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Yes, it would work in a country that has viable opposition. In Poland we have a choice between: party 1-Used to be in power for 8 years, has lots of huge scanda

Yes, it would work in a country that has viable opposition. In Poland we have a choice between: party 1-Used to be in power for 8 years, has lots of huge scandals to its name including closing their eyes to billions of VAT fraud. Unjustified repossessions of homes based on made up documents for tens of thousands of people. Right on stealing of people's retirement funds they said they wouldnt touch. Raising of retirement age when they campaigned on keeping it same and changing the retirement system instead. Raising taxes immediately after gaining power despite campaigning on a platform of lowering them to so called 3x15%. This party instantly started talking about a "crisis of democracy" the moment they lost the election. Before they went they managed to attempt to unlawfully replace 3 of the high Court judges. This proved to be a great trap for newcomers which then proceeded in exact same manner with regard to high court. Party 2 - Ex communists plus "new left". Ex communists were always known as homophobes, "old boys club", but they are on the left so new left that pushes values like tolerance etc aligned themselves with those old bastards which makes them loose all credibility in my eyes. - Party 3- a super nationalist party started by a guy who used to be a free market libertarian most of his life and gained fame by using a live elephant, and a South American style "el presidente" suit as main items during his campaign. In other news the guy is a known shovinist and was stabbed in the gut by his own daughter. Allegedly 20% of young people support that clown. Party 5 - A small party that tries to pass itself as farmers party but in reality exists to further interests of few large landowners. Now in addition to the above we have the currently ruling party that is correctly characterised as being way too religious even going as far as equating Catholicism with being Polish in some of their talks, being stupid in their attempts to reform the openly corrupt justice system causing correct accusations of breaking the law. At the same time they proven not to be corruptible by sorting out the tax system to the effect of increasing the budget almost by half (it turns out we had massive Vat fraud previous guys knew and did absolutely minimum about and half of small businesses were cheating at taxes). The currently ruling party implemented a system where if you "forget" about a vat invoice it'll text you about it making people much more honest about paying. Additionally, the ruling party is the only political force ever in Poland that actually implemented all of their campaign promises. Many people like myself don't like the religiousness, but value that those the only people that went into politics to actually implement their campaign promises. This is completely unheard of in Poland. As a result of the lack of open thievery the previous guys were engaging in and their social programs which increase the amount of money in hands of previously poor people the economy is much better. The unemployment is non existent in big cities etc. The bottom line is, who would you vote for: A dishonest person)(a known thief and conman) who tells you what you want to hear, or honest people you disagree with on some principles? That's why the ruling party won its second election. Not because it is great, but because they are seen as the only force that is non-corrupt(or at least less corrupt) and fulfilling its promises. The opposition are either dishonest, incompetent or a joke depending on who you look at. I really wish there is time we have honest opposition in Poland. Maybe the new left once they drop the ex-communists will become that for the next election. We'll see.

ajuc 7y ago
> At the same time they proven not to be corruptible by sorting out the tax system to the effect of increasing the budget almost by half There is currently huge affair in Ministry of Finances because they were covering tax frauds and even doing them themselves :) https://www.money.pl/podatki/afera-w-resorcie-finansow-szefami-podejrzanych-byli-min-pawel-szalamacha-i-mateusz-morawiecki-6438899601180289a.html https://www.money.pl/podatki/afera-w-resorcie-finansow-szefa... There was also a corruption scandal with KNF chief Chrzanowski nominated by PIS. https://www.newsweek.pl/szef-knf-oskarzony-o-korupcje-rezygnuje-chcial-40-mln-zl-lapowki/dth6cxz https://www.newsweek.pl/szef-knf-oskarzony-o-korupcje-rezygn... And the tax fraud by chief of controlling agency (NIK) Banaś - also nominated recently by PIS. https://www.tvn24.pl/wiadomosci-z-kraju,3/afera-prezesa-nik-mariana-banasia-cezary-tomczyk-mieszkamy-w-republice-banasiowej,979166.html https://www.tvn24.pl/wiadomosci-z-kraju,3/afera-prezesa-nik-... Of course nobody cares because social money flow :) As for the "increase of budget" - mostly it comes from changes in the system already introduced by the previous government but with vacation legis (like electronic reporting for microcompanies - JPK). And of course PIS has the luck to rule during a worldwide economic boom.
- Roark66 7y ago
  I should've written "mostly" not corruptible. Still the level of corruption discovered pales in comparison with the previous guys. As for the previous guys bringing up microreporting.... please, that is such a worn out excuse. They were in power for 8 years and they actually managed to start serious work on that particular solution half a year before they left office, becuase they knew they absolutely have to. How is that not doing absolute minimum they can get away with? Have you seen the answer the back then minister of finance gave when he was asked a question what did he do when he was informed there are likely billions of VAT refunds beign scammed out of the system? His answer was "I don't remember". Also tell Germans, China and many other countries about that worldwide economic boom we've been experiencing for last 4 years :-) I'm no fan of PiS. In fact I voted for their rivals 12 years ago because I did believe their promises of 3x15%, low taxes etc. I still remember many scandals that are forgotten today. For example billions spent on motorways built by the state and then given to companies owned by "friends" for 50 year lease so they could make profits by charging drivers whatever they want for using infrastructure funded by people's own taxes. But my biggest dissapointment with them was not even thievery as it can perhaps be explained that not everyone was a theif etc, but the fact they didn't implement a single one of their promises. They did nothing about rotten to the core bureaucracies of the tax offices, national insurance (ZUS) and tried to privatise the health service through the back door. It is no simple task to resolve this. Even though PiS has very little sucess in those areas, at least they are talking about this and are seen as trying with their "Constitution for Business" that is the only law (other than the actual constitution) that states tax man is supposed to use presumption of innocence not presumtion of guilt as it is done usually and actually treat people fairly in their dealings with the tax offices. It is true that many people vote for PiS because of new social programs. However, there are many people that vote for them because there is no other viable choice. Sometimes the least bad is the only option. Anyway, as George Bush famously said: "Full me once, shame on you, full me tw-you can't get fooled again!" :-)

