News / What should Poland do with the problem of Belarus? [1694]


I never said it was the only thing that contributed to the fall of communism; I also never said there were never violent confrontations--only that it was the violent confrontations that drove the communists to the negotiating table. Again, was the violence perpetuated by the protesters or the police?

News / What should Poland do with the problem of Belarus? [1694]


EU is not the Church, it pretty much acknowledged it doesn't care to officially recognize its Christian heritage. It's a thoroughgoing secular construct. So, it can't offer a higher truth, only things like policies, laws, and enforcement.

Off-Topic / Additional capacity for Nordstream II - Germany plans to buy hydrogen from Russia and use NS II for transport [420]


Russia and Putin are synonymous, though.


If it is a total loss, how does that bode for the future of the EU?

News / What should Poland do with the problem of Belarus? [1694]


Hahahaha...maybe where you live; which I imagine is a place of colorful adventure--mostly psychedelic. :)


Because it's truth and universal, it's for all of us, even the locals.

News / What should Poland do with the problem of Belarus? [1694]


I think you're on to something. :)


No, they are not. Churches are not concerned with controlling governments, but primarily with spreading the Gospel. Churches do want to inform governments of the dignity of the human person and morality, but its by proposition--not legal mandates. Churches, in general, are part of local cultures--they respect and add to the development of local cultures--they don't promote a global unitarian politic, but a universal truth that informs local cultures. They are constructs where the natural world weaves into the supernatural.

Life / Owning a house in true countryside of Poland - stories [579]


Do the branches have any black dots?

Off-Topic / Additional capacity for Nordstream II - Germany plans to buy hydrogen from Russia and use NS II for transport [420]


Probably simply she knows Germany needs the gas to fuel its economy and a bunch of money has already been sunk into the project. She's being practical.

You comfortable with Germany's close ties with Russia, BB?


The promise of a possibility that extends well into the future, does not help with immediate needs for fuel in the the present. Merkel understands industries, office buildings, and homes aren't powered by a dream, but by fossil fuels. Nord Stream therefore gets the money it needs.

News / What should Poland do with the problem of Belarus? [1694]

@ Crow

Poland, freely choose to enter the EU, did it not?


Wasn't there a recent Pew survey that showed something like 75% of Poles had a favorable opinion of the EU? I don't know whether that's accurate or not, but I'm willing to bet neither do you. I strongly dislike supranational government constructs and all that, but Poland wasn't bribed or put under any type of duress to enter the EU. It did it under its own free volition.

Besides, what would a Visegrad union give Poland that would match or be better than what the EU gives it? I mean, other than a slavic boner.


Hahahaha!!!! Isn't that rich?! Maybe the Kremlin has been following PF and has seen your call to a violent uprising.

News / What should Poland do with the problem of Belarus? [1694]


*nods

The West was more confident in its heritage, institutions, and values back then, but there were some signs of erosion.


How do you define free? Seems like you define free as something that must fit into your personal beliefs...seems kind of tyrannical.

News / What should Poland do with the problem of Belarus? [1694]

@ Pawian

Let me clarify: back in 1980, who would've dreamed Poland would be free by 1989? Not too many.

Those pictures of violence in the street in Poland, was the violence perpetuated by the demonstrators or the police?

Most importantly, the communist regime in Poland did not fall because of violent protests, but through more peaceful means (strikes, economic pressures, and political pressures from the multiplying voices of Polish citizens demanding change). Belarus may finally be gathering the multitude of voices to apply the political pressure it needs to get rid of it tyrant--but, it ain't gonna be easy, and I doubt it'll be successful if it becomes violent.

News / What should Poland do with the problem of Belarus? [1694]

But, they may very well abolish themselves with violent demos. Regime change can come through peaceful demos--just look at your country. Who would've thought Poland would be free in 1980?

I'd also think Poland would not want 2 hot civil wars going at its border.

News / What should Poland do with the problem of Belarus? [1694]

You recommending they start violently demonstrating?

News / What should Poland do with the problem of Belarus? [1694]


That's kind of the point,. 30 years ago, the mainstream media had a lot less competition in what information was being fed to the mainstream population. Ergo, a lot less reason for the mainstream population to distrust the mainstream media. Nowadays, mainstream media has a wide-range of alternative outlets questioning what they report or reporting something different from what's found in mainstream outlets.

News / What should Poland do with the problem of Belarus? [1694]

That creation of information oftentimes fills in the holes or provides an opposing angle of the mainstream media. A great thing, IMO.


