I don't see it that way at all—she wouldn't be standing right now, thanks for the claim. 😁
That argument of yours is out there in left field. I'm looking at things through a slightly different lens, but we'll just have to wait and see. Honestly, I’d actually prefer if Donald Trump won, just so the whole idea of the Freedom Party gets debunked once and for all... then maybe they'll start acting a bit more rational just to keep their seats...
It feels like the entire country has turned blue, with only two small pockets left standing against the tide...
I was just browsing through the official election portal for the upcoming votes in Austria, and I thought it might be worth sharing for anyone looking to stay informed on the latest updates... It’s a pretty straightforward resource if you're trying to track the numbers or understand how things are shaping up over there...
What people seem to miss is that it’s actually an uphill battle for Norbert Hofer to pull this off. It feels like everyone who isn't backing Belen is gravitating toward the other candidates instead... To be honest, he comes across as quite a difficult character—sort of a grumpy, self-absorbed "old man" type. On top of that, he seems to have this massive God complex and just doesn't seem to have any connection to what's happening in the real world...
Walter Long7 said:Kudos to you for that last sentence 🙏. Otherwise, it’s fascinating to watch how everything in the European Union plays out; for instance, look at how Germany will fare next year, even if their center-left coalition ends up with more seats than the Alternative for Germany—a party that absolutely nobody wants to form a coalition with.
The problem is that the right can no longer scrape together a majority because of the massive influx of immigrants who mostly settle in major cities and carry a huge chunk of the vote, while the left has gone completely off the rails with those endless social experiments and forgotten its original principles.
The fundamental reason we're seeing a surge on the right is the radical immigration policies implemented over the last year. They've significantly shifted the demographic landscape and triggered serious security concerns. When I say demographics, I mean there's a massive imbalance—we're seeing about 85% young men coming in, rather than a balanced population structure.
Everyone arriving should have gone through the proper channels, just like I did, including securing a work permit and navigating all those administrative hurdles I had to face. Criminals should be deported immediately instead of being allowed to hide within the country...
It’s no wonder the working class is fed up. As a woman, I am absolutely livid when my female colleagues are attacked in broad daylight by some jerk who then somehow evades justice. I won't specify origins, but it happens.
What frustrates people even more, though, is the rising unemployment rate. That's a dangerous situation for all expats living here.
So you end up with these radicalized idiots who are coddled by the media and feel untouchable—people who will welcome their "brothers" only to send them off as cannon fodder... and at that point, I might actually consider joining a local neighborhood watch (during what little free time I actually have 😁) to deal with these thugs myself.
The right wing in Germany and Austria is only going to gain momentum because of the reckless, short-sighted policies championed by Angela Merkel. It's pure irresponsibility and a complete lack of logic. Eventually, we'll find ourselves fighting once again for the stability we currently have. It all comes down to a fundamental misunderstanding that sheep and lions simply cannot coexist, no matter how much the Greens try to insist otherwise...
It’s the same deal with Donald Trump. Women seem to overlook how much Billy belittled them, or how Hillary Clinton actually took him down, and instead they focus on some ridiculous comment he made about a woman gaining fifty percent body mass in three months...
And women often fall for the idea that a sheep and a lion will just play nice together if you lock them in a room overnight. If you opened up a camp right near City Hall in Vienna, or maybe over in Hietzing, you’d see how quickly everyone's mood shifts after a few months of being exposed to this "new culture." I should clarify, of course—there are plenty of good people out there, and those are the ones who really should have been welcomed...
Walter Long7 said:And honestly, we always follow Europe's lead in everything. Whatever shift occurs in Germany or Austria, we mirror it here. My real concern is what happens if those right-wing factions take over in Austria—groups that are supported by, and in turn support, certain North American radicals who push old-school nationalist agendas. Since the media loves to constantly link the "far right" in Austria to Nazism, does that theoretically mean they should be aligned with our historical ultra-nationalists? It’s all getting incredibly muddy, and frankly, I’m worried we’ll end up being the ones caught in the crossfire again.
