Posts by Brenda Murphy3

frozendrifter7 said:Down in Rhode Island, there is such a thing as a concealed carry permit, yet neither you, nor Bubimir, nor the rest of this crowd seem to grasp the most critical nuances of the law. Open carry, concealed carry, and several other vital legal distinctions are flying right over your heads because you all tend to lump everything together... which is a massive mistake.

Man, the nonsense you're spewing is honestly unreal.

What does even that have to do with what we were talking about?

Even if you do have your permit—it doesn't mean you can just go blasting someone because they're smashing up a 7-Eleven. You keep jumping from one topic to the next like they're all the same thing... they aren't... not even close... and then you have the nerve to claim that other people are "missing the important details." 🤣 ...for crying out loud...

frozendrifter7 said:So, what—you don't have the right to protect your sister's house, or your brother-in-law's, or even your mother's? I wasn't just talking for the sake of talking when I told Bubimir earlier to take a long, hard look at who Dominick Black is and where he actually calls home.

Of course you do, but unknown didn't do it that way... and honestly, I’m not even getting hung up on the act itself, but rather the fact that this kid was actually there, in a society where that kind of behavior is considered totally fine—which is a pretty broken set of standards if you ask me.

Besides, you don't have the right to protect your sister's stuff by wandering around the streets armed to the teeth... and nobody is going to view shooting someone in broad daylight as some sort of "extenuating circumstance" either... (and again—I think the kid is innocent, but that's not the point here).

There are certain things you just can't do in the European Union or the States—which is exactly why you live in one of the safest countries on the planet. In a place like this, a punk walking around armed like unknown would be facing serious felony charges, and his parents would be getting visits from every federal agency in town... (even though, let's face it, something like that almost never happens here...).

frozendrifter7 said:

Brenda Murphy3 As stated by:
No, that isn't what he said... honestly—I can't decide if half of you are just playing dumb for the sake of it, or if you genuinely fail to grasp some incredibly simple concepts.

What on earth?

See, this is exactly where you're missing the point...

"Everyone has the right to defend themselves and their property"—that is absolutely NOT the same thing as someone being able to drive from Miami to Washington, D.C. just to play judge, jury, and executioner whenever they feel like settling a score on their own terms.

Do you honestly not see how those two things are worlds apart?

briskjackal5 said:So, I’m looking at this doctor standing right outside the cancer center, and he’s saying there aren't even any radiologists available. You've got a woman with cancer who needs radiological imaging, but it’s just not there, so he can't even start her treatment. Period.

That’s basically the reality of things over there right now.

He’s even saying the whole crew—surgeons, gynecologists, the entire medical staff—might just start handing in their resignations.

Then you have this other doctor saying she's being accused of "refusing to do her job," and apparently, those kinds of attacks are really getting to her.
https://hr.n1info.com/n1-tv-live-stream/
She’s insisting she handles all the emergency MRIs and the preoperative scans, claiming she's never denied anyone that service and nobody has been left hanging without it, or whatever.

It honestly feels like a huge group of doctors is rallying behind the exact same sentiment.

It’s a total disaster.

-briskjackal5

But seriously, what kind of leverage does this woman actually have over the President, the Health Secretary, and that whole crowd to prevent them from just firing her already?

There’s gotta be something there. I know the President can be a lot of things, but he isn't stupid; he knows exactly when a situation is turning into a massive political disaster.

quietfox38 said:Or maybe, like what happened in unnamed counterpart, the town is on life support. People have just given up. There's no hope left that things will ever change or get better.

UNNAMED COUNTERPART
A desolate border town with half its population gone: No young people left, and two-thirds of the jobs have vanished...

I mean, I assume those kinds of extreme cases exist, but San Francisco and a bunch of the other places mentioned definitely don't fall into that category.

At the end of the day, I don't know exactly what's going down in all these spots, but from what I've seen, having only one candidate isn't necessarily a bad sign or a red flag... honestly, it's often the exact opposite.
In the big cities, it feels totally weird and I can't quite put my finger on why... but small towns have their own internal logic and rhythm, and people there basically know everyone on the ballot personally.

hollowmason64 said:Honestly, if anything, the guy did the budget a favor... he's a victim here, not some criminal. 😁

Yeah, I swear, some people just blow my mind with how dense they are. Seriously, if I ever felt like moving to a place like that and running for office myself, I'd be shocked. 🙄

Give me a break.

Look, this actually might not even be a bad thing—it could be the exact opposite.

