News / Israel opposing potential new Polish law to criminalise term 'Polish death camps' [1539]


And don't forget a sizeable number of their EU partners as well :))

News / Israel opposing potential new Polish law to criminalise term 'Polish death camps' [1539]

That was me :)) Post #101 on this thread.

News / Israel opposing potential new Polish law to criminalise term 'Polish death camps' [1539]

That's a very good point CMS, about the legal definition of the nation, but one not likely to be answered accurately here.

News / Israel opposing potential new Polish law to criminalise term 'Polish death camps' [1539]


Care to bring a test case? I don't think I'd want to risk it!

There is something inherently sinister about laws that single out specifics in what one can or cannot say. There are shades of the old 'denouncement' vibe there. If I hear my neighbour or co-worker saying that Jan Kowalski worked for the Nazis, I'd be quite within my rights to report it to the police..........I just find the principle underlying that kind of legislation somewhat worrying.

News / Israel opposing potential new Polish law to criminalise term 'Polish death camps' [1539]


The exact wording of the law is

"whoever accuses, publicly and against the facts, the Polish nation, or the Polish state, of being responsible or complicit in the Nazi crimes" so that would cover individuals.

The Polish nation refers to the people of Poland. The Oxford dictionary defines 'nation' as follows:

'A large body of people united by common descent, history, culture, or language, inhabiting a particular state or territory.'

So the law does make it illegal to allege that individual Poles were complicit in the murder or mistreatment of Jews.

The wording of the law exempts artists and scientific researchers from prosecution. This means that a film maker for example can depict a Polish person engaging in anti-Jewish activities and an academic paper can investigate the topic but a journalist could be prosecuted, and what about an author?? Do they count as an 'artist', I would say not. And of course any individual on a forum such as this could be prosecuted. It is without doubt, an infringement of the civil liberties of Polish people.

News / Israel opposing potential new Polish law to criminalise term 'Polish death camps' [1539]


I actually agree that 'Polish death camps' is an inappropriate and misleading phrase. It would be better to refer to them as 'Nazi death camps located on the occupied territory of Poland' or something similar. But I'm not sure that making the phrase illegal is the best way to deal with it. However, I completely disagree with making it illegal to refer to alleged Polish complicity in the Holocaust because certainly, some Polish people, even if it was only a small minority, were complicit in the deaths of Jew. Even if none had been, history needs to be a topic for free and open discussion in a free and open society. Rather than claiming it didn't happen, one looks at why it happened.


It isn't. The logic behind it has nothing to do with addressing long term issues of poverty. It's about trying to fix the problem of an aging population with the looming possibility of not enough money in the state coffers to cover pensions. Encourage people to 'breed like rabbits' by throwing money at them and Bob's your uncle. No help at all in either combatting poverty or fixing the population problem. It's unsustainable in the long term and is likely to disappear if PIS wins the next election. They won't need it anymore as a vote- catcher.

Btw Mods, when I tried to use italics just now, I was told not to quote excessively - there's a bug in your software.

Language / Etymology of the word "brat" - in Poland and other Slavic countries [21]

Here's something you'll enjoy Crow, in honour of St Brigid whose feast day is tomorrow and coincides with our ancient Irish pagan festival of Imbolc, first day of Irish Spring. You can hear the distinctly Slavic influence in this ancient song:

youtube.com/watch?v=tP5FS6IXJJA

Enjoy!

Language / Etymology of the word "brat" - in Poland and other Slavic countries [21]

Well I just did a bit of Googling, it's one of my specialties, I am to Google what a pig is to truffles and there is an old Irish (Gaelic) word 'rascal' meaning a cloak of rough cloth. The English word rascal on the other hand derives from the old French 'rascaille' for rabble. So perhaps somebody out there in internet land thereby drew a doubtful conclusion that the English word 'brat' derived from the Irish 'brat' meaning cloak. This is getting a bit confusing but you know what I mean roughly I think! Also just to keep things on topic, has Beata Thingummy ever been known to wear a 'brat'?

Language / Etymology of the word "brat" - in Poland and other Slavic countries [21]

Mmm, I don't know. In the Irish language, the word 'brat' means flag, but I think in Old Irish, it was a cloak. However neither has anything to do with a 'brat' in the English sense of the word.

Language / Etymology of the word "brat" - in Poland and other Slavic countries [21]

@ Casual Observer, yes, he means Brother. Crow is our resident eccentric. We've decided to find it charming.

Work / Can I find a job in Poland that requires speaking in English? [82]

Dominic is right. Think about it Max. Why would a Polish employer need you when he can find a local person with native fluency in Polish and adequate English skills to fill the role? The only time employers need to recruit a foreign national is if they can't find a local candidate with the necessary skills and experience. The fact that you've studied/are studying through English at a Polish university won't be of any interest to them.

