Bias against Poland

Washington Times ^ | Monday, February 21, 2005 | By Arnold Beichman

[JohnHuang2]

Please, members of Congress, do something about an arrant case of discrimination against a loyal American friend. Citizens of Britain, Germany, Sweden, Denmark — all the "old" members of the European Union — do not need visas to come to the United States and stay here for up to 90 days. Citizens of Poland, however, must go through the long-winding bureaucratic visa application. Poland is the only former Soviet satellite that provided significant military support in Iraq, thereby incurring German and French anger. By example, Poland helped persuade other European countries to tone down anti-American rhetoric on the Iraq war. Despite this positive record, Poland not only received no military aid (or any other aid, e.g., scholarships for Polish students), but it is not even allowed to join the visa-less club. Is Poland being taken for granted?

[GeronL]

bump

[konaice]

"Despite this positive record, Poland not only received no military aid (or any other aid)

Hold on here.... Did we not just finish a few rather large bases in Germany and moving them to Poland? That's a huge pile of money leaving germany and heading for Poland. Thats worth more than any Aid. Polish forces will be training with and working with our Airforce and Army.

[Jaysun]

There must be a reason for this discrepancy. Is there a security issue that's not being mentioned here? Has Poland recently experienced an influx of Muslims?

[Wiz]

Poland not only received no military aid

Regarding this portion, President Bush requested 400 million dollars at the congress to support the modernization of military of the countries that supported US in Iraq and Afghanistan, and requested 100 million dolars for the military of Poland. Was this not news in Poland yet? I am not sure about the Visa but I hope Poland will get something out of the Visa deal, if not everything.

[rawhide]

Poland needs to give this transition time. It was not that long ago they were a part of the axis of evil. Western Europe has been our friends for the past 50 years. It will eventually happened, but to demand that it happen quickly is wrong on their part.

[Grzegorz 246]

Honestly I would prefer some serious military aid than "join the visa-less club".

[Lukasz]

Hold on here.... Did we not just finish a few rather large bases in Germany and moving them to Poland?

With this moving bases from Germany to Poland it is popular myth. There must be some more reasons than policy to do it. Practically there is no strategic reasons to do it. I know that new American bases will be build in Romania and Bulgaria which also are involve in Iraq. Distance to the middle east is much lesser than it is from Poland.

[Lukasz]

There must be a reason for this discrepancy. Is there a security issue that's not being mentioned here? Has Poland recently experienced an influx of Muslims?

I know personally only one Muslim guy and he isn’t Polish citizen for sure. Then it is not about the Muslims.

Problems is about some unclear and very unfriendly procedures. I’m sure that if whole system would be changed, no one would even complain that we must have these visas.

[Lukasz]

Poland needs to give this transition time. It was not that long ago they were a part of the axis of evil. Western Europe has been our friends for the past 50 years. It will eventually happened, but to demand that it happen quickly is wrong on their part.

I don’t think that this is good argument. Lets me remind you that during WWII our nations were on the right side. Poland was behind iron curtain because of Yalta pact and we should remember that Poles didn’t signed nor accepted the pact which was illegal. After that no other people but the same Poles first in Europe defeated Moscow’s communist puppets who never represented Polish nation will. I believe that Americans were on the same side. Then my point is that it isn’t fair to blame the Poles that they were part of axis of evil.

[Polak z Polski]

Exactly!

I don't know what everyone else thinks, but being attacked by two very powerful countries, then fighting hard in all of WWII, then being backstabbed by your allies is not evil to me.

[monkeywrench]

In an article that was put up some time ago, it was mentioned it had something to do with the Poles lacking an advanced security system to check people.

[Jaysun]

In an article that was put up some time ago, it was mentioned it had something to do with the Poles lacking an advanced security system to check people.

If that's case we'd be fools to loosen the requirements.

[konaice]

Quote LukasZ:

"With this moving bases from Germany to Poland it is popular myth."

Might be a myth in your eyes, but it already has the Russians worried.

http://www.cdi.org/russia/256-11.cfm

[Fiddlstix]

BTTT

[Lukasz]

Might be a myth in your eyes, but it already has the Russians worried.

Russians are always worried no matter what is going on in Eastern Europe. I would prefer more American investments in Poland than these bases. It would be profit for both of us.

Btw I would like to see American bases rather in Georgia. If you really want to make Putin upset.

[Grzegorz 246]

Americans have a few hundred soldiers in Georgia.

[Grzegorz 246]

"THE RUSSIAN DEFENSE MINISTRY IS SUSPICIOUS OF THE PENTAGON'S TRUE MOTIVES FOR RELOCATING 16 AIR BASES FROM GERMANY TO POLAND."

What ? 16 (!) AIR BASES FROM GERMANY TO POLAND ? Do Americans at least have 16 air bases in Germany ? I doubt it. It's just Russian paranoia.

[Lukasz]

Yes but they don't have there any modern bases. I would like to see something new there to be build like in Bulgaria.

[Atlantic Bridge]

The US have currently only two air bases left in Germany: Spangdahlem and Ramstein. It is not likely that they are moved east, because the US invested much too much into the real big infrastructure.

The funny thing is, that a vast majority of the Germans do not want to keep the bases anymore, because they are strategic important for all American actions in the middle east and elsewhere. I think it is no secret, that the German people do not support the Iraq war or other millitary actions of the US. Therefore it would be politically the best solution to relocate them to Poland or into other parts of "new" Europe, where the inhabitans are much more pro US and pro Bush. But - as I said before - this will not happen since even the US have problems to finance such an expense.