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


There is no endorsement there. Its an opinion piece. At no time did Trump say he endorses Duda, or that he supports his re-election. Trump isnt that stupid.

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

Lets make one thing clear, Trump did not promise to move the troops from Germany to Poland. That is completely false. The whole troop scale down is a political move to get Germany to stop playing EU games. Now the EU is playing back with talking about banning Americans over china flu. Like EU is saying no to Ukraine being allowed entry, but Poland already opened that border.

Google investing millions into Poland is like Tomasz the grocer buying new shelves for his store. Virtually zero economic impact but it sure looks nice.

If just one party could come up with a pro democracy, pro economic growth and anti EU policy, I think they could sweep the political scene in Poland. But I am dreaming.

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

@amiga500
They spent the 3 billion pln real fast LMAO

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

@amiga500
Stalin would be proud.

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

@Spike31
Only problem is voter turnout in round 2 wont be close to round 1. Before we start guessing where the other non Duda voters will vote, maybe looking how the last elections non first round winners voted in the second round. The numbers they showed on TVN with those facts might surprise you. Duda clearly won the first round, we expected it. But 43 percent is not 50% or better. Its a stretch to think he has this wrapped up. If it were wrapped up we wouldnt be having a second round.

I would never, under any circumstances vote for PiS who has zero economic plan and have been an economic disaster. They have stepped all over the courts and make the country one that people laugh about. This is how people want the world to view Poland? And then we wonder why Poland can not match the economies of developed Europe?

Eventually, regardless of whether Duda wins or not, PiS will die with JK. Sooner would be better than later for the country.

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

@amiga500
Wrong. It was USA economic policy and the States taxes that lead me to discover I could save money on corporate tax in Poland. It is Polish PiS ZUS policy that is making me consider moving the company to Slovakia. You have zero business acumen and understand nothing of economics.

@amiga500
EU stimulus has done ZERO for Poland economy. Record number of business closures, and unemployment will top 8% this month, not including the nearly one million Ukraine who have lost work because of business closure. Anyone preaching this economic EU recovery for Poland has no clue about economics or jobs.

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

@amiga500
Ideology as in immigration etc, I am fine with. I actually support the immigration policy non Pole amiga500 with zero stake in the race. The EU money came in months ago you economic know nothing. It went to big business. You have no clue whats happening here. You dont see what people are going through. Duda capitalizes on uneducated and poor people lack of information and the ability to understand the bigger picture.

I am free to move my business anywhere. Thats true. I am also free to take those tax revenues to another location, along with those ZUS payments and those of my employees. So are other businesses, and I assure you, that people will look for better opportunity when these idiots raise ZUS again next year.

Some day this country will have to pay this debt, and what then? A vote for Duda is a vote for the past and not the future. Voting for PiS is voting against the futures of Polish children. Please argue with me how PiS has improved education and health care since they have been in office.

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

@amiga500
Buddy you are delusional. You have no idea what the shield money went to. People who I know are still waiting for money promised to them almost 4 months ago. All you trolls who dont even live in Poland really should be ashamed of yourselves. Tax fraud? Really? You mean the VAT scams that were paid by the EU and not Poland? Do you even understand how the tax system is set up here? "We" who is we? Because you dont even live here. You have zero at stake here.

@Dirk diggler
I respect your opinion on a lot of things, but the GDP inflation was largely due to American influence. If Poland becomes "unfriendly" to American business interests, tax and ZUS wise, the GDP will go in the toilet over night. I wonder what GDP looks like this year and for the next few years. Projections from experts for Poland are not good at all.

The question is, will Poland follow the EU lead and keep Americans out when the border reopens in two days or will Duda and PiS show some ball$ and go against the EU. This will tell us who PiS really is.

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

@Dirk diggler
Dirk do you need a reading comprehension class? I said "American influence" I didnt say American purchasing. Poland gives a big crap about USA business, clearly you havent been here in a while.

Troops from Germany arent going to Poland, Trump already said so. Lets not brag about Trump being "pro Poland" in one thread and say the US doesnt mean much to Poland in another. The US military is everything to Poland. Fort Trump was Duda's idea, and Trump is reported to have said it was a funny idea. Funny. Not serious. Without the USA military, Russia is over the border in short order, no doubt making some people here happy.

Without the USA military, US business is not in Poland. If you want to support PiS, just do so with some facts. Someone please show me some facts, some policy other than stone age absolutely stupid policy to advance a social agenda that JK thinks intelligent people dont understand. Someone please so me one policy that will move Poland forward, and not rely on EU handouts, or taxing and ZUSing the $__* out of the few smart business people in the country.

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

Duda in danger with his voters thinking its in the bag IMO. This is going to be very close either way. This alone should say something to PiS that they need to do things differently. Whether they get bounced out this time or not, their days are clearly numbered. As the old die, and the uneducated who have educated children become more aware of their childrens opinions and wants, the old ways will die off.

