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What is the basis for saying that it is absurd? The dollar figure?

...seems a bit late for that, isn't it?

What's that? Nine trillion dollars now?

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See also: Trump demands Mexico pay for wall.

If they give them a cent of that, imagine the countries that'll also be queuing for those sweet, sweet deutschmarks

Just Germany? Shouldn't they be asking Russia for reparations too since the Soviets took the eastern part of Poland after the Nazis invaded from the west as agreed in the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact?

Uh, Poland, I’m thinking that Europe may just have to open a tab for the next few years and we can split the check then.

I thought Germany already paid to all suffering sides

>What is the basis for saying that it is absurd? The dollar figure?

That WWII was nearly 100 years ago.

Business before pleasure. They’re planning on extracting compensation from Russia personally.

I genuinely don’t understand reparations, or if there are statues of limitations to them. Americans still talk about reparations for slavery. My understanding is that the reparations claims are that historical wrongs affect outcomes today. Poland only regained political autonomy in 1991, lost ~20% of its population about 6 million people during the war, was ruled by foreigners for 50 years, and had its development significantly slowed by a chain of events that started with the German invasion in 1939. I don’t know how I feel, nor do I understand where the $1.3T number came from. I’m just trying to understand why this allegedly sounds like an Onion article.

How did they find this number?

Well, they took a Pole...

Innit*

They couldn't wait a few more years with all of the shit that's going on already?

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They gave Poland land. Poland declined monetary reparations in the 50s

Maybe because the current government of Germany isn't Nazi? If you moved into a house and 7 years later I sued you because the last tenant was an asshole, that wouldn't make much sense.

Lol. I’m very old and often confused. Like right now, I’m not sure if you are trolling or very thick. That’s a complete non sequitur. If you killed someone when you were driving drunk, you wouldn’t just get out when you sobered up because you aren’t drunk anymore.

Past the statute of limitations I believe.

Why aren't they marching south to take Belarus Ukraine back into Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth?

Tariffs are paid by your own population. They're taxes.

They should pay them in deutschmarks, for sure.

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You've substituted punitive (prison) for compensatory(money), but I'll go with your analogy. It's like if I drunk drove and ran you over and I spent 20 years in prison for my actions and then 80 years later along comes your great grandson and tries to jail my granddaughter's cousin's wife for my actions.

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It's my understanding Poland does this every now and then to gain political leverage. Kinda like how Turkey acts up in order to pressure NATO. They don't actually expect to get it

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"I have no actual argument so I'll insult you instead." What about his response was in any way incorrect?

Nein.

It's quite easy Poland, you either get the land, or you get the money, not both.

Oof

"What, now? I thought we had put that put that behind us and were getting along fine."

...I hope Germany doesn't give in to this. I has been decades upon decades and now their saying this. It's not because of the war that they are wanting this issue. It's also not like Germany hasn't suffered and changed for that transgression. That in all respects was predicted by the USA would happen after WW1 because the allies desc8ded to destroy their economy which led to a fascist taking power.

Best part is, there is a contract that says Germany has to pay more or less nothing and in exchange Poland is going to get all of Prussia's territory. And Germany revokes his claims on that territories. So if Poland wants to withdraw from that contract and get paid, Germany should get back all of Prussia. But they always remain remarkable silent on that part.

Germany can pay in euros. Russia pays the blood price.

Good take their frigging money

Political leverage? By constantly looking like a crying kid throwing a fit? Everyone is pointing and laughing, at best.

If we are wishing for things that will never happen... can I have a pony....

UK wants the same from the Romans.

While we are at it, how about France pays back 560 million to Haiti for that ridiculous indemnity they demanded after the Haitian revolution. The money they had to give France still has impacts on the Haitian economy

no big problem 😂

This shit is every few years. Time to stop crying, if you ask me

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Just grab a continent destroying Q-Bomb and hold it hostage against a much more powerful country if they don't pay up.

In Poland, the right wing gets to do this, get denied, and point at Europe and say "See? They won't even compensate us for WW2! Fuck Europe, and vote for us again!". It's just the usual election cycle

If British paid reparations to all nations they colonized and tortured, they would go bankrupt.

Again? Haven't they been making demands like this every other year?

Ain't it*

Every white guy is on ancestry.,com with their fingers crossed. Edit: This wasn't meant to be racist, I meant I was hoping for so e polish ancestry to get some sweet reparations money.

>..I hope Germany doesn't give in to this.

no way. Poland asks for reparations like once a year. Or at least as soon as they have somewhat bad polls for their PISS party. Here in Germany it barely makes the news. Maybe for a day or two.