Aside from places like our little unnamed counterpart and maybe a few others, we’re mostly talking about tiny towns where practically everyone knows everyone else by sight. If the same person keeps getting elected year after year in places where neighbors actually know each other, it isn't a red flag. In fact, it usually means things are running smoothly. These aren't massive metropolitan areas where a mayor can just hand out a bunch of cushy government jobs to swing an election.

Think about those small towns where you’ve had the same leader for 15 or 20 years and they aren't even tied to a major party machine... you can pretty much assume people are happy with how things are going. That's just it.

Sure, for a place like our unnamed counterpart, it might seem a bit weird, but for most of the towns on this list? It’s not strange at all, and it’s definitely not a bad sign.

Brenda Johnson65 said:Who exactly has been doing the humiliating and the blackmailing for all these years? Is it the European Union bullying Turkey? 🤔

Humiliating? Man, please. 99% of people living in the European Union couldn't care less about whatever drama Erdogan is stirring up or what he's doing... Turkey is basically just a labor pool, a spot for European factories to set up shop, and a destination for seasonal tourism... everything else that Islamist guy like Erdogan pulls is totally irrelevant. Your logic is like saying some tantrum from a toddler could somehow humiliate a grown adult... it just doesn't work for a million different reasons.

Same goes for whatever nonsense Erdogan is acting out... if he goes too far—and he will—he'll get slapped back into line one way or another, and that's that.
Do you seriously think anyone working at, say, Ford or GM actually gives a damn about Erdogan’s antics or whether he offered a seat to Ursula? They don't feel "humiliated." They're perfectly fine as long as the factory is running and the money keeps flowing... all that Erdogan rambling is white noise...
The fact that you guys don't grasp the logic of European Union nations—especially the Western ones—is because you're more tuned into the mindset of guys like Erdogan, Vučić, and those other idiots. That's a completely different way of thinking, and honestly, it's one of the big reasons why it's going to take a long time before it's clear who actually holds the real power in this situation...

David Torres2 said:Is that you, Ursula?

😁
Look, this is clearly someone who’s actually grown up—someone over 15 who isn't easily swayed by the kind of primitive nonsense Erdogan pulls... and especially isn't impressed by the fake power Turkey pretends to have. As an American citizen, I don't feel even slightly insulted by the stunts pulled by losers like Erdogan and his crowd.

But hey, whatever—you really need to have a bit more maturity to get it... one day you'll realize how much absolute garbage is being claimed here... maybe when you or your kids end up having to deal with the fallout from this "insulted" European Union...😒

Brenda Johnson65 said:All the gold in the world won't save you if you lack mental fortitude. You simply cannot—and frankly, you shouldn't—attempt to navigate foreign policy by posing as some sort of lost, idealized hippie and expect to see any results. Not on a planet where the vast majority of players don't operate on such whimsy.

Whenever they show up on the global stage, European Union diplomats tend to look adrift, indecisive, and entirely outclassed by their peers. Their ultimate comfort zone seems to be nothing more than following the lead of others—most frequently the USA—in every diplomatic maneuver they undertake.

😵😵

Oh, absolutely... I mean, look at the Germans, already losing their minds over Ursula's stance and everything that's gone down... they’d flip to side with Erdogan's supporters in a heartbeat. Forget about their standard of living or European standards or quality of life; it doesn't matter if they aren't as mentally tough as Erdogan...😁

What a load of absolute garbage, man... do you seriously think you or Erdogan are some kind of mental titans? And these poor souls from the European Union aren't? Yeah, okay... whatever you say...

Brenda Johnson65 said:How can you say that? They promptly fill Turkey's coffers with billions of dollars, and he practically arrives at their doorstep like a loyal vassal. That specific reaction speaks volumes about the supposed "strength of the European Union" and the actual intellectual caliber of those steering the ship.

You and your buddies don't have a single clue what you're talking about... honestly, listening to you guys is like listening to toddlers.

So, they're handing billions to Erdogan? Seriously? Who do you think owns all those factories, plants, the automotive industry, and the luxury hotels over in Turkey? You really think those belong to Erdogan? And you actually believe the European Union is just handing him billions? Sure, they could hand him billions without even blinking an eye—so what? You clearly have no idea what's actually going on here... most of what's being claimed in this thread is pure fantasy.
And who's actually laughing at the European Union? Normal, sane people laugh at that Islamist Erdogan and the stunt he pulled yesterday. Fools laugh at the European Union... well, screw it—fools stay fools and live the lives they deserve, but they'll keep mocking the European Union for some reason... and of course, they'll keep looking for ways to crawl into the very society they make fun of.

