Posts by Scott Rodriguez19

Look, if everything had actually been handled by the book, there wouldn't be any need for these repetitive recounts.
From what I gathered right at the start, there were roughly 190,000 valid ballots that were apparently opened a day early—meaning, under the law, those invalid votes somehow managed to pass as legitimate ones.

Chloe Sullivan88 said:You certainly get worked up the second someone shares an opinion on the American electoral system.

This is a forum for people who know the English language and want to debate everything from U.S. presidential elections and the situation in the Middle East to the Brexit referendum and elections in the United States. We only talk about the United States when there's an election happening.

I have never once seen an expat jump into a thread about the United Kingdom and claim that only Britons are allowed to speak on the matter, or that Americans have no right to question British democracy.

I simply don't see why anyone shouldn't be allowed to question a voting method, regardless of whether they are right or wrong.
Are we going to wait for someone from Saudi Arabia to pop up in a thread about Saudi Arabia and tell us to shut up because Saudis are satisfied with their own system?

There are no dogmas here, period. If you find that funny, fine, but this constant insistence that certain people shouldn't discuss American elections is bizarre for a forum like this.

And let's not forget, we're talking about private individuals. If the American ambassador were unhappy with media freedom in America and meddled in our internal affairs, one might express that dissatisfaction through a protest. Or are you actually suggesting that American diplomats are allowed to interfere in the domestic business of other nations, while forum users shouldn't question American elections on a public platform?

Even if we are talking about some extreme scenario where a Freedom Party member was out there carrying the biggest sign imaginable that simply screams "Ausländer Raus"🙂

Nathan Morris3 said:I guess I don't know how things work in America, but over here in Austria, foreigners don't even get to vote.

What do you mean they don't? I mean—you personally have it. I assume they gave it to you, even though you aren't an Austrian citizen.🙂
If I were some newcomer in Austria with voting rights—which, let's be honest, is a stretch—I’d at least have the decency to stay out of it and let the locals settle their own business. You know? Instead of trying to put out a forest fire with a squirt gun and then acting all surprised when the flames just keep spreading.🤣

I can't help but wonder—just how different would things look if the Republican Party had managed to pull off a 52% victory?

Nathan Morris3 said:I sort of assumed everyone on here knew how to use Google, honestly. It's written right there:

I guess the whole "melting pot" thing is just a way to say that a diverse society eventually blends into one big, unified culture. Maybe everything just sort of merges together into one smooth, harmonious mix.

I guess saying that Salzburg or Vienna are "melting points" is just total nonsense. It’s honestly on the same level as when Hofer made up that whole story about a terrorist attack happening right under his nose. 😁.

I saw this news about the political situation over in Austria. It seems like things are getting pretty complicated there, I guess. Maybe we'll see some changes soon?

I'm not really sure why you're pushing this on me. I think I already made my stance pretty clear—I'm all for banning anything that radicalizes people, whether it's preschools, churches, mosques, or even political parties. Radicalization already messed things up for Austria once, and I guess I'm just worried it could happen again. The real question is how you actually ban those sources of radicalism without making an even bigger mess of things. From what I can see, both radical religious groups and extreme nationalists are really ramping things up lately. Maybe they just need to be put in a cage together so they can fight it out, then maybe we could finally live in peace. 😉

Nathan Morris3 said:Yeah, three dead, alcohol, a fight, weapons... those biker festivals aren't exactly the kind of places where people from Syria or Afghanistan are hanging out.

I guess people who blame immigrants for everything made up their minds a long time ago, just like those who look for causes elsewhere. Even these folks probably just look at different criteria, maybe just a dislike for one candidate over another. Like, I think for many Black voters, voting for the Green Party is just unthinkable, regardless of how they feel about immigration or anti-feminist policies or whatever else.

Well, he didn't actually say they were immigrants from Syria, did he? Maybe not at those specific biker concerts, but their clubs—at least over in Germany—are largely controlled by Turkish and Albanian crime syndicates. So, I wouldn't be shocked if it turned out to be some migrant after all.

It's pretty stupid that the police only released data about a 27-year-old individual. If they know that much, it means they have the full file.
If they could, they'd just say whether we're looking at Muhamed M., Hans h, or maybe even prati p.🙂
But I suppose they have a gag order, much like what used to be the standard practice in Germany. That just leaves plenty of room for people to start making their own assumptions.

Brenda Taylor13 said:Man, you nailed it with this one! 😁

Honestly? I wouldn't even have a single thing to complain about.

