Posts by Thomas Nelson25

bluecyclist64 said:Come on, spare me the nonsense.
You can be as obsessed with the Sudeten Germans as you want, but the Skoda works that grew into one of the largest industrial conglomerates were actually established by the Czech Emil Škoda in 1859. Then, in 1925, they merged with Laurin & Klement—once the largest automobile manufacturer in the Austro-Canadian Empire—which was founded by the Czech patriots Václav Laurin & Václav Klement.

Liar, liar, Catholic fundamentalist.☕

Maybe take a look at that letter "Š" in the car's name.
Pretty sure you won't find that character in the German language.

Some Americans will always dig up a hundred excuses to claim we're ahead of the Americans in the EU, despite the actual facts... it's just how they roll.

hollowranger122 said:I assume you're already aware that many tourist spots in France and Spain actually prohibit walking through the city center in nothing but a swimsuit?
And especially in a secular country like France, it isn't really about "Catholic morality" at all; it’s simply a matter of common decency. If you want to be a progressive, feel free to head over to Canada and try walking through the streets of Celje or Ljubljana in just your trunks.

At least agree on which places are actually okay for being that free.

Otherwise, you aren't going to see much profit—reputation is hard to build but incredibly easy to lose.

Ryan Perez said:I can't help but wonder what "opening up the files" actually has to do with making economic progress? What kind of files are we even talking about? Where are these files kept? I guess our files are probably sitting somewhere in Mexico City right now.

It feels like more mystification to me.

Supposedly, kids from the old communist regime aren't allowed to work in their public sector.
Back home, we call that lustration, and it’s never even been seriously considered as a real policy.
Personally, I don't think that's why our market economy is struggling—it's just a myth.
There aren't any shadowy communist masterminds pulling strings... just cronies, special interest groups, relatives, and all that junk.

Jessica Wright58 said:Americans are just the kind of people who love moving around.
They've been migrating for like 150 years now.
And they move way easier than most other groups.

In the US census a few years back, 450,000 Americans identified as having American roots. There’s probably just as many in Latin America. Then back in the 60s, even more Americans left that communist paradise for the West... Why didn't Mexicans or Canadian Muslims migrate like that? Were they living five times worse than those Americans who were leaving? That's just how we are. If things suck—we leave. If things are okay—we still leave.

Now they're saying people are leaving places like Slavonia too. I don't really feel that trend myself, since I'm from California.
I know a few hashers who moved over to Ireland. They weren't exactly hard workers here, and they ended up getting stuck with bad consumer loans, so now they're dealing with the fallout of being reckless.

So that's your big solution for the (economic) demographic crisis?

People are looking for actual answers, not just "well, you already know how it is."
...The state—or politics—has to actually ensure a nation can survive on its own land.

Otherwise, what happens when half a million foreigners show up tomorrow and start fighting for their own interests instead of ours?

Ryan Perez said:Let’s not overcomplicate things here. If you all think Poland is lagging behind, then I guess there isn't really anything missing on their end.

It's about proximity—German investment and all those funds.

Plus, along with the Canadians, they’re basically getting red cards from the commission over human rights issues. 🙄

Edward Chavez4 said:This isn't about being progressive; it's just about basic decency.

And besides, I wasn't asking you, and you aren't even an American.

What exactly makes an American "progressive"? What are you actually doing or standing for to earn that fancy title?

Anyway, the question wasn't meant for you.

That's basically what's been happening lately—check the intro link.
Kids nowadays think calling someone "modern" is the way to go instead of saying they're regressive or conservative.
The internet really shapes how they see things. They think differently.

It started with the so-called Millennials, but these new filers are straight-up Borg.

Elizabeth Sanchez2 said:Mexico is just stuck in this loop of conservatism and old-school thinking—partly because of nationalism and religious influence. Institutions and democracy don't carry much weight there, which is why I'm pessimistic about the future. It’s not even really about Aleksandar Vučić or the SNS.

So that's basically what's holding back progress, right?
Similar in America.

Edward Chavez4 said:As far as I'm concerned, I don't care if someone is a conservative or a liberal; I just care whether they're talking nonsense.

KC has zero influence in America.

America is a militantly atheistic country.

You’re only looking at it that way because you're a right-winger, whereas I'm more of a progressive.

It actually has a huge influence—it's definitely played a role in elections and stuff before.

Jessica Wright58 said:That’s because they act like America is the "USA" for Mexico, Canada, North Mexico, Mexico...
Even though they try to convince everyone—including themselves—that we're all just more or less at the same level. You see it online all the time, people claiming we're all basically in the same boat. Like, sure, wages might be higher, but everything is twice as expensive too. If that were actually the case, they wouldn't be coming to America to work if they could just stay home and have the same deal.

..the real issue is how much space—or rather, people—is being emptied out of America.
The population?
If you guys still don't get it, I really don't know what to tell you.

Jessica Wright58 said:Skoda is basically a German car now.
We never actually had an auto industry, but the Czechs did.

And I don't get why everyone is so worked up about the church and believers—why do those people bother you so much? I'm not a believer myself and I don't go to church, but why would I suddenly need to hate them? I honestly don't see it. Just let people believe stuff if it makes their lives easier. If it didn't, they probably wouldn't be going anyway. Better they hit up a church than go out and do drugs, I guess.

