Off-Topic / Curious Books of PF [50]

Here's a good one:

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Off-Topic / Things We Love [288]


Have tried. Can confirm 5/5.


Hahaha, pathetic. You call yourself a free person?


You are on the wrong forum.

Off-Topic / Things We Love [288]


I only enjoy meals in silence when it is two. If it's more - a silence is of course a burden, unless it is really with my closest friends. Then we can sit all 5 quietly, on a terrace, or in a forest camp, for 20 minutes easily.

With my girl right now, I have finally arrived at this point after many years. You notice so much more (and maybe communicate more), when you don't talk.

Off-Topic / Things We Love [288]


This is nice.

Off-Topic / Things We Love [288]


I'll do what I can to help.

Things I love, list #2:

1) People that know how to enjoy a meal in silence
2) People that can hear, as well as also be heard.
3) Kind people
4) Good fathers
5) Good mothers

History / Enemies, Strangers, Friends. Poles and Germans. [82]


Go Kashub! Nice man) Hope you have a good date.

History / Enemies, Strangers, Friends. Poles and Germans. [82]


Compared to your past the Tutsi and Hutu have cordial relations.

History / Enemies, Strangers, Friends. Poles and Germans. [82]


You know who else is aligned on this matter? The other 26 EU countries, with each other, and also with Poland. Not exactly a profound indicator of great commonality.


Have you considered a career in politics or diplomacy? You seem quite good with these sweet nothings.

Travel / Scuba in Poland [6]


Sounds a lot like New York. I have only ever dived in New York twice, the overwhelming majority of the rest of my dives in the northern half of the East Coast happened in an abandoned and flooded quarry in Pennsylvania called Dutch Springs. The owner sunk some helicopters, planes, buses and other trash at the bottom of the quarry, and then there are floating platforms at different depths where one can rest or regroup with your class. I did a lot of training there for night diving, blind navigation, and other poor visibility shenanigans. It has a certain attraction.

It's nice to look at a school of mackerel, play with an octopus, or float above a reef. But at its core, scuba is a buddy sport, like alpinism or climbing. The fun is in taking care of each other, being obsessive about safety, and then later being able to share the story. I always got more of this on "technical" dives in more "gloomy" waters.

Plus I love wrecks.

I have an active Schengen visa now, but if this war goes on too much longer it will expire and I'm not sure if I can get a new one given the circumstances.

News / Poland is the new military power of Europe. [275]


Very well, sir, but you could you now explain what the structural breakdown is by associated claim?


Please, I'm not a mind reader. What do you mean?

News / Poland is the new military power of Europe. [275]

I had some thoughts about why Poland harbors all these strange paranoias about Russia.

Poland - really - is a caricature of a Great Power. If it thinks other don't notice, that's only Poland's fault. Everyone can see how Poland is very comfortable wearing the "big brother" mask around Lithuania, Slovakia, Belarus, Hungary, and even Czechia (somebody here keeps posting a graphic that shows how much more population and resources Poland has than the Czechs). Poland is many times bigger than its neighbors, and enjoys throwing its weight around.

The mere existence of Germany and Russia at its borders, two states that dwarf Poland's ambitions in terms of their reach, raises Poland's blood pressure. It's a constant reminder that there is a further "tier" above its little Visegrad and Intermarium bullsh!t. An ever present "reality check", that does not let Polish chauvinism flourish in all its glory, and instead makes Poland toxically vindictive.

If somebody is greater and stronger than Poland then there must be something intrinsically wrong with those countries. Russians are thieves and rapists, while Germans are soulless and murderous. In this way, Poland regains the higher moral ground and can continue feeling superior despite all outside indications to the contrary.

But seriously, please don't pretend Poland does not throw its weight around with its smaller neighbors. In some instances it behaves worse than Russia. For example, the tone in which Polish politicians speak to Lithuanian politicians. Reminds one of how Britain spoke to the Maharajas of India.

Off-Topic / Russian Views On Poland and Vice Versa [382]

@jon357

Russia should consider itself lucky. What other country receives so much helpful advice, from careful observers all around the world.

People care about us, and our well being.

News / Poland is the new military power of Europe. [275]


Lol. In this manner, nearly every war can be whitewashed. Look:

"If Poles only accepted, that past partitions were driven by leaders of the Russian state, that were not even ethnically Russian, spoke primarily French, and were all but completely isolated from 99% of the rest of the population."


