[ArkVark]

Poland is not a great place to live either. Sales tax is 23%, stores are all shut on Sunday (by decree of the Polish Catholic church, essentially), real estate prices are similar to the midwest USA due to restrictions on new builds, and taxes on labor and small business are high and complicated.

The language itself uses a bastardized version of the Latin alphabet which is inferior to Cyrillic, and general pronunciation is the much more difficult compared to Ukrainian or Russian.

Many of the cities are cold and dark owing to latitude, and in winter filled with air pollution from out of control coal and trash burning in urban chimneys.

The main thing Poland has going for it is a massive flow of EU funds and no refugees from Africa or the Middle East, as well as a population with a generally Western mindset and work style.

[Twixes]

Poland definitely could be a lot better, but these are some odd points.

VAT is higher than in Germany, but lower than in Sweden. Nothing that gets anyone going really. Real estate is quite cheap (dollar to dollar, not exactly for Poles) for a European country, though Warsaw does stand out as the capital.

There isn't anything "bastardized" or "inferior" about either the Polish or Belarusian alphabet, or really any alphabet for that matter. They just come from different backgrounds.

Poland is also largely south of Belarus, including Warsaw being south of Minsk, so not sure about cold or darkness.

[sam_lowry_]

Also, GDP growth rate in Poland was double or triple of GDP growth in Belarus over the last 10 years.

IT has grown even more.

[krageon]

While you've addressed things in a way that I think is fair, to me the most important points are about air pollution and atmosphere. Are they wrong about those as well?