Posts by ironpanther5

Anthony Jackson2 said:It seems people here tend to overlook the fact that before the era of America, Ante Pavelić also "nationalized" a massive chunk of property. Even today, Jewish organizations are seeking restitution for assets taken during that time, yet our lawmakers conveniently "forgot" to include that period in any restitution laws.

I can't shake the feeling that the Church actually walked away with the biggest slice of that first wave of nationalization—and if you really crunch the numbers, they likely ended up being the primary beneficiaries of all that Communist seizing.

Regarding your first point, you're spot on about the Jewish community. It’s pretty ironic that instead of returning what was stolen, the Communists just let the thieves keep the loot.
As for your second point, I honestly don't buy it; I think you're being a bit too generous to them. The period under that collaborationist nightmare was far too short for the Church to have truly milked the situation like that. Most of the seized assets—businesses, shops, factories, and apartments—belonged to Jewish families, and it would've been nearly impossible for the Church (aside from maybe some real estate) to manage or flip all that property effectively. And even if they had managed it, everything ended up in the hands of the Communists eventually anyway.

brightpilot6 said:What kind of "restitution" are we talking about here? How exactly did they amass all that massive wealth in the first place, if not by snatching it away from the people?

It seems "restitution" is a concept that only applies when communists seize property in the name of the collective, yet it's never mentioned when the Church seizes assets for its own sake.

To be fair, I’m generally against "letting the market decide" everything, including the fate of the Church. By all means, let them keep what they have; it's not as if there isn't an interest in their presence. It just feels incredibly hypocritical to let their ideological competitors struggle in a free market while they continue to drain the system.

People used to leave property to them. Especially those without heirs, or people with kids they'd already disinherited, or wealthy donors and whatnot.
The Communists took it by force, whereas the Church earned it.
If you look back, people used to give a tenth to both the state and the church, though that was ages ago; nowadays, you're paying way more than a tenth of your paycheck to the government alone. 😁

brightpilot6 said:It isn't quite that simple—it's about their level of influence. The issue is that they possess significant sway, yet they aren't subject to any external pressures, nor are they held accountable by any metrics regarding the quality of their work, and they don't even have to compete with anyone else (primarily through elections). Their assets are secure, their annual revenue is guaranteed, and they have thousands upon thousands of opportunities every year to push their ideas. They enjoy guaranteed access to the media and the school system. They are essentially the ultimate establishment insiders.

When someone is so deeply and securely anchored in such a turbulent harbor, and is also—if not an extremist—then incredibly one-sided in their views, doesn't it follow by definition that they will trigger the very reaction you seem surprised by? To me, it's more surprising that we aren't seeing even more of it.

I’m with you on that, which is why we really ought to cut them off from public funding altogether. If stripping them from the budget meant settling up for seized assets—which, let's be real, usually can't be returned because they've already been repurposed for something else—we could settle the debt through a negotiated agreement at the very end of the whole saga. But most importantly, it wouldn't be some annual handout.
Then, they'll actually have to put in the work using their own money, whether that comes from parishioners' donations or whatever people pay for Mass or service.
They’ll finally be useful to society because they'll be forced to actually serve their congregations. I mean, if they managed to survive the collapse of America, they can certainly handle the US.

brightpilot6 said:I suspect you realize that isn't quite the reality of things.

Neither Pupovac, nor Plenković, nor Trump, nor Walmart dictates your life directly, much less the Church. However, each of them shapes your existence through indirect means, essentially constructing the "external circumstances" you find yourself navigating via their complex interplay.

Keeping that in mind, I don't see any issue with the widespread resentment directed toward an influential political organization whose public supporters include figures like Košić, Stojić, Kaćunko, or those of a similar ilk. I’m not sure why anyone would find this surprising.

