun restrictions did nothing but decrease the number of mass shooting incidents, it would still be worth it.


Everything in this statement is wrong.

Switzerland has more gun crimes than France and Germany and Sweden. Czech Republic has more gun crimes than Germany and Sweden.

Both France and Germany had 3 mass shooting incidents in the last 20 years, yet each country has several more times (at least 6 or more) people than e.g. Switzerland (8,5m) and Czech Republic (10,6m).

Switzerland and the Czech Republic had one notable massacre:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zug_massacre

Uherský Brod shooting

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_firearm-related_death_rate

Of course statistics are difficult to apply in such small numbers, but claiming that those countries are less likely to have gun violence or mass shootings is wrong.

Law / Weapons laws in Poland. Carrying a concealed handgun? [918]


We are talking about mass shootings here. The fact that you always mention the same cases where migrants were responsible is speaking volumes.


Which is not true. Breivik was a native citizen. We had 3 mass shooting incidents in Germany in this century, in all cases native Germans were responsible.


Perhaps in the USA, but it is far more expensive to get a gun in most countries with strict gun control laws.


Because naturally a larger group will have it easier to acquire weapons than one individual.

The better question is why do we count the length between mass shooting incidents in years in European countriesm while often only weeks pass between such incidents in the USA. Why did the number of such incidents immideately drop (as in completely disappear) after Australia introduced gun control?

France suffered 3 mass shooting incidents this century (those which you like to point out). How many mass shooting incidents have happened in the USA since 2015?

Law / Weapons laws in Poland. Carrying a concealed handgun? [918]


Except France has no "tons of shootings." And Mexico's war on drugs dwarves anything that happens in France.

nytimes.com/2016/06/14/upshot/compare-these-gun-death-rates-the-us-is-in-a-different-world.html


This is not true. Gun laws are tougher in the Czech Republic and Switzerland than in the USA. Just read the Wikipedia page here:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_laws_in_the_Czech_Republic#Categories_of_licenses

You have to get a license first in the Czech Republic, which takes some time. The same counts for Switzerland. The danger that an angry pupil gets a gun and can use it in his school is far smaller than in the USA.


Which is not true: government.se/articles/2017/02/facts-about-migration-and-crime-in-sweden/

They are certainly no war zones.


Because there have been so many massacres commited by guns and migrants compared to massacres commited by native people? Was the last school shooter a migrant?


This is a lie. Gun crime is almost non-existant in Japan: bbc.com/news/magazine-38365729

Even the Yakuza has trouble getting guns: atimes.com/article/japans-gun-control-laws-strict-yakuza-turn-toy-pistols/

Perhaps larger groups will still be able to get their hands on guns, but those groups are more vulnerable to get caught by police. Those "lone wolves" who plan such incidents on their own are the real danger, because they are more difficult to detect. But those people often lack the ressources to pay thousands of dollars for a gun on the black market.

Gun control works. Anything that limits the possibility of dangerous individuals getting guns works.

Americans might have resigned themselves to seeing mass shootings as a natural occurence, but thankfully people in Europe are thinking differently.

Law / Weapons laws in Poland. Carrying a concealed handgun? [918]

@ Dirk Diggler. I am not talking about crimes in general. I am talking about mass shootings here, do not try to divert from this issue.


If you do not see the structural differences between Czech Republic and Iraq, you are beyond help.


"Lax" gun laws is relative here. You still have to pass a mandatory test before you get a gun.


The fact that you actually compare France and Sweden to Honduras and Mexico says it all. Are you really that ignorant, or do you maliciously twist the facts here?

The USA is way closer to Honduras than those countries. Neither Honduras nor Mexico have actually the means to enforce those laws.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_firearm-related_death_rate


The problem is not the number of guns. Switzerland and Germany demonstrate that you can tough have tough gun laws, yet a high number of guns per citizens and few mass shootings. You simply should make it more difficult to acquire them, restrict it to the number of people who have a) training and b) need it either for hunting and sport and you end up with fewer mass shootings.


Under etc:=> Every European country with tough gun laws + Australia+Japan

Law / Weapons laws in Poland. Carrying a concealed handgun? [918]


Ridiculous. You can't just take some backwater to further our arguments. Why not use Somalia too? European countries are in many things comparable to the USA, yet they have tighter gun control and experience far fewer mass shootings than the USA. Australia implemented gun control laws after a devastating mass shooting and has ever since not experienced a similar incident.

youtu.be/9pOiOhxujsE?t=2m31s

Checkmate.

This video destroys within one minute all arguments against gun control.

Law / Weapons laws in Poland. Carrying a concealed handgun? [918]


And what about the argument "lax gun laws => more mass shootings"? It is not about the number of guns, but how easy it is for others to get them and what kind of guns are sold.

Law / Weapons laws in Poland. Carrying a concealed handgun? [918]

Is it not amusing that those who try to defend US Gun laws are constantly bringing up supposedly migrant crimes other European countries except Poland when the threat is specifically about Poland?

Law / Weapons laws in Poland. Carrying a concealed handgun? [918]


What is so complicated about this? Lax gun control leads to more mass shootings, it is as simple as that.

Law / Weapons laws in Poland. Carrying a concealed handgun? [918]

Honestly when I read what kind of measures are now discussed in the USA I instantly become very grateful for the laws we habe in Europe. Say what you want, but we dont need armed guards in schools and have children practice emergency drills in case of a school shooting... .

History / Lusatian-Sarmatic obsession of Poles [153]

I don't know about Poland, but you are aware that Lusatians are a minority in every city in German Lusatia right, and the number of children who learn their language is declining rapidly, right?

History / Lusatian-Sarmatic obsession of Poles [153]


This is of course nonsense. Read any book by a respectable historian which was published in the last 50 years. We know very little about most ancient civilizations, their ethnography et al. Tracing your origin to them is even more ridiculous. There have been a lot of attempts to trace back the Germans to the Germanic tribes, but this is now seen as futile due to the lack of evidence, trying to trace them back to the Sarmatians, who came even before them is even more ridiculous.

The only thing that is safe to say is that the Romans brought civilization to the Balkans when they conquered it, as evidenced by archaelogical findings. Before that, there was nothing worth noting between the Roman and Greek world.

History / Lusatian-Sarmatic obsession of Poles [153]

Not that I blame him for fighting for his chosen home country, but it is regreattable that he took part in the greatest geopolitical tragedy of the 20th century. The Balkans experienced under the Habsburgs a time of never known time of prosperity, and the collapse of AH lead to so many tragedies later on.

We are still trying to undo the damage to this day.

History / Lusatian-Sarmatic obsession of Poles [153]

Görlitz has a particulary beautiful city center that was extensively restored after German reunification.

News / Israel opposing potential new Polish law to criminalise term 'Polish death camps' [1538]


It might be related in this specific case. Gabriel has often stressed how much his father (with whom he had non-existing relationship) has influenced his personal conviction.

History / Lusatian-Sarmatic obsession of Poles [153]

The man was from Görlitz though. Zgorzelec did not yet exist.

History / Lusatian-Sarmatic obsession of Poles [153]

Always nice to see when a German played a positive role in another countries history ;)

News / Israel opposing potential new Polish law to criminalise term 'Polish death camps' [1538]


Poland needs allies if it wants security against Russia, disregarding them for purely domestic reasons is a folly.


We shall see. Perhaps this what PiS is after, the create a siege mentality among its' voters once it becomes clear that Poland is being sidelined on issues that it considers vital for its' security or prosperity.