r/poland • u/agrus89 • 17h ago
Poland is second America?
As a person who lives in Poland, i saw so many takes that Poland is „second America” or „America of Europe” and i don’t really get where it’s coming from. There’s only thing that reminds me of American culture is the influencer stuff,but isn’t it all over Europe? I’d like to hear some opinions on this,whether why you agree or disagree and it’s an interesting topic to discuss. Probably it has been asked before on this subreddit, but i didn’t search it up here
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u/Blazkowski 15h ago
Wow I never heard that. I knew we were going to be Japan or something according to Wałęsa, but the US? God I hope not, I like dystopias only on Netflix
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u/5thhorseman_ Śląskie 15h ago
I think it's just idiots from over the pond who believe that.
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u/InvestigatorDue6498 11h ago
Nope, Poland is HEAVILY Americanized. There is no doubt about it. As I said upthread, Poland is often too American for me, and I grew up in USA. Have you ever been to USA?! It’s remarkable really.
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u/Papierzak1 Małopolskie 15h ago
Many Poles would rather take it as an insult these days. I've heard Poland being referred to as the Mexico of Europe or the future Japan. But the America of Europe? Not really.
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u/DonKlekote 15h ago
Poland is second America in what? In economy, in culture, in history?
I'm confused because everything is different and the last time I checked we weren't even on the same continent.
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u/bannedByTencent 15h ago
Never heard this. The only reference I heard was „Poland is Florida of Europe”, lol.
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u/Enuya95 15h ago edited 15h ago
We have racist and crazy president, racist and crazy conservatives, hateful "Christians", people working for minimal wage on junk contracts with no paid days off, and recently we even have attacks in schools... So, maybe we are not second USA(yet...) but we are doing our best to get on this track!
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u/Critical-Current636 15h ago
We have car-centric, carbrain culture, too.
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u/Enuya95 14h ago
In this aspect we are still far from USA. You can say what you want but Poles can live comfortably without having driving licence, unless they really live in the middle of nowhere (I don't mean "in small town", I mean "village with 100 inhabitants in very rural area"). Most of them actually can go to shop or see a doctor without owning a car
Actually, Warsaw's public transport system is one of the best in Europe, and it's not only my opinion put I had also heard this from Spaniards and Germans
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u/Critical-Current636 14h ago
Warsaw (or rather - certain parts of Warsaw with good public transport) is not the whole of Poland.
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u/Vertitto Podlaskie 13h ago
we are below average in EU for car use stats in urban areas & around average for over all car usage
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u/Critical-Current636 12h ago
But this is not what your statistics show!
Number of cars per capita (see the PDF, page 4 - highest growth in the EU for any period measured):
https://www.odyssee-mure.eu/publications/efficiency-by-sector/transport/number-cars-per-capita.html
Also: low share of public transport, low share of train transport etc.
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u/Vertitto Podlaskie 11h ago
cars per capital is irrelevant to the topic. Rest is interesting - i wasn't aware Poland had such big drop in public transport since 2000.
In the end we are nowhere close to US, we are unremarkable in EU in this aspect. We are even still above EU average in public transport use
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u/DankNoodleSoup 15h ago
Iv heard about Poland being the Texas of Europe in terms of military expenditure and troops numbers, buuut it's largely and exaggeration by American warmongers
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u/Northernsoul73 15h ago
The pharmaceutical advertising on TV is more American than in other countries within the EU. The fast-food chains seem to have taken hold too visible within the spandex and unflattering Lycra parading about. Poles dress more comfortably and slovenly now, like the Yanks. Now and again, you will see signs of elegance and panache, as Polish women had a lovely style and carried themselves with a style evident of care, but the younger generations wear what they wore to bed.
Polish men have a terrible dress sense, either cut-off jeans and a Polish samurai default man bun, or the business-casual TK Maxx, no-sock power player from Temu look.
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u/Adonisbb 14h ago
If anything, Germany is the America of Europe. Industrial base, manufacturing, big population, and pretty much is the federal reserve bank of Europe.
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u/szyy 15h ago
I agree with that statement for multiple reasons:
- Poland is a very car-centric country with sprawling suburbs - other European countries limit suburban sprawl and/or allow it only along rail lines.
