Offside Chat Archives (2014-2021)

It couldn't be any more obvious, it's a crystal clear diagnosis of patient R.H.'s condition on the 29th.

Boris Podobnik: Because of this massive, bloated public sector, America is staring down a lethal scenario

Honestly, after sitting here and actually digesting this whole thing, I’ve gotta say, I think even someone like Vilim Ribić would be left totally speechless once he reads it.

SS. ☕

Paul Martinez73 said:Waiting on Veljaca to give Jaca his blessing... ☕
I honestly think at the start it should have just been

"Hi, I'm an App. Pick who you want to talk to:
A) A female
B) A male (white power position)
C) A male (non-white)
D) Someone unspecified"

Then the app directs you from there; you just pick whatever religion you want so nobody gets discriminated against...

But the funniest part is these "feminists"—like, why isn't it just called "female"? If it were, things would actually be equal, and calling it "female" wouldn't be discriminating against males🤣

"Pass us a law requiring at least 50% female employment in industry XY"
Yet you never hear them demand a minimum of 50% males🤣

🤣

Man, that is totally wild, but I gotta admit, it's actually a pretty solid concept. 🤣

restlesssurfer97 said:🤣

Man, that is totally wild, but I gotta admit, it's actually a pretty solid concept. 🤣

If it’s even halfway decent, it might actually become a reality once things finally go down here too.

It’s just like water hitting a surface until everything finally shatters, honestly, because everything in this life just moves in these massive cycles of social evolution.
There is no way that's ever going to become the norm, you know, especially when it's being forced on us right now by one of those polarized sides of our divided society.

I just finished watching the one-on-one, and I can totally confirm what I was already thinking—Plenković actually handles his critics way better than he handles the people trying to suck up to him, you could see it right from that first question, and then it became even more obvious when Bolkovic told him he’s a tough guy.
It doesn't matter how much I hate seeing him clash with Saucha, who basically saved his political career right at the jump, or his run-ins with Bandic and all those other backroom maneuvers just meant to keep him in that seat, I still can't help but feel like we've wasted a top-tier talent on absolutely nothing, kind of like how Gareth Bale was used in Wales. I've had a few drinks so I might just be daydreaming here, but man, I think he's a powerhouse, yet when I see the shady ways he clings to power, it honestly makes me sick. Total mixed feelings.

restlesssurfer97 said:I just finished watching the one-on-one, and I can totally confirm what I was already thinking—Plenković actually handles his critics way better than he handles the people trying to suck up to him, you could see it right from that first question, and then it became even more obvious when Bolkovic told him he’s a tough guy.
It doesn't matter how much I hate seeing him clash with Saucha, who basically saved his political career right at the jump, or his run-ins with Bandic and all those other backroom maneuvers just meant to keep him in that seat, I still can't help but feel like we've wasted a top-tier talent on absolutely nothing, kind of like how Gareth Bale was used in Wales. I've had a few drinks so I might just be daydreaming here, but man, I think he's a powerhouse, yet when I see the shady ways he clings to power, it honestly makes me sick. Total mixed feelings.

The guy is basically bureaucratic trash, just like everyone else keeping this broken system running—from the judiciary and public administration to government contracts and straight-up corruption.

Everything was raised from the ground up

restlesssurfer97 said:Honestly, after sitting here and actually digesting this whole thing, I’ve gotta say, I think even someone like Vilim Ribić would be left totally speechless once he reads it.

SS. ☕

So, we’ve got yet another public sector professor preaching about downsizing the government and fighting corruption? They’re all popping up like clones at this point. 😂

If you ask me, I’d start by taking a little cut out of his own paycheck first. You know, practice what you preach. ☕

restlesssurfer97 said:I just finished watching the one-on-one, and I can totally confirm what I was already thinking—Plenković actually handles his critics way better than he handles the people trying to suck up to him, you could see it right from that first question, and then it became even more obvious when Bolkovic told him he’s a tough guy.
It doesn't matter how much I hate seeing him clash with Saucha, who basically saved his political career right at the jump, or his run-ins with Bandic and all those other backroom maneuvers just meant to keep him in that seat, I still can't help but feel like we've wasted a top-tier talent on absolutely nothing, kind of like how Gareth Bale was used in Wales. I've had a few drinks so I might just be daydreaming here, but man, I think he's a powerhouse, yet when I see the shady ways he clings to power, it honestly makes me sick. Total mixed feelings.