This has been Polands problem since the country was restored, older people trying to tell the younger people how to act and think while still hopping for all the benefits that the western society has to offer. There is no way this can happen. When people talk about voting against someone or some party, clearly it is a sign that the status quo is not working.

When the June unemployment numbers come out, people should really think about how poorly the shield worked. They should think that the only unemployment numbers that are reported are for those Poles who can file, and not for roughly one million more Ukraine who do not file who have not come back, or those millions who work without a contract in the service industry that has been decimated.

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

@Spike31
I actually agree with your take on the "elite" and "non elite" in Poland and USA. The extreme groups on both sides are simply stupid. As I have said before, PiS has some good platforms I would support on immigration, and non LGBT education or promotion of those values. The other side with open immigration is more of a think tank idea that they know will never completely fly but they want to appear to be EU friendly, same with LGBTQ rights, they know that most of it will never happen because Poland is Poland in the end.

Being a pragmatist though, neither of these groups will ever be able to full achieve their goals. They are too extreme. The real problem is who is better for the economy, education and health care. PiS has clearly pooped the bed on all three counts. The economy is propped up by state owned corporations that have to be phased out anyway, local business owners are getting killed by ZUS going up every year along with wages, yet the Zloty is continuing to decline. Health care is an absolute disaster and they give TVP 3 billion a year?!?! Teachers are treated like cockroaches and they wonder why Poles are not leading innovators in any field?

Growth is spurred by innovation, and money. Not coal and building worthless public projects with EU money. PiS has no clue what to do when the EU money stops flowing in and Poland becomes a net payer into the EU. The problem with all this, getting back to Spikes assertion is that the uneducated have no idea about what any of this means because they are uneducated and many only care about their free money. Anyone who cant see this as a real problem needs to get their eyes checked.

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

I have to disagree. Farmers, tradesmen, and other non trained economic decision makers should not be in charge of economic policy. What Poland has right now is a teacher with zero economic or job experience being told what to do from a dinosaur in political policy making. PiS and PO are not the same economically. The hole in the economy created by PiS and the give aways will kill this country economically sooner rather than later. The completely restrictive business policy is a double whammy. Taxes, and ZUS are completely out of control because of PiS. Who pays for this? Our children, grand children and great grandchildren will pay. And no one is thinking about them and the country that will be left to them. Its really embarrassing.

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

@Spike31
Actually PiS raised alcohol taxes just last year, and they have proposed a tax on new televisions and technology. The past is the past. When will someone talk about the future? All the talk about what happened a decade ago is really nonsensical at this point. People who have no stake in the country or the future of the people who live here really should relax on the anti PO and anti PiS rhetoric. Its predictable and has no influence on the future.

@dolnoslask
I would employ someone who has proven themselves economically. No one gets the highest level jobs in economic policy making fresh out of university. I would love to see a person like Bill Gates in charge in Poland. Trump did pretty good for the US economy until the pandemic. While a lot of his policy was not friendly to the environment and was a little unconventional, it was successful.

If Duda doesnt show up for a debate he looks like a fool. No one wants a fool leading the country even if he is one with no balls anyway. The idea that a sitting president would back out of a debate is childish. This really shows how childish this president and his party are. Duda goes to the USA comes back with nothing, but wants to be seen as an equal or colleague of Trump, yet he wont debate? Think Trump would not debate Biden? No way he would back down from that. This is the dual personality disorder of PiS once again.

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

Anyone remember this speech? youtube.com/watch?v=ufam-Uoc4sk

You know, things like when a government controls the press, and all branches of government you can not call that a democracy.......Hmmmmmm who said it and what do we have in Poland now? Strange how words can come back and haunt people.

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

@Ziemowit
Who was it that wanted an expert opinion on the economy? Mentzen said it better than I could have. That is a Polish expert. Truer words have not been spoken about the Polish economy during this election.

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

And once again no one wants to talk about the economy and what the experts say. It comes down to a discussion about a pardon and about a debate that has been scheduled for quite a while that Duda wants to change the terms on. Poland wants a president with no balls for a debate he doesnt get the questions in advance for? This is really a third world democracy if this is the case. JK moves his fingers and Duda blinks his eyes and moves his lips. That is not democracy, that is dictatorship.

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

Free media is not funded by the state. Free media is a business, not an economic burden that is a gaping money pit like TVP. 3 billion a year that should have gone to schools or medical care. Thats completely irresponsible use of state funds. Did you happen to watch the video of JK I posted that contradicts everything PiS wants? Probably not.

