News / The "Arbeit Macht Frei" sign theft from Oswiecim, Poland [240]

It's revolting but understandable - many would be willing to pay millions for this sign.

I can't believe there are anti-Jewish comments in this thread. Shouldn't we join together in outrage against the criminals instead? Shame on you.

History / Polish hatred towards Jews... [1290]

M-G don't take it personally, it was just a general statement and it was mainly directed at aphrodisiac anyway. I'm just getting tired of discussions about Poles and Jews - nothing ever comes out of this and even when it seems like we have all reached a compromise suddenly someone new speaks out (wh'os usually neither Jewish nor has ever been to Poland) and without bothering to read the previous comments says something stupid and the whole argument starts again, everyone acting like they completely forgot what they said two pages earlier.

aphrodisiac

Your profile states that you speak SOME Polish, therefore you are hardly an expert when it comes to Poland or opinions of people who live in Poland EVEN if you might be Polish GENETICALLY. Also statements like...


...automatically make me lose respect for people who say them and makes me sure that they are not knowledgable about the way of thinking of Poles.

History / Polish hatred towards Jews... [1290]

I really hate it when two non-Poles discuss how Poles think.

Genealogy / Why Polish aren't white?? [272]


That depends what definition they use. According to a dictionary:


As for whether Poles are white or not - that also depends on a definition. I know there are people who don't consider Latinos or Arabs to be properly white and if they aren't then I guess I'm the only white member of my family, because it's significant part is darker than my half-Arab friend and her Arab father.

Genealogy / last name I think its spelled mackinsky or mcakinasky [10]

It doesn't sound Polish at all, except the 'sky' ending. Are you sure it's not Scottish? I've heard Scots often have 'Mac' or 'Mc' at the beginning of their surnames.

If you're absolutely sure that it's Polish then the closest thing would be 'Makiński' or 'Machiński'.

edit -
Ah, I've looked your other thread and it seems that you're sure it's from Poland. In 1800 Poland was partitioned between Russia, Prussia and Austria and Poles were often opressed by the partitioners. It's possible that your ancestors escaped from being sent to Siberia or something like that.

History / "Poland's Concentration Camp" ?? [570]


I do. But the only way of fighting ignorance is through spreading awareness. Nobody will listen to arguments presented in an offensive, accusing and aggressive way. Which is why I don't listen to Harry, even if he sometimes makes sense.

History / "Poland's Concentration Camp" ?? [570]

Sigh. The information about the camp is surely interesting but the way you people treat it kinda makes me wonder whether I should write a book on 'Polish Martyrology Industry' concentrated SOLELY on Poles and not just dismissing but also insulting other victims, particularly those who had it far worse than Poles.

History / Polish hatred towards Jews... [1290]


I've seen Jews walking around in yarmulkas but I never noticed anyone spitting on them. There are Jewish movie directors, actors, politicians, writers and journalists in Poland. They don't hide it, they openly talk about it and they're still celebrities. There are Jewish studies, festivals of Jewish culture, Jewish kindergartens, Jewish newspapers and radio stations. There is no mob with pitchforks standing outside them.

Every person whose appearance, lifestyle and beliefs differ slightly from those of the majority fear persecution. It doesn't matter if you're a Jew, Black, Baptist, Jehova Witness or a boy with long hair - there will be people who will hold it against you. Hell, I'm an atheist and I've been 'persecuted' lots of times because of this. There are times when I pretend to be just a non-practicing catholic only because I'm too tired to get into arguments. But I won't cry and say that I am 'made to feel different and suffer abuse in Poland'.

As for using the word 'Jew' in a derogative sense - did you check the profiles of people who do this sort of thing? What makes you think that they're Polish?

History / Polish hatred towards Jews... [1290]


No, I'm not and yes, I can share positive stories. As for the woman - of course there are antisemites in Poland just as there are racists in America, and if her in-laws are like that then I'm not surprised that she would rather keep them in dark about her origins. It's no different from an African-American marrying a white American whose parents are racists. However, what pisses me off is the way the article is written, it implies that people with Jewish ancestry in Poland keep it secret out of fear of being persecuted by everybody. It's disturbing and untrue. I know lots of people with Jewish ancestry - they BRAG about it, they consider it to be interesting and cool and I have yet to personally meet a person who would think that it's something to be ashamed of.

