Posts by ruggedjackal46

Paul Martinez73 said:I wasn't actually surprised by it, and I even mentioned being glad about it in one of my posts. I was being sincere, I just don't want to spend the next 350 days listening to everyone call me an idiot, which tied back into that discussion we had a few days ago regarding Faith and the Church.

I can agree that it’s slippery, but "weird"? Not quite. I wouldn't lump everyone together; there's a small minority taking the money, sure. But the majority answering that call are just doing their jobs conscientiously. Like Suker would say, every single coward has their own little grain of truth. I’d say it’s mostly just a leftover habit from the old days when the Church was exclusively tied to the Republican Party—if you were a Priest, you basically had to be a Republican. Besides, since the other side opposes the Church itself, it would be pretty foolish to campaign for them, don't you think?

Paul Martinez73 said:In the Catholic Church, they are Priests, not Popes. "Popes" is more an Eastern thing, so I'm not entirely sure where she actually went. Brutally honest? You think quoting a Priest's words makes it "brutally honest"?

It’s even weirder that anyone in 2020 is acting surprised by politics in the church or the church in politics. Even stranger is someone moving to Germany today and being shocked that people there support the Republican Party and things like that. That diaspora really started when those 20,000 people left for Germany a year ago. Besides, daily political topics are everywhere in churches worldwide, so why not ask your friend if she's ever been to a German Church and what they talked about there? And while you're at it, ask her if she ever posted a status about that.

Jessica Gonzalez said:That was easily the worst funeral I've ever attended, and I buried my own father not too long ago. This one felt much heavier, just pure depression. The guy was a huge fan of the local baseball team, so they played their anthems while he was being laid to rest. Then I get home feeling completely drained in the evening, only for my wife to tell me she's pregnant again. I guess that’s just life; you just have to keep moving forward and try not to sweat the small stuff.

Charles Roberts33 said:Only Mr. Nedjeljko Babić and his 400x4 project can pull us out of this mess😉.

Morgan Foster said:Back in the States, they had those NINA programs—No Income, No Asset. Basically: okay, just buy a house!
That was really the tipping point, and the fallout was felt everywhere across the globe.
I think that's what inspired the movie
Short.
After that, many European Union nations tightened up their credit rating criteria significantly. They sat down at the table to find actual solutions. In some countries, these things might have already been regulated, but they used the crisis to optimize them further.

The crisis you're talking about has already begun... nobody can say for certain how long it will last or how deep it will go, and it doesn't necessarily have to be a total apocalypse with the four horsemen of the apocalypse. Every major power, in its own way, is currently trying to carve out its position in this new economy. This isn't happening by accident—it means jobs will inevitably disappear somewhere unless the necessary reforms are implemented to keep pace with new trends.

Protecting the vulnerable or the sick? Absolutely, that's a given. But look—a worker puts a computer in his garage and suddenly he's part of the elite. That 1% elite will eventually call you to the barricades. On the flip side, the fact that their money circulates because they spend it, fund foundations, and create jobs is a different story entirely. Life isn't black and white... we need to aim for dialogue.

After that, a lot of countries within the European Union decided to tighten up their credit rating criteria. They actually sat down at the table to hammer out some real solutions. It’s possible that some of those nations had already regulated this stuff ages ago and were just fine-tuning the system later on.

Morgan Foster said:Not too long ago, the Cold War came to an end. One side produced goods based purely on ideology—mass-producing items that ultimately nobody wanted to buy. The other side sat down, did the math, listened to the market, and adjusted their production accordingly... making money and stabilizing their nation in the process. They led their country based on facts rather than being enslaved by ideological dogmas. They didn't close themselves off.

Without earned money, there is nothing; it’s a necessary evil. The biggest drain on funds is the welfare state, because humans, by nature, always expect something in return for any service provided.

A new path is being forged. An objective professional says three months and at least eight cents worth of asphalt. A politician knows better and says "lay three," opening a "new" road ahead of schedule right before an election. You’ll likely pay for the professional solution once... but how many times will you pay for that second option, the one where they just wave an ideological flag?

