News / Poland's News sources [59]

To me one difference is that a Populist will simply believe that what appeals to the majority of citizens is right , however small that majority is. He also disregards practical aspects and a common theme is that the resulting goodies are often paid for by the people who did not vote for them - normally people who are able to think logically that all govt actions have costs and consequences.

Today's example with the domestic violence law illlustrates that - it is possible that 51 percent of Poles agree with that but the 49 percent who do not are all the doctors, lawyers, police etc that have had to address the issue in the past and will be the ones tasked with its implementation

Genealogy / Leszczynski surname, Balcerzak [51]

It is a common name in Lithuania but spelled Lescinskas - there will be hundreds of them using this Lithuanian form

Law / The right to own guns: would you support such legislation in Poland? [2237]

Nasz kraj nasze zasady

As a proud Pole you should no that means no guns unless you want to join the hunting club and be tested by a shrink

Law / The right to own guns: would you support such legislation in Poland? [2237]

1212

You will have to ask Ironside about his data - he does not give his source

Law / The right to own guns: would you support such legislation in Poland? [2237]

As said a few posts up 86 percent of Poles in a poll are against it.

No major party has ever included looser gun laws in their election manifesto. Only Kukiz has ever mentioned it.

I'm sure there are gun nut forums you can visit to discuss your love of guns.

Law / The right to own guns: would you support such legislation in Poland? [2237]

Even if they want to they can not - its going to remian strictly controlled, just as the Polish public wants

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

Dolno - there has been that split for 15 years but what is different now is that the towns in the east and the small towns in the west are not voting for PiS.

As a result there is a huge gap growing between the political views of those people who pay taxes and employ people and those that do not - it is very dangerous for the country and neither of the political sides is doing enough to fix this issue.

I think there are quite a lot of people who are happy with the policies of PiS but are put off by the links with the church and the vindictiveness and propaganda

Life / Polish Wedding March & Funny Hat [37]

Fair enough - horses for courses. But if you can't find common ground with her family over an innocent party game then probably no surprise that your marriage was a challenge. At my own wedding there were some daft local traditions but I was drunk, everyone else was drunk and generally happy - it's a Polish wedding after all. A good rule of thumb at Polish family events (and work events) is that if you join in and smile and laugh then they will like you for that.

Life / Polish Wedding March & Funny Hat [37]

Wearing a silly hat for a few minutes made you so upset ?

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

But I think PiS I doing quite well in the suburbs - their message definitely resonates with young families who have some spare money for the first time

UK, Ireland / Double Taxation coming back between Poland & UK? [6]

Yes when you set up a Polish bank account you have to say where you pay tax - it is to comply with US regulations.

It is also the same in German banks and probably in other countries.

As for paying tax twicw then you shouldn't have to but if there is a no deal Brexit then yes the Polish-british tax treaty would need to be either extended or renegotiated - if neither of those things happened then yes you would pay tax twice. It's unlikely at the moment but certainly not impossible.

Law / How do I verify a Polish company's existence? [249]

It looks weird - there is a street with that name - Pelcowiczna actually but the postcode and office address looks strange.

Ask them for a NIP number and a REGON number - if you have those then you can easily check online who the owners are.

Law / Opening a Mini Market Store in Poland. Starting cost / Expected monthly income? [22]

Yes it might but you will need to sell a lot to cover Warsaw rents - minimum is around 60 zloty per sqm

History / Do Polish people in general dislike Russia or Germany more? [369]

Ever tried to do business there Vlad ?

History / Do Polish people in general dislike Russia or Germany more? [369]

Yeah right Canada.

What kind od reforms ? Rule of law, free markets, citizens rights - you know the script

History / Do Polish people in general dislike Russia or Germany more? [369]

No it is not one of the richest now - but it is in the middle and has overtaken wvery other east european nation except Slovenia.

The poorest ? Moldova, Ukraine, Belarus, Armenia, Serbia, Kosovo etc. What they all have in common is Russian intervention and a refusal to reform.

History / Do Polish people in general dislike Russia or Germany more? [369]

Yes in 1939 they bombarded and destroyed many Eastern Polish cities with artillery. Whole villages were burned and the inhabitants slaughtered and raped during the Soviet advance at the end of the war,

Yes the USSR deported hundreds of thousands of Poles, basically just for being Polish,

Soviet rule left Poland one of the poorest countries in Europe by 1989.

