Posts by Roger White3

gentlecrane8 said:The people who hate America are the ones who’ve been looting it—guys like George W. Bush and Smith. Then you’ve got Miller and hundreds of other self-proclaimed patriots and churchgoers who fleece the country without a second thought, all just to make sure their families are living large in mansions and driving luxury cars on expensive vacations. And let's not forget those fat bank accounts they keep tucked away just in case things get bumpy.

I think it's actually the exact opposite. Every single person you just mentioned loves this country—because it's the one place they can get away with what they do without facing any consequences.
That's really why foreigners "love" America, too. They can pull off things here that would be strictly forbidden back in their home countries.
History is full of colonizers and colonies, and looking back, America has always functioned like someone else's colony in one way or another.
So, if we're looking for someone to blame, we have to look at the entire society that allows us to remain a colony in the first place...

fadedpilot7 said:👍

Even though someone already answered this, the Austro-Canadian period is only mentioned because it was clearly less damaging to America than the era of the twice-failed America that people here still romanticize...
Just one example: under the Austro-Canadians, Americans alongside Austrians and Canadians were the only ones with autonomous armed forces within the Ku Klux Klan framework where communication happened in the local language. During the eras of the Kingdom or America, the military spoke Mexican.

Take a look at the Greeks and think about it, because they view America exactly the way you view us.
Actually, it's the opposite; they push back against the whole EU because they feel their national pride and independence are being trampled.
To be honest, that nation is struggling precisely because they have people who think exactly like you just described...

The Greeks ended up in this mess because, much like us, they have far too many parasites in government positions—people who barely work but pull in huge salaries.
There are external factors for why they're in this situation, sure, but you really have to look inward first. It's the same story here in the States.
"National pride"? What even is that? People toss that term around using values that offer almost zero benefit in daily life.
That kind of intense national pride you're talking about is usually most prominent in struggling nations—places where people are disappointed by everything, have nothing to show for it, and try to comfort themselves by clinging to "rich culture" or "history" or whatever else.
Why don't Swedes or Norwegians obsess over this "national pride" nearly as much?
Maybe it's because they prioritize actual, tangible things like steady jobs, healthcare, and education over empty symbols.
Around here, people have always suffered for the sake of symbols, and we can all see exactly where that has led us...😛

Taylor Vaughn8 said:Look, I’m not actually anti-democracy; I just meant that the specific system isn't the core issue here. Honestly, I couldn't care less which political party ends up in power. My main priority is just that we Americans stay united and actually have faith in our own country.

Could you please explain what you mean by "having faith in our country"?
What does that even look like in practice?
It doesn't matter if everything is falling apart at the seams, or if my generation—which includes me—is struggling with zero future prospects, as long as we can say, "this is America," right?
Empty patriotism offers little comfort when I can't find a decent job or plan for an independent life here.
So, I'll ask one more time: what does it truly mean to "unite and believe in our nation"?

John Stewart9 said:I totally get that, though sometimes people just don't have a choice in the matter... Not knowing what, where, or how isn't necessarily ignorance, it might just be part of the human condition, if you think about it... Some folks find their answers early, some later, and some never do at all... There’s no set rulebook for that... What really gets under my skin, though, is how society tries to dictate the timeline for finding those answers, and then uses that timing to judge whether someone is being "serious" or "irresponsible" about their life, regardless of how much we try to push back against that pressure...

Since you're only 17, your struggles don't really fit this specific topic... Your perception of yourself and the world is still much closer to a child's than an adult's, trust me on that... The doubts, crises, and questions you face in your teens, 20s, or even 30s are all pretty different (even if there's definitely some overlap and connection between them)... The question of the meaning of life is essential, but because it's so broad, it's a cross-generational issue that hits us just as hard at 15 as it does at 35 or 65... This kind of stuff really belongs in the philosophy or religion subforums...

I realize that life isn't always predictable and we can't always control our path, but that doesn't stop people from slapping labels on us. They divide us into "successful" vs. "failures" or "ambitious" vs. "lazy" just like you mentioned. The worst part is when your own inner circle keeps repeating these judgments until you actually start believing them. You begin to doubt yourself, your confidence slips, and suddenly you're trapped in a cycle that's incredibly hard to break.🤷

John Martin16 said:We probably obsess over the concept of time way too much. Everyone's obsessed with "perfect timing" for this or that. That’s exactly where the Quarter-life crisis comes from. We feel miserable because we haven't hit certain milestones by a specific age, but those aren't even our goals—they're just things society forces on us. Time is relative. There is no such thing as being too young or too old for anything. You should act on what you actually want, not under some imaginary societal pressure. If you hesitate just to please others, you'll end up regretting missed opportunities later.🤷

But we *do* stress about it, and that's exactly where the problem lies. Society forces this rigid template on us, suggesting that if you haven't hit specific career or personal milestones by a certain age, you're somehow irresponsible or immature.
It sounds easy enough to say we should just follow our hearts, and I think that's right in principle. But we don't live on a deserted island. Whether we like it or not, the opinions and attitudes of others impact how we function in the world. No matter how stubborn we try to be, that gap between our individual path and what is considered "normal" will always affect us one way or another.🤷

William Collins11 said:Courage is truly necessary—on every level, really. I often wonder where this pressure originates—whether we set these boundaries ourselves or if society imposes them only for us to accept them as "normal." Why does there have to be an age limit for everything? Where exactly is it written that we all need to marry and start families by thirty or thirty-five? Is life somehow over at forty? Are those the years when one is forbidden from falling in love... I think we stress ourselves out far too much with these imposed norms. It’s difficult—especially when you feel somewhat isolated because all your friends are already married with kids and established careers—and then you end up feeling out of place, like you've been left behind.