Kurwa mać give me moje pieniądze

Trust me, we need the money. I know it's unfair since we got paid by land but I get why whoever demanded that wants the money. Because of the war hospitals and schools are overfilled and some people can't get proper Healthcare or education.

Reminds of this Polish guy who wrote The Witcher books who, many years later after he was paid, demanded even more payment because he didn't think The Witcher was going to be a big hit. Is this just a Polish thing?

We're heading that way anyway :)

This will be great for cross European relationships, just at the time when there is a war being conducted on European soil.

Ah poland the pathetic punching bag of the world

Think about what you are dealing with exactly. You have an unhinged, land grabbing, delusional, power tripping Russkie that wants to reunite the Russian empire to what it looked like under Katherine the Great. That would include you as well, won't it? Poland would be best to hold off until the Ukraine bullshit blows over. A strong ally would be of the greater importance at the moment. Shit may possibly get much worse. Not to mention your borders are also packed with those fleeing Russia now too. Watch for moles, they may try to Russianize areas and try that sovereign secession stunt they pulled in Ukraine.

or worse

They have been, because they're owed.

Of course Germany is never going to acknowledge those claims or pay up, everyone knows this so it's just political theatre.

Don't worry i got 100 of trillions of Deutschmark at home I'll pay the debt personally

Boudicaaaaaaaaaa!

Well, that's the Polish government in a nutshell, but unfortunately about 35% of the country still supports PiS so we're stuck with them for now.

This did not end well after WW1

So Germany would Nazi that coming.

Yeah but like... That doesn't make it okay for people not to get Healthcare? It's sorta like America right now except instead of it being expensive, you have to pay by waiting, waiting months or years while your disease or illness or whatever progresses and there just isn't space for you. You cant just tell random innocent civilians to "hold off", everyone deserves basic education and healthcare. There needs to be more schools and hospitals, and for that you need money.

Also Germany paid reparations to the Soviet Union. Not Germany's fault that they pocketed the money instead of giving it to Poland

Hey, we already have a far right political party gaining traction. Add massive payments like this to that, put in the right light by said party, and they'll pop off like crazy.

They only doing this because in Poland there soon will be next parliamentary elections. They are doing this just to make people vote for them (and it's not the first time). So yeah, they can't wait.

just because you deserve healthcare doesn't mean germany has to pay you

We don't have money for that shit either. Medical in the US is mind boggling expensive and the waits get worse every year. The whole world is largely in the same boat. Excessive debt is crushing every nation under foot. Too many people for too finite resources. Add in a generation or 2 that you can't get to move out of the basement at 40, much less work, or if they do they all want to do is sit on their asses and be youtubers, not carpenters, plumbers, or medical personnel. It may be soup lines for all of us here soon.

Yeah UK now needs every money they cant get

whats up with americans and this stein nonsense. I never heard that word in germany. Its always bierkrug or mass. Yet for americans its always stein. And always as if thats the most common thing in germany Oo. So weired.

Yes they are only the 6th largest economy in the world, how will they cope?!?

It's what politicians do.

Yes and even the IWF is concerned about their tax politics. Lets see how long they are on place 6 still.

Right wing is right wing. Doesn't matter which country they're all fucking idiots. I think the Native American tribal councils should demand about 10 trillion from Poland and every other country that has anyone living in North America. Each. Back rent.

I don't know. Can you?

"Ask a silly question, get a silly answer." ~ My Mum.

There is no statue of limitations on war crimes.

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I think Poland has met their onus to establish that they have suffered a loss, it now moves to Germany to respond and do so with honesty and humility.

Again ? Didn't they do that before covid too ?

You are right. We should be talking about German red solo cups. Lol

Treaties and agreements were signed post-WW2 to end the conflict and deal with the resulting debt at a national level.

Poland gave up the claims to compensation in exchange for parts of Prussia.

If Poland wants to back out, I am sure they can calculate the profits from this region and subtract that away from what they are owed to get the payments. That being said, Poland might end up owing Germany money at that point.

Tell me you don't know how economies work without directly telling me.

These is just propaganda for internal use before upcoming elections. The target demographic group for the extreme right wing party are old people who still live on WWII stories told by their parents and family. Fostering anti-German sentiments is a big part of their propaganda. Most younger Poles don't take it seriously and are not happy about damaging relations with the neighbor. Unfortunately the opposition is split so the ruling party is the largest with less than 30 percent of the vote.

Poland got screwed with the deal during Yalta conference but it's done. The Soviet Union, the occupier back then, represented the interests of Poland in the conference.

Well, I guess Denmark, Sweden, Livona, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, Ukraine, Russia, et all should be queuing up to accept reparations from Poland then right?

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Can't speak to those as I don't know their situation or history.

