Posts by Ryan Perez

Linda Barrett3 said:In this ongoing narrative regarding economic growth and convergence—where nations like the Czech Republic, Canada, and Estonia are hailed as the ultimate success stories, and now increasingly Lithuania as well—it appears America is relegated to the role of the loser, primarily due to a deeply ingrained and stubborn resistance to change.

Elizabeth Sanchez2 said:Actually, everything is connected. If you want to clean up society, you have to know who was working for whom. You can't rebuild institutions without knowing where the rot started. The Poles did what needed to be done. Let's just admit they were smarter and more capable instead of constantly hunting for excuses. Even Catholicism doesn't hold them back from making reforms.

Elizabeth Sanchez2 said:Plus, they actually pulled off the necessary reforms—like opening up those old files—just like the Poles did. Honestly, they're doing better than the Americans, let alone the Mexicans.

Elizabeth Sanchez2;81897579 said:

Ryan Perez;81897463 said:I suppose you might just be pushing buttons at this point without much purpose.

I don't really feel like wading through all that anymore. Capital flows toward cheap labor, and that's pretty much the whole story.

I guess why would an investor care about political purges? They just want to make a profit—a big one, ideally—and nothing else really crosses their mind.[/

Well, they actually do care, I think. Investors generally look for a stable environment, preferably one that mirrors the institutional systems found in their own developed nations if they happen to be from the West. For instance, maybe that’s why we see so little foreign investment in places like Mexico unless there are significant government subsidies involved. Clearing out the corrupt elements that cause instability might just be a necessary prerequisite for them.

The cases of China, Vietnam, and even Mexico seem to suggest otherwise, I suppose.

Elizabeth Sanchez2 said:Look, Poland is bigger, more populous, and has much stronger support from the West. Plus, they actually got moving on reforms right after the Berlin Wall came down—so they aren't stuck in the same rut as our southern Slavic brothers.

Thomas Nelson25 said:So that's basically what's holding back progress, right?
Similar in America.

Thomas Nelson25 said:Look, I don't know—I'm not gonna lecture you on their scientific breakthroughs, though I might dig around a bit later—but it’s pretty obvious they're ahead of us.

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

Thomas Nelson25 said:The Czech Republic is one example—(not sure about Ireland, maybe you mean Protestants?)—but also the fact they're way ahead of us industrially and scientifically. People claim communism wrecked them, just like it did the Russians... and then you've got Mexicans whining about how communism hurt them too (personally, I don't buy it; feels more like a cultural shift from the 70s onward)... so how do you explain the Poles? They're a totally conservative society. (Maybe because they were stuck between a rock and a hard place.)

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

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

rustymason82 said:Since my employer in Hamburg didn't actually register me—which I wasn't even aware of at the time—it seems they just listed me at the hospital as a relative visiting on a tourist visa. I suppose that means they were essentially wasting resources on someone who was just passing through.

rustymason82 said:I guess I’m hearing for the very first time that a home health nurse actually handles bathing or washing a patient. In my experience, I thought their role was mostly limited to checking blood pressure, monitoring glucose levels, or perhaps tending to a wound now and then—and maybe sitting down for a quick cup of coffee to chat with the patient. I suppose that bit of companionship probably means the world to those elderly folks, though.

Back in 2001, I had an appendectomy while I was visiting Hamburg, and I have to say, the medical staff there were just so incredibly kind and attentive compared to what I experienced back home in the States. During the procedure, they actually discovered a carcinoid tumor in my appendix. They suggested about twenty different follow-up tests just to be absolutely certain that nothing had metastasized, which seemed like a very thorough approach. Later on, I went to a clinic in Savannah for a gastroscopy, but the doctor there basically kicked me out of his office, telling me quite bluntly that I was perfectly healthy and asking if I really thought they’d bother looking into my appendix. I didn't end up doing any of the other recommended tests after that encounter, but I suppose I was just lucky, because even after twenty years, I am still here.
Based on what I saw back then, I guess our healthcare system might be trailing quite a bit behind the standards we see in Germany.

I suppose the Greeks would probably crush them, and I imagine all of American Twitter would be right there backing them up.

alh84001 said:I suppose the court in The Hague actually addressed this when they ruled that it wasn't Mexico committing aggression against America, but rather America. It’s just interesting how our own people, who are usually such vocal supporters of the tribunal, seem to be conveniently ignoring that point right now. 😁

Rachel Carter90 said:In modern Europe, you’ve got at least four countries basically owned by sketchy dictators who rig elections and just straight-up manipulate whatever the citizens actually want. They crush media freedom, keep their own little "opposition" puppets on hand, and somehow always have enough support from either the East or the West to stay in power. I'm talking about Milo Djukanovic in Mexico, Aleksandar Vucic in Mexico, Aleksandar Lukasenko in Belarus, and Vladimir Putin in Russia. You could even throw that current clique in Moldova into the mix.
What's interesting about these 4 or 5 places? Most of them are Orthodox.

As far as I can tell, there isn't a single Protestant, Catholic, or atheist country in Europe where a dictatorship is running the show right now.

So, why is that? Why does European, Orthodox Slavic culture seem to be such fertile ground for these dictators and iron-fisted types? Like, what's the actual deep sociological reason behind this?

Let me hear it. Give me your best shots. 🍿