Stories about Poland from January, 2007
Russia: Amber
Copydude writes about the sorry state of the Baltic ecology and about the amber mines of Kaliningrad.
Poland: Politics
“This is not a deeply unpopular government at all. It’s supporters appear to quite like it,” writes Warsaw Station in a lengthy post (followed by a lengthy discussion).
Poland: Sex Scandal and Cronyism
Traveling Life writes about Poland's ongoing sex scandal and about yet another case of cronyism: “I know that each political appointee has an army of advisers to make sure he doesn't screw up too much. But at some point we have to ask when the sheer incompetence of political appointees...
Poland: LOT Airline
“LOT's passenger numbers have risen by less than 2 percent last year at the time when millions of Poles are traveling to work in Irland and Britain.” Polish Matters writes about plans to revive the ailing airline.
Poland: Clothing for the Pope vs G-Strings
A small Polish town is divided: is it a sin to make sexy underwear for a company that used to make ceremonial clothing for Pope John Paul II? The beatroot has more on it.
Poland: PM With a Broken Arm
The beatroot writes: “[The Polish president's twin brother] breaks arm after falling on ice. Does that make him a lame duck Prime Minister?” A commenter responds: “He's a right wing duck, so breaking he left wing is part of his project, surly?” And another one: “Populism and regionalism, only requires...
Poland: Anti-Missile System
The beatroot argues that “the critics of the decision of placing a US anti-missile system in Poland are being as paranoid as the US government.”
Poland: The Soviets’ Nuclear Arsenal
The beatroot writes about the “now unclassified documents which show that Poland was nothing more than a buffer to the West for the Soviets and one that they could afford to make into a nuclear desert!”
Russia: Reaction to Ballistic Missile Defense
Vilhelm Konnander writes on Russia's reaction to the “US proposal to deploy a ballistic missile defence system to NATO-members Poland and the Czech Republic.”
Poland: The Pope's Miracles and Retirement
The beatroot writes on John Paul II, retirement and miracles.
Poland: HIV and Politics
The beatroot writes about the politics surrounding the case of the African refugee infecting women with HIV: “This time it's not AIDS and gays, however, it’s AIDS and Africans.”
Poland: More on “Africans+AIDS+Poland=racism”
The beatroot posts a follow-up on the African refugee's HIV case.
Poland: Collaborator Archbishop Resigns
The beatroot reports on the resignation of a Polish archbishop who had been collaborating with the Communist regime for 20 years: “Watching on TV now it looks like a wedding where all the guests turn up only to discover it’s a funeral.”
Europe: Migration
Further Ramblings of a N.Irish Magyar posts some “more migrating piffle.”
Europe: EU Enlarement; “Stars and Soggy Bottoms”
The Economist‘s Edward Lucas on the EU's newest members – and on Central and East European “stars and soggy bottoms.”
Poland: “Africans+AIDS+Poland=racism”
The beatroot writes about hysteria in the Polish tabloids: “Simon is pleading not guilty, of course. It's like one of those off-the-peg stories Polish tabloid journos dream of: ‘Black African artistic seducer infects innocent Polish girls with HIV!!! Knowledge about HIV – and Africans, for that matter – is very...
Poland: A Real-Life Classic Remake
Traveling Life writes about an appointment that resembles “another remake of a Polish classic.”
Poland: Corruption
Traveling Life writes about corruption among Polish post-Communists.
Poland: Politics
The beatroot explains how Polish politics works: “Polish PM Jaroslaw Kaczynski is not a central European version of Margaret Thatcher. If they met he would call her an economic ‘liberalizer’ (a dirty word in Polish government circles) while she would give him a sharp whack over the head with her...
Poland's Pulse: “This year was…”
Polish bloggers are having a holiday break. Stuck between family and tons of food (both are obligatory parts of Christmas celebrations here), some only posted best wishes, and many didn't even bother to do even that. Among these who managed to update after all, a great number seems to have...