Maybe you wouldn't, but your kids certainly would. It's a nasty bunch of people.🙂

Nathan Morris3 said:Vienna and Salzburg are "true multicultural melting pots"???
And Salzburg is one of the biggest international student hubs?
In the three largest cities in Austria—even the ones with top-tier universities and the highest concentration of foreigners and intellectuals—VdB actually beat Hofer.

I guess all three of those points you made are just wrong. I wonder what the goal is with spreading this stuff? Are you trying to show you don't really get what a "melting pot" is, or maybe just that you don't know much about Austria?

Oh, please—do enlighten us! We are just dying to hear the profound insights from such an intellectual heavyweight. 🙂
http://www.heute.at/news/politik/Isl...t23660,1240928

Nathan Morris3 said:Well, I have, which is why I keep bringing up things like wars, special interests, the arms industry, politics, and how wealth and resources are split up... I guess only someone really narrow-minded would claim the problem is just about someone having the "wrong" race or religion.

So, looks like you lost this battle too, doesn't it?🙂

I'm heading out to Walmart for a bit.🙂

not to buy anything, really.

Nathan Morris3 said:"I guess maybe..."

No, I didn't say that, please don't make things up. Regarding what you said about how things work in Turkey, I already gave you my answer:

Maybe I guess we could just say...

I don't really know much about Turkey, so if that's your benchmark, maybe you should just move there. I guess my main focus is on democracy and freedom, so it's pretty clear we aren't exactly on the same page.

It’s honestly kind of funny when people try to argue, like, "Why should we give minorities rights if they don't even allow anything in Saudi Arabia?" I guess I just can't stand anyone who tries to force us to follow the standards of a place like Saudi Arabia. And I mean, Turkey has such massive issues with democracy and human rights too, so I don't really see the point in using them as a benchmark for what we want our society to look like. I suppose people coming from those kinds of cultures also need to adapt their views on things like laws and human rights to fit into the country they're living in—not that anyone's ever actually argued against that. The real problem, though, is how we're losing the presumption of innocence and labeling people before they've even done anything. It feels like the twilight of Western civilization, and maybe it's more our own fault than the fault of someone fleeing Aleppo.

Every voter looks at what's happening right in their own backyard first before looking elsewhere, I guess. It makes sense why the Republican Party is gaining ground, maybe.🙂.

I guess I totally see why the Republican Party is gaining ground. It feels like they’ve managed to get people to just tune everything out, which is kind of sad because those folks are victims themselves, I suppose. Personally, I really root for a society where everyone stays informed and realizes that what happens out in the world actually impacts what happens right at home. We should probably be looking at the actual causes instead of just reacting to the symptoms, maybe.

Then why on earth weren't you fighting against those very same root causes back when people were first facing these issues at their front doors?

Nathan Morris3 said:Sorry, but just give me one single reason why CNN or any local news outlet would cover up an incident involving migrants. They actually put migrant incidents right on the front page, whereas cases like this get buried way in the back of the paper:

http://www.nachrichten.at/oberoester...n;art4,2230538

It's honestly kind of funny to me how my fellow Austrians are freaking out over rising insecurity—and all the stories they hear (that aren't in the papers). We're heading into a mess, and I just feel bad for the innocent people who didn't deserve this. I guess everyone pushing for uncontrolled immigration should have ten random immigrants living in their apartment, or have kids (at least one girl) who don't need to be fully embraced and are out between 8 and 10 PM, then we'll see how long it takes before she isn't a virgin anymore....

Well, if you can't see past your own apartment building, I guess it makes sense why you wouldn't bother looking at causes and consequences, or things that play right into Isa's hands. Though, I don't really get the connection to sexual assaults if it's true that over 60% of sex offenders are Austrian. To me, it seems totally reasonable that people are worried when they see an unfamiliar culture right outside their door. But it's not right to just turn off your brain and do exactly what Isa wants us to do. It's not right to shrink your whole world down to a few square feet and not "bother" with the big picture.

It's sad how much common sense and observation isn't being used... kind of like that transgender stuff in America....

Interesting, because that's exactly what I "accuse" Republican Party voters of—acting like they don't understand why refugees arrived in the first place, or thinking that not all Jewish people are enemies of Germany or that all refugees are uncultured savages.

So, I guess I'll ask you again—what have you actually done to provide even a little bit of mental support to the biggest victims of this IS chaos? It’s always easiest to kick those who are weak and innocent.

When I brought up Turkey to you earlier, you basically told me you didn't care what was happening over there.
Most voters focus on what's happening in their own backyard first before looking at the big picture—so, I guess it's perfectly logical why you think the Republican Party is gaining ground🙂.