ajuc 7y ago

> At the same time they proven not to be corruptible by sorting out the tax system to the effect of increasing the budget almost by half There is currently huge affair in Ministry of Finances because they were covering tax frauds and even doing them themselves :) https://www.money.pl/podatki/afera-w-resorcie-finansow-szefami-podejrzanych-byli-min-pawel-szalamacha-i-mateusz-morawiecki-6438899601180289a.html https://www.money.pl/podatki/afera-w-resorcie-finansow-szefa... There was also a corruption scandal with KNF chief Chrzanowski nominated by PIS. https://www.newsweek.pl/szef-knf-oskarzony-o-korupcje-rezygnuje-chcial-40-mln-zl-lapowki/dth6cxz https://www.newsweek.pl/szef-knf-oskarzony-o-korupcje-rezygn... And the tax fraud by chief of controlling agency (NIK) Banaś - also nominated recently by PIS. https://www.tvn24.pl/wiadomosci-z-kraju,3/afera-prezesa-nik-mariana-banasia-cezary-tomczyk-mieszkamy-w-republice-banasiowej,979166.html https://www.tvn24.pl/wiadomosci-z-kraju,3/afera-prezesa-nik-... Of course nobody cares because social money flow :) As for the "increase of budget" - mostly it comes from changes in the system already introduced by the previous government but with vacation legis (like electronic reporting for microcompanies - JPK). And of course PIS has the luck to rule during a worldwide economic boom.

Roark66 7y ago
I should've written "mostly" not corruptible. Still the level of corruption discovered pales in comparison with the previous guys. As for the previous guys bringing up microreporting.... please, that is such a worn out excuse. They were in power for 8 years and they actually managed to start serious work on that particular solution half a year before they left office, becuase they knew they absolutely have to. How is that not doing absolute minimum they can get away with? Have you seen the answer the back then minister of finance gave when he was asked a question what did he do when he was informed there are likely billions of VAT refunds beign scammed out of the system? His answer was "I don't remember". Also tell Germans, China and many other countries about that worldwide economic boom we've been experiencing for last 4 years :-) I'm no fan of PiS. In fact I voted for their rivals 12 years ago because I did believe their promises of 3x15%, low taxes etc. I still remember many scandals that are forgotten today. For example billions spent on motorways built by the state and then given to companies owned by "friends" for 50 year lease so they could make profits by charging drivers whatever they want for using infrastructure funded by people's own taxes. But my biggest dissapointment with them was not even thievery as it can perhaps be explained that not everyone was a theif etc, but the fact they didn't implement a single one of their promises. They did nothing about rotten to the core bureaucracies of the tax offices, national insurance (ZUS) and tried to privatise the health service through the back door. It is no simple task to resolve this. Even though PiS has very little sucess in those areas, at least they are talking about this and are seen as trying with their "Constitution for Business" that is the only law (other than the actual constitution) that states tax man is supposed to use presumption of innocence not presumtion of guilt as it is done usually and actually treat people fairly in their dealings with the tax offices. It is true that many people vote for PiS because of new social programs. However, there are many people that vote for them because there is no other viable choice. Sometimes the least bad is the only option. Anyway, as George Bush famously said: "Full me once, shame on you, full me tw-you can't get fooled again!" :-)