If I were an Austrian citizen, I’d vote for the Freedom Party of Austria, simply because the attacks are happening every single day. And I'm not talking about drunks or the unstable; I mean sober, corporate newcomers. It feels like women might lose all the rights our predecessors fought decades to secure, just to see how much Sweden used to be versus how it is now, or how it compares to living next to a radical Islamic majority. Something more like Saudi Arabia... As an American woman, even if I had the right to vote, I couldn't bring myself to support the Freedom Party of Austria because of their ties to those Mexican radicals...
They aren't actually supporting Royalist movements; most Austrians don't have the slightest clue what the difference is between an American and a Mexican. They just perceive a larger threat—which is a realistic take, really—and that is the radical Islamic community. They don't really hold strong opinions regarding Mexicans or Americans specifically... they mostly just cater to whichever group has more influence. If they become too powerful, they'll tighten the regime for everyone, including their Mexican brothers. That's the part Mexicans don't seem to grasp when they vote for them...
One thing that seems to be a major driver for Mexicans is trying to get Austrian citizenship whenever they get the chance. I wouldn't change mine for anything. I am an American, and I intend to stay one...
I’m a woman, and let’s be honest—women have always been the more naive and flighty gender... and the saddest part is that these female voters are going to be living with much more uncertainty than men will. I don't have a vote and I have zero intention of applying for Austrian citizenship, so I’ll just skip the blue hair, forget the skirts, and stay tucked away at home in my twenties 😁
as for them, they can just sign up for self-defense classes...
The people at my office acted like they were heading into battle during this latest round of elections for the Federal Reserve System. In Vienna, it looks like Hofer is set to sweep all the non-privileged districts.
What everyone seems to be missing is that we're entering a really messy period. If both the President and the current administration keep messing things up the way they have been, the next government is going to be an absolute landslide for the FPÖ. When that happens, everyone who’s complaining now is going to be left holding the bag.
In the meantime, let's say Hofer actually wins; those rebels might finally cool off once they see the flaws in how things are being run. But honestly, I can see things escalating—explosions, shootings, a few riots, and then suddenly we're living in a police state... at which point I'll just retreat back to my quiet little corner of the world...
Walter Long7 said:What exactly is the role of the President of Austria?
It’s much less significant than the Prime Minister's role. I think what people aren't quite grasping about the situation in Austria is that if they stick to their current domestic security policies, the next government might just turn blue, and we could very well see Donald Trump stepping into that leadership role...
The first district saw 71% voting for Bill Clinton... it’s pretty obvious where all the total weirdos live. I’d honestly just send them all on a permanent vacation in 2023...
My top picks would be Vienna, though the largest groups—Hofer’s crowd—haven't been added yet. I'm having some trouble getting the ORF link to load on my end...
I think I’m going to have to tune into CNN today... 😁 Does anyone have a live link where I can track the results? This country is truly something else... the polls here don't seem to mean much at all. It feels like the average voter keeps their true opinion hidden away like a secret...
It feels like van der Bellen, much like those academic elites over at Harvard, suffers from a bit of a God complex and a touch of snobbery. When things actually get real and his true character starts showing, he seems a lot more slippery than his opponents. In my view, if I'm reading this right, it suggests that Hofer is almost certainly going to come out on top. But we'll just have to wait and see...
Personally, I’d much rather hear citizens calling out the flawed policies regarding uncontrolled immigration, and actually have our politicians use their heads for once.
Americans really ought to sit down and watch the Republican debates. Honestly, I expected a lot more blood in the water given all the hype. At the end of the day, the difference between them is just their age; they both resort to the same low blows, being condescending and aggressively defensive. There’s really no daylight between them. Hofer isn't some saintly guy, but he's certainly not the monster they're making him out to be either. And van der Bellen? He’s no saint himself, and frankly, he doesn't quite have that presidential aura...