Nathan Morris3 said:Yeah, for sure they aren't all the same—I feel like I'm always mentioning that, too. There are definitely big cultural gaps sometimes, which I guess could lead to issues. But we have our own laws here and everyone's supposed to follow them, so I don't really think anyone is actually challenging that.

I don't know much about cover-ups happening in Austria, I guess. The police are pretty close with the Republican Party anyway, and it seems like it would be tough to hide anything in the legal system. I’m all for transparency, though that usually means the media needs to actually report things objectively. There are over 800 rapes in Austria every year, and more than 60% are committed by Austrians—even if foreigners get all the attention per capita. The issue is that nobody writes about a rape committed by an Austrian because it doesn't interest anyone, but everyone in Austria knows when it's someone from Iraq.

I don't know much about Sweden, but I find it hard to believe an executive in Austria would really withhold info just to avoid hurting someone's feelings. Though, I guess it might make sense if they were trying to prevent actual chaos or mob mentality. Their main job is keeping the peace, not managing emotions, so maybe that applies to Sweden too? Either way, the police have to process crimes and file reports—that part shouldn't be flexible at all. But when it comes to what they tell the public, I suppose they have to prioritize public order over people's curiosity. People will probably never agree on where that line should be drawn.

I guess I’m all for total transparency and being objective, but like, it really has to be consistent across the board.

I guess the issue with politicians is that most of them, regardless of their party, tie their whole careers to specific issues they can't even control. It makes objectivity pretty much impossible, I suppose. You end up with one side blowing things out of proportion while the other tries to sweep everything under the rug. That’s probably why you can't really trust them too much. Personally, I don't defend any of them; I just tend to push back against any policy rooted in racism or hate, because history shows us exactly where that path leads.

Exactly. This whole situation is headed for a disaster. My advice? Just make sure you invest in some high-quality running shoes—that way, when things inevitably go south, you can actually make a quick exit.🙂

Nathan Morris3 said:We’re looking at a cycle where one kind of radicalism just feeds into the next. It feels pretty natural, so I wouldn't call it "bad" per se. I suppose the Republican Party knows this well, which is why I figured they wouldn't mind ISIS radicalism—they might even cheer it on because it helps them get votes. Whether that stuff is actually good for the country doesn't seem to matter to them. They’ll probably say it's bad for society, but I think they’re doing everything they can to make sure it works in their favor.
It seems like maybe you're making a similar point, acting like ISIS radicalism isn't an issue just to use it as a tool for your own political goals, much like the Republican Party does.
If that's the case, I guess we can't really have a productive talk, because I see that radicalism as a link in a chain we need to break, while you seem to view it as a valid way to get things done.

I don't necessarily want the Republican Party to be strong; I just want the coalitions currently in power to lose. Since those groups teamed up just to split power rather than actually helping people, I guess the nationalists are the only option left. It’s not that I support the Republican Party—I actually wasn't a fan back during the Jörg Haider days. But I suppose they're a lesser evil compared to what the European Union bureaucracy is planning for us. 🙂

My only real worry is that if the Republican Party takes over, they'll just end up being corrupt. We've seen enough history to know they and corruption tend to get along.

Well, I hope they just stop at corruption. Last time populists and nationalists took over in certain parts of Europe (because the moderates messed up), millions died. I guess politics built on racism just can't have a positive outcome. It’s weird how we haven't learned that lesson yet.

Look, I have no idea what "we" had—I wasn't living through that era. Back then, people didn't even carry smartphones in their pockets.

Word is getting around that everyone who crossed over into North Mexico has been detained—and apparently, that includes the journalists covering the whole thing. I suppose even the agitators leading the charge are likely behind bars by now.

Jessica Torres63 said:So, basically, the first wave of Syrian refugees in Germany are starting to pick up jobs for an absolutely insane wage—we’re talking one dollar an hour—and honestly, nobody is even trying to hide it anymore...

Back on Wednesday, the head of the Federal Reserve, Jerome Powell, was out there saying "Germany needs more workers if they want to keep their lifestyle where it is." So, I guess now we finally see the "humanitarian spirit" Angela Merkel showed toward Syrians actually making sense from a purely economic standpoint...

Take Anas Al-Asadi, for example. He’s one of the first folks to arrive in Germany from Syria. After just a few days in the largest economy in Europe, he already landed a gig at a local youth center in a small town in Germany near New York City. His pay? A measly buck an hour, just doing basic tasks to help out the heads of the community center...

According to a report by Bloomberg LP, Al-Asadi wasn't just some random guy; back in Syria, he was actually a lawyer. He’s 26, highly qualified, and totally ready to work...