History / Roman Dmowski-Patriot, Nationalist, Anti-Semite? [252]


What are my political leanings? I'm not in favour of unfettered immigration into Europe if that's what you mean. Where did you get that idea from?

History / Roman Dmowski-Patriot, Nationalist, Anti-Semite? [252]


I never suggested such a thing.


Because America has a large Jewish population, Americans take a lot of notice of what goes on in Israel etc. Ireland doesn't because we have fewer than 3,000 Jews in the entire country so the reality is that Jewish, Israeli or "Zionist" politics are not an issue on which the majority of the Irish population would have an opinion.

History / Roman Dmowski-Patriot, Nationalist, Anti-Semite? [252]

I suppose it's because it's a Polish forum. Of course it's ridiculous to single out Poles for such prejudices, there was plenty of anti-semitism in other countries and had been for centuries. But this forum is full of weirdos Kaprys and most of the 'I'm not anti-semitic, I'm just anti-Zionist' nonsense we see on this forum comes from Pol-Ams who've picked up their attitudes from America, not from Poland. Speaking as an Irish person, we have sod-all interest in Zionism, most ordinary people would never even have heard the term, and we have no issues with Jews either. Americans, or those who were raised in America, bring their particular brand of politics to this forum and a certain strand of American society is obsessed with Jews.

In fact I just checked and the person who started this thread is American - I rest my case.

History / Roman Dmowski-Patriot, Nationalist, Anti-Semite? [252]

Are you being sarcastic Kaprys? Are you suggesting that such prejudices were uncommon a hundred years ago?? Because you'll find that they most certainly weren't, not just in Britain either but in Europe and America. Such prejudices continue to exist today but openly expressed, prejudiced remarks are less common as they have become socially unacceptable.

I'll give you an example. In 1993 a study was carried out in Australia regarding attitudes to the ill and disabled in a multi-cultural society. They found that while the German and Anglo groups were the most accepting, other groups were significantly less so but across all nationalities:

"people with AIDS, mental retardation, psychiatric illness and cerebral palsy, the least accepted of the disability groups."

Also very interesting was the fact " These stigma hierarchies were remarkably similar to other hierarchies reported over the last 23 years."

So in a quarter of century there had been little change in society's attitudes towards those with mental disability or psychiatric illness.

History / Roman Dmowski-Patriot, Nationalist, Anti-Semite? [252]

I would say that the answer is to educate your children to question things, look to a variety of sources for the answers and to be independent thinkers who form their own opinions, rather than simply accepting one source as the authority. But you need to be aware that if you do so, you will have to deal with the fact that they will also question YOU and be ready to accept the fact that their views may be different to your own.

News / Americans incite hatred towards Russia in Polish media [75]

Would you ever get up the yard as they say in Dublin. Check out the origins of that expression here.:

urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=get%20up%20the%20yard

I didn't say you were a nutter ; I said a 'bit of a nutter'. There's the qualifier. You're not as bad as you used to be. God Almighty, when you first showed up here you were truly demented. Try not to get yourself suspended again, careful now.

History / POLISH AND RUSSIAN FRIENDSHIP WILL LAST FOREVER [513]

He is. Russian Jews therefore must have a special place in his heart. Two for the price of one. God is indeed good :D

News / Americans incite hatred towards Russia in Polish media [75]


Well now to be fair Siggy (Siggy Stardust - sounds good!) you also have a lot of poverty in America and people living in their cars. I find individual Russians whom I've encountered very likeable and despite the country's politics both present day and past, they have a wonderfully rich cultural history. Russia is just a terrible tragedy from start to finish.

Having said that, Ktos generally talks through his arse. But he's a bit of a nutter so you shouldn't really take too much notice of him :))

Study / British School of Warsaw in Wilanow [73]


If the forum is so moribund why are you here??


And for you, it's all about Russia.........

As for assimilation I agree up to a point. For children under the age of six, attending pre-school, then definitely local is the way to go. But as children get older, that becomes impractical. If an eleven year old is coming to Poland for two or three years, they can't have their academic education disrupted in that way. However, I think it would be a good thing if international schools had some program of mutual involvement and exchange between their students and local schools. People shouldn't live in a social bubble. Also kids at international schools should be obliged to do some kind of 'local' or community studies course, educating them about the country they are living in and they should be involved in community activities.

