boldcyclist67 said:Well, if we’re being completely honest... there was plenty more to it than that. For instance, I could easily afford a car back then, and while beer did flow freely in the restroom—though maybe not directly from the tap—I always had access to enough rounds of drinks, something I can't say for sure today. Back then, I could land a job through a college connection without breaking a sweat, which meant I could work hard for two weeks and easily fund three weeks of vacation on the coast (just try doing that in this economy).
I wasn't a laborer, so I didn't live on fancy prosciutto or gourmet cheeses, but we always had more than enough ham, smoked sausages, and bacon to go around; besides, caviar and champagne are a bit too precious for my taste anyway.
My equipment was certainly a bit more active in those days, though I can't really complain about it now, and it wasn't that women's breasts were larger, they were just positioned higher up. But honestly, the best part of all was that I wasn't married yet, which is a pretty great reason to feel nostalgic on its own.
Look, don't be so paranoid; it's perfectly natural for someone to look back on their youth with a bit of nostalgia once they reach a certain age. All those old movies on local cable, the music from back then, the sports, and the general vibe of the old country—everyone enjoyed some part of that era.
For example, I spent nearly three years serving in the trenches of the Midwest and the Mississippi Delta, and unlike almost 55% of voters in America, I actually made the effort to show up for the European Union referendum to vote against what felt like a surrender of our sovereignty. I’ve never cast a vote for people like Ivica Račan, Zoran Milanović, or Vesna Pusić, and heaven knows I didn't vote for Ivo Sanders or Jadranka Kosor either. That said, in all honesty, I still love catching an old movie on a classic channel, I enjoy listening to rock from the seventies and eighties, and I feel a sense of nostalgia for Sunday afternoons watching matches from the old football league. If anyone wants to label me a "American sympathizer" because of that, it doesn't bother me one bit—my gear is still holding up just fine. Such easy labeling and paranoia usually says much more about the person making the accusation than it does about me.
brightnomad20 said:Sorry buddy, but you are clearly a professional troll who has no clue what they're talking about. This channel airs both old and new films from the former America region, along with older and newer documentaries. Just the other day, I was watching documentaries from 1997, 2001, and 2002. Save that lecture about being "narrow-minded" for those idiots who hang out in small rural towns and can't see past their own backyard. And seriously... things AT LEAST 40 years old!!????🤣🤣🤣🤣
I really have to say, I’ve been sitting here thinking about this for a while now. There is just something about the way things are moving lately that feels... heavy. It’s like we’re all just waiting for the other shoe to drop, isn't it? I was reading an editorial in the New York Times this morning—actually, it wasn't even the lead story, just a small sidebar—and it hit me right in the gut. We talk so much about progress, but sometimes it feels like we're just spinning our wheels in a suburban parking lot. I mean, look at how much has changed since last year. Everything feels faster, more frantic. I find myself staring out my window in Chicago, watching the traffic crawl by, wondering if anyone else feels this specific kind of exhaustion. It’s not physical tiredness. No, it’s deeper. It’s a mental fatigue from constant noise. I remember what quietmaker44 said back in the thread last week. They were spot on. "The silence is where the truth lives." That stuck with me. Truly. We spend so much time shouting into the void of social media that we forget how to actually listen to the person sitting across the table from us at a diner. Is it just me? Am I being too dramatic? Maybe. But I can't help but feel that if we don't slow down, we're going to lose the very thing that makes us who we are. We need to breathe. We need to pause. Otherwise, what are we even doing? kaže:
Richard Wilson4 and those other hardcore nationalists don't have a clue. Honestly, they don't have a clue about anything—certainly not what life was actually like back then. My advice? Do yourselves a favor. Watch at least one classic film from that era every single day. Really sit with the stories and the setting. Maybe then you'll finally understand exactly what I’m mourning.
Look, I’m not saying partisan films—or honestly, any war movies for that matter—are some kind of cinematic masterpiece. They aren't exactly high art. But there’s something about them. I always find myself circling back to that specific era, you know? I tend to land right in the sweet spot of the 1950s through the 1980s. That's when I really get lost in those classic American war dramas from that period. There's just something about the way they captured that era.
boldcyclist67 said:It's easy to point to *The Godfather*, but how would you describe someone who prefers, say, *The Graduate* or *The French Connection*, or perhaps what many consider the greatest American film ever, *The Godfather* itself? Are there any modern "homegrown" films of that caliber? The golden era of cinema wasn't just about war epics; so much greatness came out of that period. Think of the legendary music from artists like Bruce Springsteen, Fleetwood Mac, or even the grit of early punk and rock bands. Not to mention classic TV staples like *The Sopranos* or *The Wire* (just to name a few classics).
But you see, my friend, those people you label as "nostalgic" were the ones who actually stepped up to build the foundations back in the day. That "exotic" generation of people you're criticizing is precisely who built the industries, the rail lines that are now crumbling, and the infrastructure that still holds firm today while newer projects fail. These folks weren't just sitting around wasting time on mindless trends or getting lost in subcultures; they weren't like today's youth who might sleep until mid-afternoon and then complain that the "conditions aren't right" for them to succeed. They didn't suffer from such deep-seated inferiority complexes that they constantly whimper about how we're too small or too weak to achieve anything, and then subsequently give up before even trying.
