Scars of Communism on Polish culture.

Elbows.


Just as communism was touted as a belief system, some of them here think that capitalism is an ideology too.

That is only your sensitivity and lack of understanding !

Yes indeed Poland was scarred by the Soviet occupation and all the previous history.

let me ask you a serious question: tell me exactly how Poland was scarred and is still scarred by their past history. please provide examples of how it affects the people of Poland today and the country as a whole. some specific examples would be appreciated.

That would be difficult because nobody studied that angle of Polish history/ society.Secondarily your question is very general and you expect specific answer.

Infrastructure, Poland's infrastructure would have been something else if not for history and communism. There isn't any mark/label or company connected with Poland ie Polish regardless of numerous inventions made by XIX century Poles, the most notorious which comes to my mind - is discovery of industrial use of oil , also fist oil wells were situated on what use to be Polish territory. However other state made the use out of this discovery with minimal gain for Poles !

Next, territorial - Polish borders are always questionable due to history.
Communism, all industrious and talented people were either forced to immigration or made little use of. Privet enterprises were punished, people were spied upon and brainwashed in a way and on scale you American cannot begin even to understand.

How that affects Poland and people today ? First of all Poland is a poor country ie most people are poor. there is no elite, country is poorly run, by post-colonial clique, corruption is rife and either you are part of the system or your business especially successful is going to be busted by better connected boors,

Poland have to play that catch up game with other countries - why because of communism!
Poland's development as a country is seriously impaired because of history and communism you have been living in Poland for four years ? gee !

Thanks.


I lived in Poland for 4 years. What do you mean by "gee"?

Ah right, you are back, I have forgotten all about that.
I mean you could work it out for yourself.
Ah! for starter :

culture.pl/web/english/resources-literature-full-page/-/eo_event_asset_publisher/eAN5/content/jadwiga-staniszkis-post-communism

I'm not wondering why it had an effect, I'm simply asking from your perspective, what the effects were. Nothing more.

You kinda answered but I guess I was looking for more current examples, current social/cultural characteristics we can see today, etc.

Oh they understand alright and are in fact emulating them. :D

Those scars exist everywhere, those things do no disappear without trace, they have impact on material, psychosocial, cultural, political, financial and social reality of Poland's reality and society.

Say that small event as 11.09, considerably minor disaster given the country status. What impact has it made on peoples and country reality ? Tiny disaster and big effects.

Multiply that times by billion and than add 40 years of prison for survivors.
And then tell me in detail how that affected your society.

I guess you mean - customer service and an attitude towards customer - one!

What about the young Poles who were born after 1989? Are they still "scarred" by WW2 and the communist era? What about their children? Are they also "scarred" because of what their grandparents and great grandparents had to go through? How long do you think this will continue?

yes, but you're basically rewording the question without really answering it.

with all that in mind, tell me about life and the people in poland day to day and what things you would blame on communism.

polish people and their culture are often times ______ due to communism.

polish TV/entertainment/arts are _____ due to communism.

Polish food is ______due to communism.

Polish economy and business practices are _______due to communism.

etc.


for argument's sake, I'd reel it back farther than 89'. Someone born in 1985 remembers little, if anything about communist times. At 4 years old, they hadn't even started going to school. Even those born in say 1980, just living life as a kid, blind to most of the world, probably couldn't tell you a heck of a lot about "life in communist Poland."

Sure they are ! What do you think ? Certain reality that you grow in, is having an impact on you, that is obvious !Young people ?Why enormous, many people were forced to immigrate or live with their parents.....and many more .....

Isn't that obvious ? Are you foolishly assuming that Poland would be the same as it is without WWII?
How long ? I don't know ...do you think that I have an answer to everything ?I think three generation or seven, provided Poland will remain an independent country !

I'm just saying as it is ! Do you refuse to recognize that every action brings reaction ?

No, not at all. I was asking you an honest question. Don't you think that society itself is to be blamed for the scars to be carried over to the next generation? Grandparents teaching their grandkids how bad the Russians and Germans are, and the kids continue this prejudice (in modern times) when they grow up kind of thing. Vicious circle. Sometimes I think that all Europeans could use a little bit of the American "get over it and move on" attitude.

Hey it is not about resentments its about bitting reality !
It is more complicated than that, much more .....
I don't know about blame, I know that unconsciously parents can pass to their children depression, or they are prone to depression, the same goes with traumas.

Is not even that, antebellum Poland had aristocracy, middle class, merchants, farmers and poor and all that after there were commies, collaborators, political police and all the rest.

Do you think that by the magical snap of fingers restore everything and make all go away ?There are natural consequences!

just let me know Ironside if you're planning on totally dodging my questions in my last post so i can stop checking this thread for an answer. thanks.

later fuzz !

Oh, OK. Just let me know when you're ready.

ignorant, rude and demoralized


secondary, imitative and bland.( often )


less varied and more simple than it use to be ....


less-effective and crude !

@Ironside

unfortunately you're suspended dude, so we can't really continue the conversation.....but hey, thanks for answering.

What do the rest of the Poles out there think?

You summed it up SO well! This is POLAND! I am first generation born in NY, but quite often visit Poznan. I often times feel like people have so many complains, and talk about how things "suck", and dream about coming to the USA. However, they are unwilling to rally together to make a change, to improve their own daily lives. I feel the majority of the younger generation (millennials), will refuse to go against their parents. Going against the grain isn't what's common. It's sad.

lol, nice thread necromancy.
and to be honest I don't think that young(-ish) people still consider the US as a "promised land", as their parents used to consider it decades ago.

It's easier, cheaper and more beneficial to migrate to the western european countries than to the US (with some exceptions obviously)

polish and proud, lived the life ,scarred and loyal to my friends and family ,grandfather pow for 4 years in war camp ,hard strong hardest man alive lived smelt death over 1300 days of his life easy to blame weak to point finger if u don't like the polish ways simple fix ,**** off

This is Poland Zdzislaw - We are all proud and all our grandparents were killed or deported so spare us the martyr act.

I don't know what you mean by Polish ways but it's a free country and people can follow whatever ways they want to.

You wrote it in 2012. What do you think of today`s Poland?


No, it is a very useful strategy, we can see what things were like in the past and how people`s views and attitudes change or remain the same over the years. I found a few of my old posts here - it is funny to read younger me. hahaha

Resistance to communism awakened Poland, united, gave purpose. Like resistance to Russian or Prussian occupation. Much more damage was to Poland dealt by Austro-Hungarian Empire. It was slow death. Euthanasia blessed by Vatican. But go tell that to Poles and you would see that even in our time, again thanks to Vatican, they struggle to understand that.