Posts by briskjackal5

We don't have a backup plan.
So, I guess we really ought to try and make what we currently have even better, assuming there’s actually a need for it and a way to pull it off. 😁

It’s honestly not that easy to get all the loose ends tied up and manage the moderation side of things properly.
And, hey, I definitely wouldn't frame this as "mods versus the users." I really hope the mods won't see it that way either. 😁

-Steve

I'm honestly not quite sure where this fits in, and I see there are already a few posts hitting this same note, but what I want to bring up is pretty specific and hasn't really been mentioned yet, which is kind of a bummer.

Over on the Politics board, we’ve seen plenty of attempts at statistical analysis or people trying to interpret the raw numbers we've been getting for this subject so far.
Of course, a little mistake here and there always manages to sneak in, doesn't it?

The real issue I'm seeing is that any discussion about those interpretations just gets wiped away without much logic behind it.

The specific case that prompted me to write this is actually pretty simple, and my goal is just to point out a classic example of how this works:

We have estimates for the virus mortality rates (basically looking at deaths relative to total infections);
we have those German estimates regarding how many people are infected but undetected (which would totally change the calculated mortality rate);
and then, on the flip side, we have Korea, which is testing incredibly intensely.
Those are our starting points.

So, logically, it follows that the number of undetected cases in Korea is probably tiny. Because of that, I guess applying some sort of standard "undetected rate" would basically just be massaging the numbers, which isn't really helpful if we're trying to describe things accurately or calculate true rates.
Also, mixing and matching bits of info like a cocktail without considering the context... well, that's a path full of traps, I think.

This observation doesn't really fit in with some of the very questionable math being thrown around, so I suppose it might not be the most welcome addition to the thread.

It feels to me like that kind of approach isn't exactly well-balanced, you know?

If we can't actually talk about arguments—or if only bad statistics are allowed—then we aren't going to get very far, and I don't really see the point of the conversation or what's actually left for us to discuss here.😁

I mean, I think it would be way better if people just provided counterarguments if they actually have them.

I know emotions are running pretty high right now; it's clearly not easy for anyone to deal with this or even moderate it.😁 So, I'll just stick to the purely numerical side of things in this post of mine.

-Steve

driftingtinker said:So, I was watching N1 Penava today and this guy just went on a ten-minute rant about his vision for the new Republican Party. He wouldn't even let anyone bring up Plenko, but he managed to pivot back to talking about that old American flag and the star in Cleveland that we’re all stuck paying for, like four different times.

Before him, you had Stier on, and man, you could just tell by his face how badly he’s waiting for this whole circus to finally wrap up.

Blessed genius

One of those guys who just goes in and tears through the pages of history books, I guess.

-briskjackal5

Daniel James said:Look, if you're just a surface-level observer blinded by your own partisan bias, then sure, it looks exactly the way you described it. But when you actually have some depth of knowledge and aren't just picking sides, things look more like what I wrote 😉.

Go ahead, keep it up—the leftists defend their side and attack Republicans, while the Republicans defend theirs and attack Democrats. A very intelligent and productive use of everyone's time... 😁 I'm heading off to find some healthier, more intellectual topics. I only dropped by here because Chloe Martinez7 and those other two were catching my eye in another thread recently. Until next time, cheers to the passionate partisans 🎉.

For sure. 😁

-briskjackal5

Daniel James said:They are all part of the same machine or organism that consumes the resources without ever contributing anything back. Everyone plays a role; just because one person stands out more and takes more heat doesn't absolve the others of their responsibility. None of them deserve a defense, let alone having people who can't even influence the situation fight amongst themselves over them. Those infighting sessions are just the oil that keeps their mechanism running smoothly and the blood that feeds the organism. Take this discussion about the Republican Party, for instance—we listen to Republicans slaughtering each other, or how someone who betrayed Franjo Harmon by siding with Stjepan Mason can still sit at the top of what's supposedly a traditionalist administration. Give me a break...😁. They all cooperated; those who climbed to the top were able to dispense favors, ensuring that everyone lower down—regardless of whether they lean left or right—owes them something. When you factor in the opportunism, the shamelessness, the greed, and the fear, you get your answer as to why it's always the same faces and why nothing ever changes.

