News / Poland - Third World Country?? [300]

convex

Why a slur? If I had the choice, I would not have minded being born French (like 20% of Brits according to a survey done a few years ago)

Travel / Fish and Chips in Warsaw [53]


Maybe, but you need to have people to appreciate it. Unfortunately british palates , with their love for processed/industrial food, are not properly trained to appreciate it..

News / GDP of Poland.. 338 billion pop-38.5mil Cali GDP 1.7 Trillion pop-37.7mil [70]


In 2008, it was lower than in most EU countries (incl Germany, UK or France):
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_the_European_Union

In 2009, it is expected to increase to 51,7%, but will remain more than 20 points below the EU average (73%) and far lower than in the US (90%)..


In fact, Polish rules for calculating unemployment are harsher than EU rules and lead to higher figures.. For example, the latest available Eurostat figures (dec 2009) show 8,9% unemployment for Poland versus 11,9% published by GUS!!

epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/tgm/table.do?tab=table&language=en&pcode=teilm020&tableSelection=1&plugin=1

News / Poland's supreme administrative court rules against RHD cars [57]


Then why is it possible in most other EU countries (France, Germany, Belgium..) which have a much better road safety record than Poland?

News / Poland's supreme administrative court rules against RHD cars [57]


I agree, but the cause is reckless and aggressive drivers and poor roads. In most continental EU countries you can register a right hand drive car and the rate of accidents is lower..


That would be the right thing to do (and it is feasible, Norway did it in the 50s or 60s, I can't remember), but one of the charms of Britain (for Ireland, I don't know..) is that it does things differently from the rest of Europe..

Law / How will the Zloty be against the British Pound over the next 6-12 Months [45]

OK Convex but he asked vs euro not GBP. My best guest would be to see the PLN oscillate between 3,70 and 4,10 in 2010.

News / GDP of Poland.. 338 billion pop-38.5mil Cali GDP 1.7 Trillion pop-37.7mil [70]


The denominator changed: the labor base shrunk considerably due to Poles' emigration to other EU countries

News / Poland's supreme administrative court rules against RHD cars [57]


Get a car with auto shift and heating!

News / Poland's supreme administrative court rules against RHD cars [57]

and may I ask where this strangebelief comes from?

News / Poland's supreme administrative court rules against RHD cars [57]


And I suppose this higher degree of safety is reflected in lower insurance premia for manual boxes? Of course not, because this is a load of codswallop!

Drivers who prefer auto boxes are usually less aggressive on the road (compare US driving and polish driving). In addition, at least on European cars, it is usually the higher end models which have auto boxes, so better brakes etc.. Last but not least, if you want to follow your weight logic, remove seats, carpets and all superfluous accessories in your car, it will be lighter!!

News / Poland's supreme administrative court rules against RHD cars [57]


Using the same logic, it should be the Maluches and Fiat 500 of this world who have a reputation for safety, not the heavier Volvos or Mercedes...

Life / Do you think a smoking ban would be a good thing in Polish restaurants and Bars? [217]


Again?? Yawn...

Love / Do you think that Polish should stick to Polish? [128]


How old are you Angie? 23? It's about time you let out that teenage rebel streak of yours !!

News / Poland's supreme administrative court rules against RHD cars [57]


It already exists


Might help a little but won't solve the issue. Part of the pb is culture and character, Poles are impulsive and spontaneous, and that translates unfortunately on the roads...

Love / Do you think that Polish should stick to Polish? [128]


Seanus is right. Mix, mix , mix!! Inbreeding is bad per se, but I also believe trying to stick to/keep traditions is not good.. Thanks to traditions, you can justify not moving forward, keeping old habits, being set in your ways (it's the way my mother/father used to do it..) corruption (it's our way of life..), xenophobia and many more...

News / Poland's supreme administrative court rules against RHD cars [57]

Hear, hear!