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

The fact that the debate didnt take place because Duda demanded it take place on TVP shows everyone he is a coward. Trump debated anyone and everyone the last election on all television stations not just FOX. That is what a real leader does, he doesnt fear anyone. Duda is simply a puppet and looked like an idiot last night babbling off all the things he says every day to the same audience. Undecided voters are not considering Duda they are considering to vote against Duda or stay at home.

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

@Crow
Duda striking a suspiciously Nixon looking pose there. How did that work out?

News / Unfulfilled promises by PiS [558]

@gumishu
Some good points made. I see some of your arguments too. But 500+ also gave a lot of people money for vodka and nothing else. It created a class of people having babies to make money and not work. It created a low level welfare state in many cases. Cash should never be given to the poor, food stamps or programs like this in the USA are the only way to ensure money is spent appropriately.

You can not just lump PO in one group. Using the past as the argument against the future is juvenile. That's like saying the lightbulb shouldn't have pressed forward n development when the first one failed.

You cant get better teachers, hospitals, doctors and other items if you dont invest in those area's. PiS continually refuses to spend the money where it is most needed. TVP and 3 billion a year ire the perfect example.

Sorry to say, but only a Pu$$y gets the questions before a debate handed to him. Because a person like that is incapable of leading, and incapable of being strong in the face of adversity. Anyone following that person is the same as the one answering the questions IMO. Comparing him to Trump is like comparing a squid to a lion.

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

@johnny reb
Only problem with that theory is the church got 1.4 billion in bailout money from the US government. Seems they are also capitalists.

This election should be about the future or Poland. Instead all anyone talks about is the past. PO past abuses, and PiS 18th century policy. Not one person talks about the future of the young people and children of Poland who deserve better than what they have. The future does not lie with PiS. This election or next, they are done. JK simply is not representative of the future, he is a dinosaur that should be extinct. Maybe somehow related to Kieth Richards, but neither should lead a country.

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

@johnny reb
While I respect your opinion, the future of immigration is a Polish idea, not JK. Most Poles are against the EU immigration idea, its not an original JK thought. Most Poles are also not in favor of open support of gays, again, not an original thought. The election should not be about these two narrow subjects. It divides the country into the educated and the non educated. Really both sides are quite stupid in this regard in not finding a centrist way to bring cross over voters.

@Lenka
Christianity out of politics? Like the separation of church and state in the USA? LMAO of course this is highly successful (sarcasm)

This election will once again come down to the poor, and uneducated voting for Duda and the educated, young voting for Trzaskowski. The young and educated would vote for a ham sandwich before voting for Duda and PiS has no way of ever getting that vote. This is the PiS long term problem. As each term in office ends they have less supporters simply due to people dying off and people becoming more educated. This election or the next they are done. Its too close to call for sure now for either side.

Its the voter who lost his job or business that should decide this election. People who actually continue to suffer because the "shield" failed the majority of small business in Poland. That is what matters. The EU money will be reduced in coming years, Poland will become a net payer into the EU, and then where does the infrastructure money come from that PiS has been spending to create jobs that are long term temporary?

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

@Ironside
You are so focused on gays and LGBTQ you don't even understand what I am talking about. Gays and those issues are nothing. Miniscule issues compared to the economy, infrastructure, business growth, positioning Poland to lead Europe in the future instead of being laughed at for backward thinking. Your thinking completely ignores the challenges facing young people when the old people are dead.

Pollution, transitioning the coal mining economy that the rest of the world is killing for Poland, developing new industry and technology centers to keep Poles from leaving for other countries, creating an investor friendly environment, reducing tax burdens on business, reducing spending on non essential items like public TV, investing in hospitals and schools. You know, the $**T that makes countries great, the $**T that turns countries into leaders instead of followers and puppets. Those kind of actual important and impactful things.

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

@Ironside
I simply do not support any party blindly. I believe religion has no place in government, but people keep bringing it in because they think it somehow should guide a population. That hasnt worked so well for Muslims. Sooner or later all religious government shrinks or disappears. Rational thought will always win in the longest of battles.

I do not confuse gay and LGBTQ. I think both are equally a waste of time discussing. The more attention we pay to those "issues" the more distraction they become from the real issues. I dont believe in "movements". Everyone on the planet needs a stupid movement to get behind for social injustice or so called social growth and acceptance. Everyone should mind their own personal business and focus on growth. This is the problem with both sides.

Pollution and the other items I mentioned are real. Would anyone drink the water from the rivers in Poland unfiltered? Hell no. Sabotaging the works of a government that is not working for the people is not sabotage, it is called change and improvement, innovation. Those things spur growth.

The future of Poland under PiS is the continuation of ideas proven by PiS not to work. It is the burying of the future in financial burdens that are not necessary. When PiS is gone, then and only then will the rest of the world take Poland seriously. When they are gone, someone will lead real innovation, and it doesn't matter what the party name will be. youth is the future of Poland, not those who are currently in power. They will be dust in short order, and its only a matter of time.