"Work isn't the issue for someone who was a lawyer in his home country, but let's be real, the pay is terrible," Bloomberg wrote...

And look, I get it, people from the North America really helped boost the German economy decades ago with their lower labor costs...

But even back then, when I was a young, educated guy moving over to Germany to work, Germany was the one reaping all the profits while America got left behind...

But man, what is this going to do to other immigrants, especially us Americans?

Are we really going to be expected to just show up, happy to work, and agree to take maybe a dollar or two an hour if they throw a meal in our direction...?

http://www.altermainstreaminfo.com.h...ce-rade-za-670

If you had actually bothered to do a little research, you’d realize this isn't just about refugees—German citizens are working for one euro too. It’s a specific program designed for people who are unemployed and currently receiving welfare. I mean, if your local municipality is already supporting you, why wouldn't you go out and clean up a park for a few hours a week? It just makes sense, really.

Mark Harris66 said:By failing to manage air travel properly, Merkel is basically enabling human smuggling—and participating in criminal activity is a serious offense ☕.

Then what do you make of those train transports moving people from one border to the next?🙂.

Benjamin Reyes52 said:Austria is standing its ground when it comes to keeping the North American route closed. Meanwhile, Germany is pushing back hard; word on the street is that Merkel is putting intense pressure on the countries in that region to change their stance. But if you ask me, Austria and Canada aren't budging when it comes to protecting their borders. All we can do now is hope that a new corridor doesn't open up through Mexico. We need to jump into emergency negotiations with our neighbors immediately—coordinated action is the only way forward if things get messy.

The season is right around the corner, and frankly, we don't have any other choice.

Change their minds about what, exactly? North Mexico isn't even in Schengen, much less the EU. What business do they have in all this? Most of these refugees are already inside the Schengen zone anyway—and even if they weren't, what's the big deal with finding an alternative to the North American route? Why not just set up an air bridge from Greece? I mean, we aren't living in the 15th century here. If Merkel really wanted to, she could probably move everyone over to Germany in a single day using just a few cargo planes.
It’s honestly pathetic that nobody in the EU even thinks about sending actual aid; instead, they just sit there watching kids wander through the mud, starving, for days on end. I suppose that’s just how it works for the Merkelists—it probably suits them better to let a humanitarian catastrophe unfold right before the elections. It creates this perfect little narrative where she looks like the only one who cares, while everyone else is painted as heartless.

Paul Thomas46 said:I wouldn't say it's dead, but where is all this actually heading?

Look, things can't just keep going like this—we really need to get our act together, obviously.
It’s also pretty clear that Merkel has zero intention of hitting the brakes on any of this.

So, I guess it's up to us to figure out the next move...

She can't exactly take control when she's scattered across the entire field like some overambitious star player trying to do everything at once.🙂

Paul Kern12 said:I find myself somewhat shaken by this—assuming the report is accurate... essentially, there is an article in The Wall Street Journal suggesting that Angela Merkel was negotiating behind the backs of her fellow European Union leaders, going against what the EU heads had previously agreed upon. According to the piece, she was actually the one who originated the very conditions that were later presented by the Turks—all seemingly in an attempt to secure some kind of resolution, perhaps just to bolster her own flagging reputation back in Germany.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/f6c982ec-e54...#axzz42O7732AR

The article in Canadian: http://www.napi.hu/nemzetkozi_gazdas...it.611402.html

Even ABC touched on this nonsense during one of their recent segments today.
I suppose she was desperate to manufacture some kind of "success" before the elections. The issue is that even the UN condemned the whole refugee exchange thing as a massive violation of asylum rights. It’s a completely misguided policy, if you ask me.

Today they showed more footage of refugees arriving in boats from Turkey to Greece. It caught my eye—it looked like there were far too many men on those boats again. Maybe we're seeing reinforcements sent specifically to push through the borders🙂.

Dana Parker65 said:I don't see the logic here. All I see is us becoming nothing more than puppets for Turkey again. Orban threw a veto, but it clearly didn't matter. Our politicians aren't capable of doing anything useful anyway.