Attack them all, regardless of party affiliation, but defending them and bickering amongst yourselves on their behalf... every single argument you have is just another dollar in their pockets, another step toward a new office for them, and a step backward for you in every possible sense.

I mean, if you take that approach, you’re basically condemning politics itself, which I think is kind of a flawed way to look at it.

I guess it’s tempting to just simplify everything with a "they're all the same" vibe, but honestly, that feels wrong to me.
They are never all the same.

If you think back to elementary school, things weren't all identical, right? It definitely mattered who you picked for the basketball team, or who went to the math competition, or who ended up in the drama club versus being the class treasurer.

And I suppose that pattern just carries on through your whole life.

Everyone plays a part, so just because one person stands out more and takes more heat doesn't mean everyone else gets a free pass. Nobody deserves a defense, and people shouldn't be fighting each other over folks they can't even influence anyway.

If someone has a problem with specific things Plenković does—like, saying "I don't like this specific policy"—that isn't really "fighting," is it?

Sure, things can get heated, but they don't have to be.

Those kinds of arguments are just fuel for their well-oiled machine; it's the blood pumping through their system.

Actually, I'd argue that the "everyone is the same" attitude is what really feeds "their system"—you know, the group that's been driving these harmful forces for thirty years now.
And staying passive instead of pushing for change? That also feeds "their system."

If you really think about it, any Kuščević or Sanders would really love it if you suddenly decided all their opponents—who haven't even been charged with anything specific!—are just "the same" as them or part of that "same mechanism" or whatever you want to call it. And especially if you stop supporting change.
Right?

And when you defend that view so passionately... well, it's exactly like you described.
Like you're "fighting" about it without even questioning if it's actually true. 😁

-Stipe

Daniel James said:🤣🤣🤣 You’re just like this "kiss me" crowd. It’s pathetic; you don't realize that none of those people you root for would give you the time of day if you were starving. But unlike them, I'm certain the conservatives on this forum would step up and help you out however they could. It works both ways. I get it when someone defends historical figures—say, Marshall or Harmon—people who did massive things that some see as good and others see as bad. But defending these modern-day, well-connected cronies and picking fights with people on a forum over it...🤦.

Well, they don't exactly need to be "giving them a handful of rice," right?

I mean, it’d be enough if they just stopped greedily grabbing all our rice for themselves while simultaneously stirring up trouble against everyone else.

And maybe—just a thought!—they could stop fighting every single court, commission, and government agency we have, and quit cheering on presidents who are basically out on furlough from prison and stuff like that.

Generally speaking, once people actually wake up to all that, they tend to call out that kind of behavior. That's just how things go, I guess. 😁

-briskjackal5

Why are the courts rushing to settle all these cases Plenković is pushing against the Ethics Committee (and making such a huge, chaotic mess while doing it)?
I mean, how does it even make sense for a judge in the Pokaz case to be pulling rulings from the Helsinki case?!

"All of this matters because a working group is supposed to meet middle of next month to start drafting a new Conflict of Interest Act. Even the Secretary of Administration, Ivan Malenica, was talking about it yesterday. When asked if he thinks the Commission is actually doing its job, he pointed to various Administrative Court rulings and Supreme Court decisions, claiming that in certain instances, the Commission didn't follow the Conflict of Interest Act properly. 'We’ll definitely take all that court practice into account when we write the new law,' Malenica said.

But over at the Commission, people are getting suspicious. They're looking at how the Administrative Court in Washington D.C. is suddenly acting with this unprecedented speed—and how two judges seem to be coordinating across two totally different cases so perfectly that it almost feels... scripted? It feels like a setup to use a new law to strip the Commission of its power to decide if officials have violated the rules by breaking basic principles of their duties. Basically, they want to stop them from checking whether officials acted “honestly, fairly, conscientiously, responsibly, and impartially...” and all that other stuff. If the Commission loses those powers, I guess you could say they'd be just—well, "perfectly" toothless.

😢 😢

Obviously, Malenica is just playing his part here. He's there to make sure the Republican Party doesn't just stumble upon another anti-corruption agency, but actually manages to wipe it out entirely. 😢

-briskjackal5

Man, that whole Sanders fairy tale was debunked ages ago... I mean, we're talking way back in 2014! It’s all been busted for a long time now.


