History / 1920 Germany Lands in exchange for the Eastern Lands? [31]


Interesting, but at the same time not surprising coming from the biggest lover of Latin Civilization on PF.


Poland would possibly not exist.

Absolutely natural for a Pole to describe the Grand Duchy as a ballast, but any person who is even a little bit familiar with Polish history will understand this is some very strong wishful thinking.

Lithuania is what gave you the muscle and weight to be what you were at your peak. If your plan was to grow this muscle by chewing it off from the Prussians/Germans next door... well! The Roman Empire broke its teeth on Germania, what can be expected then from its fan club which came into existence 10 centuries later?

News / The quality of Polish media coverage [54]

This thread was started in 2011. It is 2023 now, and Polish journalism is as bad as it has ever been.

It is funny that Kania continues to debate me on this subject, when this very thread is proof that Polish media is sh!t.

Reasons:

1) Myopic viewpoint - everything from Poland's regional perspective. Understandable, perhaps, but a disservice to the loyal readers.

2) Incredibly partisan. I feel like I am reading American papers, in the level to which things are presented as black and white depending on who you are reading.

3) Simply poorly written, in many cases. I do not pretend to be some Polish literary critic, most often needing a dictionary to read a paragraph, but I get the sense that the newspapers are not exactly full of the brightest Polish language graduates from the Jagiellonian. I don't learn many new words, or much of anything new from reading Polish newspapers. Polish newspapers make me feel like I already understand enough Polish.

4) Strange mix of tabloid and serious content within the same paper. Is there not enough readership for niche papers by class?

5) Connected perhaps to the above, and the general difficulty of making money by printing news in Poland, but so little original reporting. Already argued with Kania about this, and he pointed out some guy that is camped out in Ukraine. While that may be true, the absolute majority of foreign reporting articles are translations from English or German articles printed by the parent company, or some other publication.

History / 1920 Germany Lands in exchange for the Eastern Lands? [31]

Not much to add beyond what Kania has said.

You cannot give, what you do not control.

Yesterday I may have been making jokes about what piece of Ukraine, Ironside would like to annex... However - reality is of course more complex.

Trying to take my Russian hat off, and be a neutral commentator:

1) The "German" lands are primarily populated by Kresy-origin Poles. In many cases, entire villages were relocated from modern Belarus to current Silesia. Many of those people continued to "live on suitcases" for the first few years after the deportations, because they wanted to go home.

2) Many, very many, of Poland's greatest authors and statesmen came from the Kresy. Rej, who is considered the father of Polish literature, was born in modern Zhuravno, Ukraine. Mickiewicz was born in what is modern Belarus. The same man, that wrote: "Litwo, Ojczyzno moja! ty jesteś jak zdrowie". As a foreigner, these were my first introductions to Poland, and the way I came to take an interest in it.

3) Bottom line, Poland has a significantly stronger connection to the East, than it does to what it lost in the West many centuries ago.

Life / In Poland on holiday - need help with bad case of homesickness [108]

On the one hand, I want to crow over Lenka's feeling of missing out. On the other hand, I'm in the same goddamn boat - so who does it make me if I laugh at Lenka?

Regarding the first part:

1) The grass really isn't always greener on the other side.

2) The absolute majority of the emigres I meet in New York, specifically those that moved in the '80s, '90s, or even early 2000s - are miserable people that have nothing but envy in reserve for those that stayed at home and made considerably more money than a person living on Brighton Beach (while also remaining in touch with family, and the place that birthed you).

3) From what you write - it is evident that when you were leaving it was a seemingly well calculated decision based on the fact that you could not envision Poland affording you the same life. Well - here is karma, in the form of your current anxiety.

Now for the other side:

1) You have brilliant English (but not much better than Kania's, Paulina's, or Pawian's who stayed home)

2) You are able to participate in discussions from a unique perspective, which is rarely heard from the above mentioned compatriots

3) I am sure that you have acted as a wonderful ambassador for the nation of Poland itself - charming and light-footed as you are.

4) Not everything can be measured in terms of "quality of life", or "comfort of the soul". Perhaps Poland is catching up, and soon there will be no meaningful difference in living in the UK or Poland. Still, the experience of leaving and starting life anew in a new place - whether they like it or not - makes you stronger than the average Pole. In this life - strength matters.

Finally - one last thought on the subject:

* Having been born in Poland - you'll always be a Pole. Whatever sparkly and beautiful things in Poland that you see now - that pull at your heart - it's all yours anyway. Take this from a Russian living in NY.

News / Polish Parliamentary Elections 2023 [933]

I seriously doubt Somalians will stay in Poland for longer than it takes them to receive in the mail their refugee documents from Germany or France.

As a Pole, it is of course normal that you imagine the country as some Garden of Eden. However, Somalians are not stupid.