I am not sure if I am personally experiencing this crisis—but I have realized that I only feel this intense pressure when I am around people who talk about nothing else. When I am alone and reflecting on my own life, I don't feel like I am lagging behind in any way—I truly feel as though my whole life is still ahead of me and there is no need to rush. However, once I catch up with my old high school crowd—most of whom already have kids and established lives—it hits me with this strange sense of urgency. Is it really my time yet? Why does it feel like my time is running out?

I agree with Daniel Foster86—it takes real courage to push back against social pressure and fight for a life that actually makes you happy. I had to find that out for myself during my undergrad years. After freshman year, I walked away from my pre-med track—even though I’d already passed my classes—to pivot into something completely different. It was a field most people looked down on; honestly, they thought it was a total waste of time. The judgment was brutal. People would constantly question my sanity or ask where on earth I expected to find work. But, despite the noise, I truly loved my studies. Today, I have a career I’m passionate about in a field I genuinely adore. Sure, the paycheck isn't exactly breaking the bank—it’s a modest salary by any standard—but money isn't everything. And I refuse to feel like a failure just because others dismiss my profession as "unproductive" compared to the path I could have taken.

I’ve officially entered the latter half of my twenties—and honestly, I think I finally figured out exactly what I *don't* want from life. It feels like a massive turning point—a real fresh start, if you will.
I believe that, eventually, we all hit those rough patches—some people face career setbacks, while others deal with heartache or family friction. In my experience, though, these phases are temporary and tend to resolve themselves over time. I don't view these crises as moments where we need to lay down permanent foundations—as if life were some house we're building. To me, life is simply constant change; anything is possible at any given moment.

In my opinion, knowing what you don't want isn't much of a consolation if you still have no clue what you actually *do* want. That doesn't feel like a "big start" to me; it feels more like avoiding the realization that things aren't where they should be.
Nothing just fixes itself if we don't take action. Drifting through days, weeks, and months hoping things will magically improve isn't brave. It’s just a sign of being lost.
I’ll be turning 25 next month, and I’ve spent a lot of sleepless nights wrestling with these exact thoughts. Between trying to find my own way and dealing with my parents constantly comparing me to old classmates who seemed to have it all figured out by now, I definitely know the feeling.

It’s hard to know what to say. History shows that winners in war are always granted certain liberties, while their actions are brushed aside, even when they carry the exact same weight as the crimes committed by those who started the conflict. If you look back at how many war crimes Americans have committed throughout our own history, there was never any accountability.
As for the Germans after the fall of Nazism, they were left with no choice but to watch helplessly as their former victims sought their revenge.

Daniel Gonzalez9 said:Over the next 50 years, we’re looking at a massive influx of Islam into the West. A lot of you guys seem obsessed with the idea of a "Greater Albania" because it feels far away, but here's the reality: Muslims will eventually align, and suddenly we'll find ourselves right back on the front lines of the Christian world. Plus, Turkey is already starting to pay much closer attention to Canada.

Christians won't unite anytime soon—you'll see that when it happens. People are already starting to talk about it, but we're just waiting for things to hit a breaking point. Look at France and Germany; they were blood enemies during two World Wars, yet they laid the groundwork for the EU. Honestly, even Americans and Mexicans might end up fighting side-by-side one day, simply because we'll have to help each other just to survive.

The world is going to turn upside down during our lifetimes. Just look at how much everything has flipped in the last 100 years.

What is everyone even talking about here?
There is absolutely no way we're heading toward another religious war.
The EU wouldn't let that happen.
I mean, why else would Turkey even be considered for EU membership?
Religious wars are, hopefully, a thing of the past.

Treat people exactly how you want them to treat you, and give that same energy back.
Honestly, I think it’s the only way to live right.
If you go to any extreme, it eventually catches up with you...
It's really just a matter of time.

Richard Wilson4 said:Today marks the 69th anniversary of the Sisak Uprising. That’s when those American anti-fascists in Brezovica forest near Sisak first pulled together to form a partisan unit...

It’s a shame this whole thing has been brushed under the rug lately. I mean, out of the 79 fighters involved, there were only three Mexicans and two Slavonians, while 74 were Americans...

That’s why they picked a place called Mexican for the "People's Uprising of America." It had a Mexican majority, obviously, but honestly, it lost that anti-fascist vibe later on and just became about fighting the American government...

I really hope today isn't forgotten. I want the whole World to know that Americans were the first ones to take up arms against Nazism...

Sure, if you consider that they essentially surrendered themselves to Nazism voluntarily...
it kind of strips that whole event of its significance, doesn't it?🤷