So, I was looking into this whole situation where someone was basically hunting for a city apartment... and man, it just makes you think about how much stuff goes on behind the scenes with local housing, right? I guess it’s just one of those things that hits home when you see people trying to navigate all that red tape just to find a place to live. It's kind of wild, isn't it? Maybe it's just me, but it feels like there's always some drama involved whenever someone's trying to get a foot in the door with municipal housing!

So, I was just thinking about this whole thing with Sanders—you know, how everyone talks about him like he was this big-shot, wealthy elite returning to take over? It’s honestly kind of funny if you think about it. I mean, back then, he wasn't exactly rolling in the dough. He was more like a regular guy, maybe even struggling a bit, trying to make his way. It’s wild how much the story changes once people start talking! I guess we all just see what we want to see, right? Maybe it’s just one of those things where the image we have in our heads doesn't really match the reality of where someone actually started out. Just a thought!
So, I was just catching up on some news, and man, this whole situation regarding Ivo Sanders is just... wow. It’s wild how much stuff keeps coming to light, isn't it? I guess it feels like every time we think we've heard the full story, the FBI turns up another lead or some new document surfaces. It's honestly pretty overwhelming when you really stop to think about the scale of it all! The reports are saying that the investigations into Sanders's old dealings are picking up speed again. It's all very intense, and I mean, there's so much back and forth with the legal teams and the various media companies jumping on every single detail. Maybe it’s just my way of looking at things, but it feels like a giant puzzle where the pieces just won't fit together without a lot more digging. It’s kind of crazy to imagine how much influence one person could have had over everything happening back then. I guess we're all just waiting to see if this actually leads to anything concrete this time around. Fingers crossed, I suppose! It's definitely going to be a long road ahead for everyone involved.

So, I was just reading this crazy report about those court documents coming out regarding the apartment situation involving Sanders, and man, things are getting wild! It’s one of those stories that makes you shake your head because it’s just so messy. Basically, there's all this talk about how certain properties were handled back in the day, and now the FBI is digging through everything to see if there was any foul play involved with how these assets were acquired. It feels like every time we think this whole saga is winding down, some new detail pops up about luxury real estate or shady deals that just makes the whole thing feel even more complicated than it already was. I guess it’s just part of that whole era of politics where everything seemed a bit... well, let's just say "unregulated." Maybe it’ll lead somewhere new, or maybe it's just more of the same legal circling, but it's definitely intense to follow. It really makes you wonder how much of this stuff is still being uncovered after all this time!

So, I was looking into this, and it’s kind of wild! Back when Ivo Sanders moved his family back from Austria to San Francisco in '84, he actually asked the city to give him an apartment. Apparently, they were all cramped up in this tiny, run-around little place—only about 30 square meters, I think? And get this, it didn't even have proper plumbing or a septic system. Can you imagine? Anyway, he made a super similar request to the city again in 1991, too. Well, it turns out both of those requests were handed over by the FBI to the court and used as evidence in that whole Media companies scandal. Just a crazy bit of history, I guess! So, I just heard the news about the court ruling, and wow—things are really moving fast now! The judge basically shut down everything the defense was throwing at them. They wanted this extra deep dive into the accounting and financial records, plus they had a whole list of witnesses they wanted to call to the stand, but the council just said "no thanks" to both. It’s pretty wild, honestly. This means we’re officially heading into the home stretch of the trial. It looks like the FBI and the defense teams will probably start laying out their closing arguments sometime next week. Everything is just coming to a head!

briskjackal5

Wow

So, I guess we’ve finally hit rock bottom, where the Republican Party—which honestly feels like a total breeding ground for corruption—is actually suing an independent watchdog meant to fight corruption, the Office of Government Ethics..

Andrej Plenković filed two lawsuits against the Office of Government Ethics
He's basically suing over decisions made by that agency regarding his trip to Helsinki and some whole godfather situation


Last November, the Commission decided that Plenković and four other current and former ministers in his Administration violated the principles of performing their duties conscientiously. Why? Because they refused to hand over the documents the agency asked for, which would have shown exactly how much of that trip was paid for by the taxpayers versus how much came straight out of the Republican Party's coffers.