I wonder if that majority is as big as it was 20-30 years ago.

News / What should Poland do with the problem of Belarus? [1694]


But, that's what makes them so dangerous. A rat is most aggressive when cornered. History has plenty examples of cornered rats causing a dustup that wasn't in their best interests. Best to keep reminding the rat of the danger its in and how it could get worse. Worse thing you can do is ignore the rat, IMO.

News / What should Poland do with the problem of Belarus? [1694]

@Crow

Uhhh...well, you definitely get points for thinking outside the box.

News / What should Poland do with the problem of Belarus? [1694]


And, that's the point of concern. If Russia did intervene, they wouldn't do it for free. They'd make demands that would help further their desire for regional supremacy. Belarus would (if Russia desired) become the launching pad to attempt to invoke some kind of turmoil in Poland, Estonia, Lithuania, and/or Latvia. So, it'd seem that it is something Poland should be concerned about and prepare some kind of deterrent or response. I wouldn't over-react but I sure as hell wouldn't be cavalier about it either.

News / What should Poland do with the problem of Belarus? [1694]


That's a good question. If they do, then we got two Russian military actions going on at the doorstep of Poland and the EU, and this one would be at the invitation of the Belrussian gov. One would think such friendliness would allow Russian operatives to roam anywhere in Belarus, even, say ,at the Polish border--might even take a day trip across the border.


Canada also has officially refused to recognize and the US has said it wasn't a free and fair election, so pressure is mounting. I don't see Lukashenko ceding power, so that Russian support looms even larger day by day.


But, what about Russian inetrvention within Belarus? Wouldn't that change the equation for Poland? If so, then Belarus is worthy of a solution now so as to blunt any such intervention from happening in the (near) future wouldn't you say?

Off-Topic / Life after death? [64]


What is a person? Is a person, in the Christian view, at least, not a body and soul? The Catholic Church teaches it is. It goes further by saying that the soul and body are an intrinsic natural unit. The soul takes the form of the body (not in the sense of taking on the contours of the body, but that it gives the matter of the body life). The Catechism notes that "in Sacred Scripture the term soul often refers...to the entire human person."

So, the soul is a distinct and unique person. It is a person, i.e. the soul, that eternally gazes at the Beatific Vision or wallows in the abyss of nothingness.


Are you basically saying that the intellect and will (which comprise our personality) equals the brain?

What do you think the soul is?


But, does the soul have a beginning? If so, from where did it come from?


What would you say are the religious explanations? I think that would make for interesting conversation, BB :)


Yeah, but you're a thinker, so there's always hope. :) :) Again, the making of interesting conversation: what do you find to be the stumbling blocks to buying the concept of an almighty God?


But, at least from a Catholic perspective (and most mainline Protestant ones), that's not how God or heaven is viewed. It's not so much a matter of personal tastes or preferences, but a view that comes from an understanding that God, in His basic essence, is existence. He's not the Spaghetti Monster in the Sky, but existence itself. We are because He is. In scripture he reveals Himself as I Am. This essence encapsulates other qualities such as perfect love, perfect knowing, perfect order, etc. So, it's not about taste, but about actualization of our purpose, which is to be in perfect loving communion with the Creator.

Study / School meals in Poland [145]


You ever think it might be because the idiot was traumatized by teachers when she was a kid and its her way of getting back at those bastard teachers?

What's more harrowing for a teacher than a room full of sugared up little brats? Sweet revenge is what she's thinking.

News / Presidential elections 2020 - your opinions about campaign, candidates [2223]


How's that? I don't speak Polish, but my wife does and she tells me this guy is articulate, courageous, and very smart. Speaks to the Polish soul.

Off-Topic / Pope Francis Encourages Praying Rosary 3/19 at 9 pm Roman Time [6]

I don't read that at all. We could extrapolate the meaning within each paragraph, but that's not the purpose of this thread.

The purpose is an invitation to pray in solidarity.

@johnny reb
Amen!

Dust off those beads and join in at 4 pm eastern :)

Get to praying the rosary... that means even you infidels!!! :)

Off-Topic / Pope Francis Encourages Praying Rosary 3/19 at 9 pm Roman Time [6]

@Rich Mazur

No, he didn't say any of that. Here's a link to yesterday's General Audience address:

zenit.org/articles/holy-fathers-march-18-general-audience-catechesis-full-text/

News / Presidential elections 2020 - your opinions about campaign, candidates [2223]


That should've said: That's the opposition's goal: to get people to think exactly that.