Managing a massive system, especially one as big as the government, is a team effort. He’s really just the leader of a huge group of people, and the pool of candidates isn't great; he usually has to choose between people who don't know what they're doing or those who aren't exactly honest. For young, talented, and well-meaning people (if they exist, or at least while they're still young), getting into politics doesn't seem worth it. There are plenty of other careers where you can make good money and be a respectable person without being put in a position where you have to act dirty. Honestly, to be a corrupt jerk, you need a thick skin and zero shame, and not everyone has that.

wiredrider9 said:The guy is basically bureaucratic trash, just like everyone else keeping this broken system running—from the judiciary and public administration to government contracts and straight-up corruption.

Exactly, I find myself constantly spiraling into thoughts about Plenković just like that, too.

ruggedjackal46 said:So, we’ve got yet another public sector professor preaching about downsizing the government and fighting corruption? They’re all popping up like clones at this point. 😂

If you ask me, I’d start by taking a little cut out of his own paycheck first. You know, practice what you preach. ☕

Kill the messenger. It’s a classic move, really.
You aren't even actually addressing what's being said, you're just attacking the person behind the keyboard.
By the way, how did everyone suddenly become a political hack overnight? I mean, I feel like we settled that question ages ago—we all know exactly who the real opportunists are and who actually cares about something. The real issue here isn't that everyone changed, it's just that certain people can't seem to shake off the reputation of the crowd they run with.
It was honestly such a massive hype when those three nurses first announced they were going to start their own union, thinking they’d finally shatter that monopoly held by the old guard unions that only look out for the lazy bureaucrats instead of the people actually doing the work, but man, looking back, absolutely nothing ever came of it.

Jessica Gonzalez said:Managing a massive system, especially one as big as the government, is a team effort. He’s really just the leader of a huge group of people, and the pool of candidates isn't great; he usually has to choose between people who don't know what they're doing or those who aren't exactly honest. For young, talented, and well-meaning people (if they exist, or at least while they're still young), getting into politics doesn't seem worth it. There are plenty of other careers where you can make good money and be a respectable person without being put in a position where you have to act dirty. Honestly, to be a corrupt jerk, you need a thick skin and zero shame, and not everyone has that.

Tapatalk exactly. I mean, is he seriously really that sick?

Honestly, at this point, we just need someone who’s actually going to go down in the history books, you know, like a real heavy hitter who can completely reshape the entire country and leave a permanent mark on our legacy, basically the first true historical figure to emerge after Franjo Harmon, but looking at the mess we've got right now, I guess we'll just have to see what happens.
(ps. I'm not even trying to say whether Franjo was a good guy or a bad guy, just stating the plain old fact that he’s a historical figure.)

Historical figures have faded from the spotlight because modern history has completely moved past those old concepts. Nowadays, people realize that a President or a Prime Minister isn't some divine being, and most people—especially the younger generation—really don't care who's actually running the show. That’s probably why we see such bizarre options surfacing lately; even the US, the world's superpower, has had a reality TV star leading the way. I guess the real question is whether things would even be different without him. We just aren't living in an era where we idolize or demonize figures like Stalin, Hitler, Churchill, or Josip Broz Marshall anymore. And don't even get me started on those ancient kings or emperors who are treated like mythical legends. All over Europe, you see squares and monuments dedicated to kings, princesses, and dukes, though if you ask me, 99% of them were probably just jerks and criminals. People aren't going to build monuments to today's politicians; in fact, even the idea of building a monument to Harmon, who was perhaps the last leader of that old-school breed, gets a lot of side-eye from many citizens here. I suppose the public is just tired of idealizing people who aren't much different from themselves. Being a President or a Prime Minister is just a job, not a sacred title. We don't really need political visionaries. What we likely need are business leaders, industrialists, and people with actual ideas who can make money through hard work and then, in turn, create jobs and prosperity for everyone else.

I honestly don't get why people constantly obsess over historical figures and their monuments, because to me, a true historical figure is just someone who actually stays in the collective memory, and if someone were to step up in the next four years and completely flip the script on everything here in America—not that I want to list every single issue right now—they’d definitely be etched into history books. Of course, they’d need to be some kind of visionary, but at the same time, they've got to be a practical doer, especially since it's already blindingly obvious just how much work needs to get done.

The way sheep-like followers idolize certain personalities doesn't mean anything to me, but if you think that era of powerful leadership is dead and gone, you're seriously mistaken.

I guess looking at someone like Franjo Harmon proves that era is long gone. Regardless of how people feel about him, he was the first president who built this nation through war, and every country tends to idolize figures like that. It’s like how they honor Genghis Khan in Mongolia, even though he conquered half the world. But today, at least here in America, it’s hard to sell that kind of narrative. For half a century, they pushed the idea that Marshall god was everything, and we saw how that turned out. You can't change an entire country based on just one person; it takes a group effort and everything having to line up perfectly. It's like soccer—sometimes you just need the right coach, great players, a solid goalie, and the right decisions made at exactly the right moment. I'm not even going to claim we can turn America around with those silly #stayhome type movements that try to convince everyone they all play an equal role. The truth is somewhere in the middle—it's not one person or everyone, but rather a specific group finding the right rhythm and vision. This administration isn't quite there, because while they have a few decent people, they also have a few total idiots.