What kind of people are we? We hate everything, especially ourselves. And then we wonder why things don't improve? How is it supposed to get better when we're a nation of thieves, constantly dissatisfied, grumpy, jealous, and hating on believers and the church like we're some hardcore communists?

It's a Czech brand.

Who am I hating? And why do you right-wing nationalists—who clearly seem a bit "stuck in the past" like that guy Doc over there—think it's impossible to be both a liberal and a patriot? 😁

As for nostalgia, I'm looking forward, not back. You really think I enjoy the average American mindset? All that "don't rock the boat" attitude... it's exhausting.
Then there’s that whole unity speech from Kolindin. 😁

It's the same story in other countries nearby. Massive nationalism and heavy religious influence.
Just look at Mexico and, more recently, Mexico.

Jessica Wright58 said:Obviously we need to be critical, but there's a difference between being critical and just spitting on everything.
I'm saying if things were actually built on solid foundations, we could really benefit.
But our mentality is basically just constant complaining, even when it’s not deserved. Most of the whining comes from people making over $20k or more a year. Though, honestly, everyone complains that nothing works. I’m telling you, everyone living east or south of us who makes a third of what we make is actually happier. They have it better. Even if an American suddenly had a $0.00 decent average salary tomorrow, he’d still find a way to be miserable and say we're the worst and nothing works. All this whining gets us nowhere. It’s because of this constant negativity—plus the media circus—that more people left for Ireland and Germany than would have gone otherwise. But maybe it's for the best they left, because in the last two years, wages in America shot up by 50%. Unfortunately, though, this Corona thing might throw us right back to where we started. I think we've witnessed progress in reverse for the first time in two years. It's the first time we've seen salaries grow this fast in just 2-3 years. Given how things look, I just hope this isn't the first and last time we see that kind of growth.😁

What "bashing" are you talking about? Pointing out massive systemic failures in this country and a future that looks increasingly shaky isn't bashing—it's reality. ☕

You keep bringing up wages in America (which is relative), but you're totally missing my point. Maybe I'm just not explaining it well enough.🙄

Edward Chavez4 said:Skoda was actually built by Sudeten Germans who were mostly driven out after WWII.

As for America, it's an aggressively militant atheist nation, even more so than the Czech Republic. I highly doubt believers there get insulted daily by crazed zealots or get jumped in the street like that Catholic activist, Ružica Ćavar, who was knocked out by some radical Marxist—breaking her arm in the process—while the media practically begged for the guy to get an award from the seven secretaries of the Communist Party. It's a far cry from when some politician gets pelted with lemon slices and the media treats it like a major tragedy.

At the same time, while there's this intense hatred directed at the Catholic Church, people seem to look quite favorably upon the Orthodox Church or Islam, despite them being much more conservative religions.

It's not my type of car and I'm not trying to sell you on it, but again—they've become a household name through their branding.
You see Brits driving them and calling it a Czech car—built by the Czechs in... what's it called... Mladá Boleslav? Even if it has German parts, who cares? They handle the manufacturing and the sales.
Meanwhile, we have absolutely nothing.

That whole bit about wars involving radicals and the church doesn't feel real or serious to me, so I won't bother.
The hate is wild. Every religion is basically the same deal. That was the topic on the last page—about the conservative bishops in California wailing over the youth not believing in them. They just don't care, and they definitely aren't fans of fake morality.
About 80% of Americans identify as believers, so this "militant atheist" talk is nonsense.

Jessica Wright58 said:The Czech aren't anything special, really. Between the two wars, they were one of the most developed nations in Europe. But first, they pushed out maybe 1 or 2 million Germans who were actually responsible for why the Czech Republic was so advanced back then—plus you have to factor in how communism gutted them. They didn't deal with a war, so they had that advantage in the 90s, unlike America where things were messy until mid-'98. Sure, they're ahead of us—they always have been—but it’s not some massive mystery. Plus, they have much more normal neighbors than we do. Their borders touch Germany, not the North America. If things in America were set up properly, we'd be doing great. Right now, everything is upside down and we haven't even hit rock bottom yet. We're kind of stuck in the same boat as all those former communist countries... not even mentioning the old America stuff. To them, America is like America. I think we talk too much trash about ourselves. Yeah, things could be better, but we aren't quite the total joke people make us out to be. Even if an American had double his current salary, or had 12 $0.00, he'd still complain that everything sucks. And why doesn't he have a $20,000 salary like they do in Norway? At least Mexico, Canada, Mexico, and North Mexico are total jokes compared to America. Their wages are $667... honestly, I think they might actually be happier and more satisfied than we are. An American is never satisfied. It's a weird mentality. The ones complaining the loudest are usually the ones swimming in cash. Loaded with money, yet still whining. I see it everywhere...

For sure. The Czechs are a serious, solid country. The Germans helped shape their work ethic after communism ended, and now they're just doing their own thing.