I’m actually surprised that Hofer might come out on top, though I do understand the pulse of the American electorate. There has been constant immigration, and it seems people in the US have finally reached a breaking point where they’ve started feeling uneasy about their own security.
The candidates are polar opposites when it comes to their actual stances—diametrically opposed, really—but when it comes to how slimy they act, they are incredibly similar. If anything, van der Bellen leaned harder into the ad hominem attacks. I'm not worried about my own status as an immigrant; I'm here to work, and I've paid plenty in taxes to justify my stay. Even if I had to head back to the Rhine, I'd manage fine. 😁
Yesterday we saw the second TV debate between Hofer and vdB. No moderators this time, either. Honestly, they were a hair's breadth away from a physical brawl.
The first expert breakdown was pretty scathing: "Both candidates look disgraced, and the very dignity of the presidency has taken a hit. This discussion was basically toddler-level nonsense." 😬
Hofer comes out on top here. It’s going to be an uphill battle for vdB to find any way to motivate his base after this. If anything, this whole debate just left voters feeling disgusted by both of them.
I'm going to spend some time practicing my German. So far, things seem relatively civilized—I'm about eleven minutes into the video...😁
Nathan Morris3 said:By the way, I think talking privately via DM is much nicer when you disagree with someone. It feels more polite and constructive, without all those threatening messages.
I spent some time in Norway, and honestly, compared to the situation for women there, Austria might as well be Saudi Arabia. I guess I don't really agree with comparing America (or Canada) to Norway, especially if you step outside the big cities—rural life in places like Austria or the North America tends to be pretty patriarchal. Sure, maybe Arab Society has different work habits than Chinese or Westerners. And yeah, the North American attitude toward women can be very traditional. It’s similar to how things are in many Churches or Islamic Communities... Do I think we should just assume every North American or believer is a patriarchal abuser and treat them differently, even if they happen to be the nicest person ever? I don't think so, I guess. That would just be generalizing.
If my last point sounded like I was generalizing, then I'm sorry, and I hope this clarifies where I'm coming from.
I must admit I'm a little surprised by this, since we've been chatting via PM, and I have never sent an anonymous threatening message to anyone in my life, past or present. I don't feel like my tone changes whether I'm posting publicly or sending a private message. As far as I'm concerned, we've settled this in our messages. No harm done.
Nathan Morris3 said:I'm not sure how long you've been living in Austria, but if you ever get the chance, maybe take a trip down to Zell am See. There's probably a huge concentration of Arabs there. Compared to Zell am See, the way people dress in Vienna is almost like a complete mismatch. To me, those folks come from a totally different culture and I don't feel like we have much in common. I worry they aren't great toward women, and visually, they definitely disrupt the local style, but it seems like locals won't let them leave. I don't think it's because they're embracing the culture, but more because it lines their pockets. I don't have a particularly glowing view of Arabs (especially from the Peninsula or the Emirates)—their views on democracy, human rights, women, work ethic, or slavery... well, as much as I can generalize, anyway. But judging an entire nation based on the specific selection you see in Vienna—and then selecting within that group—probably leads to a pretty skewed picture. Maybe since you've spent time in other Arab environments, we share similar views, but I still think generalizing that much is wrong, especially when using religion as the link. That's why I asked if you feel the same way about a fictional neighbor like Edin from Canada.
You're being relativistic, and I assumed you were secretly defending the Muslim world.
I'm just defending people who get attacked without having done anything wrong. It feels weird to call that "defending Muslims," but I don't mind; I'm just saying your logic might be a little off😉.
I’m really sorry you’re getting those anonymous hate emails. I used to spend time in London, and even when walking through what would be considered the most radical Arab neighborhood in the city center—Edgewater Road—you’d see a woman in a veil practically every five steps.