News / Presidential elections 2020 - your opinions about campaign, candidates [2223]


I wouldn't say that. I understand you, I just think you're wrong.


And, that's the opposition's goal. They succeeded with you.


Absolutely! Good luck in your ventures.

I'm just throwing this out there, but if you're interested in reading some political philosophy that touches on this thread of thinking, you might give Friedrich Hayek's "The Constitution of Liberty" a look-see. Churchill had a good amount to say about it, too.

News / Presidential elections 2020 - your opinions about campaign, candidates [2223]

Do you seriously believe politicians put forward bills for a vote on the floor of parliament without knowing if they have the votes or not?


Well, a glaring example of how it worked in history is the defeat of communism. It wasn't simply economic pressures that made it unravel, but, also, the movement of the people (especially in Poland) demanding fundamental human rights that shaked loose the tyranny of communist oppression.

You seem to think putting forward honest proposals is a sign of weakness, but there's nothing more powerful and lethal, and most importantly, enduring. Fighting back with truth isn't slapping PiS with velvet gloves, but a bare knuckle right cross.

News / Presidential elections 2020 - your opinions about campaign, candidates [2223]


The irony of those two sentences. Hahaha!


If what Torq wrote is true in post #360 (and Torq has never given me reason to accept what he says as anything but true), then it's completely dirty:

Well, the money was supposed to go to TVP, and then opposition proposed a bill that would redirect the money to cancer patients (a nice trick). Of course, the parliament rejected the opposition's proposal (as was easy to predict), and the president signed the earlier bill, giving the money to TVP. A little bit of demagoguery and half of Poland thinks that Duda took away the money from cancer patients and gave it to PiS's propaganda tube.

If the money was already earmarked to go to TVP (which may very well be a propaganda machine for PiS), then the opposition makes a proposal to redirect that money to a cause everyone would support, and the majority of parliament is controled by PiS--the opposition knows damn well their proposal will not pass. The opposition knew it would never pass as it was crafting the bill. It proposes the bill for a vote not so it gets passed, but to form a public narrative that PiS does not care about cancer patients. I'm sure PiS politicians care as much about cancer patients as does the opposition.

So, it's dirty and untruthful. It is a tactic meant to deceive people into thinking a certain group is something it is not--in this case, PiS is anti-cancer patient. This type of thing only breeds derision and a breakdown of communication within government. PiS may do the very same things, but the elixir is to combat their deceit with honest proposals and fight them with truth--that's if you want a healthy democracy that will endure.

This deceit and dishonesty is the reason the west has been awash in populist movements. The population is sick and tired of politicians lying to them. They're sick and tired of being used so an elite group can advance their lust for power. They're sick and tired of their representatives not representing their interests.


Using that logic, the government shouldn't finance anything until people stop dying from cancer. To use that argument, every expenditure is a scapegoat. Hell, if I was to employ your logic, if I was PiS, I would have countered the opposition with proposing to defund every non-critical program the opposition supports to put toward cancer treatment. I'd play the game out to its logical end. But, then, you'd have a breakdown of a functional government.

News / Presidential elections 2020 - your opinions about campaign, candidates [2223]


But, this tactic could backfire, as voters might be turned off by it and could lead to her party losing seats in the Sejm, no?


Why, if she is as silent as everyone is saying? If she was out there promoting a political idea or agenda, It'd make sense, but if she's not, it seems to cross a line, IMO

News / Presidential elections 2020 - your opinions about campaign, candidates [2223]


Thank you very much. That's very kind of you!


A lot.

I'm neither pro- nor anti-PiS. My comments have really nothing to do with PiS or its opposition. I have no partisan axe to grind in Polish politics--I'm not Polish, I have no dog in this fight.

At the very root of democratic governance is consent. The people give their consent to be governed by representatives they choose. In order for people to give their consent they must know what they are consenting to--in other words people need to make a choice. How do you make good choices? By weighing the facts before you. In order to do that well, you need honest facts.

Churchill described parliamentary government as governance by talking--he liked to point out the opposite of that is governance by force. When both sides "talk" in lies, that doesn't promote a government done through talking, because it creates suspicion, distrust, and, ultimately, it leads to a break down of talking, because no one believes what is being said. Then you're at a precarious moment, a moment that can easily tip toward force--then, you no longer have a democracy, but the tyranny of force.

So, your thought that deceitful and dirty tactics used as a way to fight back against PiS's deceitful and dirty tactics are virtues of democracy is, well, naive.

The way you fight back is by arguing against PiS with truth, not dirt.