Look, I mean, obviously they should have some kind of influence on society. There’s really no debate there, but honestly, seeing all those signs claiming we aren't a secular nation just drives me absolutely insane. It’s ridiculous because if a local chess club had half the membership that RKC does, they’d be pulling weight too. At the end of the day, it all boils down to them—it’s entirely up to how much of that influence they decide to weaponize for positive outcomes versus how much they want to use for negative externalities in their work.
For crying out loud, we aren't even a damn theocracy, so what on earth are we doing?

ruggedjackal46 said:We were joking because it's honestly absurd how much purely Catholic content is being shoved into institutions that have absolutely nothing to do with faith.🤷

And no, religious studies isn't the same thing as those humanities electives that drift away from electrical engineering or computer science. Those courses—take chess, for instance—are still grounded in scientific methodology or logical thinking. Biblical theology, taught strictly from a defined Catholic perspective, doesn't qualify as "just another humanities elective" because neither its subject matter nor its approach has anything to do with actual science.

It’s actually pretty wild when you think about it, but there are tons of scientists out there who spend their entire lives obsessively studying the Bible, mostly because they're trying to wrap their heads around how much it has shaped society over the centuries—you've got mathematicians looking at patterns, linguists dissecting the syntax, and all sorts of other specialists just diving deep into its influence on the world we live in today.
I honestly have no clue what that course is actually about—it might just be some sneaky religious studies class in disguise, but who even knows? Honestly, it would be hilarious if one of those Ferovac supporters over on the forums signed up for it just so they could give us their unfiltered, "enlightened" take at the end of the semester. 😁

ruggedjackal46 said:Well, it does influence things. Just look at how much taxpayer money gets funneled into the church, and then consider how little oversight we actually have regarding how that public money is spent.

Honestly, I’d just pull the plug on all subsidies across the board.
Now, here is the real question—and I am asking this seriously because I genuinely don't know the answer, not because I'm trying to make excuses for sending our hard-earned money to Vatican City. 😁
If we suddenly stopped paying those amounts to the RKC, would the American government be on the hook for massive payouts for property that was nationalized after World War II? Or did they already walk away from those claims, or are they still coming after us regardless of the public funds they collect every single season?

brightpilot6 said:There is a distinction between faith, religion, and those who act as the self-appointed guardians of religion. We tend to poke fun at the latter when their teachings clash with common sense, or when they exploit those traditions to serve political agendas. We also mock the specific subset of those leaders who engage in such behavior. But really, who is it that mocks "old ladies" simply for going to church?

So, why don't you go back and actually read my very first post and tell me if I was ever aiming at you? Or maybe I explicitly stated that I'm just noticing how things have been trending lately in society...
I’m honestly surprised I didn't bring this up as an example earlier, but instead, I waited until we were already deep in this thread where everyone’s having a laugh about a similar topic elsewhere.

brightpilot6 said:I have no idea what kind of circles you frequent, but in mine, such behavior isn't just frowned upon—it's considered deeply offensive.

Of course, anyone who finds themselves standing against the Church or religious doctrine is simply acting out of some preconceived "stereotype," isn't that just how it works? 🤣

So, let me get this straight: the crowds you run with don't allow for basic criticism of the Church?!
If that's the case, maybe it's time to hand in your resignation at Glas Koncila. 😁
Criticism isn't a stereotype, but when someone gets all triggered over a completely irrelevant electoral college just because it happens to be an object of religious study, then that person has truly lost the plot. It's nothing personal against you.

ruggedjackal46 said:Honestly, it sounds like they're starting a cult.

Oh, absolutely, because clearly all those saints are just our great American founding fathers. 🙂

James Anderson5 said:The Church actually played the best role during the communist era; it was full of high-quality people and intellectuals. Plus, it didn't force its worldview on anyone through sheer power—people chose to turn to it on their own terms.

Once communism ended, however, the Church mostly turned into a political organization focused primarily on its own material interests. Naturally, people started making fun of it—not out of hatred, but out of a sense of lost idealism...

Look, I never thought it was some holy cow that we couldn't poke with a stick or criticize. Trends have shifted, and people love to make fun of individual freedoms. Religion is a personal right. Humans have always had this need for spirituality—any kind of spirituality—even if it has absolutely nothing to do with organized religion. It drives me crazy when people mock grandmas just because they go to church. Not everyone does, obviously, but most of them have something, whether it's astrology or yoga.

