Some recent posts from the new collaborative blog on Poland, Polandian.
Darthsida has a provocative little post about why he does not, has not, will not, donate to Poland’s one real charity fest, The Great Orchestra of Holiday Aid…or whatever.
I could argue it’s not Owsiak [Jerzy, creator of the charity marathon] with his levee en masse to cover some gaps in the health system. I pay taxes for the system, why should I pay more? Paying through another channel is through the nose. The similar logic (which, a steadfast dog hater, I only heard of) – would be in use by dog owners. They say one of the reasons they don’t collect their pets’ droppings is that they (humans) pay the relevant tax. The money should include remuneration for cleaning persons to go and remove doggie deeds done dirt cheap…
He’s got a point = although I don’t clear up Lucy’s poop because, well, it’s nasty. And to follow darthsida’s logic, taxes would be even higher if we did not have charity - with voluntary donations - to pick up the slack (and man, are Polish public services ‘slack’).
Scatts picks up the tax theme and the filling out the scary PIT tax forms, which the nation has just completed.
Popular belief is that if you don’t do this you will be banged up in the nearest prison or have your head removed and displayed on a pole outside the nearest U.S office. At any rate, the consequences are said to be dire and so nobody has ever bothered trying.
I think a few have tried, however. In fact, tax fraud is huge in Poland, as everywhere else.
Pawel rights about Poland’s colonial relationship with …Madagascar!?
Polish settlers have stayed in Madagascar, however, and Polish minority today is the second largest minority in after the French. During communist period Polish community in Madagascar supported the Polish mainland with tropical fruits - a fact that is still remembered in Poland.
We should also remember Poland’s role in the Madagascar Plan. Lest we forget.
And Scatts reminds us that Queen - the band - will be playing Gdansk Shipyard in September. No, they will not be resurrecting Fred to sing vocals, they got that bloke from free to do the singing, and will be releasing a brand new album of tunes to go with the tour.
35 comments:
You don't clean up your dog's crap?
You gotta be kidding, right?
Um...no. Most people don't in Poland, mate. We employ folk from local taxes.
That's ucked fup. It should be picked up right away rather than allowing even a chance of it becoming a health nuisance. Really bad for kids. All it takes is carrying a plastic bag, picking it up with your hand in the bag, turning it inside out, tieing it up and putting it in a waste basket. Jeez.
Actually, in my case, this does not really apply, as Lucy is just 5 months old and only does her doo doos on my carpet in the living room.
I forgot about your blog - but it's great to see its still going strong!
Do the folks paid to pick up the poop actually pick it up? Are there enough of them?
Keeping the walkway in front of a building clean is building owner's responsibility. They may or may not pick up the poop; most likely, it's pushed into nearest lawn. The poop from the lawn is not being picked up at all, which I guess is very ecological, because it surely turns into natural fertilizer, eventually. Also, it makes "don't step on the grass" signs redundant.
One of many reasons why I prefer cats is that they bury their own poop and never confuse excrements with food. If only their pee didn't have that terrible smell, they would be perfect urban predators.
A responsible Polish mother does not let her children play on a lawn. Instead, she puts her children into nearest sandbox, which by mere coincidence is where homeless cats bury most of their poop. I guess it helps children build their immunity.
I usually clean up after my dog living here in the Polish city of Poznan-I think Polish people should do the same for their dogs and community.Also they should stop smoking in restaurants and eventually bars!
John
Poop with meat in it left laying around is not good fertilizer and it's even less beneficial for people, especially kids.
One of the nastiest anti-Polish jokes I've ever heard asks what's the Polish national bird...
Is Queen in concert, national news in poland?
Completely off topic but I just watched Katyn and it's a crappy movie that only got nominated for the Oscar based on the weight of the topic which Wajda in no way can measure up to. It's a good thing it didn't win it. It would've been an embarrassment.
Not good at all.
I've always thought Wajda was mediocre. Early on, essentially a boot licker who later had enough smarts to figure out which way the wind was blowing so he made "Man of Iron" and "Man of Marble", essentially the only things worthwhile he ever made. Like many people he misjudged it by about nine years and tried his best to backtrack as best as he could. Made his peace with the martial law. Kaczmarski caught him perfectly in "Artysci".
And then this movie is a proof that he was never capable of doing much more than the "social realist" over pathos, over acting, self-pastiches that he started out with.