Life / Specific Military to join? [13]

@privateer

Hey man, it looks like you've been trying/thinking about joining the Polish military for the last 8 years. My opinion, do with it what you will, is that it is perhaps a little too late to make a career out of it.

However, one place where they will always take you is Wagner. Benefits of joining Wagner:

1) Gain combat experience - GUARANTEED
2) No boring office positions!
3) Motivated colleagues
4) Many opportunities for growth
5) Free life insurance
6) Travel the world
7) Learn new languages

Drawbacks:

1) Life expectancy of approximately 6 months. Use it well!

Language / Dupa - what a beautiful Polish word [103]


Is this unique to Polish anatomy?

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


Guy is a clown and a joke. He is more irritating to us than you. We will deal with him.

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


Do it then.

Where is famous Polish big balls?

Off-Topic / Lovely Souvenirs Thread [11]


Are you stupid? You know there is a party in Italy called Forza Italia?

Off-Topic / Lovely Souvenirs Thread [11]

@GefreiterKania

I cannot share a photo, because I am not home.

My favorite souvenir is a painting of a whale hunt given to me by some Inuit orphans. I was working once for a month at a volunteer camp in Greenland, attempting to fix the fresh water supply situation to their little island in a fjord. The seasonal ice flows kept destroying the mast that held up the pipeline during the daily high tide/low tide volatility.

I spent most of my free time drinking, and bothering local fishermen for tobacco to roll. A couple times when I ran out of alcohol, I chartered a boat to come pick me up and deliver me to Nuuk (capital) and back. Basically, was acting like a complete degenerate. The costs of my little alcohol runs, were probably 10X the cost of what the entire volunteer project was about.

But the orphans knew nothing about this. They thought of me as some hero. Daily I was consumed by guilt. Then they gave me their gift, and it broke my heart. In an instant, all of their pain landed on the heart, and I knew what an ass I was.

Now I look at this painting often, and wonder how their careers are shaping up. Who they married. What they do.

History / Poles should apologise to Ukrainians first [395]


Really? Even when Ukraine was inside the USSR, Pawian was already a Ukrainophile? Pray tell us, what attractive aspect of Ukrainianness sparked this love in your heart?

Surely you could - as a self-professed Ukrainophile - tell us about your favorite Ukrainian composers, authors, painters, and scientists? What is your favorite Ukrainian play? Some Ukrainian actress, drove you mad in your youth?

Maybe you are more scientifically inclined, and have been following the development of Ukrainian science throughout your life? Tell us about a Ukrainian Nobel Prize winner, to which you really look up to?

History / Poles should apologise to Ukrainians first [395]


I know you are connected by blood to this tragedy - so for you it is different. However, I don't accept this framework personally.

I don't think the dead judge you for extending out a hand of assistance. The dead judge you for not being firmer in using your current position of extreme leverage vis a vis the Ukrainians, to extract from them a recognition of the terrible crimes committed in the past.

No people is bad in and of itself. But the current government in Ukraine, represents a force that is antithetical to the very ideas of Polishness and Russiannness. This is why we should work together to correct this distressing aberration.

History / Poles should apologise to Ukrainians first [395]


Everybody will understand Poland, after the trainload of sh!t Ukraine dumped on you.


Perhaps... but in this case we did not even lay a finger to creating the current mess. It's our enemies, eyes wide shut, stepping onto these land mines.

Nobody had a gun to Poland's head, when it decided to run in front of the entire train - without understanding what exactly was happening in Ukraine. In your thirst to poke the bear in the eye, you ended up embracing your nemesis.

That's on you, not us.

History / Poles should apologise to Ukrainians first [395]


Amen. This is all we need.

History / Poles should apologise to Ukrainians first [395]


Strange thing to say, when PiS is the party that made Poland the number one ally of Ukraine, outside the sole superpower.

Poland is even ahead of great powers like Germany, France and the UK when it comes to help. What do you want more from PiS?

History / Poles should apologise to Ukrainians first [395]


Very satisfying to read how you are preparing popcorn for what every Russian observer would have called the "inevitable" meeting of perceptions and reality, for Poles and Ukrainians. However, it also pisses me off - extremely.

Why do you not listen to us? I have been writing here, for years, that I feel very bad for Poland that it has acquired such a friend as Ukraine. Ukraine thinks of nobody but Ukraine. The whole world owes Ukraine. Ukraine is the center of the known universe.

History / Warsaw Rising 1944 - National Disaster or Triumph of Spirit ? [515]


I don't know...

I think Bor-Komorowski and Jankowski are criminals, but Stalin also did an ugly thing.

History / Warsaw Rising 1944 - National Disaster or Triumph of Spirit ? [515]


Yes:

In this country, we have one point from which every evil emanates. That point is Warsaw. If we didn't have Warsaw in the , we wouldn't have four-fifths of the difficulties with which we must contend. - German Governor General, Hans Frank, Krakow 14 December 1943

The uprising consumed enormous resources. It ground up nearly 5 divisions worth of Germans, and gave them a taste of something familiar. See below:

This is the fiercest of our battles since the start of the war. It compares to the street battles of Stalingrad.