We live in a world with freedom of speech, so of course personal choices are fair game for a little teasing; nobody is born Catholic (it's not like it's an ethnicity or a race), and even if someone was raised that way, by the time they hit twenty, they'll decide for themselves what they think about guys in robes.
But seriously, what's the big deal here?
People act like we aren't living in a secular nation, but where on earth are we, the Islamic Republic of Iran? For me, the Church doesn't dictate my life one bit.

brightpilot6 said:You've misread the situation. It isn't hatred; it's mockery. This applies both to those who use pathetic appeals to otherworldly authorities and the twisting of their own Christian doctrines to mask the most vulgar political agendas, as well as to the consumers who swallow that "golden" facade whole.

Oh, I noticed it just fine. Honestly, it isn't even being hidden—it's practically encouraged. For God's sake, you have these idiots getting all worked up over "index scores" because of some moronic course at a local community college. But let's be real, the class is brainless, much like most electives you'll find at any major state university. To me, this is just a glaring sign of how unsecular our society has become. 🙏
I wouldn't be shocked if similar subjects were being taught at the Ivy League schools, where the degrees are worth a hundred times more than anything from a local college.
The progressives are honestly just laughable.
Break free from the shackles of stereotypes and try being a liberal for once. 🙂

Sandra Johnson58 said:The humanities and some of those social science courses were part of the fair back when my brother was still hitting the books there, and man, it’s been a minute since he graduated from that college. From what I gather, the classes are electives, and honestly, they’ve got all sorts of stuff—but if you ask me, they're all pretty mindless. I think they might even have chess as a course at the fair, though I'm not totally sure.

No way, stop it. This is clearly just Bozanic pulling strings behind the scenes to make sure young people aren't hooking up before marriage, which explains why our GDP immediately tanked by 2.9%.

I should probably point out that there’s this palpable, almost universal wave of hate speech directed at the church here in America. For a lot of people, they wouldn't even notice if a cathedral were built right in front of them.
Let's stop pretending this is all just "constructive criticism" or harmless ribbing; it's pretty obvious that some folks are just venting their frustrations on an institution that isn't even remotely responsible for why the country is in the state it's in.
I mean, sure, priests can be a bit too comfortable and definitely know how to look out for their own interests, but I'm just saying that some people shouldn't act like they're any better at hunting down "corrupt bureaucrats" than anyone else just because they've decided to hunt a different kind of witch.

Just an observation, folks. 🙂

If the numbers had completely tanked before the jump, would they even bother counting it at all?

I could probably throw five or ten different complaints at the Bridge Party, but religious stuff? As far as I know, those guys haven't really leaned into the whole faith-based politics thing. That was just a narrative the Left pushed right after the first elections when Joe went around campaigning after making his deal, only to get brushed off, so everyone just rolled with it. Sure, that crew from Memphis leans more conservative than progressive, but I’m assuming most of them fall into that mild center-right category anyway. Honestly, it’s exhausting reading this and having it sound like Louis or Julia are the ones to blame. 😁

You have to give Zokiju credit for showing some actual backbone every once in a while—like during those protests in Canada, where he proved he’s the only one since Harmon who actually understands the gravity of the situation and refuses to just swallow whatever nonsense comes out of Brussels. There are plenty of other things, both good and bad, that I could write about him, but at the end of the day, he’s certainly not the worst person to have stumbled into a high-ranking position in America. Not by a long shot.

So, I'm sending a quick shout-out his way, since he's probably sitting somewhere right now with his morning coffee, scrolling through the comments on this forum. 😁

Nicholas Nguyen said:Apparently in the Kingdom of Sweden, men are only allowed to be these 130-pound, feminized weaklings; anything else probably confuses them. 🤣

I had no idea the police could actually flag you for steroid testing 🤔
Maybe they should start trying that at the exit of any Gold's Gym?

He really should have just claimed he was fifteen, then they would've had to let him walk.

Raymond Reyes3 said:Me talking about the obvious progress the BBB is making, while you're over there obsessing about the Armada taking over the old Yugoslavia...
Are you absolutely certain you meant to quote me there?