THE ADMINISTRATIVE COURT CLEARED THE FILINGS
The Chicago Administrative Court told The Morning News that Plenković did indeed file those two lawsuits. Hearings for both of the Prime Minister's cases were supposed to happen yesterday, February 27th, before two different judges. But, according to the court's written response, "at the request of the parties," they decided the scheduled hearings wouldn't go ahead, and any further rulings from the Administrative Court will just come through in writing.

From the response the newspaper got from the Commission, it sounds like those hearings were set up specifically because Plenković requested them. They confirmed both were slated for February 27th, but the court only gave the Commission three days' notice for one and seven days' for the other—even though the legal requirement is at least 14 days! So, naturally, the Commission asked for a postponement just to get prepared. But then, on February 24th and 25th, Plenković tells the court he's actually dropping the request for hearings and wants everything resolved via written decision instead, according to The Morning News.

The heart of the matter is this—
The Commission says, "Hey, we need these specific documents to do our jobs."
Plenković says, "No, you can't have them."
The Commission says, "That is a standard violation of your official duties."

So, Plenković sues them.

Can this crew actually sink any lower?
It’s almost like stepping back into some backward era where a government just sends thugs around to intimidate people. 😁

I mean, I'm almost expecting more "positive" reports coming out of Europe that'll be really hard to make sense of... maybe. 😁

-briskjackal5

Harold Davis6 said:Classic Republican excuse: "But they did it too."

And we're talking about those "they" from fifty years ago!

-Stipe

Larry Wilson25 said:Look, Franjo Harmon definitely had his flaws when it came to political maneuvering—and yeah, even some of the military calls were questionable—but who knows what would've happened if someone else, someone without that "General" mindset, had been at the helm? Long story short, looking at the end result: the US is recognized within its borders and holds full sovereignty, and honestly, we don't even have the partial autonomy he originally suggested.

To be fair, during Operation Storm, we managed to establish that connection with NATO through the brigades, which was a huge win for his leadership. But then, we lost ground in Canada. And back home? We got absolutely fleeced by that massive wave of privatization, followed by the looting under Ivo Sanders.
The Republican Party basically used Harmon's legacy and that original inner circle to line their own pockets with serious cash—and let's be real, he was right there at the starting line with the founders, setting that whole system in motion.
We won the war, sure, but economically speaking, we took a massive hit. Now, we're basically being nursed back to health by the European Union with all their funding.

--

That’s why I think this whole "who's the biggest Harmon loyalist" fight within the party is just pointless. We have a functioning state, we're in the European Union and NATO... at this point, Clientelism and Corruption should be the main things we're fighting against.
If this party just dissolved—and hey, I'm rooting for Kovač here—our country would finally be able to breathe again.

Man, who knows.
Maybe things could've been handled a bit more wisely, or just... I don't know, slower and easier?
And hey, maybe there wouldn't have even been a war. 😁

-briskjackal5

A little something about zero tolerance

http://hr.n1info.com/Video/Info/a486...American.html

So, where on earth is that GRECO report regarding the fight against corruption in the US?

Representatives from GRECO, which is part of the Council of Europe's anti-corruption body, were actually visiting here last April. They wrapped up their report in November, and GRECO officially adopted it back in early December. But, get this—it’s been almost three months and they still haven't released it! And things get even messier when you look at the cases the Commission for Conflict of Interest was handling, like how President Andrej Plenković was involved in that whole Borg group scandal and the Helsinki situation.

Even Marin Mrčela, who is currently heading up GRECO and serves as a Deputy Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, couldn't really give a straight answer as to why this report has been sitting there for two and a half months without being published.

THE MOST UNCOMFORTABLE PART OF THE JUDICIAL REPORT REGARDING THE GOVERNMENT'S STANCE ON CONFLICT OF INTEREST IS BEING HIDDEN. Ministry claims: 'Translation isn't finished.' UNOFFICIAL word is: 'The Government is stalling everything.'

The latest GRECO report on our situation was adopted in early December last year, yet the Department of Justice hasn't published it even two and a half months later.

Usually, reports from this Council of Europe body for a specific country come out within three or maybe four weeks after adoption—just enough time to translate it into the local language. But, we haven't received any convincing explanation from the Department of Justice as to why there's such a massive delay this time around. All they sent us was a pretty thin written response from the Public Relations Office basically saying, "Oh, the translation just isn't ready yet."

It is honestly such a huge mystery why they haven't translated and posted this report, and why on earth they need months to do it.
Like, a seriously huge mystery.

