Posts by electrichawk94

Donna Kim6 said:My take? That’s the only way you could have split the fan base in a city like New York.
Left vs. right...
Especially back in the 90s.
Or the "old guard" versus the newcomers—that whole vibe. Of course, the main club and its core supporters would be incomparably stronger and larger, but eventually, even a smaller group like the Warriors would hold their own.
Because a major hub like New York definitely has the potential for that kind of split.
The same logic applies to a smaller market like Chicago.

Back in the 90s, I always used to say that the late Rođo was totally wrong about how things work in New York.
You should have just moved the team to a small town on the border of Mexico. Pull the logistics and the players from there, and every single weekend, the stadium would be packed to the rafters!

I don't think so, honestly. They’ve actually lost a lot of their core group. I remember back when I was a kid, they had a really solid lineup—mostly local guys from around the neighborhood, but they pulled talent from all over the city too.
I think that’s a bad move for those Antifa types. Honestly, there aren't many people actually looking to get into a scrap over that stuff. And let’s be real—you're basically just painting a bullseye on your own forehead. 😁

I’ve been saying since the 90s that the late Roddy from HD Valley was the one who really knew how the game was played back in Chicago.
Honestly, we should just move the club to a border town like El Paso. If we set up shop right there on the edge, we could pull talent and logistics straight from Mexico. Every single weekend, the major league would be absolutely packed. It’d be non-stop action.

Man, that HD from Imotski is top-tier. Seriously good stuff. 🙏

Donna Kim6 said:Anyone who actually cares about American soccer should want to see the historic clubs—the ones with real soul and die-hard fans—get back into the top flight.
Cibalia, Chicago, Zadar, Šibenik, Karlovac, Marsonia.
It’s a shame Chicago didn't pull it off and become the second major powerhouse in the city. We need a legitimate club with actual ultras, something reminiscent of those old-school legends from back in the day.

They were actually looking pretty promising for growth until they started getting all caught up in that political nonsense. Sure, the internal management played a part too, but honestly, I think that constant meddling with politics is what really cost them their soul in terms of the fan culture.

lonefox22 said:Why on earth would anyone bother developing talent in some small-town setup when they’re basically building a glorified farm system right here at home?

And then our local "heroes" will turn around and tell us, "Oh, come on, just fight harder!"

Seriously, how is anyone supposed to put up a fight against that kind of rigged system?

Plus, the fans of those clubs don't even care—they just laugh and make fun of us.

It’s always the same story: we’re the failures, and they’re the successes. We shouldn't even be playing this game if this is how it works, but fine—let it be known... for crying out loud... let it be known that they have absolutely zero shame.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HNK_Hajduk_Split_II 🥱

It doesn't matter if you call them Dynamo II, or some random minor league outfit from the suburbs...

All that matters is that they aren't playing in the big leagues.

Qatar vs. Ecuador 0:1

You guys are out of your minds. What even is this? 🤣

Gerald Torres84 said:If they had actually exercised any intelligence, they could have integrated into a stronger economic framework with the United Nations—especially now that the Brits have finally pulled out—which would have allowed both them and the UN to maximize profits. It would have forced the Britons and Americans to actually stop and consider the shifting landscape. But no. They insist on deploying tanks just like they did fifty years ago to flatten Ukraine. They aren't subtle enough to exert influence through economic leverage; instead, they revert to the same methods used a century ago: fire and sword.
In short, their incompetence is absolute.

I was thinking the exact same thing. Just imagine if they’d spent thirty years working toward joining the EU (assuming that's even possible, which isn't totally crazy) especially with the UK gone... they’d be an absolute powerhouse.

As it stands, they’re still just the biggest country in the world that manages to trip over its own feet every time it tries to do something right. 🙏

Kimberly Perez82 said:I mean, what is that supposed to even imply? The idea that those Ukrainian resources used to flow straight into Russia, and now he's started a war just to claw them back? It's incredibly difficult to have a serious, meaningful discussion when people approach it this way.

Look, if he doesn't control those Ukrainian resources, then there's competition selling them to the European Union instead. When you've got competition, you lose your leverage to play blackmail games.

And don't forget, you've got 40 million people acting as a resource too.