You probably mean slaves to the European Union🙂. I don't see what Turkey has to do with any of this; they’re just looking out for their own interests, as they should.
The biggest news yesterday was that France and François Hollande awarded some top-tier French legionnaire order to a Saudi prince, Mohammed bin Nayef, basically for his "merits" in fighting terrorism and extremism.
https://deutsch.rt.com/europa/37161-...m-kampf-gegen/
And in exchange? He signed off on a massive arms deal to buy weapons from France.
🤦

Brenda Johnson65 said:It is truly staggering to witness how the European Union manages to project such an image of utter incompetence and fragility. Rather than taking a firm, principled stand against an emerging autocracy like Turkey—a nation that systematically tramples upon every single value the European Union claims to uphold—the bloc chooses instead to submit itself to blatant extortion. Ultimately, they have agreed to several points that can only be described as profoundly absurd:

- For every single migrant the European Union repatriates to Turkey, that nation reserves the right to send one individual of its choosing back into the European Union, all at the expense of the European Union. It is absolute madness; if this is the case, what was even the point of returning the migrants in the first place? It essentially allows them to continue their pattern of unchecked border crossings, just as they did last autumn.

- Turkey stands to receive additional billions simply because they demanded it, despite the fact that they have consistently failed to honor any prior agreements or obligations.

- Turkey is granted visa-free travel. One has to wonder what is to stop them from issuing Turkish passports to every migrant in existence—much like the fraudulent Syrian documents they have distributed previously—allowing them to flood into the European Union through perfectly legal channels.

- Turkey receives expedited accession negotiations, even though they ought to be facing severe sanctions for state-sponsored human trafficking, the deliberate destabilization of the European Union, the suppression of political opposition, and the systematic crushing of media freedoms. By doing this, the European Union is effectively biting its own hand. This becomes even more nauseating and hypocritical when one recalls the bizarrely stringent conditions we were forced to satisfy during our own accession process.

In short, this agreement yields nothing of substance for the European Union, nor will it resolve any actual issues, given that Turkey is being rewarded for its history of misconduct. If the funds being gifted to Turkey were instead directed toward fortifying the European Union's external borders and demonstrating a genuine commitment to preventing illegal migration, the results would be far superior. Furthermore, it would strip Turkey of any leverage to attempt such blackmail in the future.

The issue isn't even whether someone is blackmailing them—it's more about *who* is doing the blackmailing. I mean, you have to consider the democratic opposition in Turkey; for them, this whole situation feels like a total slap in the face from the European Union.
As far as the average citizen is concerned, the best possible outcome would probably be for the European Union to just dissolve entirely—the sooner the damage is contained, the better. In my view, the European Union is nothing more than a servant to the forces of globalized markets, which, frankly, always ends up leaving actual nations in a much worse position than they started.

Donna Harris11 said:It’s like... you know how they say what goes around comes around? I guess that’s kind of the idea here. What Grandma Tilo used to dream about is finally starting to look like reality, or maybe I'm just seeing things. It's all coming full circle, I suppose.

I mean, I guess if you look at the map, I can't think of a single country in the European Union that actually wants Turkey to join. It just doesn't seem to be on anyone's radar, honestly.

I guess if you really look at the map, most of Turkey is actually sitting right there in Asia. Like, 97% of the landmass is Asian territory, I think. It’s funny how people always frame it differently, but geographically speaking, it's mostly just an Asian country. Maybe I'm overthinking it, but that's just how the numbers shake out.

I mean, look at Spain. They’ve got Ceuta and Melilla sitting right there in Africa, and yet, nobody actually considers Spain an African nation. It's just... how does that work? I guess it's just one of those things that doesn't quite add up if you think about it too long. Maybe it's just geography being weird. Or maybe people just don't really care to categorize it properly. I don't know. It's just strange, I suppose.

So, essentially, we aren't going to see any real agreement—at least nothing that Turkey would actually bother to follow. It looks like more taxpayer money being flushed down the drain on total nonsense.🙂

Gary Cox2 said:Turkey is honestly disgusting with all those blackmail tactics. Just gross🤮

Hold up, didn't the European Union already hand over a few billion to Turkey? They didn't even hold up their end of the bargain...

I'm dying to see how the European Union plays this... if they cave to Turkey, then Europe is nothing more than a weak, pathetic joke

As for the money, I don't know—there was just all this talk about whether it was supposed to be 3 billion or 6 billion. From what I gather, Turkey likely raked in about 2 billion last year just from shuttling refugees toward the Greek border. On average, you make way more off a refugee than you do from some German tourist visiting Turkey.
Back in the day, you could head to Turkey during the off-season for maybe 200 or 300 bucks, and that included your flight and hotel. So, yeah—the profit margins on a rubber dinghy that holds 30 to 50 people are much higher. Plus, there's zero insurance compared to an airplane, and the "season" lasts all twelve months.🙂.

The European Union is like a house where the foundation is already rotting away—only a fool would try to build extra floors on top of it.😁 Any further investment into the European Union is just throwing money down a drain.🙂