News / Poland in the European Union. Polexit? [559]

@johnny reb


Yeah no. Modern Europe consists now of democracies that coexist peaceful and treat each others as equals. In which even small countries can have an impact if they play thdir cards. That is certainly not how the Kaiser envisioned the future of the continent, let alone Hitler.

Germany is bound to the EU not the other way around. That was the whole point of the project. Germany is currently prospering because it has realized that having a peaceful, prosperous and friendly Europe is perfectly suited to its' strengths.


It is not Germany that is clinging to past fantasies. The only people who are stuck with them who like to narrow everything back to WWI and WWII.

News / Poland in the European Union. Polexit? [559]


Blaming Germany is easier than accepting that the democracy in Poland is perceived as under threat by the other EU member states. This is not something Germany had to push for, or could be attributed to a German initiative.

News / Poland in the European Union. Polexit? [559]

@Ironside


It is not Germany pushing the EU here, it is the EU doing this. And the EU does have every legal justification to do so. When Poland joined the EU, it agreed to its' principles and the various treaties that are the foundation of the relationship between the EU and its' member states.

You are using cases here which you paint as similar and which are certainly not. Try stop pretending that the logging of the forest in Poland is comparable to any ecological project in the EU. Everybody who is not willfully blind knows that not simply a few trees were knocked down that were sick.

And it is certainly not in any way comparable to Nord Stream. There are risks involved yes, like any other project, but it is not like we ban other pipeline projects if they are deemed safe. And yes, Poland could be affected if there ever were an accident, but the same could happen if one the gas shipments from the USA ever had an accident on its' way to Poland. And statistically speaking, pipelines are more secure than shipments anyway.


This is blatantly false. There are cases when the EU is more lenient towards its' members but this is pretty much the rule. Bruessels tries to avoid confrontation with other countries at all cost, with Poland being a prime benefactor. The patience shown with Warsaw until now is staggering.

News / Poland in the European Union. Polexit? [559]


Sure, which is why I support helping out other countries. But as pointed out by me, when Germany negotiated with the debtor nations this was the only time Germany had a semblencr of the influencr you describe. And even that was only because the other Northern Europeans were backing Berlin on this.


Those are completely different cases, for one, the infection was simply an excuse to go along with the logging. Moreover the EU is reviewed both cases and made a judgement, but in the case of Poland, Warsaw defied it. Germany has done no such thing, so no analogy here. And to be honest, the ecological part is not convincing in the case of Nord Stream, or else we would have to ban all pipelines.


The flaw in your logic is that Germany has not the influence you seem to believe. Germany is the EUs largest country, and has more influence than any other singly country, which is only appropiate given its' size. But Germany is one of the countries that gets outvoted in the EU Council most often, which is a better indication for its' influence than any superficial impressions.

The reason why the myth of German hegemony exists is because it is convenient for many to think that way. It is easier for journalists to narrow European politics down to Berlin, then trying to paint an accurate picture of the complex nature of European politics. British media are especially guilty of this.

It is easier for others to hide in Berlin's shadow, e.g what several smaller countries did during the Euro crisis. Finance minister Schäuble has often been painted as the hawk, but he was among his European colleagues one of the more moderates.

And finally it is easier for affected governments to pretend that they are opressed by Berlin. It is easier to say "Berlin forced them to vote against us " than "We pissed off all the other countries so no one wanted to support us".

News / Poland in the European Union. Polexit? [559]


Even with Nord Stream, Russian gas will only amount to a fraction of Germany's energy supply, let alone the EUs. So your theory does not hold much water here.

News / Poland's Future in the EU under PIS [51]

Poland is already closely connected to the European economy and depends heavily on border-free travel. Just consider the size of the Polish truck delivery industry.

News / How strongly are Poles sure that president Duda defend Poland's interests ? [265]

Poland has only accepted a handful refugees from Ukraine. The rest are not acknowledged as refugees and thus are not receivibg the benefits of this status. I do not know why some posters insist on making this argument when it has been disproven again and again on this site.

News / How strongly are Poles sure that president Duda defend Poland's interests ? [265]


And how would you call the Polish government until 1989?

