Offside (General Discussion)

Larry Fox5 said:We never even doubted it for a second. The Reds are always going to be Red, no matter how hard they try to play nice or hide who they really are. Eventually, they always pull the rug out from under you.

There’s no better litmus test than the Russians. ☕

Why the hell are you coming at me with all this green nonsense?😳

Larry Fox5 said:We never even doubted it for a second. The Reds are always going to be Red, no matter how hard they try to play nice or hide who they really are. Eventually, they always pull the rug out from under you.

There’s no better litmus test than the Russians. ☕

Don't worry, the Russians aren't foolish enough to strike at the biggest players within the European Union...

It is quite telling, actually, how much more Andrej Plenković has pivoted toward France rather than Germany lately, especially seeing how all the cooperation regarding this drone situation is being handled with them...

The Chinese create a whole pandemic then have the nerve to lecture the USA about some lab in Ukraine.

Man, this 2022 year is really delivering the goods every single day. 😁

Jonathan Barnes5 said:Honestly, you've become incredibly exhausting lately; your tone has shifted quite drastically. I can't quite pin down what's driving you to constantly mock those index commenters, but you've started acting like that one guy on a sports team who just nitpicks everything, ridiculing every play and criticizing every move without ever offering a single constructive solution.

Meanwhile, your conclusions for everything seem to boil down to stating the obvious, like saying a ball is round.🤦

I think we all realize that the EU is essentially a massive, clunky beast of inefficient bureaucracy, but at the same time, it remains miles ahead of certain competitors that people assume have every possible advantage. Even if a dream has lasted nearly seventy years, it's just a blink in the grand scheme of history. These kinds of "course corrections" are perfectly natural, much like shifts in any major political landscape. Slowly, Europe will begin to wake up from its progressive slumber to preserve fundamental civilizational standards, eventually embracing more grounded values held by folks like me. A balance will inevitably be struck, just as more capable leadership will eventually rise to the occasion. It's a historical truth that crises always tend to forge strong leaders.

Total nonsense.
How are you supposed to pick anyone if everyone is just checking boxes today? You know the drill: confidence gained from a Leadership Course, following the SOP to get the job done, then handing over the quality report once it's finished.
To put it simply...

Listening to Mandic, Zidic, and Makovic was such a vibe—the show used to be on Saturday nights (maybe it ran a few seasons on Fridays too?), but it really hit the spot. Not every single time, obviously, but pretty often. Usually, by the time you're heading out the door, you're already halfway gone—just enough cultural elevation to help you peddle smooth lines at an Anchor at 4 AM.

shadowcobra89 said:Don't worry, the Russians aren't foolish enough to strike at the biggest players within the European Union...

It is quite telling, actually, how much more Andrej Plenković has pivoted toward France rather than Germany lately, especially seeing how all the cooperation regarding this drone situation is being handled with them...

I mean, let's be real—when it comes to dumping cash into military tech within the European Union, France is the heavy hitter.

coastalheron12 said:Total nonsense.
How are you supposed to pick anyone if everyone is just checking boxes today? You know the drill: confidence gained from a Leadership Course, following the SOP to get the job done, then handing over the quality report once it's finished.
To put it simply...

Listening to Mandic, Zidic, and Makovic was such a vibe—the show used to be on Saturday nights (maybe it ran a few seasons on Fridays too?), but it really hit the spot. Not every single time, obviously, but pretty often. Usually, by the time you're heading out the door, you're already halfway gone—just enough cultural elevation to help you peddle smooth lines at an Anchor at 4 AM.

That sounds like stuff Franjo Tuđman picked up during his training in the Yugoslav People's Army 🤷

I haven't been following this thread closely, though I do happen to hold that Leadership Course certificate. I suppose one might wonder what exactly you all need from me?

Anthony Wright30 said:I haven't been following this thread closely, though I do happen to hold that Leadership Course certificate. I suppose one might wonder what exactly you all need from me?

Lead the way, ☕

wiredfalcon2 said:I mean, let's be real—when it comes to dumping cash into military tech within the European Union, France is the heavy hitter.

It’s not just that, though. I can't help but think about those big pushes regarding nuclear energy too.

wiredfalcon2 said:Lead the way, ☕

Sure, I suppose I am currently just enjoying my time soaking up the motherland's blue waters, though perhaps a recommendation for the rest of you wouldn't hurt either. 👍

wiredfalcon2 said:I mean, let's be real—when it comes to dumping cash into military tech within the European Union, France is the heavy hitter.