Kimberly Perez82 said:Honestly, I actually fell for that line of thinking myself at first... it’s just so easy to succumb to the constant media bombardment, isn't it? You see one headline after another and your perspective shifts. But, if you take a step back—I mean, really sit down and piece together the chronological sequence of moves, all the causes and the subsequent effects—the reality of the situation becomes much more sobering than any of this childish posturing or fantasy coming from either side. Don't get me wrong, I don't doubt for a second that Putin would personally love to witness the rise of some new Russian empire, but I am quite convinced he's intelligent enough to realize that's simply impossible. They just don't have the capacity or the resources to pull it off. I recall seeing statements where he makes it very clear that he understands exactly how the cards are dealt; that was before this current wave of media hysteria where everything on both sides is being stripped of its context. And as for whether Russians in general are obsessed with Western success? Well, that's not exactly a difficult conclusion to reach.

Look, he isn't stupid. But you can tell from the way he talks that he views himself as superior to Western politicians, constantly poking at their slipperiness and hypocrisy. He doesn't mind paying off a Belarusian or Ukrainian leader to stay under Russian influence, but when the people want to head West and Western politicians capitalize on that, he’s left with nothing but this war. This whole conflict is about him—his complexes and his ego.

You can really hear that old-school Soviet officer complex bleeding through his speeches whenever he talks about the West. He’s fully aware that once the economic grip of the West takes hold, the whole thing collapses if Ukraine and Belarus go. 😁

The guy beats his wife and then acts all indignant when some slick Western tycoon swoops in and steals her away with a better pitch. 😁

Donna Harris11 said:Doesn't really matter.
You’ve got a traditional Russian adversary over there poking them right in the eye.

By teaming up with the Brits, Ukraine is basically turning itself into a massive long-term headache.

Ever since they left the European Union, the Brits have been leaning back into that old-school aggressive geopolitics, basically sabotaging the European Union whenever they get the chance.

What "sticking it to them"? He lost his grip on Ukraine, which has all these natural resources that could undermine his influence, and that’s really all there is to it.

Donna Harris11 said:I honestly think the breaking point was that whole mess last year when the British destroyer cruised right past Sevastopol.

Messing around comes with a price tag. Look at the facts: Minsk2 was never actually put into motion, Zelenskyy banned certain political parties and opposition news channels... and he even shut down Nord Stream 2.

Russia just decided to wrap things up, and that’s that.

Yeah, airspace violations happen from all sides several times a year, but this time, enough was enough. 😁

Remember when the Turks shot down that plane? 😁

Kimberly Perez82 said:You really are a sweetheart, aren't you? Too lazy to even look it up yourself. 🙂 Just check Wikipedia, copy-paste it, or Google it just to make sure I didn't just pull this out of thin air.

"At the June 2021 Brussels summit, NATO leaders reiterated the decision taken at the 2008 Bucharest summit that Ukraine would become a member of the Alliance with the NATO MAP as an integral part of the process and Ukraine's right to determine its own future and foreign policy course without outside interference."

So, look—ever since NATO Bucharest 2008, when Putin was also around, he’s been incredibly blunt about not allowing Ukraine into NATO because he views it as an act of aggression against Russia. This isn't news; people have known this for fifteen years now. Yet, here we are, seeing the exact same agenda being pushed just like it was back in 2008. It's baffling. Either they are being willfully ignorant, or they simply didn't believe Putin, even though he was crystal clear. Honestly, if you ask them, I don't think even they actually know why they're pushing so hard to get Ukraine into NATO in the first place.

When did Russia actually invade Ukraine? And when did the official integration process even start?

The invasion happened six years after that first date you posted and seven years before the second one. So, walk me through the logic here—how is that supposed to be the "real" reason?

ironseal said:Let’s get one thing straight regarding Ukraine and NATO. You can't just waltz into NATO if you have unresolved territorial disputes or occupied land. If Putin actually gave a damn about Ukraine joining the Alliance, holding onto Crimea would be his biggest sticking point. That would mean Ukraine would basically have to hand over Crimea just to get in. So, maybe Ukraine joining NATO isn't even the core reason for this invasion—it might just be one of those side issues. Honestly, I think most of those Russian trolls already know that, but jbga. They're just here to troll anyway.

Even without a war, Germany could have easily blocked Ukraine from joining NATO and just kept enjoying that cheap Russian gas.