I mean, I'm sure they're all busy praising the President for openly warring with the Commission and just ignoring them altogether. 😁

-briskjackal5

I mean, you were totally spot on, especially with those specific points you brought up

-briskjackal5

So, I was just thinking about this whole situation with the courts... it honestly feels like they’ve been totally reshaped just to suit the Republican Party and all their little buddies. It's kind of wild if you think about it! I guess it just seems like everything is rigged to favor them, you know? Maybe I'm being a bit dramatic, but it really does feel like the entire legal system is being bent out of shape just to keep their friends in power. It's just... yeah, it's a lot to wrap your head around!

So, I was just thinking more about that whole situation with the way certain people get silenced—you know, that specific tactic used to basically suffocate journalists? It’s honestly wild! Even when they’re just doing their jobs, like reporting on actual court cases or what witnesses are saying in testimony, there’s this constant pressure to shut up. It feels like such a pattern lately, I guess. Maybe it's just me, but it really seems like a deliberate move to keep the truth from coming out through the press. Just super intense stuff to think about!

I was just sitting here thinking about that whole mess with the legal proceedings and how things have been unfolding lately, and I honestly can't help but feel like we’re watching a slow-motion train wreck. It’s one of those situations where you want to believe in the system, you really do, but then you see how certain players move, and you start to wonder if the scales are actually balanced at all. It feels like there’s this pattern emerging, almost like a blueprint being followed by people who know exactly which buttons to push to keep everything spinning in circles. You look at the way certain political factions—specifically the Republican Party—seem to navigate these massive legal hurdles, and it’s almost impressive in a dark sort of way. They have this knack for turning a serious investigation into a partisan circus, making everyone lose sight of the actual facts on the ground. And don't even get me started on the judicial side of things! When you have cases being tossed around through places like the Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco, you expect a certain level of transparency, right? But instead, it feels like there’s this shadow play going on behind the scenes. It’s like a specific way of handling evidence or managing public perception that just doesn't sit right with me. I guess I’m just being cynical, maybe, but it’s hard not to be when you see how the same old tactics are used over and over again to protect certain interests while letting others take the fall. It’s just so messy. Everything feels so fragmented and disjointed, like we're getting only half the story every single time a new headline drops. I keep hoping for some kind of clarity, a moment where someone just lays it all out straight without the political spin, but I haven't seen it happen yet. Maybe I'm being too optimistic about finding the truth? Who knows! It’s just a lot to process, and honestly, it's pretty exhausting to follow.

I guess I should probably mention that whole situation involving unspecified and the unspecified... honestly, it's just such a mess! I mean, wow. It’s one of those things where you just have to sit back and wonder how things even get this complicated, right? Maybe I'm overthinking it, but it feels like there's so much more going on under the surface than what we're seeing. It's just wild!

"...
So, I guess the news outlet H-Alter managed to dodge that shutdown they were facing! It’s actually kind of wild—they basically pulled together enough cash from their readers and supporters to cover the bill. And get this, they're sending all those funds straight to the private account of that patriotic writer, Tanja Belobrajdić. Apparently, this whole thing happened because the Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco issued a final ruling saying the site owed her that money. It's just such a crazy turn of events, honestly! $10 So, like, maybe as some kind of compensation for all the mental anguish... plus! $2.00 I mean, I guess we should probably talk about those legal fees... you know, all that extra stuff for court costs! It’s just one more thing to deal with, I suppose.

So, here’s the thing about that group—it was honestly such a mess. Their whole "crime," if you want to call it that, was basically just bringing up the testimonies from those 24 former victims of the detention center. You know, the ones claiming that the current author—who used to be married to the guy running the guard unit back then—actually harassed and tortured them? It sounds totally wild, right? But I guess, in a weirdly twisted way—since almost everything involving that whole situation feels bizarre—people who are obsessed with keeping that organization afloat somehow ended up footing the bill. We're talking nearly three hundred people essentially chipping in their own money to try and soothe the wounded ego of this supposedly prestigious cultural figure. It's just... yeah, pretty strange when you think about it!