I'm pulling the brakes here. I don't want politics in my shop. 😁

Amanda Evans2 said:What on earth happened to the doctor of practice candidacy

Morgan Foster said:So, basically, you're supporting the government taking out massive loans to hand out to everyone. Then they'd just pay those loans back by inventing new taxes or something. Sounds familiar...

We need to assemble actual nerd experts for new economic reform initiatives based on technical merit, rather than ideological or subservient criteria. There’s probably a reason why America doesn't have much to offer the world besides sunshine (I was going to say tourism, but I'll pass) and decent human capital that ends up funding the federal budget.

The political stage isn't honest; it just hands out treats to different factions. Everyone acts like they're fighting for their side, without realizing they paid for those treats out of their own pockets.

It seems you're missing one major looming social crisis in the US. What happens when the population keeps aging? Pensions, elder care, nursing homes? We don't need ideologies; we need practical solutions that actually improve daily life. The government should function as a service to its citizens, not as a blunt instrument from the dark ages.

brightpilot6 said:What’s the actual issue here—is it the ideas themselves, or just the way they manifest?

I honestly welcome any attempt to build a coherent economic left wing—not because I expect anyone to actually win an election, since that isn't happening (nor should it), but simply so these perspectives can exist in the public square. We need a counterweight to the hyper-right-wing economic theories that are currently trendy and sound so appealing, especially to younger generations who feel like social solidarity is nothing more than a drain on their wallets (particularly given the disastrous state of our country lately).

Of course, I am talking about a left wing that is actually adapted to today's reality, rather than one stuck in the 19th or 20th centuries. We need advocacy for genuine equal opportunity (rather than equal outcomes), limits on corporatocracy, environmental protection, and a critique of the losers created by globalization. Someone needs to keep in mind the people who won't have advanced degrees, those who won't be able to swap employers like socks through freelance gigs, those unable to work for some firm in Hong Kong from the comfort of their living rooms, and those who lack either the skill or the drive to run their own businesses. These people are the backbone of society, and their future looks incredibly bleak in this unstable world we are heading toward.

neonfalcon16 said:Were you guys actually worried about having a live stream debate? 🤦

The only thing worth noting was Đapić's total inability to stand still for more than two minutes.

bluebison47 said:Is Babić putting together a relay race or some kind of campaign? Like a 4x400m sprint or something.🙏

Larry Fox5 said:A nation is defined by its questions, I guess.

bluebison47 said:Skoro has some pretty questionable clock management going on here, I guess.

E: It’s like even the traffic lights are broken; feels like we're watching the Los Angeles Lakers play.🙏

brightpilot6 said:Josip Broz Marshall and Franjo Harmon. 2020. For crying out loud.

brightpilot6 said:This is how Eden looked when preseason training first kicked off.

brightpilot6 said:Personally, I don't mind at all that the focus stays on this single issue; if anything, I welcome it. After all, isn't Milan Bandić essentially a symbol of everything wrong with our local politics? My only real critique is that the approach could have been handled with more finesse, especially considering how many people are seeing his influence for the very first time.

Joseph Flores15 said:Ivan Dapic's chair wins Man of the Match

brightpilot6 said:Jurica Juričan isn't quite ready to tackle these broad national issues yet; he seems too preoccupied with local figures like Milan Bandić, which prevents him from translating those larger themes onto his own platform effectively. He really could have bridged the gap by bringing up Zdravko Mamić, Aleksandar Vučić, or comparing the development of the waterfront projects in New York to Manhattan, among other things.

Dalija handles herself well verbally, and I find myself agreeing with her on most points; she doesn't come across poorly, though she clearly lacks that certain political edge and charisma.

brightpilot6 said:I can't help but feel that Jurica Juričan is overplaying his hand here; this particular style just doesn't seem to sit right with him. That being said, I’d certainly give him my vote for his previous body of work.

Mirko Škoro is surprisingly low on the list.

Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović is unexpectedly strong; if she had carried herself this way over the last few months, she probably would have swept the elections.

Dalija isn't bad, but let's be honest, she doesn't stand a chance.

Zoran Milanović is just mediocre.

As for Kolakušić, he's acting like a total psycho—I’d sign him to Real Madrid tomorrow in a heartbeat.