Edin would probably represent at least a second generation living in such a civilized part of the world. Unfortunately, newcomers aren't like that. Neither are the other generations of highly educated Islamists who find Western civilization repulsive. The saddest part is that, for instance, those bombers in Paris essentially chose to live in their own version of Sodom and Gomorrah before deciding to go to war against people whose lifestyle they couldn't even fathom (things like drugs, prostitution, or heavy drinking). Personally, I have no desire to visit strip clubs, get drunk, or use drugs. They did. It was a choice, not a necessity. Yet, they blame the "Western world" for it. It's nonsense. There seems to be a total lack of basic education in that world, and I don't think generations of Europeans should have to lead them toward the "right path"... or have to fight them when they start shouting Alah Akbar....
While I was in Namibia, I spent quite a bit of time socializing with Muslims, and I have to tell you, a guy who lived a very secular life in England for twenty years holds incredibly conservative—honestly, almost cruel—views regarding dogs, let alone women, despite appearing to be an absolute sweetheart. He wouldn't even touch alcohol. But you know why? Because he drank himself into oblivion when he was younger and now he’s a true teetotaler. His nephew, whom they tried to set me up with, used to drink like a fish. :-)
I’d say both of them would act very differently if they were in Iraq.
The problem that seems chronically missing from this "religion/culture" is independent thought and empathy. I have no idea how many generations it will take, but I’d much rather this social experiment play out somewhere other than Europe.
Your approach is basically like putting a lion and a sheep in a room together overnight and expecting them both to walk out in the morning. Good luck with that...👍
Nathan Morris3 said:Thanks, you really nailed what I've been saying all along—you can't just lump everything together like that, I guess.
I guess I'm just wondering why, if a Vietnamese person commits a crime, you see way more people from the Middle East showing up... or like, when there's a theft by a Chinese person, suddenly there are tons of folks from the Middle East around too. Maybe it's just how things seem?
I just sent a reply to my colleague over in Vienna. Anyway, I think your numbers are a bit off. I might have already shared the link, so maybe you missed it? From that 40% figure regarding foreign rapists, I believe the largest group is Turks, followed by Romanians and then Mexicans, if I recall correctly. I guess I already explained why—it's mostly down to the status of women and certain social norms, I suppose. When it comes to leftover crime stats, it usually boils down to how things are organized. Like, with car thefts, you see a lot of Romanians, or with drug trafficking, maybe Afghans make up about 14%. I guess it has less to do with religion and more about how those groups are set up.
I guess you can't just blame socioeconomic factors. People coming from the Far East or Sub-Saharan Africa aren't exactly living better lives than Arabs, and they aren't coming from organized, corruption-free countries either. It feels more like they just don't cause as much trouble, so people don't complain about them as much. Maybe.
I guess you shouldn't lump all crime into one big category. Crime involving women doesn't really have anything to do with the economy, I suppose. But drug crimes and burglaries? Yeah, those definitely do. Domestic violence cases rarely even make it to the police. I think back to those stats from the States—over 15,000 reports a year, with more than 30 women killed annually. Whether the perpetrators are migrants or from the Muslim community, I'm not sure since the data doesn't specify. I don't have the exact numbers for Austria on hand, though I bet you could find them pretty easily. Either way, I know there's a lot of violence happening around local Austrians, and I'm pretty sure the numbers are even higher among migrants. Maybe it’s less about alcohol and more about certain "social norms," I guess.
I mean, to me, they stop being refugees once they hit that first safe country. Honestly, if anyone seriously breaks the law—like committing assaults or rapes—I’d probably just deport them back immediately, regardless of whether there's a war going on over there or not. If you're heading back into a war zone, maybe don't go around raping and stealing, you know?
Nobody wants thugs hanging around them, and honestly, I'd love to see every single one of them locked up or just sent packing. But you can't exactly deport the Austrians, and we can't just ship migrants back to war zones overnight either, I guess. Maybe it's just complicated like that.