Life / Differences between Irish, British, Polish, American and other nations culture, tradition, music - loose talk [241]

What ? You dont like either American or British music ? INXS and ACDC it is then :)

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

These elite nazis would be over 100 now. Probably unable to go to the toilet unassisted, let alone take over Europe.

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

There is some truly nutty economics on this thread. All of the stupid claims come from people who don't live in Poland and have little or no

experience of what it was like before 2004.

Yes EU funds are only 2% of GDP but trade with the EU, investment from EU companies, salaries deriving therefrom, spending all those salaries in the Polish economy et cetera et cetera adds up to more like 50% of GDP. Which makes sense because GDP has more than doubled since 2004.

Of course the zloty was getting stronger in 1999 - that's because accession talks had already started and it was clear that Poland would join the EU.

Of course the road building program is flawed but it is still a hell of a lot better than before 2004 when literally nothing was done. Want a comparison? Try driving around a non-EU country like Ukraine or Moldova.

The number of foreign investors in Poland since the start of EU accession talks has tripled. Yes some of the big boys came in before then - mainly those that could afford losses while the economy strengthened.

You have votes and voices in the US and your government they can spend money on whatever they like. How you suddenly decide that you know what is best for this economy from your Illinois bedrooms is beyond me.

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

No they cant. Tarriffs and non tarriff barriers have to be identical for all 28 countries.

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

Hungary has the same trade deal with China as the other 27 countries have - thats how the EU works.

News / Poland's Future in the EU under PIS [51]

No - that is total nonsense

there would be no bilateral deal with Germany, France, czech, italy etc. That is what the UK have just found out.

Any bilateral deals with other countries outside the EU are obviously going to be worse than the ones that the EU got to go see it - Polsnd would only have the negotiating power of one mid-sized quite poor country.

Were you alive in 2003? Do you really remember what any of the trade deals were like before EU membership? Remember higher prices for inferior products, huge queues at the border and lomg waits to get your stuff into the country?

News / Poland's Future in the EU under PIS [51]

That's precisely it Maf - at the bery moment when pragmatism is needed she could only form a govt by getting the 10 votes from the Northern ireland protestants.

The catholic party Sinn Fein also has about 7 seats but they dont use their vote in parliament because I don't recognise themselves as part of Britain. If they did then they could probably bring down the government this time.

I can't see either Brexit or the Irish border problem being solved without another election.

News / Poland's Future in the EU under PIS [51]

Social benefits for tax paying Poles would be a good start ! At the moment they hardly exist - and its not the fault of immigrants

News / Poland's Future in the EU under PIS [51]

Its not an issue imposed by the EU. Its ab obligation of the 1998 peace treaty that he EU and the UK and Ireland uphold the agreed border arrangements- so the EU is fulfilling that role while the UK wants to walk away

News / Mister President Andrzej Duda - Best Poland could get. [96]

What is the point of proposing an alternative since Duda is only half way through his term and unlike Jaroslaw he seems to be in perfect health,

It's perfeclty valid o question his decisions. Hopefully we will get someone in 2020 who at least is his own man and not a puppet and who would stand up for democracy,

Off-Topic / Social Media - who uses Facebook or similar? [45]

Of course - stands to reason that a 34 year old tech billionaire would take instructions from a retired 80 something banker, whose fortune is about 30 times smaller than his own.

Interestingly those who attribute the stock market boom to Trump ignore just how much of the increase is being driven by tech companies values rising while they are hoovering up advertising markets and consumers,

Advertisers are not interested in the alt right because they are generally old, low income and unwilling to try new products.

But the solution is obvious - they can start their own social media site where anything goes, they can abuse people, praise Putin or engage in conspiracy theories until the cows come home. The billion odd people who want to stick with Facebook can then be at peace while they take photos of their kids sandcastles and check out their ex girlfriends new hunk.

Off-Topic / Social Media - who uses Facebook or similar? [45]

If you don't like it then there is a simple solution- leave. Its not compulsory to use it and probabky healthier and more productive not to.

Why doesn't Arron Banks or Bannonj or the Koch brothers make some kind of swivel eyed facebook where people can say what they want all day long ? That would solve the problem

Off-Topic / Social Media - who uses Facebook or similar? [45]

No because i only use it for the most innocuous reasons - liking vacation snaps or sports results. I cant be bothered to argue about politics there.

Its a private business and they can do what they want - there is a thread about thus with Rich talking nonsense- comparing it to water, electricity, email etc