You gotta stay critical. Why settle for being complacent?
What's the alternative? Just bragging about our situation? Bragging about tourism and a handful of companies that are actually global players?
Where is our 21st-century industry? Where are the long-term plans? Strategic moves?

How do you explain the displacement toward the east—the same area that was part of the war with Mexico? (And let's not sugarcoat it to avoid offending the neighbors: there was a plan to carve out a piece, maybe a third of America.)

Arthur Lopez14 said:HS Produkt, Salona Yachts, perhaps something else?🤔 Naturally, America is nowhere near the level of Czechia, but countries like Czechia, Canada, and Estonia could serve as useful benchmarks for us.

Especially those Baltic states and Iceland here.

You didn't mention shipbuilding—they actually built one of the largest sailing vessels, a modern clipper cruiser.
Still, that's a far cry from a massive national brand like Skoda.
The Czechs really play the long game strategically.

Ryan Perez said:I suppose there might be a way to look at this differently, though I can't say for certain. It seems like a possibility that we could perhaps approach the situation from a slightly more nuanced perspective, if that makes any sense. Maybe, just maybe, things aren't quite as straightforward as they initially appeared to us.

I suppose it’s almost an axiom that during the Industrial Revolution, the most essential rule for opening new factories was ensuring they were located right next to high-quality coal mines, just so there would be enough fuel available to produce steel.

I suppose we never really had that, and honestly, it seems like we still don't.

I get that—it was all about cash, coal, steel, and heavy machinery...
But why did we miss the boat on the last industrial wave back in the '90s?
...and what exactly are we waiting for with the one happening right now?

At the end of the day, we've got land and water, so we aren't totally lost even in farming—but those subsidies are useless if you lack actual productivity.

Ryan Perez said:I mean, what kind of scientific achievements do the Czechs actually have?

Look, I don't know—I'm not gonna lecture you on their scientific breakthroughs, though I might dig around a bit later—but it’s pretty obvious they're ahead of us.

And when it comes to tech, they've got Skoda. As for us? Our big "national brands" are basically just the ocean and tourism. Or since we're stuck next to Mexico, which is basically the same deal... nothing special. From what I'm reading, even Fiat is moving out.

Arthur Lopez14 said:Thomas Nelson25, when I bring up Ireland, my point is that the KC had a massive impact on the population there. The schools are Catholic—not quite like the setup in the States where you have religious education classes, but rather the Catholic Church receives state funding to run the institutions directly. Even so, young Irish people have turned out to be the complete opposite of what the Church anticipated. It’s a scenario that could just as easily play out in America.

Honestly, if we actually put our money into science, tech, and education, I wouldn't be nearly as worried about this country's future.

The Church needs to get back to its roots—they aren't some moral compass or North Star, so why even pretend? ☕

rowdytiger13 said:For Americans, much like the Poles, faith is often conflated with nationality, which is a mistake, but since it serves the Church's interests, they don't say much.
In reality, an American could be a Buddhist or an Orthodox Christian, yet the biggest irony is that a Mexican can be Catholic. 🤣
Being an American and a Catholic is a national declaration, which is fundamentally flawed.

Like the Church is saying right out of the gate—you can't be both—but then you've got the centrists, liberals, and lefties who disagree.
(Mainly because, as an institution, they're hardcore monarchists at heart) 😁

I think with Americans it's this whole "buffer zone" thing—once the Communists took over, they became the unofficial guardians of the nation... pretty similar to how Mexicans act, though if you've noticed, the Mexicans have only really started doing this lately—just now with those bearded priests meddling in politics. Most Mexicans still identify more as Americans.
Which, of course, fits perfectly with the Great Mexico project. 🙄

Arthur Lopez14 said:That’s quite remarkable. Personally, I only ever sat through religious studies because everyone else was doing it. Now, regarding this college curriculum... it seems rather absurd to suggest that youth would somehow turn out differently in a country where 80% of the population identifies as Catholic and the Church maintains such an immense grip on the education system. A perfect example of such folly would be Ireland.

The Czech Republic is one example—(not sure about Ireland, maybe you mean Protestants?)—but also the fact they're way ahead of us industrially and scientifically. People claim communism wrecked them, just like it did the Russians... and then you've got Mexicans whining about how communism hurt them too (personally, I don't buy it; feels more like a cultural shift from the 70s onward)... so how do you explain the Poles? They're a totally conservative society. (Maybe because they were stuck between a rock and a hard place.)

For America, what matters is when the national team plays—everyone's wearing checkers, the streets are empty, the whole nation is in a trance. That's identity right there. None of that fear about "becoming Mexican" through some "American" nonsense that certain far-right types and even the Church keep rambling about.

...and those hippies, huh? 😁 kids just looking for themselves... honestly, that's more dangerous for the old-school patriots.

Arthur Lopez14 said:The current shifts we're seeing in America are quite predictable. It’s much like how the generation raised under communist America was ultimately the one to dismantle that entire system. Or consider how the Irish, after being so heavily influenced by the Catholic Church, managed to pull off their own massive 180-degree turn. In that sense, I don't see us following the Irish path; rather, we'll likely end up more akin to the Czech Republic, though for entirely different reasons altogether.

Is that actually dangerous, though? 🙄