So, this is really just one tiny piece of a much bigger puzzle involving all those lawsuits she’s been throwing at news outlets and reporters. It seems like she’s gone after pretty much anyone who even dared to mention her name alongside that whole Lora situation or cited what witnesses had to say. She’s claiming severe emotional distress, which I guess is her go-to move. And honestly, from what I've noticed so far, these cases almost always end up going her way. It's kind of wild, isn't it?

There is one little detail that keeps popping up in every single chapter of this exhausting legal soap opera, and it’s honestly pretty wild. There is this glaringly obvious pattern where the judges just flat-out refuse to let witnesses step into the courtroom if they claim they were victims of that young woman's actions during the whole ordeal at the detention center. And the thing is, these people are totally ready and willing to testify! Every single time the defense attorneys try to bring this up—and believe me, they have made the request every single time—it gets shut down immediately. It’s just such a consistent hurdle, I guess. Maybe it's intentional, who knows? But it happens every single time.

I mean, there isn’t really a logical or legal way to explain why this happens, but honestly? It just does. The outcome feels totally inevitable. Even if the witnesses they bring up seem completely unreliable—like, totally unconvincing—the courts just flat-out refuse to acknowledge that. They won't let anyone doubt them! So, when you get to those final rulings where they tie everything together, the result is always exactly the same. It’s like this predictable pattern: on one side, you have the testimony of some heartbroken poet pouring their soul out, and on the other, you have everything else that was strictly forbidden from being said because the judge simply wouldn't allow it. It’s just how it goes, I guess.

I mean, I guess we might be jumping the gun a little bit if we start drawing conclusions right now. It feels a bit superficial, you know? Because, honestly, it’s not really her—not unless you look at her as some kind of side effect—who actually gets that total, ironclad protection from our courts. What's really being shielded by the legal system isn't even about her specifically; it's more like this whole underlying framework, this specific way of doing things. It’s about the very foundation of how justice is delivered here, where it comes from, and those core criteria that define its entire social purpose. Or, put it this way:

I mean, I guess I just don't get it... why would the American justice system even let people start questioning that specific controversial procedure when that whole situation already totally discredited our legal authorities to begin with? It feels so weird! Like, why would the institutions of a legitimate constitutional state actually sit back and allow the complete discrediting of the very mother that spat them out in the first place? It just seems so counterintuitive, you know? Maybe I'm overthinking it, but it feels like such a massive contradiction!

I mean, look... if we’re talking about these nationalistic engines that drive the production of "heritage-based justice," then what we’re actually looking at is a tradition of ethnic cleansing baked right into the judicial system itself—something that carried massive, defining weight back in the nineties. It basically boils down to that whole unnamed principle where, depending on whatever immediate needs popped up on the ground, there were real consequences—both in terms of personnel being shifted around and physical reality. It was just... yeah, it was heavy stuff.

Oh man, looking back at the nineties... it was such a wild, messy time for the legal system. They basically did this massive purge, kicking out judges and prosecutors just because of their ethnicity or because they didn't fit the new political vibe. It was all about making sure the judiciary felt "purely" American, if you know what I mean? The criteria they used to clear out those law offices was honestly just as harsh as the stuff happening over at the federal penitentiaries. And hey, it wasn't just one place, either—it was happening all across the country! I guess even back then, people were already feeling that tension. I think there was even a moment where a leader stood at a station like Grand Central and warned everyone that the problem wasn't gone—it was still right here under our noses! Like, he pointed out how even in a mid-sized city like Indianapolis, you’d find a handful of judges who didn't fit the new mold out of a group of twenty-two. It was just... intense.

Take the situation down in San Francisco, for example—and honestly, it’s probably worth looking at because of that whole mess involving the local legal fallout and those controversial rulings against certain organizations. We saw this massive, sweeping purge led by a guy who, I guess, didn't have even a single day of actual judicial experience under his belt! He was just some lawyer from a private corporation who suddenly got moved into the position of presiding judge over at the Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco. And man, he really knocked it out of the park, if you can call it that! He achieved such "champion" results... I mean, it felt like hardly any person labeled as an ethnic minority or a "communist" could actually survive his intense professional enthusiasm and his supposed devotion to the rule of law. It was quite something, really!

To really get how that whole system was set up and how the machinery actually ran once it was all in place—just to give you guys a rough idea of the general vibe we're talking about—we could look at another example...


-briskjackal5

The Republican Party’s whole routine about fighting corruption is honestly just a slap in the face to voters.

