patrick.net

richwicks says

Are they aware the US overthrew Ukraine in 2014?

No, they had no idea that the US was involved.

Weed is not a thing. Didn't smell it at all even in Lodz, which is a pretty big city.

No homeless.

No litter, though there are weeds and some graffiti, mostly about rival soccer teams.

They are very pro American and everyone knows someone in Chicago. Many people have been to Chicago.

We are driving to Krakow now. There are a lot of fields of rye. I thought it was wheat but they assure me it's rye. There are also some cornfields. Lots of birch and pine forests.

I asked about tolls vs EU funding, and they said it's both. The EU funded highways have no tolls. Also, the government is removing tolls, but only because elections are coming up in October.

They think that the American system of two parties is bad because then policies oscillate. Their own system seems to be proportional representation, so more consistent.

Poland is more traditional and conservative than the US, so the conservative party is dominant, but they do have liberals.

Everyone who could challenge Nazi power was systematically killed during WWII and I think that has ramifications down to the present day. Basically, all intellectuals were eliminated, leaving a more rural and conservative population.

Patrick says

It's pretty hot, in the 90s.

Any air conditioning?

Patrick says

Everyone who could challenge Nazi power was systematically killed

Everyone who could challenge Communist power was systematically killed.

Patrick says

some graffiti,

What % of the graffiti is in English?

Patrick says

They have good beer and even micro breweries.

Restaurant prices are similar to in the US, just slightly cheaper.

Smoking and drinking are much less than when I was here 35 years ago. No one offered me vodka yet, unlike last time when it was even served at breakfast.

Food quality is high now.

Interesting observation as I was just talking to my father about this. 80 proof was so engrained in the culture. It wasn’t uncommon for families to have vodka on the table at any meal where guests were over.

In western culture it seems crazy and destructive to take shots at meals but this is what we did when I would visit any family. At dinner parties, you’d have some food, someone would toast with vodka and it would repeat. By the end of dinner, you may have 5, 6, 7 shots of vodka! Additionally it was rude to decline.

My understanding is that it is less and less common now as people have more opportunity and therefore value productivity, having a clear head, etc.

As someone that’s watched no shortage of family problem growing up that were triggered by vodka, I’m happy to hear that this trend has been declining in Polish culture.

During the communist era, I do think heavy 80 proof drinking was largely due to misery, poor quality of life, corruption, and lack of opportunity leading to people wanting an escape.

We’ve all been to beer/wine weddings and open bar weddings. By the end of the night, open bar weddings have a very different feel than beer/wine weddings. I caution against 80 proof as I’ve seen on far too many occasions how destructive it could be.

I have some relatives in Gdańsk who say the following

- Putin is monster. There is fear and concern that Ukraine is just first in a sequence of his plan. Therefore Poles don’t want to see Ukraine fall and are in favor of support.

- At the same time, many poles are appalled at the number of Ukrainians that have been taken in, many millions now. Ukrainian presence is everywhere in the larger cities and refugees are getting free healthcare, schooling, jobs etc
Many Ukrainian refugees are well off financially.

Patrick: Tell us about communication.

I found that in the bigger cities, English is common.

What about the small village where your grandmother is from?

I’m fluent and can communicate in either language but think in English.

REpro says

There is noticeable difference. I like Guiness too, but Porter is smoother, stronger and heavier.

Thanks @REpro

I will buy some today.

Patrick says

Oddly, they think NATO is independent of the US.

Show them this:



Patrick says

They seem unaware that the US is declining in power and economically.

Because we are not. In relative terms -- which is how comparisons between nations must be done thereby except in a few exceptions -- we are doing well compared to most of the rest of the world. And that will only get starker as demographic collapse and deglobalization proceeds.

BayArea says

We’ve all been to beer/wine weddings and open bar weddings. By the end of the night, open bar weddings have a very different feel than beer/wine weddings. I caution against 80 proof as I’ve seen on far too many occasions how destructive it could be.

Killed my brother in law. I don't care if it offends anyone, I'm not drinking hard liquor. Ever. I sip light beer. I don't like to get "drunk" and pass out. It's not pleasant. The easy way to do that is with hard liquor. Also it's easier to hide. We didn't know for a decade that the water my BIL was drinking was vodka. 20oz bottle at a time. He'd have multiple at any visit to my sisters house.

I'm libertarian leaning and hate regulation, but I do think hard liquor should be restricted to an extent. Smaller bottles. Your typical handle is a massive amount of booze. Prohibition definitely won't work, but I think a restriction to 750ML bottles would help with aggressive drunks. One bottle per visit. Not sure how you'd track that as you could go to different stores, but handles of booze shouldn't exist in my world. You'll live though a fifth 750ML if you binge it. Not a handle.

