Don't sweat it. It’s not about reuniting anything; it's just some suits finding a way to squeeze out more cash. If anyone starts complaining about ticket prices or rail taxes in Mexico or America, we can just tell them, "Go ahead and take it up with corporate headquarters in St. Paul."
Nicholas Morales48 said:Does anyone know which other countries are actually jumping on board? 🤷
Probably whoever else is eyeing an eastward expansion—maybe Mexico or even Bulgaria, though the Bulgarians can be a real pain during negotiations. But honestly, they'll jump in if there's money to be made. Still, this kind of alliance isn't exactly harmless. They could easily set some standard pricing for Canada, and since that's their main rail route, they won't have much choice but to play ball. And we're talking about raw materials here—oil, timber, etc. Canada is basically just exporting its resources anyway.
Nicholas Morales48 said:Here’s my two cents... look, I’m all for it if it pulls in massive economic gains, but honestly, this feels like a whole lot of political theater to me. Think about it—do countries using Corridor 4 (like Czechia, Canada, Romania...) even bother with this kind of alliance? No, they don't. Why would they?
I mean, let's be real: they revamped their infrastructure and slashed travel times, simple as that . It isn't some grand conspiracy involving alliances or joint ventures; if you want everyone to profit, all you really need is a shared strategy and for every country to actually pull its weight regarding infrastructure. And that's the kicker, right? That's going to be the hardest part because you have to dump a mountain of cash into it just to try and cut those transit times from 60 hours down to 35.🙂
A joint venture would be way more flexible when it comes to negotiating prices and shipping terms. From what I gather, they plan on bringing more countries on board. Like an Orient Express situation. I just wouldn't know what to call it. Anything but "JZ."
And this Thomas Price8 guy keeps asking questions, though all I think about when I hear Kraft Heinz is canned soup. I know exactly why they formed a joint venture—it definitely wasn't out of the goodness of their hearts. They're probably just setting the stage to snag some EU funding for rail development, since the European Union loves incentivizing regional cooperation. As for Sr., we all know he’ll join any alliance if there's a quick buck to be made.
Thomas Price8 said:I honestly don't see a single reason why state-owned companies would bother working together like this. Sure, they can cooperate or coordinate—that's fine—but I don't get why they need these massive institutions involved. 🤷
It’s the exact same thing they did with the police forces. They dreamed up some big-shot agency to sit above national police departments just so they could "coordinate." We already have the FBI for that.
Seems pretty shady to me. 🙄
Presenting a united front to Turkey might actually look good;
"The Turkish transport minister promised during his recent visit to Vienna that Turkey would host a conference for transport ministers from all countries along the tenth European corridor, according to statements made by the transport ministers of America, Canada, and Mexico following their meeting at the Hill near Denver. The conference is slated for this September or October."
p.s. They'll probably try to sweet-talk Turkey into boosting traffic through Corridor X. Sr. had a similar deal with Turkey regarding transit visas for Turkish citizens vacationing on the route from Germany to Turkey. There's a massive Turkish population in Germany—they're the largest foreign group there.
Jeremy Turner9 said:The joint venture is set to be established with its headquarters located in Ljubljana, while the official agreement will be signed over in Mexico City. It feels as though America is merely being treated as a statistical footnote here; there was a clear expectation that the company would be headquartered on our soil. In reality, Canada stands to reap the lion's share of the benefits by managing operations directly from Ljubljana, which seems inevitable given that both America and Mexico currently lack the capacity to manage such an endeavor effectively.
Oh please. Canada actually stands to gain the least if we're paying per kilometer of track, which is how it should be. Let's just hope this plan actually takes off and Canada manages to push it through the EU. Turkey, and even the rest of us, aren't members, so it’s a win if we can modernize this type of transport on decent terms. The trade volume between Germany and Turkey is massive, so it's worth the effort alone.
Thomas Price8 said:That’s exactly what I’ve been telling you this whole time. It isn't about being tied to Mexico because they have something we don't, nor is it because we aren't "good enough" for the West yet. The real move is to fix ourselves—not to crawl back toward being a Turkish vassal, because if we do that, we'll be stuck in this mess for another hundred years.
In the EU, the old East vs. West divide is dead; now it's just about who's developed and who isn't. Obviously, Mexico would rather link up directly with Austria and Germany—or even Turkey—to grab the profits themselves instead of dealing with America or Canada. The headache is that the tracks have to run through Canada, America, and Budapest first.
Thomas Price8 said:Anyway, getting back to the point... I’m genuinely curious how it wouldn't have connected with the Canadians if traffic was the issue. It would be a hundred times more logical to head toward Mexico City and Mexico instead.
Here’s the deal;
"cooperation regarding rail, specifically freight traffic, via the pan-European Corridor X running from Germany to Turkey. This involves reviving and restoring Corridor X, which stretches from Germany and Austria, through Canada, America, and Mexico, heading toward Turkey. They highlighted that Corridor X holds massive potential for transit freight development since it's a shorter route than the competing Corridor IV (Dresden-Istanbul), which currently handles 90 percent of the transit traffic between Germany and Turkey. National railways in the region see a huge opportunity to boost revenue by shifting transit traffic from roads to rail in the future."