Don't flatter yourself too much. Fantasizing about subjugation at the hands of the Poles is more a Ukrainian national past time. I don't think that many serious people in Russia think that Poland wants to "subjugate" us, or is even remotely capable of doing so.

Poland is viewed more as an annoying member of the crowd that seems to enjoy winding everybody up. "Hey! Did you see what he just did there?!" and "Aren't you gonna do something about it?"

Poland is basically Paulina.

Life / Do colored immigrants in Poland function better than in Western countries? [216]

@GefreiterKania

Really, quite irritating that Poles will hate Russia all day, but the only immigrants they seem to like are those from Russian territories.

Life / Do colored immigrants in Poland function better than in Western countries? [216]


Haha. Most of your Muslims are Russian-speaking Muslims.

Law / Can a tenant change locks to house without giving access to the landlord [37]

Burst pipes and blaring fire alarms aside, I would absolutely hate to know that at any moment my landlord may come in. Kind of sympathize with this fella.

Knowing how nosy Poles are, I would be doubly uncomfortable.

Off-Topic / Russian Views On Poland and Vice Versa [382]

@jon357

So... today we will not get an answer from you re: why your countrymen hate Russia with such unique flair, despite the fact it is located at the opposite end of the Continent?

Off-Topic / Russian Views On Poland and Vice Versa [382]

Not really. Just very irritating.

I came in for a simple Power of Attorney, and was subjected to their whole Ministry of Foreign Affairs retardation.

Off-Topic / Russian Views On Poland and Vice Versa [382]


TBH - to-date - it has been my own Russians that are much more curious about me, than anybody in America.

For example, I was told off by my consul in NYC for "not showing up". When I asked him WTF he meant by my "not showing up", he shocked me by asking a series of further questions, which included questions about my friend group in NYC (and why they were not "showing up"). Pretty surprised about the level to which they were informed re: my social circle in New York, I meekly asked them what it is exactly that they want from me. What they wanted was for me to show up to stupid meetings of local "intellectual leaders", and get other Russians to join us for these little shindigs. Similarly, they wanted me to agitate amongst the locals to vote in Russian elections. Thankfully, they did not instruct me that I'm supposed to bring only those people in that want to vote United Russia.

In general, I got the impression that the low-level people working in the local consulate and the Permanent Mission to the UN were a bunch of idiots.

Off-Topic / Russian Views On Poland and Vice Versa [382]


Hahaha!

If I would, I wouldn't say it here - would I - where Vincent will go running to the GCHQ, which will immediately get in contact with the FBI, and then in 5 hrs I have an agent at my door inviting himself in for a conversation.

I have enough drama in my life.

More seriously - of course I would not want to, or be able to, do anything that is harmful to US national security or the welfare of its citizens. I employ many Americans, my home is here - for what it's worth, and principally I do not feel that the USA and Russia are enemies, regardless of what our governments feed us.

I think there are a millions reasons for strong friendship between the United States and Russia. The conditions for this are simply not there, but I hope they will emerge in the future.

Off-Topic / Russian Views On Poland and Vice Versa [382]


Is there any reason to think the hundreds of thousands of Russians in the Czech Republic are plotting against their adopted country?

Is there any reason to think that I am plotting against the United States?

The space for "democracy" and "liberalism" seems to shrink rapidly with you Westerners, when shifting from topic to topic.

Back to the meat of the question: what might have been going through our minds?

1) Mass collaboration by Ukrainians and the peoples of the Caucasus with German occupying authorities

2) Insane internal pressure from counter-revolutionaries and "surrender monkeys"

3) Germans represented one of the most highly educated and thus important demographic groups. Their contribution to our war effort was enormous, from holding high government positions, to being crucial contributors to nuclear weapons research. We needed to keep them out of Hitler's reach. Russian and Baltic Germans, in general, are some of the smartest Germans in history.

Off-Topic / Russian Views On Poland and Vice Versa [382]


One could argue we had a lot more reason to do it, then the Americans had for putting the Japanese in concentration camps.

What? Was Japan going to land a huge invasion force in America?

But then, was Germany close to capturing the Volga region?

Too easy, children.