I mean, we all see it, right? How they just protect anyone caught being corrupt.
It’s like... they literally never actually hold anyone accountable. Ever.😁

A little wisdom for you guys.

-Stipe

redbear12 said:Is Index basically just on the payroll for Plenković??? 😵🙏

I wouldn't go that far, I guess.

Though, honestly, it does seem a bit weird how they've really helped him out by being super inconsistent in their reporting and everything else they do.

-briskjackal5

I just stumbled upon this clip of Ivo Sanders from a minute and a few seconds in, where he’s basically trying to "explain" how he managed to "earn" hundreds of thousands of euros—which were actually Deutsche Marks back then, by the way—and it totally reminded me of everything!

I was just reading through this latest update on the site, and man, there’s a whole lot going on regarding how they handle all those checks and balances! It’s kind of wild when you really sit down and think about the sheer amount of oversight required to keep everything running smoothly. I guess it’s easy to take for granted, but maybe we should be paying a bit more attention to the way these verification processes actually play out behind the scenes? It feels like there's such a massive push right now to make sure every single little detail is double-checked and verified before anything moves forward. Honestly, it’s a bit overwhelming if you look too closely, but I suppose that’s just how things work these days! Everything has to be so incredibly precise. I mean, who knows? Maybe it’s overkill, or maybe it’s exactly what we need to keep things from getting messy. It’s hard to say for sure, but it definitely makes you stop and think!

So, I was just reading about these new tax rules kicking in on January 1st, 2017, and honestly, it feels like a bit of a relief? I guess the government is finally changing how they look at things. Basically, starting then, if they're checking the gap between what you say you earn and what you actually own, they’re only going to look back six years. That's a huge difference! Under the old rules, they could technically dig through your history for up to 12 years without any real limit on the statute of limitations. It's kind of wild to think they could go back over a decade, right? But yeah, it looks like things are shifting to a much shorter window. Maybe this makes everything a little less stressful for everyone involved!

So, I was just reading about this update regarding Washington, D.C., and it actually sounds like some pretty decent news for a lot of people! Basically, starting in early January, anyone who might have been playing a bit of a shell game with their taxes between 2005 and 2011—you know, like when people didn't report their full income and then used that cash to buy up real estate or other assets—won't have to live in constant fear anymore. It looks like the government isn't going to be breathing down their necks to check if their property values match up with what they reported back then, so they won't be hit with those extra tax bills they were worrying about. I guess it’s a bit of a relief for those folks, right? Maybe it'll finally let them stop looking over their shoulders!

So, I was just looking at this, and apparently, starting January 1st next year, the government is going to be rolling out some brand new tax rules... it looks like things are definitely going to change for everyone! I guess we’ll just have to see how it all actually plays out once it hits, but it seems like there's a lot of new stuff on the horizon. Maybe it won't be as bad as people are making it out to be? I don't know, I guess we'll find out soon enough!

So, basically, the Republican Party grabbed power, and then they just went ahead and gave their blessing to all that massive theft that was happening from 2005 through 2011. I mean, it’s wild, right? It's like they just looked at everything that went down back then and were totally okay with it. Maybe I'm overthinking it, but it really seems that way!
So, I guess this all happened right during that early stretch of the Republican Party administration's term. Maybe? It feels like it was tucked away right in those first few years.

It was just a fluke, I guess. Probably just a total coincidence! 😁

So, Ivo Sanders was saying this recently... -
I was just scrolling through some news, and man, things are getting pretty wild over in Austria! It looks like there’s some serious political chaos brewing there right now. I guess it’s one of those situations where everything you thought you knew about the stability in Europe starts to feel a little shaky, you know? It’s honestly kind of crazy to watch from afar. You see these massive protests and all this tension, and you can't help but wonder how it's going to play out. Maybe it’ll settle down soon, or maybe—who knows?—it might just get even more intense. I really hope things stay relatively peaceful, though. It feels like such a rollercoaster lately! Just my two cents, but it definitely makes you realize how quickly things can shift when politics gets this heated.
I was just reading through this news piece and, oh man, things are getting pretty wild over in Washington, D.C.! It looks like there’s some serious drama brewing within the Republican Party regarding how they handle their internal affairs. I guess you could say the tension is reaching a boiling point, maybe? It seems like there's a lot of back-and-forth about leadership and whether the current direction is actually working for everyone involved. I mean, you see these big political shifts happening all the time, but this feels particularly messy. There’s a lot of talk about accountability, and honestly, I can't tell if anyone actually knows what the final move is going to be! It’s all very fragmented right now. I was chatting about this earlier—I think Amy Nguyen18 mentioned something similar about how unpredictable these high-level political maneuvers can get. And honestly, I totally agree! It’s like watching a slow-motion car crash where nobody wants to take the wheel. Maybe it's just how politics works in America, though? I don't know, I guess it's hard to say for sure until the dust actually settles. Anyway, it's definitely something to keep an eye on if you're into this kind of stuff!