- Heinrich Himmler, SS chief, to German generals on 21 September 1944.

Respect.

History / Warsaw Rising 1944 - National Disaster or Triumph of Spirit ? [515]


This guy has a good speechwriter.

As a Russian, it still breaks the heart to read about this wild uprising. We like to think we suffered the most at the hands of the Germans, but Poles may have us beat there. To imagine what those young people felt, when they had an opportunity for the first time in 5 years to kick the Germans in the teeth... crazy. The way it ended, just rounds out the brutal symbolism.

History / Poles should apologise to Ukrainians first [395]

@pawian

Eh... I guess. It's you who made this thread about ancient Ruthenian history.

I could just as easily argue that the current drama between the Polish and Ukrainian governments, directly affects the dynamics within the discussion about historic apologies. No?

Ukraine butchered Poles as recently as the 1940s - not in ancient Rus. Now Poles in 2023 (the present), are amongst the leading allies of Ukraine. A reasonable person may conclude that this should put some pressure on the Ukrainians to respond symmetrically - within their means - by addressing an issue close to Polish hearts.

Instead - Ukraine is saying effectively: "Thankful for what? Protecting your asses?". This should tell you how they will approach the apology question as well.

History / Poles should apologise to Ukrainians first [395]

Zelensky's office further reacted, yesterday, to the accusations from Poland that Ukraine has shown insufficient gratitude.

Responding to statements issued by some guy in Duda's office (Marcin Przydacz), the deputy head of Zelensky's presidential administration (Andrey Sibiga) replied:

"We categorically reject the attempts of individual Polish politicians to impose on the Polish society the unfounded opinion that allegedly Ukraine does not appreciate the help from Poland. This is obviously a game for its own opportunistic interests, which has nothing to do with reality. Manipulation. And reality is a friendly and an open dialogue between the Presidents of Ukraine and Poland, between whom there is a high level of understanding and mutual trust.

"Polish weapons in the hands of the Ukrainian military effectively deter the Russian aggressor. And supporting us with weapons is not charity, but an investment in Poland's own security. It is the Ukrainians who today protect the values ​​and security of our region and do this also in the interests of Poland and the entire free world," - Sibiga noted, adding that this is the "highest level of gratitude", which is strange not to notice.

Translated from Russian with Google Translate.

Source: pravda.com.ua/rus/news/2023/07/31/7413636/

In other news, the Ukrainian MFA has called the Polish ambassador in Kiev to arrive for "consultations".

News / Referendum to decide about exotic immigrants in Poland [559]


Come on, be serious...

In a domestic setting, perhaps. Not commercially.

Egypt is 110M people, and a GDP almost $2T in PPP.

There are very poor areas of Egypt, and very rich areas - sure. But they know what a tractor is, and have the means to buy one. It just doesn't make sense when your total property is 1 hectare, which I think you are talking about. Then it really is better to use an ox, or borrow your neighbor's tractor.

Life / The Pole is happy when someone else cries... [75]


My god, why this of all the things I said? I will come home from work, and do a proper post for you about Polish collaboration in suppressing the Hungarian revolt.

Off-Topic / Being a Slav: a blessing or a curse? [199]


Here is an article in one of the largest newspapers in Russia, with an entire section titled: "The Ukrainian from Siberia".

His parents were born to Ukrainian settlers who moved to Siberia.

Source: aif.ru/amp/society/history/k_u_znachit_chernenko_istoriya_samogo_strannogo_lidera_sovetskogo_soyuza


Yeah, and they are Ukrainian or Polish on the patrilineal side.

Life / The Pole is happy when someone else cries... [75]


Poland and Hungary were cooperating in their little nasty mutiny. Poland got "bonked" first. Very quickly at that. Then Poland became instrumental in explaining to us how everything worked inside the Hungarian liberal camp, and in identifying the key persons to be removed.

Off-Topic / Being a Slav: a blessing or a curse? [199]

Is "Chernenko" not enough for you? What Russian, or Belarusian has a name ending in "-Ko"? He is either a dirty Hohol or a Pole.

Off-Topic / Being a Slav: a blessing or a curse? [199]


So what? If I was born in Kazakhstan, am I Kazakh now?

Off-Topic / Being a Slav: a blessing or a curse? [199]

@pawian

I guess you have not heard of Brezhnev, Chernenko, and Gorbachev.

Life / The Pole is happy when someone else cries... [75]


I noticed you did not mention the crushing of the Prague Spring. I suppose your Google skills were sufficient for that.

Now, do some research into Gomulka's actions after Soviets helped him stabilize situation in Poland. What did he promise? What did he do?