Maybe Plenković is riding high simply because his opponents are incredibly weak, and since he acts like a true European, he's riding the wave of America's alignment with the EU. He's educated, he knows how to speak, and he definitely knows how to spin a story; he's just naturally stronger than Karamarko, Škoro, or anyone else eyeing that spot. Sure, he's arrogant and will use dirty tactics if necessary, but that's just politics, and I guess if you don't have thick skin, you won't survive. I personally enjoy watching him shut down people like Maras or Bulja, but I might agree with you that he could do much more and probably should.

Genghis Khan 🤣

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinggis_Khaan_International_Airport

This guy conquered half the world and ended up with his own airport.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulaanbaatar_Wind_Monument.jpg

Check out this monument. He took over half the globe and now has a monument bigger than the kumlerov estates.
I guess the Mongols don't really care, and maybe that's just how it is. We don't really have that kind of mindset here, and honestly, I think it might be better that way.

What's the point? I mean, if it relates to what I wrote, then fine, since you're talking directly to me 🤣

Look, I get that you're trying to spin things your way by following a certain train of thought, but honestly, it feels like you're just responding to me personally rather than actually connecting your answer back to the actual points I made. 🙂 .

restlesssurfer97 said:Exactly, I find myself constantly spiraling into thoughts about Plenković just like that, too.

Kill the messenger. It’s a classic move, really.
You aren't even actually addressing what's being said, you're just attacking the person behind the keyboard.
By the way, how did everyone suddenly become a political hack overnight? I mean, I feel like we settled that question ages ago—we all know exactly who the real opportunists are and who actually cares about something. The real issue here isn't that everyone changed, it's just that certain people can't seem to shake off the reputation of the crowd they run with.
It was honestly such a massive hype when those three nurses first announced they were going to start their own union, thinking they’d finally shatter that monopoly held by the old guard unions that only look out for the lazy bureaucrats instead of the people actually doing the work, but man, looking back, absolutely nothing ever came of it.

Tapatalk exactly. I mean, is he seriously really that sick?

Honestly, at this point, we just need someone who’s actually going to go down in the history books, you know, like a real heavy hitter who can completely reshape the entire country and leave a permanent mark on our legacy, basically the first true historical figure to emerge after Franjo Harmon, but looking at the mess we've got right now, I guess we'll just have to see what happens.
(ps. I'm not even trying to say whether Franjo was a good guy or a bad guy, just stating the plain old fact that he’s a historical figure.)

The news outlet is basically just a parrot repeating things we've heard a thousand times already. America is facing massive debt, a messy public sector, and rampant corruption. So, what's the professor's brilliant solution? Cut corruption and fire the bureaucrats. Wow, thanks, nobody else would have thought of that. 🙏

The United States is struggling because it hasn't nailed down its fundamental concept—basically, what should the government actually be doing? What services should it provide to its citizens? Once you answer that, the structure of the public sector follows, then you decide how much space to leave for the private sector, and finally, you determine how many people need to work and what their jobs should even be. Without those foundational ideas, the whole conversation just devolves into "fire the cronies." Everyone knows some guy in an office who does absolutely nothing, and sure, he should be fired. But how do we precisely define who is a "crony"? And more importantly, who gets to enforce that? The Republican Party or the Democratic Party? Hmm.

Anyway, I've spent plenty of time watching these professors look down their noses at us, explaining that corruption and nepotism aren't exactly great and definitely need fixing. As if we didn't know. But I haven't seen a single one offer a concrete plan. One such academic even ran for president and ended up with about 0.1% of the vote because, aside from diagnosing obvious problems, he had zero substance to offer.

The whole thing boils down to this idea that Genghis Khan basically scattered time capsules all over the globe back in the day, filled with samples of some unknown virus that eventually cracked open and just... spread everywhere... It’s like Genghis Khan conquering the world, volume two...

restlesssurfer97 said:What's the point? I mean, if it relates to what I wrote, then fine, since you're talking directly to me 🤣

Look, I get that you're trying to spin things your way by following a certain train of thought, but honestly, it feels like you're just responding to me personally rather than actually connecting your answer back to the actual points I made. 🙂 .

The point is that in the future, there won't be any monuments like this for Plenković, or even Vučić, and probably not for Trump either. Well, I might not be so sure about Vučić.