That whole "reason" for the war is stupid for a dozen different reasons, but people keep pushing it anyway. 😁

Russ has really checked all the boxes on the list... NATO, missiles on the border, denazification, oppression of Russian speakers, banning the language, literal human experimentation, evil West, the New World Order... honestly, there's a conspiracy theory for everyone. 😁

On top of that, you've got Putin standing up there publicly claiming Ukrainians don't even exist as a people or a language, and they just double down on those same old excuses. 🤣

Kimberly Perez82 said:I don't believe you're fully up to speed on this, and with all due respect, I really don't have the bandwidth to act as your personal tutor here. My main point—which I feel quite strongly about—is that while we must condemn aggression just as we would any other violation of sovereignty, we also have to understand the chain of cause and effect if we ever hope to prevent this from happening again. This time around, Europe charged into this situation like an unsuspecting maid walking into a trap, and frankly, there doesn't seem to be an end in sight.

Then show me the receipts. You're talking about joining NATO like it's some local senior citizens' chess club. 😁

Typical move—acting like you've got all the facts while the rest of us are just clueless. 😁

Nancy Howard4 said:Someone said they're gonna be the next Switzerland, right? I think I heard that somewhere before.
Compared to their politicians and all those corruption scandals we've seen here, our leaders look pretty harmless, and when I see how fast everyone is trying to rush them into the EU, it mostly just feels like people are looking for any excuse to cash in on those Ukrainian resources.

East Germany, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Canada, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia... What do they all have in common, and where does that leave them today?

Kimberly Perez82 said:Well, if we’re going by that logic, then why on earth shouldn't Cuba be allowed to set up Russian missile bases on their own soil? I mean, if everything is just "internal business," then fine. But let's not walk around here with these double standards—it really doesn't sit right with me. If I recall my history correctly, that whole first missile crisis was sparked specifically because of how the USA was moving its own missile bases closer to the USSR. It's all connected.

What missiles are we even talking about? Tell me, when exactly did NATO expansion actually start?

Let's look at this logically for a second. If Russia takes over part of Ukraine, won't they just end up with those "infamous" missiles right back on their border again? If they pushed all the way to the Polish border, would we be complaining about imaginary missiles on the border then? And wait a minute—isn't Russia already sitting right there on NATO's doorstep? 😁

Kimberly Perez82 said:Well, damn, talk about bad luck. It's just how it goes—it's like how Cubans wanted Soviet communism and things didn't pan out that way either. Honestly, it’s just naive to expect any nuclear superpower to sit idly by while someone else plays games right on their doorstep. Just look at how aggressive China gets whenever anyone touches their backyard. All of this is completely predictable, and we have to respect that reality, whether we're talking about the USA, Russia, or China. Besides, Ukrainian politics hasn't been exactly innocent, not since that coup happened. Of course, you have to feel for the people, but unfortunately, it's always the citizens who end up paying the price.

The plan in Cuba was to station missiles there. I’m asking you again, when did Ukraine actually start joining NATO? Where are these launch pads supposed to be, and when were they ever meant to be in Ukraine?

And why did the people protest in the first place? Was it because of some broken promise?

Kimberly Perez82 said:Look, in those little picture books where everything works out perfectly, sure, anything is possible. But this is the real world. Real life doesn't work like that. It’s just not how it works. It’s like how Russia couldn't just go and set up missile silos in Cuba. To Russia, Ukraine is exactly what Cuba is to America. If someone can't see that, then they’re clearly having a hard time grasping reality. I remember reading about Cold War tensions once, and it really hit home how much geography dictates everything. It’s simple. If someone tells you, "You can go anywhere you want, just not right in front of my door," then you have two choices: you either accept that to maintain peace, or you deliberately provoke a war. So, I ask you... what is even the point of Ukraine joining NATO? Is there actually one single good reason to do it?

Where exactly does NATO have launch pads?

And when did Ukraine even apply to join NATO?

Brojer said:The Ukrainians were just leaning on him to turn up the heat on the West. It’s the same playbook as when 9/11 happened in the US—just a convenient way to justify whatever plans they already had in motion. It’s all the same school of thought. They don't care about their own people; it's strictly about keeping the elites wealthy. The little guy doesn't mean squat, no matter where he lives.

Yeah, sure. Because it's totally more logical to assume the Russians just missed their target and accidentally hit a shopping mall instead.