News / Political life of Poland [135]

This is of course blatantly untrue.

polska.pl/economy/investments-projects/eu-funds-poland

Both Poland and Germany have greatly benefited from the EU.The beauty of the EU is that it is a win-win situation for everyone. The poorer countries receive a lot of money to improve their infrastructure, which otherwise would have taken them several decades to do, while the richer countries gain access to new markets.

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

Well, it is not like you can deduce who is telling the truth here. Of course the Polish would deny doing it all for the money.

Like most things in life, it might have been a combination of both. Just because you accept the money does not mean you might fell compassion for someone.

History / Whom do the people in Poland hate more: Germans or Russians? [869]


Not really more than any other major European power during this time.

The better question is, when was the last time Germany threatened Eastern Europe militarily? 1945.

And how often since then has Russia crushed uprisings against its' rule in Eastern Europe, annexed territory there or formented civil war?

History / Whom do the people in Poland hate more: Germans or Russians? [869]

Poles seem to like Germany well enough to emigrate herr in droves.

News / Poles march against Mandatory poisoning by vaccines [202]


Are you really this ignorant, or are you doing this on purpose? We are talking about such small traces of mercury that even 1000 vaccines would not cause any harm.

As this thread demonstrates, many people have apparantly no idea how statistics and percentages work.


Because the vast majority is still vaccinated. Once the nunber of vaccinated people drops below a certain threshold, you will see yet again outbreaks of those diseases.

News / Poles march against Mandatory poisoning by vaccines [202]

Almost no one dies from those diseases because of vaccines. And behind the number of deaths are several times more people who have lasting damage done to them by those diseases. Measles et al are not harmless.

This discussion really shows why vaccinations should be mandatory. There are no solid arguments against vaccination, and all its' opponents can do is making silly claims.

News / Poles march against Mandatory poisoning by vaccines [202]

Many people keep underestimating "child diseases". Measles is a potentially deadly disease, and the worst thing about it, it doesn't kill quickly. After symptomes of the complications emerge, it takes several years until the child dies. Parents have to watch as their child becomes unsreponsive, eventually falls into a coma and dies, all the while knowing that a simple vaccination could have prevented it.

express.co.uk/life-style/health/726373/measles-jab-complication-brain-damage-children-fear

News / Poles march against Mandatory poisoning by vaccines [202]


Those are very bad news. Not vaccinating children is nothing less than child abuse. You condemn your child to unneeded suffering and potential health risks.


Nothing to worry about: cdc.gov/vaccinesafety/concerns/thimerosal/index.html


Vaccines are much safer than they used to be 30 years ago. They are not given instantly, we still have to wait several months. Which is another reason why vaccination should be obligatory, babies depend on herd protection until they are vaccinated. Hopefully we can one day vaccinate babies immediately after their birth and spare them from most diseases.

News / Poles march against Mandatory poisoning by vaccines [202]

Anti-Vaccine movements are the best proof that a society does not become smarter simply because of scientific advancements. People simply like conspiracy theories. I hope most Poles are smarter than this.

News / Poland has accepted over a million Ukrainian refugees. Why does the EU keep telling propaganda about Poland? [304]


You are seriously demented in your views.

The Russians raped whoever they wanted. Old woman, children. Germans, Poles, KZ survivors.... .

There was no justice behind it.

News / Poland has accepted over a million Ukrainian refugees. Why does the EU keep telling propaganda about Poland? [304]

The problem is, that unlike Germany, Russia has not broken with its' old ways and constitutes the biggest threat to Poland right now. It is lead by a man who openly regrets that the SU collapsed. No wonder Poland is suspicious towards Poland.

News / Poland has accepted over a million Ukrainian refugees. Why does the EU keep telling propaganda about Poland? [304]


Very unlikely. All Great Powers were almost constantly at war between the 18th century and 1945 (particulary in Colonial affairs).

And Russia's track record is after 1945 not better than the US. In addition to their own military adventures, they were de facto participating in the Korean and Vietnam War. Not to mention how they waged de facto war against their Satellite States and Crushed uprisings there.

News / Poland has accepted over a million Ukrainian refugees. Why does the EU keep telling propaganda about Poland? [304]


She would lose the next election. But since most Germans agree with her on this in principle, this has not happened so far.

Law / Weapons laws in Poland. Carrying a concealed handgun? [918]


This obviously. I don't think any sane individual would blame muslims as mostly responsible for shool shootings.