Genealogy / WWII Polish Military information / WWII artillery units [25]

I would say it's quite likely a Jewish name. Doesn't sound particularly Polish and I see from the Wiki article that the Alexander Pakentreger mentioned in it was born in Kalisz where there was a Jewish community. There's a book about the Jews of Kalisz though it's written as Kalish in the title.

Genealogy / WWII Polish Military information / WWII artillery units [25]

Having done a quick bit of Googling for the Poles in Eindhoven, I came up with the Polish Parachute Brigade, Third Battalion. They were only in the area for a couple of weeks during which time they lost 400 men. Here's a link to more details:

derekcrowe.com/post.aspx?id=153

The records for the Polish servicemen fighting with the British have been held by the British Ministry of Defence since the war but are now in the process of being transferred to Poland. However your grandfather's records, if they have any for him, may still be accessible.

USA, Canada / Sending candy from America to Poland - what kind? [7]


Just to be picky - you know how much I enjoy correcting everyone about everything :)) but none of those are 'American' (well except for Snickers I think). They're all Biritsh products, manufactured under license in the States. However, they may taste a bit different due to using to using local ingredients. For example, the milk used would affect the quality and taste of the chocolate. Cadbury's chocolate definitely tastes different depending on where it's made.

Genealogy / Polish looks? - part 2 [81]

I don't think you look especially Polish. There are many different types of Polish face, colouring etc. You could be any European nationality really.

USA, Canada / Sending candy from America to Poland - what kind? [7]

There's very little American candy available in Poland. I haven't eaten much American candy but I find it very sweet and sugary, a bit lacking in flavour, so I would just suggest that you buy the very best quality American stuff, rather than the most popular. Polish candy and chocolate are generally very good quality and pretty delicious so you have a high standard to meet :))

News / Abortion still under control in Poland [2986]

Such people generally don't really care what happens to a disabled child after it's born. Money aside, you won't see them volunteering or spending even 10 minutes once a week, at the bedside of a severely disabled child, and even less so, that child when it becomes an adult, stroking its head and wiping the saliva from its face. No. That's somebody elses's responsibility.

News / EU triggers Article 7, could strip Poland of voting rights [91]

If that happens - it hasn't yet - it will happen democratically by a vote. The triggering of Article 7 has been brought about by a vote to do so, made by Poland's fellow Members of the European Parliament. Many posters here seem to be quite confused about how the EU works. For example I'm Irish and the Irish MEPs who are elected by the Irish people, all voted to trigger Article 7. So it's the other countries who will be depriving Poland of their voting rights, if it comes to that.

Life / Why are Poles always so miserable? Why do they never smile? [512]


I must say that even if it starts with training, smiling seems to come as easily and naturally to Polish people as it does to anyone else once they form the habit of it. I don't feel that the smiles I encounter are fake. I believe they are genuine. Like you, I don't expect the sales person or office worker to be beaming at me. I just expect an open, pleasant expression that acknowledges me and encourages me to interact with them.

I also find that if you are a regular customer, be it in the meat shop or the bank, the staff soon get to know you, welcome you with a smile and are quite genuine. Being Irish myself, I tend to be very chatty and I've found out all about their families, their children, grandchildren, their boyfriends/girlfriends, what they're making for lunch today etc. Lately I've been discussing Christmas cooking with people and have been given lots of kindly advice and tips. I even know where some of them live and what their pets are called :)) The funny thing is that my husband who is Polish finds it mildly embarrassing. He doens't like accompanying me into shops where I'm 'known'. He says 'do you have 'friends' in here? Ok, I'll wait outside.'! He says that kind of thing might be normal in Ireland but it's weird in Poland :) Then he just laughs and says 'you and your Irish ways'.

Life / Bilingual kids in Polish schools [30]


Or a Southern Belle, Gone with the Wind style :))


Don't know about Britain but in Irish schools Miss and Mrs have been pretty abandoned by the younger staff in favour of Ms. In my childhood the teachers were generally known by the Irish forms of their names. So for example Miss Ryan would be Iníon Ní Rían (quite a mouthful for a four year old to get their head round!) and Mrs White would be Bean De Faoite.

Life / Bilingual kids in Polish schools [30]


I know what you mean Delph. It is a bit cringeworthy and a bit like What Katy Did or Ann of Green Gables but it's a compromise between my Montessori training where the kids use only the teacher's Christian name and the more formal mode of address which is acceptable in Irish mainstream primary/elementary schools. The Principal would generally be a bit wary of the children calling the teacher just by the Christian name but they can usually be persuaded to compromise if you're an experienced teacher and can guarantee them that chaos won't ensue!

The funny thing is that the parents address me the same way despite me telling them to dispense with the Ms. It sounds borderline hilarious coming from the parents :))