- Poland is a very low taxes country - in fact personal and corporate income taxes in Poland are lower than in America even.
- Poland is very religious compared to other countries in Europe, which puts it in a similar spot to the US which is also more religious than comparable developed countries.
- Polish people work long hours - again, much more similar to Americans than to Europeans in that regard.
- Pharmaceutical advertisement on the TV - you don't see it that much outside of Poland and America.
There are many others but these are the ones that come to mind immediately.
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u/Dry-Yesterday-9176 15h ago
It's easier to get a gun license than car driving license, highest amount of money spend on arming and NATO, fucked up politicians, prywaciarz mentality
Edit: at least from what I understand
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u/xCASx 15h ago
It's the other way around, a lot of ideas of freedom, liberty and equality have been influenced by Polish immigrants especially Pułaski and Kościuszko (who was a close friend of T.Jefferson and often debated him vigorously on these subjects, and according to many slave accounts was instrumental in shaping many key ideologies of the new nation). The more I dig on this topic the more convinced I am of US being there rightfully continuation of the first republic.
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u/ColdNorthern72 15h ago
I always heard France was the America of Europe. Haven't heard the Poland one, but then again, I'm old and heard that awhile ago.
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u/heychirag 15h ago
Lol one country works to death the other one likes work life balance and will protest to death if forced to work.
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u/GreenAguacate 15h ago
Never heard of this! What do you mean “America” the whole continent? Or just some specific American country
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u/lindasek 14h ago
I've heard Poland/Polish people in the EU be compared to Mexico/Mexicans in the USA. Which honestly wasn't too far off 20-30 years ago. Never heard Poland being compared to the USA and as someone who lived in both countries: ha! Nope
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u/Such-Criticism-2362 14h ago
Never heard of it. I've been to USA and have family and friends there. I find USA very different from Poland. There are more differences than similarities.
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u/Traditional_Tax793 14h ago
I get that association all the game. Poland likes cars (you even have a lot of American cars that aren't sold too much in the rest of Europe, like Dodge), you are quite conservative and religious, you have an "eccentric" president
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u/InvestigatorDue6498 11h ago
As a dual US-Polish citizen who has been to every country in Europe, I can honestly say that Poland IS the most Americanized country in Europe. The second most is probably Kosovo. I think it’s probably due to the very large Polish diaspora in America and Poland’s desire to embrace the West in the post Communist era. Honestly, sometimes Poland is even too American for me, lol.
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u/aurora_surrealist 14h ago edited 12h ago
- taxation for the rich is lower than for the poor
- you open a family foundation to make tax evasions
- millionaires and property owners run the lawmaking
- familiarism / kolesiostwo
- you only get proper medical help of you pay for it out of pocket (and I say this as disabled severly ill person who has to pay ton of money here in PL, as a citizen, to get needed help and maintain whatever left from my health, NFZ is useless)
- absolute zero respect from your compatriots towards weak: old, disabled, poor
- very loud people, not respecting neighbors but wanting to be respected by said neighbors
- diet full of meat, fat and sugar
- status showoffs, like cars and flats and vacation you cannot really afford
- lots and lots of people live from one loan to another to keep the looks of status
- centralization of work, wealth and opportunities in few cities
Yep, I agree that we are the Murrica of Europe and it is not a compliment
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u/agrus89 14h ago
I’m from Ukraine originally and tbh people here for me are so weird and quiet that it’s… really interesting. In my country,or at least in my city,it’s okay to be loud outside,it’s okay to scream or laugh loudly haha
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u/aurora_surrealist 12h ago
It probably depends on the city too.
Warsaw is sadly very loud.
As for Ukrainians - I see only two types, either very loud or very shy and well behaved.
Guys are usually louder than girls.
Mums with kids are usually way calmer than our mums with kids.
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u/chinkalichaczapuri Zachodniopomorskie 14h ago
O kurwa, ale syndrom fajnopolaka wjechał na pełnej xD
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u/FlyingFalafelMonster 14h ago
No welfare. If you don't work, you get homeless and die. But not only in Poland, most Central and Eastern Europe do not have this vast social welfare state either.
Weak unions, same not only in Poland.
Many post-communist countries adopted free market model after the fall of Communism rather aggressively, because in communism they were in poverty, and free market must bring prosperity. It did, at some extent.
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