Law / Weapons laws in Poland. Carrying a concealed handgun? [918]


This is false as pointed out numerous times in this thread. Gun laws can effectively keep guns from the hands of unorganized criminals, and Japan shows that even organized crime can find it difficult to get it. And since most crimes are commited by petty criminals, this is an effective deterrent. Most burglars won't get a gun of it costs a small fortune and if found out would lead to a lengthy prison sentence.

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

Particulary Lega Nord has promised its' voters to push for a relocation of the Italian funds that goe to Bruessels in order to use it for the refugee crisis. Money that would have gone to Eastern Europe. Both government parties are also unashamedly pro-Russian and want an immediate end to the sanctions.

Only morons think that this is good news for Poland. Though this is typical for the far-right. They are so fixated on the migrant crisis that they are blind towards the real dangers for their country.

Law / Weapons laws in Poland. Carrying a concealed handgun? [918]

You'll find maniacs in every country. The difference between the USA and Europe is, that we do not arm them. Gun laws do not prevent people from attacking others, but they reduce the potential damage done by the attacker Every knife attack in Europe would have been an attack carried out by a gun in the USA. Which is why the laws are working.

History / What should Russia and Poland do to become if not friends, then at least not enemies? [945]


Because this was such a plausible scenario. As anyone who visited Crimea before 2014 could tell you. this Russian propaganda about a supposed threat to the Crimeans was so utterly stupid only someone who has no idea about the circumstances there could bring this up. Crimea was a fortress before it was annexed by Russia, I saw soldiers patrolling the streets, they had tanks, and so on. Even if a few dozen hooligans had found there way to Crimea, there is no chance they could have done anything there.


Sure, according to Russian propaganda.


Of course I mean Navalny. The man got results when he was allowed to compete that obviously frightened Putin. He would not have won, since Putin has the propaganda machinery on his side, but his participation would have exposed that support for Putin is smaller than Putin likes to admit.

History / What should Russia and Poland do to become if not friends, then at least not enemies? [945]


There was no active genocide against the Crimeans for instance. And to consider this referendum under arms when the opposing side was not given a fair chance to advocate its' cause publically is laughable.

If Putin had restricted himself to Crimea his actions might not have prevwnted any understanding later on. The fact however that he fasciliated and supported a Civil War in the Ukraine (which without Russian support would long since been over) that cost 10k of lives makes Russia irredeemable.


The collapse that anyone who cares to look for can see coming in the next decade. Russia is living on borrowed time, it is living from substance created during the oil and gass boom. Putin used the money to modernize the army and slightly improve the standard of living, yet has utterly failed to diversify the economy. What is worse is that he failed to invest enough money to modernize the infrastructure which means that in approx. 10 years it will get more and more difficult for Russia to keep its' oil and gas production rate. Russia has nothing except oil and nukes. You can get by on this for some time, but not forever. And one day the Russian people will no longer be satisfied with a stagnant status quo any longer.


Yet Putin found it necessary to ban the most important opposition leader before the election. It tells you a lot about the weakness of his system that he felt the need to go to such lengths. Putin himself is aware of it since the protests in 2012. Das

History / What should Russia and Poland do to become if not friends, then at least not enemies? [945]


Russia's behaviour in the Ukraine is more than enough reason to condemn it. Russia broke with the ultimate taboo in European foreign policy by redrawing the borders by force. Consequently it's neighbours are justified to fear Russia and rely on Nato to protect them, since Russia has no qualm pressuring those who are not protected by it.

In a way I feel sorry for the Russians. They have had so many incompetent and coŕrupt rulers that they are now satisfied to live under a man who promises them national greatness, yet has no viable long-term strategy for his country and enables corruption even more than his predecessors (just more covertly). Russia could be a wealthy country, bit its' citizen are poor because its' elite pluders its' wealth (just look at the number of oligarchs, and the official number is probably too low). However Poland can not affort to go soft on them, because the predictable collapse of the system might encourage Putin to act even more agressively to stabilize his power,

Law / Weapons laws in Poland. Carrying a concealed handgun? [918]

And here I thought that Americans needing a gun to receive validation as a man was just a silly stereotype.... .

Law / Weapons laws in Poland. Carrying a concealed handgun? [918]

That just goes to show you that strict gun laws and low gun ownserhip is better at preventing fire arm related deaths than merely strict gun control.

That being said, strict gun control is better than nothing.