Life / Poland's birthrate on the decline [480]

Just skimmed through the wiki article for "Demographics of Poland". It's really shocking to see how Poland has an only slightly higher population than in 1939. You sort of understand it intuitively, but to see it on a chart still produces a shock.

Looking at the first chart - I don't think it would be a stretch to say that if Poland had no losses in WW2 period, it would be comparable to France or Britain in population today. That would be a different Europe, and maybe a different world. Kinda makes one sad.

I was struggling to think of a country that's similar in its demographic history (excluding the Baltic states, where the driver is migration). I thought Cambodia, or Belarus might come close (Khmer Rouge and WW2 respectively), but after checking I was surprised to see Poland is actually still comparatively worse. The only country I can find which had something similar, or actually worse, is Ireland. Ireland has a population nearly 25% smaller than it did 150 years ago - which is simply spectacular. That Potato Famine really did a number on them.

Polish and Irish demographic history (1st POL, 2nd IRL):

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Off-Topic / Why do people here fight so much? [128]


For the feeling to be mutual, you would do well to actually post original content (even learning about ballet shoes was interesting), and spend less time engaging with the local gremlins.

As Novichok said - I don't give a sh!t who you are, or whether you are what you purport to be - as long as you write something I haven't thought about.

As a supposed 16 year old ballerina from Piter, you could do better in sharing your unique perspectives.

Off-Topic / Why do people here fight so much? [128]

@RussianAntiPutin

Hahahahaha! To grade that as Russian, would be a mistake. He wrote broken English using Cyrillic alphabet. Why, god knows.

UK, Ireland / Is it good for Poland as Sinn Fein will win today in Northen Ireland [282]


I was speaking figuratively, in response to your very dismissive take on Russia's history and unity. I'm well aware of Ireland's relatively high state of development in the aftermath of the collapse of the Roman Empire. You were lucky that the English took on the brunt of the Saxons and Danes, and your little island became somewhat of a safe haven.

UK, Ireland / Is it good for Poland as Sinn Fein will win today in Northen Ireland [282]


That was a reannexation. As mentioned above, the first time Crimea came under Russian control was in the 900s, when it was won in war from the Byzantines, who inherited it from the Roman Empire. By the 1000s it was firmly in Russian control, and marriage links were established with the Byzantine emperors to secure the peace. It was lost during the 1300s to Mongol invasion. Later, when the Mongol Empire collapsed, it became the possession of one of its successor states - The Golden Horde. Through the weakness of the Horde, Genoese and Venetian merchants established a large number of trade posts and controlled substantial land there during this time. When the Golden Horde itself collapsed in the 1440s, Crimea became the center of the state of the Crimean Tatars, vassals of the Ottoman Turks. Then, finally, in the 1700s we took it back from them.

During the 450 years or so that the mongols and their Crimean descendants controlled Crimea, they made it into one of the world's largest slave trade centers. Tens of thousands of Slavs were kidnapped and sold into slavery through the ports of Crimea annually. The Tatars made constant devastating raids into Russian and Commonwealth territory, that hampered development in the affected regions for centuries. Do you think they deserve to have the Crimea returned to them?

Bottom line: Russia controlled Crimea when Gaelic chieftains we're still running around in sheepskins, living in holes in the ground.

UK, Ireland / Is it good for Poland as Sinn Fein will win today in Northen Ireland [282]

@Atch

I should not be telling you about the unified legal codex of ancient Rus, the bonds of language, Orthodoxy, and dynastic marriage in an Irish thread... Neither that, three centuries before Ireland was conquered by England, Russian princes had already taken the land of Crimea from the Byzantine Emperors. Not even that, in 988 AD St. Vladimir was baptized in Chersonesus, signifying the beginning of the christianiziation of Rus. Truly - I suspect if I go on, Vincent will then boot me again for some days. Suffice it to say, Russians can just as easily employ the same arguments you are using now.

Regarding Ireland being some ethnic, and religious monolith - you need to get back to your history books. Yes, being an insignificant island in the middle of nowhere did lead to relatively fewer waves of migration, but not zero.