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

@johnny reb
Actually everyone I know with a small business in the USA received at least 10 K. That helped them a lot. So it did actually work in my opinion. The fact that larger business raped the system again is a problem. The church should not have gotten any business funding. Thats a joke. Like the church doesnt have enough money.

As for what Obama did, its irrelevant. Trump was no angel either. Neither Trump of Hilary are/were clean. Trump is the only candidate in the US who wont allow the country to collapse IMO. Biden will bury the US in depression level of debt with social spending. So will PiS and Duda.

Being a conservative is not only about family and immigration values. It is about economic values, military values, and standing strong for national economic growth spurred by innovation and creativity. This is where PiS fails completely.

Once again though no one wants to talk about real important issues. Economic issues. Polands future will be determined by the economy and nothing else. Without a plan the country is not attractive for major investment or innovation, and the young will continue to leave as soon as they can.

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

@johnny reb
Your point on foreign investments makes no sense. Foreign investment is not coming. Taxes are being raised, ZUS is being raised, and purchasing a Polish company is nearly outlawed now. It is an anit growth business sentiment in government. The red tape is astronomical. This idea of yours is simply not going to happen and PiS doesnt know how to make it happen. Really, they are completely incompetent when it comes to economics, a community college graduate could do better. Please dont insult me with this train of thought. I respect your other opinions even if I disagree but this has zero foundation.

@Ironside
Actually it doesnt have to be part of the package. A real candidate, and IMO the challenger is the lesser of two evils, but a real candidate would be a centrist. Not some left or right wing freak who wants to believe in "ideals" that no one will adhere to. A centrist who says no to immigration, no to additional free money, and yes to spending money on the people in the country's education, medical services, and job training. This would be a real candidate. All the other side show issues are simply BS.

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

@Dirk diggler
The economy is artificially inflated by employment in state industry funded by EU dollars. That was until corona. The employment numbers in Poland do not account for all the jobs lost by Ukraine migrants who will not get those jobs back because record numbers of business closed to not reopen again. You havent walked a street in Poland to see how many empty storefronts there are. I have in many cities and its scary to see.

Economic GDP is slowing, and it will begin to fall now. What happened before corona is simply not how things are now and not how they will be moving forward.

Spending on military is required by NATO. If they dont spend they dont belong, one of the reasons Trump is complaining about other EU members. It is also the only way Poland gets time with Trump and PiS knows it. Fort Trump isnt happening, Duda came from the last meeting with nothing. Right before the election he got nothing. Companies are finding it hard to get qualified people for what Polish companies will pay, not because they arent out there. They are finding it hard because educated people typically dont choose to move to an oppressive or overly taxed community. The Polish military without NATO or the United States is no better than the Michigan Militia.

Culture is the only thing PiS has going for it. But the gay stuff, and alphabet soup issues really makes the country look stupid. Gays are not going away. Homo's have been in Poland since the beginning of time.

Duda and PiS are the past, they can not move the country forward.

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

@Dirk diggler
You have not been in Poland in years. You have said this. Any monkey can cite newspaper clippings and propaganda from PiS. Living and working in Poland is completely different. Mom and Pop shops are the lifeblood of Poland. Factories are not. Same as in the USA, and for the same reason Trump made sure small business got some money. Poland small business got nothing from the Federal Gov, and only 5000 pln from each voivodeship after the business stayed open for 3 months during the pandemic. Dont comment on things you didnt experience, it doesnt hold up to scrutiny.

All the auto plants in Poland were closed for months. Lets see how GDP is effected moving forward. Stop talking about the past. This is this forum's problem, no one talks about the future, its all arguing the past and homo's. Unreal how stupid the discussion is. Someone please tell me the plan for the future. PiS has no plan excpt to continue to consolidate power and destroy democracy while spending the country into debt like America is can never escape.

As for the Germans it is exactly why the USA is pulling forces out of Germany. Now with Latvia asking the US to put a military base there, where do you think the US goes? Definitely not Poland. The US still wants a free and impartial court system, both sides of politics accept differences in core beliefs yet neither would support the judiciary moves PiS has made.

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

@Dirk diggler
No I am simply not going to waste my time searching the internet for more things to post on here. I read enough and dont need to try to convince people with facts that can be twisted by anyone. I lived through the lock down in Poland, you did not. I see every day the empty store fronts, you dont. You are a visitor regardless of where you were born. I am a resident and I have a vested interest in several business operations in the country. You have nothing at stake. Thats a big difference.

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

@Ironside
Indeed. Shows a country divided. Much like the USA and that has not gone well. Regardless of who wins, they need to recognize they do not have a mandate for extremism. Exit polls early had Clinton ahead too. Lets wait for the official count, and then what may be a court challenge by either side.