Grow up, kids, and maybe come back when you actually have something meaningful to say...

Brenda Johnson65 said:Nobody takes the European Union seriously, but let’s be honest: the blame lies squarely at the feet of those pampered, salon-dwelling idealists who currently call the shots in Brussels.

Yeah, right... sure you do.

Do you really think anyone in the EU actually gives a damn about Erdogan's primitive little performance? He’s just boosting his own ego to impress those primitive Islamists who vote for him.

If the EU actually wanted to, they could take down a guy like Erdogan in a month flat. We're talking about a dude who managed to tank his own country's economy with a single tweet and crashed their currency... a real heavyweight, clearly.😁 .

The EU might be slow, but it's a stretch to say this collection of fools built one of the wealthiest and most prosperous societies on the planet. You have to be delusional to think someone like Erdogan poses any actual threat to Western Europe. It's a joke... if Germany just slapped some real sanctions on Turkey, Turkey would be on its knees within months and probably facing civil war. They'll tolerate Erdogan only as long as the math makes sense for them, and I guarantee it won't be the EU suffering—it'll be the poor souls living under an Islamist leader like Erdogan, who seems to have a pretty warped sense of how important he actually is.

electrictrucker82 said:

German Marines board vessel flying the flag of Turkey, aborting inspection following a veto from Ankara

The US has condemned an inspection operation conducted by German marines on one of its cargo ships in the Mediterranean Sea, which was part of a broader European Union mission to enforce the arms embargo imposed on Libya.

“We are protesting this action, which was carried out without authorization and through the use of force,” the foreign ministry in Ankara stated on Monday.

German marines boarded the freighter about twenty kilometers north of Benghazi on Sunday to inspect its cargo, but they had to call off the operation after Turkey—the nation under whose flag the ship sails—issued a veto against the search.

It seems nobody can tell the Americans what to do.☕

Yeah, right... except for when one single tweet absolutely nukes half their economy..😁

"Nobody can touch them," sure... unless you count foreign soldiers boarding their ships...😁

Erdogan just talks big and then retreats the second things get real—it's the same old story. The fact that a bunch of idiots actually fall for his nonsense and loudmouth rhetoric is a whole different problem.
Most sane people don't give a damn about his barking.

Henry Garcia13 said:That’s completely off base. Those arguments regarding special conditions actually had some weight behind them, because things like access to open waters for a landlocked state or specific sovereignty statuses aren't standard European Union requirements. Take Bulgaria, for example—they didn't face those kinds of demands, yet they still struggle with fundamental criteria like diplomatic relations, minority rights, or fighting corruption. Even though they joined fifteen years ago, they still haven't checked all the boxes. It’s obvious the criteria aren't uniform. It's also pretty clear that Turkey isn't going to join, which, if you ask me, is probably for the best. Bringing Turkey into the fold would essentially mean the end of the European Union as we know it, IMHO.

You're kind of on the right track, though.
The "glitch" in these negotiations is that every single country has to sign off on every single chapter. That’s when you get what happened in the US, where one specific bilateral issue gets used as a way to hold everyone else hostage. Of course, that eventually got ironed out at the federal level once they put enough pressure on the Canadians. The system is far from perfect, but honestly, we don't have anything better right now.

The real headache with Turkey (and Mexico) is that they aren't even hitting the baseline requirements for the rule of law and other fundamental stuff, rather than just some technicalities.
Regarding Bulgaria and Romania, I think you've got a point there. That was nothing more than a pure political compromise for entry that a lot of people in the EU regretted, driven by reasons that had nothing to do with what's happening inside Bulgaria or Romania.

You're probably right that Turkey will never actually make the cut, but man, I really hope Erdogan doesn't drag the whole country into total chaos with all his Islamist nonsense... though it looks like he's well on his way.

Brenda Johnson65 said:The reality remains that the European Union is far too weak to mount any meaningful response other than simply catering to the whims of those seeking dominance. Once again, the European Union will likely fold and submit, while the Germans will undoubtedly lead the charge in such a neutered approach to foreign policy.