I know Eastern Europeans in general liked to drink, didn't realize that they might have it at breakfast. Hard stuff too? That's insane. Mimosa is the highest I go. Then just beer sipping time if I want to continue which is usually a Sunday doing yard work and other house projects and go to bed at 9pm.

Trollhole says

Patrick says

Oddly, they think NATO is independent of the US.

Show them this:



Patrick says

They seem unaware that the US is declining in power and economically.

Because we are not. In relative terms -- which is how comparisons between nations must be done thereby except in a few exceptions -- we are doing well compared to most of the rest of the world. And that will only get starker as demographic collapse and deglobalization proceeds.

That's not true. Standard of living in many German, Swiss or Austrian cities is magnitudes better than in the US. These are not exceptions, they are becoming the norm. Asia is not far behind and will overtake the US if its stays on the given path. I agree that esp. European nations do aid to their own downfall with unfettered mass immigration etc, but the US is currently declining faster under xiden, no doubt about it, esp. since leftoids have taken a foothold in most big cities and the still nice touristy rural areas. If you are single maybe the US still wins out, but if you're raising a family it's far behind already.

Poland is doing quite well, btw., so is eastern Germany. Hungary, you name it. The US hasn't lost yet, but the next one or two elections will be crucial. There's still time.

richwicks Question: "Are they aware the US overthrew Ukraine in 2014?"

Patrick says

"No, they had no idea that the US was involved."

Other answers...

"They think Victor Orban is a dictator who controls Hungary via money.
They are certain that NATO would win a conventional war.
Oddly, they think NATO is independent of the US.
They seem unaware that the US is declining in power and economically."

All these answers indicate very clearly that in Poland - like the US and the rest of the EU - all media outlets including papers, TV and radio are controlled by the Globalists who still fantasize that we live in a unipolar world. Putin and Orban are disliked because the notion of a unipolar world is bunk.

Patrick says

richwicks says

Are they aware the US overthrew Ukraine in 2014?

No, they had no idea that the US was involved.

God damned. This world is fucked up just because nobody knows anything. It's infuriating.

Victoria Nuland has completely gotten away with her crimes. Disgusting.

Patrick says

They think gay and trans is a silly fad. One cousin said she has a friend who declared herself lesbian but she doesn't belive her because she had four boyfriends.

LOL! The orbiting dumb stick wallet is alive and well, even for labia shleppers. The egg farms can be as demented as they want, and the drones mechanically drone on oblivious and in spite of.

There are lgbt in every country. Only in us , they seek extra attention. N tranny dancing in front of kids is also only in us.

46 muslim countries kills them, they can go to us, india etc where they are relatively free. Most ppl will treat them like other human if they don't stupid shit.

I bet they have great Sauerkraut.

Tenpoundbass says

Could you assemble the village together and have them demonstrate their lightbulb changing method.

GREATEST COMMENT OF THE YEAR! YOU BROKE THE INTERNET!!

Can they answer the question that has the usa dumbfounded...WHAT IS A WOMAN?

GNL says

I bet they have great Sauerkraut.

sauerkraut and kielbasa...hell yeah

Patrick says

We are driving to Krakow now. There are a lot of fields of rye. I thought it was wheat but they assure me it's rye. There are also some cornfields. Lots of birch and pine forests.

I asked about tolls vs EU funding, and they said it's both. The EU funded highways have no tolls. Also, the government is removing tolls, but only because elections are coming up in October.

Maybe you already notice, but Polish bread is made from rye flour also rye is used for vodka production.
The is tendency to get rid from tolls on highways. Eastern part of Poland where highways were built later, don't have tolls.

Trollhole says

I have to admit that there are tons of really hot Polish women, far more than I expected. Much better than the US.

Patrick says

Trollhole says

I have to admit that there are tons of really hot Polish women, far more than I expected. Much better than the US.

In a European country full of white people, why did you expect less?

Patrick says

I have to admit that there are tons of really hot Polish women, far more than I expected. Much better than the US.

You have to admit that the usa has set the bar pretty low lately

komputodo says

Patrick says

I have to admit that there are tons of really hot Polish women, far more than I expected. Much better than the US.

You have to admit that the usa has set the bar pretty low lately

we struggling with what is a woman ever since that idiotic scotus decision to include gender identity as civil right.

Two Minutes Of Truth, Of Bitter Truth

A great speech by Polish Member of the European Parliament Professor Ryszard Leautko addressing the EU Parliament last November. We need more leaders like Ryszard Leautko. Poland should be proud!

"Two minutes of truth, of bitter truth. And the bitter truth is that the European Parliament has done a lot of damage in Europe (Applause). It has been sending a false message it represents the European demos. There isn't and there won't be any European demos.

The parliament infected Europe with shameless partisanship and the infection became so contagious that it spread to other institutions such as the European Commission. The Parliament has abandoned the basic function of representing people. Instead, it has become a machine to implement the so-called European project, thus alienating millions of voters (Applause).