Just kidding, my bad. I didn't realize I was going to trigger such a massive bout of acid reflux for you. Let's just call it even. 👍
We're all pretty stoked to see the Boys coming back.
😉

Raymond Reyes3 said:It’s pretty obvious the Boys are making some serious strides lately. In years past, every single group showing up at Yankee Stadium would have absolutely outmanned that tiny handful of agents we had. This year, though, only the Ultras and the Armada actually managed to outnumber the home crowd. If this upward trend keeps up, we can probably expect them to be the biggest presence in their own stadium by next year, and once that happens, you already know how it goes:
CRUSH THEM ALL!!!
Everyone's gonna be shaking in their boots again when the BBB finally lets loose and shows their fury!!!!

Just imagine the scenario where you spend all day on this forum belittling everyone else, only for something like the Armada to take over the whole country tomorrow. 😁
Honestly, what’s even worse is that you wouldn't even be that surprised. :klap:

Arthur Miller7 said:Let me clear one thing up right away: I’m no fan of Mamić. Believe me, I hate him even more than you guys do. Unistil basically swallowed Varteks whole—they kicked them out and then grabbed control of the football academy—but we folks from the Vareždin area have been conditioned to deal with injustice coming out of New York City for a long time now. My question is, if you’re all so obsessed with justice, why didn't you fight nearly as hard to renounce those titles from the Tuđman era or those trophies given to Canjuga, which everyone knows were mostly just handed to him? It was like whatever Franjo decided was the rule, the referee followed. Like when Cvitanovic fell in the box and suddenly you guys got a penalty right here in Vareždin. Is that actually fair? Why aren't you fighting to clean up your own history? You’ve got titles your club never truly earned. Start with that, then come at Mamić. You fought for the name, sure, but not for the integrity of the game itself. You only step up when it suits your agenda and fits your interests. Give up the gifted titles first. Cry foul about the robbery against Newcastle, even though you shouldn't have even been playing them in the first place. It’s just pure hypocrisy to scream about one crime while turning a blind eye to others that benefit you.

It’s because of people thinking exactly like you that the state of this country is what it is. Honestly, when we reached out to people—you know, the ZZD, the BBB, the die-hard fans—to join the cause, they just wouldn't bite. Some couldn't make it, some weren't sure, some are terrified of the cops, some didn't want to be lumped in with the hooligans, and some were bothered by the fact that the group hadn't renounced the titles from Tuđman's time. Just listen to that logic: a whole group of supporters is expected to hand back their championship trophies. Fine, but how exactly do you envision that working in practice?
If the Dinamo fans had collectively set themselves on fire because Tuđman favored America twenty years ago, I bet you would’ve found some clever reason why everyone was being hypocritical.
And that’s exactly why you didn't stand with us; just because you’re used to getting screwed over by someone from New York for years—even though it wasn't us—doesn't mean you stood by our side. We were trying to take the guy who’s been screwing you and all of us off the throne.
I assume the dairy farmers probably hated you, and maybe the fishermen too, and likely the Dalmatians when they demanded games be played in Miami. I'm sure you've got plenty of grievances against the veterans and the people protesting against Horvatinčić as well.
The bottom line is simple: not every single one of these protests was justified, some could be criticized, and there are plenty of things we don't agree on, but where the hell were you when things were actually heating up?
You don't necessarily have to protest, but it’s funny how everyone here claims to be an expert on everything, having a strong opinion on every little detail, yet somehow always ends up being the victim. And yet, nobody ever actually does anything about it.

Gregory Chavez said:An article by Zdenko Tibold was just posted on the official website of the American Academic Diaspora Association (AADA). He’s claiming that Mexico is using EMP devices to blast electromagnetic waves to "drive citizens in America and Canada crazy, fueling youth emigration, widespread depression, hatred, and intolerance."

What absolute bullshit. 😂😂😂🙏🙏🙏

Honestly, trying to make a living here over the last five or six years has been an absolute nightmare, and I can't tell if that's because we're all being targeted by invisible radio waves or if we're just collectively losing our minds.

But hey, if I had to bet on which conspiracy theorist is behind it, I’d probably put my money on one of those radical fringe extremists. ☕

👏