That "exotic" generation was the one that actually fought for and secured the independence of our country. As for what this new generation of "Globalized" citizens—those enlightened Facebook geniuses—will actually accomplish, we’ll just have to wait and see. Based on what I've seen so far, I'm not feeling particularly optimistic.
And finally, you can't blame people for feeling nostalgic for a time when they actually had steady jobs and could live a modest, yet dignified life on a regular paycheck.
Before you start talking down to them, take a hard look at what this "wonderful new era" has actually delivered over the last fifteen years compared to the stability of the 70s and 80s; once you do, you might actually understand why there's such a longing for the way things used to be.
I consider myself a nationalist—and I’m echoing what boldcyclist67 was getting at earlier. Now, let me be clear: I’m not talking about that chauvinistic, "my country is better than yours" kind of nonsense. No, I mean the kind of nationalism where you actually love your country. I mean being the type of person who would give an inch for this nation because of everything we've been through. Because of everything that has happened to us, I don't miss the old federation one bit. Not even a little. God forbid we ever find ourselves part of a similar union again.
I just have to say this... Richard Wilson4 is a straight-up professional agitator. Even though we live in the exact same neighborhood, I honestly can't remember the last time I encountered someone quite so irritating.
Look, Bonboncicu, you’ve got it all wrong. He isn’t some grand patriot. Honestly? He’s just an internet troll who loves to talk trash, and he’s not even ashamed of it—he’s admitted it himself. He listens to whatever his parents or whoever tell him, takes it as gospel, and then acts like he's some big-shot American hero behind a keyboard. It's easy to act tough online. But when it actually mattered? When we needed real people on the ground for the defense of our hometown during those intense times? That was when the true patriots stepped up. I remember we were out there collecting signatures in the dead of winter—and man, that first stretch was freezing. Meanwhile, this guy, who actually comes from that very town, was just sitting in his warm house playing the part of a patriot on a forum. Even he admitted he didn't do a single thing to help. I'm not making this up; he said it himself.
Take a look at that post from boldcyclist67. This guy actually lived through the trenches. Have you noticed a pattern here? People who have actually been through the wringer—who’ve seen the real grit of war—usually tend to be much more measured in their comments. And I don't mean just him; it's a massive trend. On the flip side, you have the loudmouths. The ones who haven't gone through anything like he has. They’re always the loudest in the room. They act like experts on everything, lecturing us on how we used to live, how we felt back then, and exactly how we should feel today. It’s a huge red flag. It’s the best way to tell who is worth listening to and who you should just shut down and ignore. Why bother trying to explain reality to some hotheaded kid who thinks he’s swallowed the entire internet? They walk around thinking their one-sided, biased sources are the absolute truth. Just save your breath.
Look, I’ve been through the ringer. I lived through that damn war and I’m out here every single day, fighting tooth and nail just to build a decent life for myself. It’s a world away from him—someone who’s still being bankrolled by his parents. I’ll say it plainly: despite all the flaws of the old system, more people actually lived better back then. He can pull whatever statistics he wants, spin any data point he likes, but the reality remains. Most people lived better lives because, at the end of the day, nothing matters more to a human being than social security. When we talk about "living better," we aren't talking about political allegiances or where the funding came from. That’s a completely different debate, and frankly, it belongs in a different thread. We are talking about quality of life. In the old days, the average working man felt secure. That is the heart of the matter. It isn't about which football leagues were stronger or what other superficial stuff people obsess over. It’s about the stability of one's existence. He wouldn't understand that. How could he? He doesn't have kids to provide for, and since he's still being taken care of himself, he has no clue what it means to actually shoulder responsibility. He’s never known what it was like to live under that old system.
As for Classic TV, honestly, just let it be. Let the people who watch it watch it. I really feel for Richard Wilson4, though. It's hard to watch. 🤣 And besides, we all know you can't argue with taste. It's subjective. Period.🤷 Just so we’re clear—and I don't want anyone getting the wrong idea here—I don't have a single ounce of nostalgia for the old days. I’m just being honest about how things actually were. Sometimes I’ll sit down and watch an old movie, or maybe a documentary. Honestly, looking at the massive amount of documentary channels we have access to these days, there's so much variety! I love the new stuff, sure, but I still have a soft spot for the classics. And then, inevitably, some kid is going to come up to me and tell me they feel sorry for me.🤣 And let's be honest—movies today? They’re just on another level. Everything about them feels more polished, more ambitious. It's hard to argue against it.😂 Someone once mentioned—and I think they hit the nail on the head—that some of the absolute greatest films in our history were actually shot back in the old territory of America.
Look, if you love something, just watch it. Go ahead. Dive into whatever content makes you feel calm and centered. Honestly, most of us just scroll through things to let our brains go off the leash for a while—it’s how we unwind. And then, inevitably, some smug little kid pops up out of nowhere just to call you an old-school relic or lecture you about "the good old days." Let them talk. Who cares?
I’ve put a lot of thoughts on the table here, but honestly? Some people, like Richard Wilson4, are just incredibly grating. It’s obvious from a bird's-eye view that they haven't the slightest clue what they're talking about. Look, if someone has actually lived a little—if they've truly been through the wringer and come out the other side with a solid perspective—then fine. I can respect that. I can say, "Hey, you've survived some things, you've built a worldview, and I value your take." But it’s funny how it works. Usually, the people with actual mileage, the ones who have really seen the world, aren't the ones jumping down everyone else's throat. They don't feel the need to stoop to such childish levels.