The Parliament has become a political vehicle of the left to impose their monopoly with their fierce intolerance towards any dissenting view. No matter how many times you repeat the word 'diversity.' Diversity is becoming an extinct species in the European Union and particularly in this chamber (Applause).

The Parliament is a quasi-parliament because it rejects the essential principle of parliamentarism, namely accountability. The deputy - let me remind you - is elected by the voters and must be accountable to the voters that elected him. Not so in the European Union. The idea that say, Spanish, German, French etc, deputies accountable to their own national electorates can dictate something to shall we say, Hungarian society or any other society to which they cannot beheld accountable and which cannot take them to task is simply preposterous (Applause).

Call it what you will, but democracy, it is not. To sum up the Parliament represents the demos that does not exist,
works for the project that ignores reality and law, shuns accountability, turns its back on millions of people and serves the interest of one political orientation. And this is just the tip of the iceberg. Having said that, ladies and gentlemen, I rest my case (Applause). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-CSrNUWMr0

mell says

That's not true. Standard of living in many German, Swiss or Austrian cities is magnitudes better than in the US.

Sorry pal.

But, these countries are all in the beginning throes of acute demographic collapse. And they are all export model economies, which is going bye-bye because of de-globalization even w/o the acute demographic collapse that is going to kill them anyway.

US is not facing demographic collapse. Demographic hardship, yes. For about 15 years.
After that, the Boomers die off and the Millennials enter their peak earning years. Europe and Asia do not have anything like the Millennials demographically.

North America is also secure and can be energy independent. Europe and Asia can not.

Doesn't matter what you think of their cities. In less than 10 years from now, they will be like Detroit & Baltimore..or California at best, in the good parts.

Patrick says

I have to admit that there are tons of really hot Polish women

You lucky bastard. Send some nudes.

mell says

Poland is doing quite well, btw., so is eastern Germany. Hungary, you name it. The US hasn't lost yet, but the next one or two elections will be crucial. There's still time.

Agreed.

I get a deep sense of "Exhaustion" from Woke BS.

I also think COVID really reset everybody's brains about health, and people are more skeptical of "Shoot it up, pop the pill in mouth, and go back to sitting and shoveling in the food" healthcare.

Thanks Patrick for 'boots on the ground', very interesting.

More thoughts from Poland:

Krakow is a really beautiful city, well worth visiting. Yesterday we saw the Wawel, which is the castle and former capital of Poland before the merger with Lithuania, when they moved the capital to Warsaw. Then we had dinner in the town square, which is the nicest town square I've seen anywhere in Europe or the world.

Now I'm finally seeing foreigners like Indians, Arabs (in full garb), and some blacks, but I think they are all tourists. Our cab driver was Polish, unlike in America, where every cab driver seems to be foreign.

I asked the more about Ukraine. They are definitely on the side of Ukraine, but think that America is trying to get Ukrainian gas and oil. This never occurred to me. I said I thought the war was promoted by US weapons makers because most of US "aid" to Ukraine is really payments to Raytheon, Lockheed, etc. They had not thought of that.

They pointed out several big new SUV's with Ukrainian license plates. Who are these "refugees" with $50,000 cars?

There was a Ukrainian demonstration in the town square:

Patrick says

They pointed out several big new SUV's with Ukrainian license plates. Who are these "refugees" with $50,000 cars?

IT outsourcing chiefs and people who made warbucks and intelbucks, I would guess. I bet they're very patriotic away from the warzone.

BayArea says

Patrick: Tell us about communication.

I found that in the bigger cities, English is common.

What about the small village where your grandmother is from?

I’m fluent and can communicate in either language but think in English.

Yes, English is everywhere now, where it was completely absent 35 years ago.

In my grandmother's village, people try to speak English to me, but not many are fluent.

It's kind of funny how I've had people just start talking to me in Polish, assuming I am Polish, but others spoke English assuming I'm a tourist. I heard one group of tourists speaking American English and asked where they are from. South Carolina. They asked about me and I said I was from Chicago, but visiting relatives I have here. Then I heard one of them say to another, "That one grew up in Chicago!" Lol.

steverbeaver says

I need recipe for exemplary (good) Polish dish that I can make here, and advisement on best Polish beer that I may find stateside. Have a nice trip!

@steverbeaver The classic dish (which my grandmother also made) is Gołąbki (sounds like golompki):



I've had it twice already, and just been here 3 days.

My cousin's husband says the best exported beer is Żywiec:

WookieMan says

I know Eastern Europeans in general liked to drink, didn't realize that they might have it at breakfast. Hard stuff too? That's insane.

That was 35 years ago, and I suspect it was intended to reduce the hangover the assumed I must have had from my welcome party the night before.

Booger says

Patrick says

some graffiti,

What % of the graffiti is in English?

@Booger I saw just a few instances of graffiti in English. One was "Fuck Putin".