As for positive stories - how about my one and only encounter with antisemitism? Someone wrote something nasty about Jews on the walls of my block's elevator. Or at least that's what I heard because it was immidiately erased and I only found out about this from the people who rode elevator with me later that day - they were OUTRAGED! They were speaking in high volume, cursing 'banditry' and 'hooliganism' and two days later the whole interior of the elevator was painted over. And please, try to understand - I live in a town in the most backward part of Eastern Poland and dirty phrases in elevators are nothing new. In fact, there were quite a few written there for YEARS (together with a highly inaccurate drawing of male genitalia) and nobody cared. The only thing that shocked and outraged people was antisemitism.

In conclusion - yes, there are antisemites in Poland since there was a person who wrote the antisemitic phrase on the inside of my elevator. But there were also at least four people who condemned it. They weren't even indifferent - they were anti-antisemites!

So - is Poland an antisemitic country, where 'Jews suffer abuse'? Or is it a normal country, where antisemitic incidents happen from time to time?

History / Polish hatred towards Jews... [1290]


Sad for Poland, indeed. Now everybody's gonna think that we're a country were every person with the slightest connection to Judaism is publicly stigmatized and probably chased with pitchforks.

And really, the story about hair-pulling ('I was made to feel different!') is so ridiculous.

History / Polish hatred towards Jews... [1290]

Steveramsfan

"Today Jews in Poland continue to suffer abuse."
I really hate phrases like this one. When a Jew is beaten do death in France it's said that 'there are antisemitic incidents in France' when a Jew is insulted by someone in Poland: 'In Poland Jews suffer abuse'


Ah, I thought exactly the same thing!

History / WWII Polish Exiles in Uganda [36]


Not surprising. The only thing which surprises me is the romantic image of the Polish army that most Poles seem to have. In reality the humiliation and brutality towards the soldiers of the Polish army was legendary even before the war. Two of my family members were abused so much that they commited suicide. Not a very good way to raise morale, eh?

History / Poland and Muslims (Tatars and others). [81]

Poland has quite good relations with Muslim countries. One might think that after defeating the Ottomans in Vienna, Turks would be happy for Poland to be partitioned but instead they were the only people who didn't acknowledge the partitions and even accepted Polish refugees. So did Iran after the end of WWII. And, as L_T_B said, Tatars were a loyal force of the Commonwealth. So there's absolutely nothing that we could hold against Muslims.

However, if your hate for the people who showed our nation nothing but sympathy and compassion is indeed so strong, then I suppose you will be happy to know that there are hardly any Muslims living in Poland and you will most likely never get a chance of seeing any here.

History / Polish hatred towards Jews... [1290]

And just how many Muslim countries did Israel nuke? That's the thing: Israel doesn't want any other country's annihilation, Israel wants peace. It's other countries that don't want peace with Israel.

Israel has the right to protect itself. To forbid a country whose existence is threatened by all of its neighbours from gaining weapons which are to be used ONLY in a defence is like forbidding Poland from getting a missile shield because Russia doesn't want it.

History / Polish hatred towards Jews... [1290]

cheehaw

The moment Muslim countries recognize Israel and promise not to nuke it, Palestinians will get my full support. But as of now both sides are in danger so I'm rooting for the one which aims for peace, not for complete annihilation of the other side.

History / Polish hatred towards Jews... [1290]

cheehaw

Ok, I understand your point of view in this particular aspect (that we owe more to Iran, I mean) but I don't agree with the conclusion you reached. The conflict between Jews and Arabs and the threat of a nuklear war that could claim the lives of millions of people is far too important to pick a side by counting which country gave more cookies to Polish children.

I'm very thankful to Iran for the help given to Polish refugees but it DOES NOT mean that I have to agree with everything Iran does, especially if its plans include nuking Israel. The fact that Arabs don't recognize Israel's 'Right to Exist' clearly means that they don't want peace, they want to annihilate Israel. I could never cheer for something like that.

History / Polish hatred towards Jews... [1290]

Oh, I lie about pointless and unimportant things all the time, especially when they have nothing to do with the point I'm trying to make with my arguments.

History / Polish hatred towards Jews... [1290]

cheehaw
1)Read Bzibzioh's article.
2)Read my first comment to see whom I adress last.
3)Read my second comment. Particularly the parts I quoted.
4)Turn your brain on.

Maybe then you will se that me response was meant for her...


I admit it - I lied. I've read it a few months ago. In my defence, I couldn't remember the exact date and I only used the word 'year' because I didn't know if I should write 'about half a year ago' or 'about half-a-year ago' and I was too lazy to look it up. Next time, I will have a dictionary ready, I swear.