UK, Ireland / Is it good for Poland as Sinn Fein will win today in Northen Ireland [282]


It amuses me that Atch is the same person that wanted to ban all Russian-supporters from this forum and even started a whole thread about it. Now it emerges, that Atch is a bit of an irredentist herself. The dirty complaining about the unwashed. As you said - if Ireland lost a part of its land 100 years ago, then Poland only lost it 77 years ago. In Russia's case, it lost its key territories just 31 years ago.

Now this little slogan of yours... One island. One people. One state. Hehehehe.

Sounds a little like: Ein Volk, ein Reich, ein Führer - no?

Food / Poland-Tea or coffee land? [120]


There is proof, then, for our commonality. Each Pole and each Russian carries within himself a blueprint of the original hard drinking Slav.

Food / Poland-Tea or coffee land? [120]

Whaaaaaaat? I thought only I had this figured out.

Darkest of black teas, judicious use of lemon - two cups of - back to work.

Off-Topic / Why do people here fight so much? [128]


Three possible answers. First - Kiev, Second - Novgorod. Third - all the areas in between.

Kiev is called the Mother of All Russian Cities. It's the historical center of gravity for the ancient state of Rus.

On the other hand you could argue that Novgorod is where it all started, because that is from where Oleg the Seer planned and executed his takeover of Kiev, which was the beginning of the creation of the Russian state.

Finally, both Kiev and Novgorod were in effect run by Vikings (Askold and Dir in Kiev, and Oleg, relative of Rurik in Novgorod). They were invited there to rule by the local population. So in this way you could argue that the origin territory is neither place, but everything in between these two points.

Unlike Ukrainians, Russians can trace the history of their leadership all the way back to Rurik. That is, there is an unbroken line of Novgorodian-Kievan-Vladimiran-Muscovite-Russian-Imperial-Soviet-RF leaders that you can trace from the 800s to the 21st century. When Ukrainians try to explain how it's actually them that are the custodians of Rus history, this is where things begin to break down for them. Every single one of their legendary leaders turns out to be a historic Russian statesman that considered himself Russian and never applied the word "Ukrainian" to himself.

At this point, many Ukrainians attempt to flip the script and say that they are the true Russians, and we are a mongrel finno-ugric race. Is this what you mean? That Ukrainians are the true Russians?

Off-Topic / Why do people here fight so much? [128]


Eggxactly.

I apologize.

But really, it is annoying. They see you getting dumped on constantly, or even do it themselves and extract no small amount of pleasure from it. You humor them, expecting reciprocity. They laugh, and they laugh and laugh. Then you make one comment - it's: "Goddamit I knew that every Russian is a chauvinist aggressor!"

Off-Topic / Why do people here fight so much? [128]

@jon357

No comments on my racial theory of humor?

Off-Topic / Why do people here fight so much? [128]


Yes, but who cares what the lumpenproletariat thinks? They don't pay taxes, rarely vote, and most importantly rarely travel outside of their zip code which limits embarrassment with outsiders.

They believe stranger things than Poland running death camps, and it is their god given right.

Off-Topic / Why do people here fight so much? [128]

@Novichok

If a Russian was to react every time to any perceived slight, we would have no time to do anything else. At least Poles are just "Dumb Pollacks". We replaced the Nazi's wholesale as America's bad guys, pretty much since 1945. Also, we're alcoholics, hookers, slaves, orcs, mongols, etc. Then, there is the beloved argument of Cojest and Pawian - Russians don't even exist!

We just don't care anymore, and take it in stride - trying to make the most of it.

Same situation for more or less all the other countries with nice humor listed.

Poles invite even more ridicule through their constant outrage.

Off-Topic / Why do people here fight so much? [128]

@pawian

Most people with a non-idiot's understanding of history, know that these camps were merely located in Poland and hence Polish only through geography. This is in contrast to an Austrian (Mauthausen) or German camp (Dachau).

Off-Topic / Why do people here fight so much? [128]

@RussianAntiPutin

It has been clear to me for some time, that an ethnicity's propensity to poke fun at itself, is inversely proportional to the degree of success they achieved in history.

This is why Russians, Americans, Jews, Brits (I have to admit) - have well developed rubrics of humor which are dedicated to making fun of themselves.