Even before all this unfolded, Andrej Plenković was constantly hovering around Emmanuel Macron in foreign policy matters while completely neglecting his relationship with Germany...

Thank God we finally joined the smart ones ☕

shadowcobra89 said:Don't worry, the Russians aren't foolish enough to strike at the biggest players within the European Union...

It is quite telling, actually, how much more Andrej Plenković has pivoted toward France rather than Germany lately, especially seeing how all the cooperation regarding this drone situation is being handled with them...

Honestly, it’s partly because he gets along so well with Emmanuel Macron, and partly because we just don't see eye-to-eye with Germany on certain issues.

France is clearly trying to pull a specific circle of European Union countries closer to their orbit—they want to cement themselves as the dominant power in the Mediterranean (which is something we could certainly get involved in)—so they've been flexing their muscles against Turkey and backing Greece all along.

James Anderson5 said:I really wonder if the Romans were saying the exact same thing right before they got overrun by the barbarians 😁

My colleague, the barbarians were merely a symptom, never the root cause. This was a protracted process; nothing of this magnitude happens overnight.

ironranger67 said:Honestly, it’s partly because he gets along so well with Emmanuel Macron, and partly because we just don't see eye-to-eye with Germany on certain issues.

France is clearly trying to pull a specific circle of European Union countries closer to their orbit—they want to cement themselves as the dominant power in the Mediterranean (which is something we could certainly get involved in)—so they've been flexing their muscles against Turkey and backing Greece all along.

And let’s not even get started on how France was pretty much the only one that didn't lose its mind during the energy crisis that gripped all of Europe.

In fifty years, we'll finally figure out exactly how many European politicians were actually on the payroll of the oil giants—and who else was pulling the strings behind the scenes.

@duje3, I suppose these are your contacts at the news station over in Berlin?

Emmanuel Macron is way more effective on the international stage than he is when dealing with stuff at home—not saying he’s bad domestically, just that he’s clearly in his element abroad. He’s a massive Europeanist through and through, always pushing for everyone to huddle under that big European umbrella and tighten up integration. On the flip side, you’ve got these "fiscally responsible" nations like the Netherlands and Denmark. They’re terrified—and honestly, I get it—that they’ll end up footing the bill for the "irresponsible" countries, like us or Bulgaria, who'd rather piggyback off the common pot instead of actually doing the hard work to become efficient. Also, unlike Merkel, who had this insane PR machine making her look like some legendary Mutti while she mostly just talked without much substance, Macron is much more agile and gets things moving. He definitely played his cards right, timing everything with the elections and coalition talks in Germany, and having France hold the EU presidency right now is basically a gift from the heavens for him. For a country like ours, that whole idea of a unified European monetary umbrella sounds like music to our ears.

https://twitter.com/JMichaelWaller/s...79289657671682

He he he. Things are about to get real interesting once they start digging around and following where all that money is flowing. 😍

wiredfalcon2 said:Emmanuel Macron is way more effective on the international stage than he is when dealing with stuff at home—not saying he’s bad domestically, just that he’s clearly in his element abroad. He’s a massive Europeanist through and through, always pushing for everyone to huddle under that big European umbrella and tighten up integration. On the flip side, you’ve got these "fiscally responsible" nations like the Netherlands and Denmark. They’re terrified—and honestly, I get it—that they’ll end up footing the bill for the "irresponsible" countries, like us or Bulgaria, who'd rather piggyback off the common pot instead of actually doing the hard work to become efficient. Also, unlike Merkel, who had this insane PR machine making her look like some legendary Mutti while she mostly just talked without much substance, Macron is much more agile and gets things moving. He definitely played his cards right, timing everything with the elections and coalition talks in Germany, and having France hold the EU presidency right now is basically a gift from the heavens for him. For a country like ours, that whole idea of a unified European monetary umbrella sounds like music to our ears.

But where's the FT coverage on this?!

Larry Fox5 said:We never even doubted it for a second. The Reds are always going to be Red, no matter how hard they try to play nice or hide who they really are. Eventually, they always pull the rug out from under you.

There’s no better litmus test than the Russians. ☕

Oh, so now a Red is using "Red" as an insult? 😁 It’s not just about hating those sausage-selling bureaucrats. They’re the ones who dragged the European Union into this mess because they are chronically incompetent on the geopolitical stage and blinded by ideology. Honestly, is it any surprise they turn out to be such losers when it comes to war?