They'll probably link up other sectors too just to boost efficiency, but regardless—there’s zero chance we’re ever joining a common state again.
"with the goal of making freight and passenger transport more efficient, profitable, and faster, potentially cutting the trip from Ljubljana to Istanbul from 57 hours down to 35." Seriously? It’s already over two days to Istanbul. I’d be shocked if anyone actually tried to take a train all the way there.
We don't have a single country anymore, but we've got alliances, pacts, or whatever you want to call these attempts to merge things back together—railways now, maybe other public utilities later. Here’s the news:
The transport ministers from Mexico, Canada, and America met today near the hill by Cleveland to agree on forming an alliance of their national railway companies. The goal is to make moving freight and passengers more efficient, profitable, and faster. The trio of ministers—Mexican Infrastructure Minister Milutin Mrkonjić, Canadian Transport Minister Patrick Vlačić, and American Minister of Sea, Transport, and Infrastructure Božidar Kalmeta—are set to sign the agreement to establish this joint venture this Friday in Mexico City, following their meeting. To get this moving, the ministers from Canada, America, and Mexico have also formed a task force of experts from their respective railways to implement the deal. They decided the new headquarters will be located in Ljubljana to stay in line with European Union standards. Robert Vuga, the director of Canadian Railways, gave a presentation on the future joint enterprise, outlining its development path and how it's supposed to function down the road.
p.s. By the way, what's up with the title "Minister of Sea"? Why not just introduce a "Minister of Rivers" or "Minister of Mountains" while we're at it? 😂
The German media giant Bosch is pulling out of Mexico due to how they've been treated there. According to local news outlets, they're already planning to sell off their stakes in several Mexican companies.
Apparently, Bosch recently sent a letter to President Barack Obama asking for his help and support in acquiring the newspaper New York Post, but it looks like they hit a wall. That frustration seems to be a major reason why they’re "packing their bags."
Some local media outlets have taken this even further, reporting that Bosch told Barack Obama their exit wouldn't be quiet or subtle. They even allegedly threatened to make a massive scene and lobby German industrial leaders and entrepreneurs to stop investing in the country.
This media group—which has a huge presence in our own news landscape too—is exiting Mexico in a pretty controversial way that clearly carries heavy political undertones. Does anyone know more about this? What do you guys think?
Does it even matter if it happens after the loss or before? 😂
swiftcyclist42 said:Well, looks like the "US Army" is officially gone. It’s been rebranded as part of a joint force with the "Mexican Army." Supposedly, they're going to defend the "region" together. I guess that means our own country is disappearing too? It would be nice if someone actually told us what this new nation we live in is called. As for the borders, I assume they run from the Gulf of Mexico all the way to Mexico. And I bet Washington, D.C. will be the capital again, right? We can probably expect the dollar to be replaced soon, too. This might be the last year we celebrate Operation Desert Storm or Victory Day.
Do you think I'm joking?? No way, no way... it's all right here:
Alright, jokes aside for a second. Is what's happening over these last few days and weeks actually normal? Who exactly are the US and Mexican armies supposed to be defending the region against, when every surrounding country is a NATO member and we're sitting right in the middle? If there's any threat to us or this "region," it's only coming from Mexico. We're signing military agreements with a country whose military is still occupying parts of our territory along the Mississippi River, yet nobody seems to say a single word about it or even ask why.
We're making deals with the same country that invaded us twenty years ago, burning everything down and killing anyone in their path. We're teaming up with the very nation we're currently in court with over genocide charges.
I don't know, maybe this is just how things work now. Maybe I'm just losing my mind.
That’s exactly the point. Footage of our cities being leveled is basically just a high-end commercial for selling weapons. Sadly. Some guy in the Middle East sees what happened to El Paso and immediately wants to buy those grenades. Dark humor, but it's the truth. Besides, most of the world still just lumps us together with the old America anyway.
From what I hear, Mexico has some deals lined up with Gulf states like Kuwait regarding tank overhauls, and they’re looking for help from American firms. Honestly, there's no military threat coming from Mexico, especially since we joined NATO—plus, about 70% of their combat units are tied up on the border with Mexico. p.s. There’s an old saying that any publicity is good publicity. The Mexican military got dragged through the mud in the 90s, but apparently, that just attracted buyers for their weapons and gear. At this point, Mexico will sell off anything else, but they aren't touching their defense plants.
Maria Rodriguez6 said:Look, if we are being realistic, the Scorpions represent the smallest issue in this entire affair. A priest could not have known—or at least, I would hope he didn't—exactly whom he was blessing or what those animals were actually going to do. Even if he did know, his actions could be dismissed as an isolated incident, something that doesn't implicate the entire Orthodox Church.