Polonia / Poland and France cultures are similar [112]

Many, many common traits and links:

-never at war one with another, and a common enemy: Germany
- the Polish anthem is the only anthem in Europe referring to a foreigner, and that foreigner is Napoleon, who played a significant role in Poland's history

2 great polish heroes, Chopin and Mickiewicz, spent most of their life in France. Chopin himself has a French father. Same for Maria Sklodowska who went to France to study, married there and became Marie Curie

Several french kings had polish wifes or mistresses: Louis XV, Napoleon and the other way also: Wladislaw IV's wife was French, same for Jan Sobieski who married Marysienka

De Gaulle also spent several years in Poland in the early 20s to help train the newly formed Polish army (hence his statue on Rondo De gaulle'a in Warsaw).

Today: France is the first foreign investor in Poland (ahead of US, Germany, Netherlands..)

USA, Canada / What do the Poles hate and love about the U.S.? [170]


Why can't the tax be included in the price which is displayed? is there a reason for this?

Polonia / Poland and France cultures are similar [112]


Most French have never eaten frogs; many snails eaten in France are produced in Poland and Hungary...

Polonia / Poland and France cultures are similar [112]

Good spot, z_darius! By the way, which country are you from mvefa?

Love / Do you think that Polish should stick to Polish? [128]


Ready to help, Justysia!

Life / Can foreigners really understand Poles? [136]


So you understand them?


Poland has traditionnally had a strong mathematics school, which is generally a good background for all matters technical

History / Is Jozef Pilsudski the king of modern Poles? [138]

Many famous Poles were not "pure Poles" but had some foreign element in them. Apart from Pilsudksi, see above, Mickiewicz was also born in Lithunia, same for Nobel Prize winners Cz Milosz; FR Chopin's father was French..

News / The Economist: time to rethink old notions about Poland [67]


Yes and no. While consumer debt (cash loans..) has been rising and has now reached in proportion of GDP the level seen in Western Europe, mortgages still represent a much smaller proportion of GDP than elsewhere in Europe. All in all, polish consumers are less indebted as a proportion of income compared to western Europeans and far less than Brits or Americans

Life / Do you think a smoking ban would be a good thing in Polish restaurants and Bars? [217]


It is not one person, it is the parliament who passes the law. You (and many others) have the right to kick them out at the next election if you are not happy with what they do.


You have two options: (i) you lobby your MP/government and get them to pass a law banning screaming children from places you are likely to honour with your presence or (ii) you get elected yourself to Parliament on the basis of such (and others) proposals!

Life / Do you think a smoking ban would be a good thing in Polish restaurants and Bars? [217]


This is not "one group of people", this is the parliament which represents or is supposed to represent all the people. Put it another way, it is in effect the rule of the majority, which is in effect, as convex, points out how democracy works. If someone had the (stupid) idea of proposing a law that rules out all usernames beginning by the letter "H" on PF, and if he/she gathered a majority to support this and win a vote, then it would be applicable whether you like or not. In addition, may I dare add that as soon a "private place" starts to receive the paying public, be it a pub, a B&B or even your home my dear Harry, it ceases to be purely private and has to abide by certain rules.. Tough, but that's democracy

Life / Do you think a smoking ban would be a good thing in Polish restaurants and Bars? [217]

That's right, except that is the vote in the elected Parliament that represents the vote of the majority. If you want to be able to vote on each individual piece (or proposal ) of law, you'll have to emigrate to Switzerland!

Life / Do you think a smoking ban would be a good thing in Polish restaurants and Bars? [217]


Yes, I read a couple of years ago that you even have smoking bans in "real" private properties (story is about prospective condos buyers in NYC who are vetted for smoking prior to buying, because, so they say, smoke in their apartment permeates to the others apts via the aircon system..). Now even I recognize that this is a weeny step too far...

Love / Are all Polish men Psychos? [111]

or a Passat or an Avensis...

UK, Ireland / Brits to protest against foreigners in the workforce, including Poles. [289]

I always thought that in this particular industrial sector the poorly skilled workers were precisely the Brits...