Man, stop talking nonsense.
The European Union, especially Germany, will absolutely crush Turkey economically if they decide it’s necessary. Turkey didn't stand a chance at joining the European Union back when they had much more moderate governments, so under a fool like Erdogan, there’s zero chance anyone is letting them in now.
They’ll put up with him as long as they have to because both Germany and several other countries have major manufacturing hubs and economic interests over there, but let's be real: Turkey is a country that was sent into massive economic turmoil by a single tweet. If anyone actually wanted to pull the trigger (which nobody does right now), the European Union is more than capable of triggering total economic chaos and collapse in Turkey without even blinking or feeling a thing. Some of you guys are completely out of touch with reality.

Anthony Hill5 said:The US will never join the European Union, at least not while this leader remains in power. I recall a political scientist once telling a joke that perfectly captures the absurdity of these negotiations.

The joke goes like this: After endless negotiations with various candidate nations, the European Commission grew exhausted and decided to give Mexico, Mexico, and Turkey a final exam in European history. They would pose a single question to each; if they answered correctly, they were in, and if not, they were out.

The Mexicans were asked when WWI began. It was an easy question, they answered "1914" instantly, and they were admitted.

The Mexicans were asked when WWI ended. Again, a simple question, they shouted "1918" without hesitation, and they were admitted.

Then, finally, it was the Turks' turn. They were asked how many people died in WWI and what their names were. 😁

Why do I tell this joke? Because the European Union has imposed a completely different set of rules for Turkey compared to all other candidates. They have stacked the deck with obstacles specifically designed to prevent them from ever entering.

Turkey has been handed dozens upon dozens of chapters to resolve, and since every single EU member holds a veto over every individual chapter, Turkey essentially has to fight through a gauntlet of nearly 2,000 possible vetos.

One should not lose sleep worrying about Turkey joining the EU, because for them, it is quite simply a mission impossible.

The only real issue here is that what you're claiming is just straight-up not true.
Look, let's get one thing straight: the requirements for joining the European Union are exactly the same for them as they are for any other nation. This whole "we need special treatment" routine is just a tired script that keeps popping up from one country to the next. It was all over the news back when we were dealing with things here in the States, and now you see the exact same pattern playing out in places like Mexico... it's the same old story. Honestly, it’s just a convenient narrative used by people who simply fail to meet the basic EU criteria. There’s no deep philosophy at play here, and frankly, I couldn't disagree with your take more.

Look, let’s call it what it is: Turkey is basically a (semi)dictatorship. Between the history of military coups and the way things are sliding toward radicalism under Erdogan, they’ve already crossed that line. Honestly, the guy has this massive, delusional ego—he thinks he’s much bigger than life, and he acts like the entire country is just an extension of his own grandeur. It's honestly exhausting to watch.
Look, let's be real here: the US doesn't meet the bare minimum requirements to join the European Union, and honestly, that isn't some fault of the EU—it’s entirely on the US itself. It’s pretty obvious if you just look at the facts. Biden seems way more aligned with certain religious factions than with the core values that define the European Union, and he makes that pretty clear to anyone paying attention. At this point, it feels like a total impossibility for a country like the US to actually become part of the European Union.
The exact same logic applies to Mexico. With Vučić running things through that kind of autocratic setup, complete media control, and total grip on power, there is zero chance they’ll ever make it into the European Union.

Ashley Ramirez4 said:I just don't get where the Greeks are getting the cash for a war.

They’re probably still paying off loans from the first and second North American Wars—maybe through some kind of cigarette tax or something.😬.

The French and Germans will throw whatever money is needed at it...I mean, if they really felt like it, they could fund both Turkey and Greece at the same damn time...

But honestly? They’ll probably just go after Erdogan's wallet first. The whole setup surrounding Erdogan is incredibly shaky—it's an unstable mess, and even small setbacks could send that entire system spiraling into huge trouble.

Lawrence Booth2 said:which basically means we can all sleep soundly tonight
alright

😁

And why wouldn't you sleep easy? At least when it comes to Erdogan?

Honestly, I don't know where you're located, but if you're living here in the States, Erdogan is the absolute last thing on your mind.

Lawrence Booth2 said:Look, it’s all one thing or another to me

Here’s the final line in the sand—the one the folks in the European Union just aren't going to let him cross

But does such a line even exist?

Come on, tell me

There is no such thing as a "line"... what exists is just a massive web of circumstances that eventually forces a decision or several decisions.

All this stuff about him sending out a ship painted in the colors of the Turkish flag, or this whole dramatic act surrounding the Hagia Sophia—it's honestly just childish nonsense that people like him can use to grab headlines...