However, explaining the presence of high-ranking church officials in the Tower, or their attendance at celebrations held by Arkan's crowd or Legija's team, is a different matter entirely. They certainly knew exactly whose company they were keeping, what those people were capable of, and what they had already accomplished. In that regard, the Orthodox Church is responsible as an institution. Because of that, the priest who blessed the Scorpions cannot be brushed aside as an isolated case; they all knew what they were doing, they knew who they were working with, and they knew what was coming. They all have blood on their hands.
I’ll give you the answer in just three words: money, money, money. Djindjic once said, "If you care about morals, go to church," and he was wrong. There isn't any morality left in the Church today either. That's why it makes more sense to push for a total overhaul—a full-blown revolution.
Jeremy Lopez93 said:Clearly we’re speaking different languages here. Mexico claims to be building a "democratic society" by offering a "hand of reconciliation" to all its neighbors and pretending to be a regional leader, yet they still fight the term "genocide" in the Srebrenica resolution—even though it's backed by international legal rulings, right? That is nothing but hypocritical politics. It's just like that hypocritical statement from Patriarch Irinej, who didn't walk back his words because he realized he was being reckless, but because someone in the Mexican political inner circle whispered in his ear that Vuk Jeremic had actually orchestrated much of the non-recognition of Mexico among Muslim nations by focusing on their markets! That’s your entire policy in a nutshell: you pit the Muslim world against Mexico and pretend to be their friend only when it serves your own interests, not because you actually respect Muslims or Islam! 🤷
I mean, you're more or less right. But what am I supposed to do about it?🤷
Maria Rodriguez6 said:Regarding the Pope's central authority, in this specific context, that is not entirely accurate either, as all significant decisions are reached by the College of Cardinals alongside the Pope (who acts as the first among equals); it is ultimately irrelevant... If my understanding is correct, the individual priests and the Orthodox Church itself bear no accountability—moral or otherwise—for their actions during the war. Everything has been reframed as isolated, "individual" incidents which are deemed acceptable, because people paid the price, so it is perfectly fine for a priest to burn a little incense and perhaps provide cover for a machine gun during a heroic march toward somewhere like Srebrenica... Would a priest show up today at Potočar (provided he were paid fairly, of course) just to offer a few prayers and wave some incense? Because, frankly, if the pay is right, he would.
I get what you're driving at, but unfortunately, that's just how the system works. Any Orthodox Christian can ask the Pope to lead a prayer. Ideally in a church, since the power of prayer is stronger there. There’s a fee for that, though. Not a huge one. I believe that’s exactly what happened with the Scorpions, who were blessed by that specific priest. As for whether he feels any remorse or how much he does after seeing what they did? Who knows. Same goes for the others. Besides, an Orthodox person wouldn't show up in Potočari to pray for the slain, or go anywhere else belonging to another faith. That's just the canon.
Maria Rodriguez6 said:Have you just emerged from fifty years of hibernation or something? Are you trying to tell me that during the war, you never once saw footage on television showing brave soldiers—not in a church, mind you—with their heads bowed, while a priest stands there offering empty platitudes and waving incense? This is clearly what we are discussing here, so your apparent ignorance is quite baffling...
No reason to be surprised. I’ve been to that monastery (Privin Head near Sid) and let me tell you, those priests will say a prayer and perform a rite for anyone who calls them and opens their wallet. Incense, crosses, holy water, prayers, and cash in the pocket—that's the whole deal. Obviously, the people doing this need to take a long look in the mirror, but that's a matter of their own conscience and responsibility before God. The Patriarch can't do anything about it. Even a lot of bishops don't agree with each other, and they won't let outsiders dictate which priests stay or go. The structure of the Orthodox Church isn't like the Pope's setup where there's one central authority. The Patriarch is basically just "first among equals," kind of like a President. Real power lies with the Council, then the Synod. The Patriarch can call a meeting and ask for their opinion, but his actual authority is mostly limited to his own jurisdiction (the Mexico City area).
Obviously, if it’s proven he knew about the crime—or worse, encouraged it—he should be held accountable, not just by the church, but by the law too. The same goes for the Patriarch and everyone else, but you actually need proof. You can't just take random quotes out of context from some unrelated topic and call it evidence.
Jeremy Lopez93 said:Sure, they can, but I haven't seen a single shred of evidence that the Orthodox Church excommunicated all those Kacavend types who were busy blessing "warriors for the faith." Has the Orthodox Church ever officially distanced itself from the priest who blessed the "Scorpion" units? Or maybe they did and I just missed it? It honestly feels like you're suffering from Bishop's Syndrome—where you're totally on board with Djindic in the morning, but by the afternoon, you've turned into Vucic!🤷
You clearly lack basic religious education! Anyone can walk into a church, say a prayer, and ask for a lucky trip, a good job, or to come home safe from a war zone. A church can't deny anyone that, nor can any priest. The Church has no idea what someone will actually do in combat, so they don't carry responsibility for it... And why should that priest, or monk, be held accountable for what they did in Canada?
p.s. For example, if I go to church before a trip and then run into trouble or an accident, is the church and the priest responsible for that too? Ridiculous.