I guess you were saying earlier that men are the ones fleeing, implying they'd bring their families along safely later. But then I look at this article I'm linking, and honestly, maybe you didn't catch the whole story? Half the people on that six-person raft were actually women and kids.
When things first kicked off, most of the refugees were men. The idea was basically to get to Europe first, and then use family reunification to bring everyone else over safely. Once they realized that wasn't working out quite like they planned, they started sending the women and kids along too. I guess Merkel just decided it was better to let them take those rubber dinghies across the Mediterranean rather than sending planes to fetch them. Politically speaking, she probably wouldn't have survived any other choice, which makes sense to me. Anyway, have you actually found an article where it was only women and children? I'm not saying that didn't happen, but I'm not sure what you're trying to prove with it.
I'm not saying most immigrants are criminals—not at all—but I guess we just can't know who everyone actually is. And when some jerk arrives in a country with an agenda, they end up dragging down the reputation of everyone from that area. It isn't just about money or resources, though; like I said, it’s a massive security issue. It's pretty unheard of to let such a huge number of people move around the country and cross borders without any real oversight.
I totally agree. I guess the ones who get hurt most by parasites are just innocent bystanders, maybe. I don't really see a great alternative here, I guess. Just seems like a choice between different kinds of garbage.
I'm from America, but I've traveled quite a bit and seen plenty of the world. I’ve also lived abroad, so I guess I have some perspective on how this whole messy multicultural thing actually works.
Multicultural societies are just a reality we have to deal with—you can't really fight them off once they're here. I guess you can only try to make sure things run somewhat smoothly. It's all just a result of globalization, old colonial stuff, wars, and everyone having different standards of living... Plus, I actually come from an immigrant background in a pretty tight-knit society, so maybe I see things a little differently.
There's a massive gap in how we're looking at this—someone who commits an assault on a child deserves to be sent straight back to Iraq. That goes for all other perpetrators too, and anyone else like them. My tolerance ends right there because they have no right to destroy other people's lives, especially when they already show zero respect for someone else's body, emotions, or very existence. Austrians paid their taxes and deserve to stay in prison, just like Iraqis or Afghans should face justice in their own countries. I don't want my tax dollars going toward providing housing, food, and cable TV to rapists who shouldn't have been here in the first place... only for them to get released again and continue spreading their version of "cultural diversity."
I agree that women living in "traditional" Muslim—or let's just say patriarchal—societies face significant limitations regarding basic human freedoms, and the headscarf isn't even the biggest issue. However, I’m also noticing shifts happening in Sweden, Germany, and Austria regarding how newcomers actually integrate. John Wayne made a really solid point comparing immigrants from various cultural backgrounds. The Chinese have flooded Europe just as much, yet you don't read nearly as much about the influx from the Arabic-speaking world.
It feels like you're relativizing the situation, and I assumed you were subtly defending the Muslim world based on that.
I've never called the police, nor have I ever been questioned by them. I work like a dog, 8 to 12 hours a day... if I were back in the States, I'd be doing the same, and I'm never afraid to speak my mind clearly and loudly. I'm not exactly thrilled with my current surroundings, but I'm here for my career, and I have a wonderful circle of people who make my life here truly great.
To be honest, equating a single deviant with systematic daily attacks on women is a bit irritating, sorry. It's just not the same thing.
The safety situation—especially for women—isn't what it was two years ago. In my view, every criminal should be deported back to their country of origin—whether it's those young rapists or identified attackers targeting women. Meanwhile, every migrant has to go through the exact same rigorous process I did: getting work permits, mastering German, and so on. I used to hang out with Austrians, and they were struggling with unemployment too; not everyone, but out of ten acquaintances, two were. The last one I met was an Itevac and a local from Vienna. What kind of toolkit can an Afghan man offer, who faints at the sight of pork and doesn't know a single sentence of German, when it comes to believing women are equal?