"Lucy is just 5 months old and only does her doo doos on my carpet in the living room."
AND YOU DON'T CLEAN _THAT_ UP??!!?!??!
No...I get the man in the park with the wheelbarrow to come upstairs and clean it up...
Ren - yeah, Queen gigs got lot of coverage...they never played here I think, and the new album will be strange without OuR Fred. I saw Queen twice and he WAS the show.
Didn't Wajda a long time ago do a socialist realist film about the indignities of picking up dog doo-doo?
It was called Man of Shit...or was it Kanaly?
Gone, sadly, are the early post-communist hairshirt days when no one flaunted their private wealth by owning a dog and having it siht all over public property.
Ta very much for the coverage :)
No prbs, boys...
On the doggy dodo issue, the best solution is if you own a dog you pick up the shit or pay a hefty fine. If you don’t like the fine buy a fucking goldfish. Society isn’t responsible for your choice in pets.
YouNotSneaky said...” I just watched Katyn and it's a crappy movie”
I agree, if you’re not Polish and are unaware of the historical background I expect you would not rate this movie very highly. However it was the movie he intended to produce and for a primarily Polish audience. I expect on his part and at the end day (in terms of his life span) it was a genuine and likely highly personal act of atonement. The movie’s intent was to keep alive the memory of this Soviet atrocity and not try to get an Oscar.
YouNotSneaky said...” essentially a boot licker who later had enough smarts to figure out which way the wind was blowing”
I also share this impression of his early days; I can see where people could feel some of his work was just about as close as you can get to the word treason. In Germany the excuse was “we were just following orders” in Poland with a different culture the excuse was “ one needed to be practical in those days".
jan
I had a goldfish once, but it didn;t want to go out for walks - especially when it was raining...
You mean, 57, that Wajda qualifies now for societal forgiveness having atoned for his earlier criminal behavior?
You don't want him swinging from a lamppost?
Are you getting soft?
beatroot said...” I had a goldfish once but it didn’t want to go out for walks”
Was this a failure of leadership on your part? Restricting the oxygen flow into the aquarium reminds the fish of whose in charge. By allowing your fish not to comply with your wishes indicates an over extension of participatory democracy.
geez said...” Wajda qualifies now for societal forgiveness”
At least less condemnation.
Lamppost acrobatics are for the puppet masters not the puppets. I think it was Solzenitzen who stated that remaining honest in a dictatorship was the most difficult of tasks. I think Wajda’s struggle is less with society and more with himself; a mirror can be the most uncompromising judge. His early actions were a betrayal of his father’s memory his contemporary actions were an act of atonement, setting things right before the exit
It seems like only a few weeks ago, 57, you were insisting on lamppost attachments for anyone so much as remotely complicit in sustaining the former Communist regime.
great post! very interesting to hear this from a European perspective.
geez said... “you were insisting on lamppost attachments for anyone so much as remotely complicit in sustaining the former Communist regime.”
Yes, it’s a pleasant though visualizing the comrades tangling on high and swaying with the wind. However tangible results are being realized from of old age and death removing this pestilence from Polish society. This is now happening at an effective rate. Notwithstanding the trial of the PRL leadership should carry on.
It is embarrassing that Poles have failed to take matters in hand and expedite the solution to the problem, plenty of good examples in our history of taking the garbage to curb side.
Every child in Poland should be taught that a hand raised against Poland should be severed.
Every child in Poland should be taught that a hand raised against Poland should be severed.
Our resident anticommunist paraphrasing Józef Cyrankiewicz.
Priceless.
Mmm Dog poo?
I had to explain (in the UK)
To Tomek and Marzena - that if you don't pick it up? asap!!
The CCTV's will catch you/dog wardens/Community Police (almost said snoopers, but anyone/everyone will get you - but someone out there will!
It's gone too far here:-(
Don't go there - or smoke in a bar, shop, public place - fart in your own home? they'll be watching with their 'fixed penalty tickets':-(
Sad but true:-(
Hey - don't breathe!! this is England we are watching you!!!
Is
opamp said...Our resident anticommunist paraphrasing Józef Cyrankiewicz”
Oh no I didn’t, I got the “sever the hand raised against ______” from a Turkish Politician explaining at a press conference the shooting of a protester who climbed up a flag pole to remove the Turkish flag. Then took the liberty to add and edit.