Now, on the other hand - you have countries which are very sensitive to any implication that they are a joke. Poland is the number one example in the world - it will sue you for implying in a newspaper article that the death camps in Poland were Polish, or it will write long letters to Hollywood complaining about insulting representations of Polish culture.

Another country that takes itself incredibly seriously is Ukraine. They'll fight you over authors, composers, military leaders, inventors, etc. A word said sideways about their shallow culture and funny language, and they will launch into monologue about Great Russian chauvinism and reach for all the family jewels.

A third example, of a very unhumorous people - are Belgians. To some extent, it's an understandable defense mechanism against constant French ribbing, but it does make them less than satisfactory drinking companions.

Off-Topic / Best posters [885]

@jon357

Sort of odd for me to think of Vonnegut as an sci-fi writer, but I suppose it applies to some works - Galapagos specifically. But Slaughterhouse Five, for example, was autobiographical. I think you will really enjoy his stuff, based on what I know of you. Funniest man to write in the 20th century, imho, and I even read Jaroslaw Gasek and Mikhail Zoschenko.

Off-Topic / Best posters [885]

@jon357

Jon have you read Galapagos, by Vonnegut?

Off-Topic / Best posters [885]

Gertrude Stein, once wrote that: "There never will be anything more interesting than that American Civil War."

Clearly she was wrong. The most interesting subject in the world is anal. Even 10,000,000 years from now, when people will have evolved into furry, seal-like creatures - it will still be considered funny by their shrunken brains for one to place his penis in another's butt.

Language / A study on how bilingual Polish-English speakers think [86]

I have noticed that bilingual Polish-Russian speakers have much higher level of emotional stability than bilingual Polish-English speakers. I will not name any names, but you know who you are.

Off-Topic / Let's talk about shoes [332]

@Alien

Is this even a question? You seem to have answered it yourself.

Rapidly moving on... I still have something to say on this subject.

You can use winter boots in the summer if you are at high altitude.

You can use winter boots in the summer if you live somewhere past the Arctic Cirlce.

You can use winter boots in the summer if you are a goth teenager.

You can use winter boots in the summer if you have exceptionally smelly feet. The reason - winter boots will provide a more hermetic seal - this making you a more pleasant companion. If you feel more attention that usual from people - tell them "I'm just breaking them in early".

P.S. This is a classic question an extraterrestrial would ask.

Life / POLISH MYTHS - let's debunk or prove them! [141]

@pawian

Russian hedgehogs are capable of carrying not only apples, but mushrooms also.

I saw one photo of a hedgehog carrying a marinated mushroom.

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Off-Topic / Best posters [885]


If a baboon can participate in a forum, why not a cat? I'm sorry - I apologize for this classic whataboutism...

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Off-Topic / Best posters [885]

@Alien

... and when you say you enjoy eating cats - is this not a provocation? Shock!?

News / Poland's Krab Howitzer (the 155mm gun) Has Passed the Test! [49]

@pawian

The next 60 came out costing $700M. That's one expensive self propelled artillery you Poles made! $12M a pop! Making good money on Ukrainian war, are you?

Off-Topic / Best posters [885]

@Novichok

Alright, sorry. Really it was just a dumb joke, I shouldn't have tried to substantiate it. Jokes don't always have to be true to be good, though I agree it's best when they are true.

Off-Topic / Best posters [885]

@Novichok

I apologize, I just thought I noticed a certain penchant for approaching minors of the opposite sex.

News / Abortion still under control in Poland [2986]

@Korvinus

If you read Hobbes, then the answer to this question is that it is a bad idea, because he could do the same to you. Can a baby kill you? I suppose it could.

Off-Topic / Best posters [885]


I have suspicions that Cargo Pants, Strelecz and Johnny Reb are all the same person, but at different levels of blood alcohol content.

Genealogy / CHERDIA - What or where could it be?! [15]

@Pleuvoir

Zherdia is actually quite plausible as origin for Cherdia. Especially since its Polish spelling might have contained the letter Z as Czerdia. Kamenets was the state capital of the entire P.G. So people from smaller villages likely received their documents there.

I think this is relevant, especially if there is one in the Podolsk Governorate in those years when he emigrated.