I'm not saying it is right, and as a Russian - I would want to apologize to all my former compatriots who are Germans now - but the situation was truly difficult.

Travel / Scuba in Poland [6]

This surprised me, when reading the reports in American press about how the Ukrainians likely blew up the pipeline. The Baltic is so shallow! Divers working off a helium/oxygen mix can comfortably work on its bottom to destroy a pipeline. The depth where the charges were placed was apparently 240 ft. I never went so low, but I did go to 160ft on Nitrox (22% O2), and I'm just... well... me. I imagine for a military frogman it was a walk in the park.

It's really a puddle, not a sea.

Off-Topic / Russian Views On Poland and Vice Versa [382]


You do realize that Russia is quite a bit more urbanized than Poland? Those "urban privileged" constitute a large majority of the population.

Now allow me to ask you a question, for a change. What is it that Russia ever did to Britain to deserve such hate, except sending thousands of our kids there and investing hundreds of billions into your country?

We didn't come like the Poles, faceless hordes with plunger and mop in hand, to steal jobs from your people. We sent you our best, and stuffed their pockets full of money before sending them.

I notice on this forum that it's almost always the Brits that are fire-breathing Russophobes. More so than the Poles, who one could argue have enough reasons to be butthurt. What gives?

We fought alongside you in the Napoleonic and World Wars. We never invaded you. The last piece of land we couldn't seem to find accommodation around was Afghanistan - in the 1800s. Is it the fact that we spearheaded the anti-colonialist movement which wrecked your precious empire?

Honestly, left scratching my head at the level of vitriol Brits have reserved for Russians. Doesn't seem to have any historic basis under it, other than the sour grapes of having lost your empire and seeing others still cling to theirs.

Off-Topic / Russian Views On Poland and Vice Versa [382]


I mean, Russia was no picnic in the 1990s. I don't really blame them, for using the option that was available to them to better their lives and that of their families.

Does leave a bit of a bad taste in the mouth. Fair weather friends, and all that. Nowhere near as bad as the Jews, who nearly all left - must be said.

The most loyal turned out to be the Koreans. Whose population is actually growing in Russia and CIS. Some of them tell me that Koreans don't really accept them as Koreans, with names like Roman Lee and Vladimir Kim.

Life / Do colored immigrants in Poland function better than in Western countries? [216]


*clicks heels*

GENAU, OBERSTURMBANNFUHRER JON! Russian untermenschen swine must be reminded their place!

*salutes, performs rapid about-turn*

Life / Do colored immigrants in Poland function better than in Western countries? [216]


Except Russians, who are Orcs.

Off-Topic / Russian Views On Poland and Vice Versa [382]

@Alien

It includes our Volga Germans that "repatriated", despite living in Russia for 300+ years. It includes others too, not just the Volga folk. The German term for them is literally Russlanddeutsche, or Russia Germans.

Off-Topic / Russian Views On Poland and Vice Versa [382]

From Politico:

Czech President Petr Pavel says Russian citizens living abroad should be put under "strict surveillance" by intelligence services in their host countries.

Wow! So much for Western values. How does he justify this action? Why, by referring to the internment of Japanese Americans. Something the last 4 presidents of the United States have been routinely apologizing for:

"I can be sorry for these people, but at the same time when we look back, when the Second World War started, all the Japanese population living in the United States were under a strict monitoring regime as well"

I look forward to Western surveillance. PolAmKow warned me they would come for me one day) I am ready.

# of Russians living abroad (a lot of work for Petr Pavel):

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Life / Do colored immigrants in Poland function better than in Western countries? [216]


Oh boy... Ireland does not belong in that list.

I know "Poland Christ of All Nations", "The Virgin Undefiled" and all that... but Ireland? Ireland has suffered more than Poland at the hands of bigger neighbors for... oh well a thousand years or so. Holocaust? Meet the MULTIPLE English-engineered famines. Ireland has a population in 2023, that is lower than it was in the middle of the 19th century. Find me another country like that. You don't see the Irish weeping and moaning about it to anyone who will listen.

I doubt the Irish are trying to stuff Poland full of emigrants out of some colonial indifference. Will keep reading the thread, but seeing so much Barney and Atch here - I feel you know what you did wrong.

Edit: I see you've been taken to task ;)