The actual Józef Cyrankiewicz quote goes as follows: “any provocateur or lunatic who raises his hand against the people's government may be sure that this hand will be chopped off.”… the source is wikipedia ……so???
However don’t you think that my version resonates with clarity and purpose, it’s easy for children to learn such an unambiguous concept?
The point, 57, is that despite your staunch anti-communism, you sound just like a communist.
Obviously I disagree with this analysis, for example Józef Cyrankiewicz was not even a genuine communist, but rather an opportunist and quisling that joined them when he saw which way the wind was blowing.
Surely your not accepting any concept that physically defending the Polish nation is a concept owned by communists.
You will note that what Cyrankiewicz said was “the people's government” he made no mention of Poland. The two have no relationship, as the “people’s government” was the term used for the Soviet puppet government during the occupation that last to 1989.
After 1989 the failure to declare the PRL as an illegal entity and all of its organizations as criminal organizations was a major error on the part of the post occupation government.
Polish textbooks still spread the lie that a Polish state existed between 1944 and 1989. Why they still choose to ignore a clearly established historical fact is unclear.
"After 1989 the failure to declare the PRL as an illegal entity and all of its organizations as criminal organizations was a major error on the part of the post occupation government."
In other words tens of thousands (or more) of unversity degrees were null and void and most of the housing in the country should have been destroyed (for a start).
"Polish textbooks still spread the lie that a Polish state existed between 1944 and 1989. Why they still choose to ignore a clearly established historical fact is unclear."
The problem with hanging those who cooperated with the PRL government was that this was almost everyone in the country to some extent.
michael farris said... “degrees were null”
If we use the Third Reich as an example people didn’t loose their degrees and housing wasn’t demolished just because it was constructed during that period.
But how can we continue with the deception that there existed a Polish state between 1944 and 1989 called the PRL. A huge amount of historical evidence and living witnesses exist to show conclusively that Poland was not a sovereign state during that period by any classical definition of the word. I am perplexed why we feel so threaten by our history that we continue to fear telling young people the truth.
I got the “sever the hand raised against ______” from a Turkish Politician
ROTFL.
Józef Cyrankiewicz was not even a genuine communist, but rather an opportunist and quisling that joined them when he saw which way the wind was blowing.
So he got really confused about the directions, since he spent three years in Auschwitz (and other camps) for partiticipating communist resistance. Not a very good career choice, eh?
If we use the Third Reich as an example people didn’t loose their degrees and housing wasn’t demolished just because it was constructed during that period.
So you don't believe that the Third Reich existed either?
But how can we continue with the deception that there existed a Polish state between 1944 and 1989 called the PRL.
For starters, can you explain why was the U.S. maintaining diplomatic relationships with a non-existing entity?
opamp said... “So he got really confused about the directions, since he spent three years in Auschwitz (and other camps) for partiticipating communist resistance. Not a very good career choice, eh?”
Józef Cyrankiewicz represented himself as a socialist until it looked like either he was going to be purged or arrested then jumped onto the bandwagon. His credentials as an opportunists are solid. In the PRL the opportunists certainly out number the people who actually believed in communism which were at best a tiny minority. The bulk of the communist party was made up of opportunist. Which do you hold in greater contempt the person who believed in a sick and despicable philosophy or someone that just went along for personal gain?
The point I am making is that no Polish state existed in the period of 1944 to 1989, but rather an occupation authority under the control of the Soviet Union. The US agreed to this situation at Yalta and later the Potsdam conference therefore broke off relations with the legitimate Polish government in London and transferred recognition to Moscow’s entity.
The PRL must be viewed in a similar light to what the Germans call “General Government” or in the case of Norway the occupation administration headed by Quisling.
In the historic context what should be taught in Polish schools is that the Polish state ceased to exist from Sept of 1939 and did not re-appear until 1989. There can be no legitimacy granted to the PRL.
I should point out that although remnants of the legal government did exist briefly during this period in the form of the AK and the London based government in exile it did not have control of Polish territory.
I will agree with you that the Third Reich was a bad example and that Norway would have illustrated the point better. Therefore in Norway people didn’t loose their degrees and housing wasn’t demolished just because it was constructed during that period
The Norwegians had the self-respect to execute Quisling; Jaruzelski gets to walk around making absurd excuses.
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