I mean, I am against globalization almost without exception, but this is a disingenuous argument at best. Sure it makes domestic manufacturing more competitive, but it also makes exporting goods far less competitive, as the targeted countries will respond in kind. So really not a great improvement.

Literally the opposite because they made domestic manufacturing more expensive because the tariffs were on steel and aluminum and other raw materials. Domestic manufacturing becomes more expensive.

Tariffs are taxes on business, paid to the government by American businesses; business does not give away free money, they charge customers more. Tariffs become taxes on goods for everyday people. Every American lost in trump's idiotic trade war. China's market went from 8.8 billion people to 8.6 billion people, china didn't suffer.

I mean, the internet exists. However, just from the context of the discussion one could easily surmise that Poland invaded and destroyed at least part of the aforementioned nations.

what nonsense

Why? They will just give it to the rich for literally no reason.

And the US must give back all the mainland to First Nation tribes, and Hawaii back to Pacific Islanders.

France must give back its territory to the neanderthals, china renounces china so the Australopithecus descendents can have it back, and literally everybody in the world gives the 6 continents outside of Africa back to the Kenyans, because that's who got to everywhere else first.

The middle east especially must become a new Kenyan state and all the crazy religious people there must leave, it was Africans who were there first. All other are invaders, all of them.

Let's get right back to it in fact and work out which proto-mammal ancestors of the ape family evolved whereabouts on Pangea or Gondwanaland.

Territorys just can't be undone or given back because it simply becomes madness, Poland was "taken" by the current polish people from previous occupants like everywhere else, the Rus or Bulgars or Huns or Mongols could make the same claims against the theatrical tarts currently pretending this is real in Poland. Probably some extremist right-wing agitators sponsored by Russia to distract from the failing invasion of Ukraine.

I was coming in to say that Poland *might* want to check out a book on the history of Europe leading up to WWII and rethink the whole "destroy Germany economically" thing. It usually doesn't turn out well for them.

Well, Poland destroyed the Baltic kingdoms to the point where several no longer exist at the height of Polish power. Hmm... I calculate that debt to be $100 trillion. Pay up Poland.

Tis a little joke. Just because of how long it's been.

There is more wealth than ever. It is simply that the rich are leaching everything.

I am not going to go researching Polish history just because someone said "YEAH BUT POLISH HISTORY" in a comment of mine that was not referring to Polish history.

Thanks for the suggestion though, this internet thing looks pretty wild.

"In July 1610, the outnumbered Polish force comprising winged hussars defeated the Russians at the Battle of Klushino, which enabled the Poles to take and occupy Moscow for the next two years. The disgraced Vasili IV of Russia was transported in a cage to Warsaw where he paid a tribute to Sigismund; Vasili was later murdered in captivity."

Do you mean like this?

Seems like you should do at least some cursory research into a nation's history before commenting on said nation's history because it makes you look either lazy or stupid, but what do I know?

Do you even know what kingdom is? There has never been such thing as a "Baltic kingdoms" and the tribes who got eradicated from the world (Prussians and Yotvingians) were conquered by german Teutonic Knights! I will only briefly mention Polabians and Pomeranians slaughtered and germanised by other germanic duchies.

>commenting on said nation's history

huh?

> in a comment of mine that was not referring to Polish history.

>but what do I know?

I'm sure you know a lot of things and that's very impressive considering reading was not an option for you.

"They have been, because they're owed."

Is literally a comment about the history of the nations represented in this discussion. Poland is the main topic of this discussion.

Italy should also ask for war damages from Germany - after all, it kinda was the Germanic tribes that sacked Rome, right?

Russia could deman war damages from France - albeit they themselves burned Moscow when France invaded.

OK I'm sure more qualified teachers have tried this before but here it goes:

>If they give them a cent of that, imagine the countries that'll also be queuing for those sweet, sweet deutschmarks

Can you identify who is "them" in this sentence?

Can you determine whether "them" is included in "the countries that'll also be queuing"?

>They have been, because they're owed.

Can you identify what they "have been" doing, in this reply to the first sentence?

Best of luck.

In 1600, the Polish–Swedish War broke out, causing further devastation. The protracted war ended in 1629 with Sweden gaining Livonia, including the regions of Southern Estonia and Northern Latvia.[65] Danish Saaremaa was transferred to Sweden in 1645.[66] The wars had halved the population of Estonia from about 250–270,000 people in the mid 16th century to 115–120,000 in the 1630s.[

Sounds pretty genocidal to me. They wiped out more than 8 independent polities and nearly half of the Baltic population in their bloodlust.

Well, at least with Sweden and Russia if there was any agreement about the reparations, both of them would have much, much more to pay Poland than Poland them.