Edit - ok, I lied again. It was less than three months ago.

History / Polish hatred towards Jews... [1290]

cheehaw
Did YOU read my comments carefully? It was an answer to Bzibzioh.
As for your book, I came upon it while searching the web on Polish-Jewish relations about a year ago. I've read it carefully and didn't find anything that would differ from the 'traditional' antisemitic attitudes of Polish peasantry.

Life / Is Poland a safe country for people of color? [241]

Thank you.

History / Polish hatred towards Jews... [1290]

cheehaw
Do you think that there has never been any prejudice on the Polish side? Both sides didn't like each other and both reacted to each other's hate with a hate of their own. You can't expect every single Jew to accept antisemitism with patience and no bad feelings.

Bzibzioh
I also think that today Poles seem more interested in having good relations with Jews. But reacting to every misconception with hostility will only reinforce their negative feelings. If we want them to see our good side, we need to show it first.

Also, the article you provided is dreadful. Lines like “Even 65 years after the war, they are afraid to talk about it” or "efforts to demonstrate to Poles that those who risked their lives to save Jews are worthy of honour" make it seem like Poland is such an unbelievably antisemitic country that not only Jews but also their sympathizers are murdered on the streets every day. Whoever wrote this article is surely biased. It's no wonder then that Jews have a bad opinion of Poles. If I were a Jewish person I would have been afraid to visit Poland after reading an article like this.

And it's bullsh*t too. Even the biggest antisemites praise Irena Sendler's courage.

History / Polish hatred towards Jews... [1290]

Great post, M-G!

Pity it probably won't work for long, as usual...

History / Polish hatred towards Jews... [1290]


I meant the comments online. I don't think any respected newspaper would print openly racist articles.

As for Yitzchak Shamir - he later apologized and said that he knew many good Poles, but one has to search very hard to find out about this, so not many people know about it.

Also Israel backed Poland's request for the change of Auschwitz' name, which is a nice gesture but again - not many people on either side know or care.

History / Polish hatred towards Jews... [1290]

yehudi

I would have agreed with that. But when I think about prime minister of Israel saying that I sucked antisemitism with my mother's milk or about WJC criticizing Poland's request to change the name of Auschwitz because they believe that Poles share responsibility for it just because they knew about it's existance (and even claim that guards were Polish!), when I search 'Poland' on the websites of most prominent Jewish press to find antisemitism mentioned in virtually every article coupled with comments wishing for Poland to be eradicated, or when I simply type 'Poles and Jews' in google browser and read the matches - that's when I suddenly feel very, very bitter and I can't blame others for feeling the same. It's very hard to be indifferent after reading hundreds of negative comments about one's nation, wouldn't you agree? There are of course people here who are simply antisemites 'just because' but mostly there are people who are probably as bitter and disillusioned and overwhelmed with the feeling of being unjustly hated and attacked - as you probably feel when reading so many comments critical of Jews here.

Which is why I think that all long discussions about Jews should be deleted so as not to encourage new ones.

History / Polish hatred towards Jews... [1290]

You're breaking my heart, MG! ;)

Life / Polish stereotypes of other nationalities!? [472]

BB
Well, he was asking about sterotypes. I, for one, consider Michael Kessler quite interesting. And you.

Life / Polish stereotypes of other nationalities!? [472]

- Educated
- Rich
- Neat
- Perfectionists
- Arrogant
- Boring
- Hate Poles with a passion
- Look down on everything that lives in the East
- Secretely dream of taking over the world

Life / Is Poland a safe country for people of color? [241]

Is Poland a safe country for people of color?

No. We eat their babies.

History / Polish hatred towards Jews... [1290]

Oh, no... Not another Jewish thread! Since you're new here, BrutalButcher, please remember three things:
1) Despite this forum being called 'Polish Forums' barely anyone here is really Polish. Don't assume that every opinion expressed here is an opinion written by a Pole.

2) Don't assume that everything written here is a reflection of how things look like in Poland.
3) Poland is a country just like any other, including your own. There are people who hate Jews, people who like them and a whole lot of people who simply don't give a damn. So instead of asking 'Why Poles don't believe in Santa' you should ask individual members 'Why don't YOU believe in Santa'

History / What Was Happening in Poland around 1905? [73]

I traditionally carry out a pogrom every few weeks but recently I've been neglecting this tradition due to headache, no doubt brought upon the world by those evil Jews.