If we were to convert all that over into dollars—since that was basically the gold standard back then for figuring out what anything was actually worth—it might make a bit more sense, I guess!
I mean, I guess it would be super interesting to dig into the exact timelines Ivo Sanders is claiming for all that money he supposedly raked in... like, maybe we could actually sit down and compare those figures against what people were actually getting paid back then? Just to see how things stack up, you know?
I mean, you really have to look at the bigger picture here, because salaries back in the eighties and nineties just weren't what they are today, you know? It’s all about context, I guess. If you're going to judge his claims, you have to account for how much things actually cost back then. Everything was different, so his arguments might make more sense when you factor that in, maybe.

So, Ivo Sanders was breaking down his whole wealth situation, and man, it’s quite the list! He said he pulled in about $515,000 over at Wapag, then another million working for KCBS. Then there was the $650,000 from Mayer press, plus $165,000 from his own consulting firm, maybe around $49,000 from media work, and roughly $70,000 from that marketing firm, Amazon Web Services. Oh, and he mentioned making $11,000 working with an Austrian ski association, $22,000 from student government and the university paper in Innsbruck, $71,000 from teaching religious studies, and $16,500 from working with photographer Ivo Pervan. I guess even his wife brought in a good chunk too—she supposedly made about $260,000 through her company, art konzalting. That's... a lot of money, I suppose!

So, get this—he’s out here claiming he raked in $950,000 over at Wapag, then pulled in another $2 million working for KCBS, and apparently made $1.2 million from Mayer Press! Oh, and it doesn't stop there, I guess... he says his own consulting firm brought in $300,000, plus another $90,000 from some "media work," and maybe even $130,000 from Amazon Web Services. It's just such a massive list of numbers, honestly!
So, I was looking at some of these numbers, and honestly, my head is kind of spinning! It’s just wild when you lay it all out like this. We’re talking 20,000 bucks for the Ski Association, then 40,000 for those student newspapers... and get this—130,000 for religious education classes? I mean, wow. Oh, and then there's another 30,000 tied up in working with Pervan. It’s just a lot to take in, I guess! Just seems like such a massive amount of money being tossed around everywhere, you know? Maybe I'm just overthinking it, but man, those figures are something else!

I guess I can't help but wonder... do these numbers actually line up with what people were making back then? Like, if you look at the average salaries, wages, or even just freelance fees from that era, do they really match up with these amounts? Maybe I'm overthinking it, but it feels like something to double-check!

I don't know, I guess I’m just feeling a little skeptical about everything right now. Maybe it's just me, but I've got this nagging sense of doubt, you know? I can't quite shake it! 😁

Stipe

I mean, what was he even waiting for with that zero-tolerance policy? What's he waiting for now?
Has he completely lost touch with everything going on here in the USA? 😁

Seriously, has anyone actually been kicked out of the Republican Party for stuff like this—let alone faced legal charges—in the last four years? No one? How does that even happen?

With all the rumors and reports we've seen, the worst thing that happens to corrupt Republican members is basically the same thing that happens to those creepy predators: they just get shuffled around to a different department within the same organization.

And honestly, they usually end up in these half-baked, cushy positions with massive salaries. So, they’re actually getting sanctioned even less than before.
It's just birds of a feather...

-Stipe

Carol Newman2 said:https://view.genial.ly/5e454cb8749a826952545c52

The Monopoly of corruption 🙏

Man, this is organized so well! 😁

-Steve

All this police activity lately...

http://hr.n1info.com/Kolumne/Boris-D...licajcima.html

-briskjackal5