Posts by Michael Bennett57

It feels like every year, certain teams just decide to go out of their way to play a brutal lineup of opponents right at the start. I honestly don't get the logic of trying to prove something this early in the season when you could just build momentum instead. Is anyone else tired of seeing these absolute gauntlets being set up?

Kyle Nelson2 said:Just because someone gets a visa for the USA doesn't mean they're actually getting into the country. Entry into the USA is decided right there on the spot, at the border control when you land at a US airport.

To avoid all that mess where people buy expensive tickets and travel all this way only to get rejected during immigration, the USA started doing screenings in the departure countries. That way, a person basically gets a guarantee that they'll actually be allowed into the USA..

So, I guess it's not some conspiracy theory..
This is mostly done in heavily populated places where people need visas for the USA, so it looks like Sweden has basically started being treated like a third-world country.🤣

Kyle Nelson2, what you just wrote has absolutely nothing to do with the article. Maybe your English is a bit shaky, or maybe you just couldn't be bothered to read it properly... I honestly can't tell. But here is what the text actually says (my own loose translation):

"Sweden has permitted the US Department of Homeland Security to permanently station its personnel at the airport in Washington, D.C. with access to their own weapons. This American 'customs and security control' on Swedish soil is intended to intercept suspected terrorists—including 'cyber terrorists' and other individuals on watchlists—as well as 'whistleblowers' and those accused of possessing 'stolen information.' The Department of Homeland Security declared in 2013 that “ The unlawful disclosure of classified Information by WikiLeaks in The Summer of 2010 Has rightfully renewed The Department ’ sa focus on risk Management."

I read the linked article, and your comment misses the point entirely. Entry into the USA isn't even the subject here, and whatever happens regarding entry into the USA will likely remain unchanged. What we are looking at is a definitive novelty—as the text itself points out—where one sovereign nation hands over complete authority over its own territory to another.
As for what this specifically means for other European Union countries or whether this is a good thing? I have no idea. Personally, I don't like it, and I think it's a massive issue that the European Union hasn't even reacted to this! This isn't just happening on Swedish soil; it's happening on European Union soil. No matter how much the European Union tries to present itself as a union of states, something like this shouldn't be allowed to happen just like that!

Austin Garcia3, the situation regarding how much you should step in is actually pretty straightforward. Honestly, if I were in your shoes, I wouldn't take anything Paul Martinez2 says too seriously—she’s looking at this through a very biased, victimized lens.
You’re the one living this, so I trust your perspective on everything you've shared. When family—whether it's immediate or extended—is dysfunctional, they can become an incredibly heavy burden and, unfortunately, major antagonists in those "under the rug" situations that people rarely talk about. My advice? Help out where you can in a general sense, but as most people would suggest, stay out of the direct line of fire in this specific conflict.
I can see this is weighing heavily on you, though, and that you feel a pull to do something. If you need to, maybe just accept those photos she sent and send a quick note letting her know you're there for her—that way, you've provided some support. But I really wouldn't recommend getting caught in the crossfire between her stepfather and her mother. Especially if we're dealing with someone who acts as an emotional vampire and shows zero remorse for their past actions. Emotional abusers are among the worst types of people, regardless of who they are. And please, don't let them weaponize guilt against you; there isn't even a reason for you to feel guilty. You aren't just a bystander watching from the sidelines—try to wrap your head around that. There truly isn't much more you can do here. It's especially tough when the rest of the family seems to be operating in that same kind of abusive mindset, if you catch my drift.
Focus on yourself. Passing up the opportunities you have right now in your life, as you mentioned, isn't a smart move. Especially not because of this.