I don't recall any conflict with Denmark that could result in reparations from Poland. Similarly with Estonia and Latvia. Livonia isn't even a country.

I see the miscommunication. I read: They [the Germans] have been [giving them cents], because they're [the Polish] owed.

Is this why some people are so upset by pronouns?

I call taksie backsies on my snark towards you.

I mean, it is all subjective.

1. Because of the 19th century occupation, eastern parts of Poland are very underdeveloped compared to western.
2. Russia wouldn't even engage the talks.
3. Our current government is very anti EU (though not to the point of leaving, because of the sweet, sweet euros), and anti Germany specifically
4. It's a political play, most likely aimed at diverting public opinion, especially their own voters'. All the people in my circles are opposing current government and no one talks about it except for short criticism or acknowledging it as a diversion.

I do as well, I apologize for my disparaging comments and I see how the miscommunication occurred.

Also:

>Is this why some people are so upset by pronouns?

10/10, no notes.

I guess the deal they signed after ww2 is over. Germany can pay reparations and Poland can give back all that land Germany handed over.

Ah yes, the blacks, yellows and everyone else don't have an ancestry.

Is that not the same crap that set the stage for the war?

What's the value of the huge chunk of land Poland got at the end of the war do you think?

Swedish - PLC war broke out after Sigismund III Vasa annexed Estonia (he was both Swedish and Polish King). Sieges and pillaging villages was part of every war back then and it was Sweden who invaded lol. They also spreaded conflict to lands that was belonging for centuries to PLC, Lithuania or theirs vassals. 20 years later Swedes invaded again and slaughtered 1/3 of entire population of the kingdom!

Poland demands every now and then, especially before elections. It's hot air.

Za las!

The fuck is up with Poland right now.

Livona?

It's a regional (and slightly outdated) thing A stein is a thing where I live

Has Poland not learned from the Treaty of Versailles? Punishing Germany isn’t the best move, especially now since the last alive Nazis are about to die anyways. Germany has a new governance and its democratic.

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Tell me you forgot about the Livonian War without telling me. Lol

I’m pretty sure that’s a line from an episode of Atlanta where black people are given reparations to be paid directly by the slave owners ancestors. They pull aside a white man and tell him to check his ancestry

no, deutsche mark still has somewhat of a value (c&a still accepts them as currency), germany should pay it in reichsmark, that's also more fitting for the current political orientation in poland.

Odd move - the last time countries were demanding reparations from Germany an Austrian rose to power and invaded Poland

Whoosh

Chill Poland. Germany could use 1.3 trillion to occupy you again.

Do you get upset when someone calls soda coke?

Are you actually whining that people don’t use the same words you do sometimes?

Based. Germans start all the wars

Its literally just publicity stunt because elections are coming

There's a great polandball on this.
https://i.redd.it/kb1cb41ydcr91.png

To see who you shouldnt vote for because they're down right stupid?

TVPis, the state televsion surely spinned it so everyone above 50loves this shit and they probably promised them even more "social help" with that cash, which they wont get if they lose the vote because everyone else bad

We need to go back FURTHER! Vengeance for the unga-bungas!!

I say we should retake Gunwanaland, just because the tectonic plates have shifted doesn't mean the land is someone else's! Thieving gits.

Wonder where Poland will land on reparations from Russia after their done getting their asses handed to them in Ukraine?

Note the Polish government tends to demand that now and then. Usually during election years.

I thought this was sorted out in the forties?

Everyone wants reparations

It stirs up nationalism, the feeling of being a victim, and selfishness. All things that'd bring out more right-wing voters.

Sending Germany into massive debt over losing a war is why they became a problem in the first place. Not to mention that without Germany on their good side the only thing protecting them from getting buttfucked by Russia is whatever's going to be left of Ukraine in a decade.

My gran was Polish and was in a concentration camp during WW2. Can I get a cut?

What's the statute of limitations on cultural annihilation? sweets profusely while looking at First Nations people

If I were Germany I’d place a counter demand for all the territory Germany lost to Poland after WWII and demand about 1.4 trillion in compensation for all the ethnic Germans that were cleansed from said territories. That cleansing might even be labelled as a genocide by some historians.

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Germany: “Why you gotta bring up old shit?”

Or Weimar Republic bills/banknotes.

Honestly not really, there are still living people who were there, millions of lives are still being affected everyday. I imagine if my grandparents were killed or taken away from their jobs during wartime my life today would be drastically different.

It's Germany though. The Nazis who did it are not being held personally responsible in the financial penalty. It is the country.

...now?

ne?

Stein, or Steinkrug?

1.3 Trillion Reichsmark from the inflation period?

NO PROBLEMO, my bucko.

Let's make it a round ten then, shall we?

Hindsight 20/20

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