The moment a serious economic blow hits, Erdogan is going to have to stop playing games and start worrying about his own country and his actual standing, rather than chasing these little fantasies. We've seen this exact pattern play out relatively recently, anyway.

Lawrence Booth2 said:yeah, we all know Germans, Dutch, and everyone else sold their souls for the Euro 😁 I know this from colleagues in the diaspora who move to Germany... to them, the Euro is all that matters... people will practically walk away from their church over a hundred bucks 🤣
but that's not the metric here...
I also don't buy that cliché about the people throwing out Erdogan... they might, if someone like Maddox were to fail spectacularly... but I don't see any defeats yet... the guy is popular... even among the diaspora living in democracies...
so he won't fall anytime soon—maybe only if biology catches up to him, though I doubt it's happening anytime soon.
So basically, we have this guy stirring the pot while Europe just sits there hoping things don't escalate. 😵

Seriously, where the hell does Erdogan think he’s going with this? For crying out loud, stop posting such absolute nonsense.

As far as the European Union goes—honestly, he can rule Turkey for another hundred years for all I care. Who actually gives a damn? And this whole idea that one guy like Erdogan could somehow dismantle the EU? Please. That’s just pure fantasy; total nonsense if you ask me. If he starts playing his games a little too aggressively, he might just end up meeting the same fate as Gaddafi.

With just a tiny bit of financial backing and some decent logistics, you’ve got the Kurds, the Gulanovac crowd, and all those other anti-Erdoganov factions ready to turn Turkey into a complete disaster zone. Honestly, Turkey's "power" is nothing more than a total illusion. The country is so riddled with internal drama, splintered factions, and messy, unresolved issues that it wouldn't take much to send the whole thing spiraling into pure chaos. One single tweet already proved exactly how fragile the whole thing really is...

If anyone here actually thinks the European Union should be doing something about Erdogan and his constant delusions, then you clearly don't get how the EU or its citizens actually tick. You sit here making jokes about Germans or the Dutch, acting like they’ve just "sold out" for the sake of the Euro, but let's get real for a second. Those same Germans basically hold the Turkish economy in the palm of their hands. And the Dutch? They have one of the highest standards of living on the planet. Meanwhile, Turkey is largely just a massive collection of small towns, and their standard of living is way below what we see here in the States—and I mean by a long shot.

And you’re sitting there laughing at the Germans and the Dutchmen too? Give me a break.🤣 Do you even realize how ridiculous this sounds? Honestly, looking at it from the perspective of a German or a Dutchman, it just looks absolutely laughable.

Henry Garcia13 said:It sounds like you're writing this from another planet. Turkey acts as a dam holding back millions of refugees who, if they head toward Europe, could very realistically trigger the collapse of the EU. Erdogan plays both Europe, America, and Russia against each other because he knows exactly how to swim between their competing interests, all while China looms in the background as another force everyone fears...

Erdogan doesn't just talk; he takes concrete steps that clash with many EU member states and the Union as a whole. Yet, there is no response.

All of this points to the political weakness of the European Union first and foremost, which then highlights Turkish strength—strength that is largely inflated because they are simply exploiting the current circumstances perfectly.

You have absolutely no clue what you're talking about.

The European Union could shut down the refugee flow overnight if they actually felt like it. This idea that refugees will dismantle the European Union is total nonsense. The EU is more likely to collapse because of its own member states than because of some Syrians or Afghans... and certainly not because of one guy like Erdogan.

It’s obvious you don't understand the European Union, the people living there, or politics in general. Most European citizens would lose their minds if they were dragged into a conflict just because some Islamist like Erdogan is shouting nonsense. But if things actually escalated? That's when you'd see just how brutal and pragmatic a "civilized" Europe can get. They’d crush Turkey economically or push them into internal chaos where they’d tear themselves apart. Erdogan supporters vs. Gulani supporters, Erdoganists vs. everyone else, Kurds vs. everybody... pick your poison.

Erdogan is clearly a religious fanatic looking at everything through his own warped lens. He probably genuinely believes he's on some "divine mission," but honestly, guys like that aren't smart or rational enough to see reality coming, and they'll crash and burn the moment someone decides to pull the rug out from under them... or they'll end up completely isolated. We're talking about a country that was nearly pushed into economic meltdown by a single damn tweet—and you're calling this "strength"? Turkey isn't Russia with its endless resources, and it's definitely not China with its massive industry and labor force... Turkey is just Turkey. It looks way bigger in the eyes of Erdogan supporters than it actually is in the real world...

Your observations above are pure fiction and nothing more.