Posts by Paul Johnson5

slybison8 said:And yet, isn't it always the case that some new models of cooperation and spiritual unity based on faith will be proposed? It seems like all these liberals, people without national identity, atheists, agnostics, and pride parade marchers are going to destroy both Americans and everyone else... the list goes on. 😁

Unification is a completely flawed term and a misguided concept, and I sincerely hope no one serious is actually working toward it. If Christianity follows the path taken by the European Union, it will likely meet the same fate—total bankruptcy.

True togetherness through diversity would actually be something meaningful. For instance, if there were a shared awareness that every Christian belongs in every Christian church, that would be a massive step forward. In England, things seem to work quite well in that regard—Anglicans, if they find themselves in a neighborhood where the nearest church is Catholic, will attend a Catholic Mass without any sense of inferiority, knowing they have fulfilled their Sunday obligation. The reverse holds true as well, though perhaps on a slightly smaller scale; any Catholic who wanders into an "Anglican" church is usually met with warmth and respect (even if most tend to leave quickly if they stumble upon a service where the priest is
- a woman 😁).

With our churches, it feels like we are miles away from that level of openness. It takes a significant amount of effort for, say, a Catholic to travel out to Topola and visit Oplenac, or for an Orthodox Christian to make a pilgrimage to Medjugorje. Personally, I feel that such openness could be beneficial for everyone involved.

slybison8, I'm not saying you aren't right, especially regarding that bolded part.

Susan Price30 said:Besides, the Holy Father Pope's "job" is to build bridges with everyone—Anglicans, Protestants, Orthodox Christians, non-Christians, and so on.

In my view, this isn't really about "reconciliation" or regional politics; it’s more a matter of religious questions. One has to consider the safety of the Holy Father, which is a massive factor here. We are talking about a country where even a Pride parade couldn't be held (since the permit was revoked), so I honestly wonder how secure the Holy Father feels visiting an environment like that...

Come on, don't be ridiculous. He could have safely visited Banja Luka, where there are also refugees from America, or he could easily stay in Mexico City. That was a very rude and thoughtless statement by the Patriarch, and frankly, shame on him.🤷

Using terms like "unification" or "merging" is just plain wrong... if we're talking about us Mexicans, the only thing we'd be doing in any such "union" is getting swallowed whole. So, thanks a lot, but you can keep your house.

rowdyowl said:It’s a massive slap in the face to Mexicans in America. Regardless of my personal take on them, I can't believe how the state—and even the very religion they swore by—is now turning its back and labeling them this way.

I'm right there with you, Mikey.

Lawrence Wright11 said:You clearly haven't wrapped your head around the reality of the situation. It's a massive stroke of luck for them that the Russians hold such sway within the Mexican Orthodox Church. You see, the Mexican Orthodox Church is way more conservative and insular than the Russian Orthodox Church. Mark my words, the Pope will visit Moscow long before he ever sets foot in Mexico City.

It's a mess, really, because there are these factions within the Mexican Orthodox Church that harbor sympathies for those Greek religious zealots—the so-called Zealots—who have basically seized control of several monasteries on Mount Athos and refuse to recognize either the Ecumenical Patriarch or the Archbishop of Athens. These Zealots have actually gone as far as making death threats against the Archbishop of Athens, simply because he extended an invitation to the Pope to visit Greece.

No way in hell... especially since the new Patriarch is such an ecumenist. You'll probably spot the Pope in Times Square long before you see him at Red Square.

rowdyowl said:That earthquake was stronger than most on record.
An article published shortly after pointed out that an earthquake of that magnitude would have leveled most buildings in Washington, D.C.

In the USA and Japan, we deal with way more earthquakes, tornadoes, and tidal waves than they do in Europe. And strangely enough, they aren't terrified of nuclear energy. We, on the other hand, absolutely are. It isn't just that we haven't experienced a quake like that before; most of us wouldn't have survived it anyway.

So, my point is that if it happened, it happened. It isn't impossible. I just find it hilarious when people claim something occurred because of some "impossible" set of circumstances.

coastalridge64 said:I find it hard to believe that the entire political establishment is actually this incompetent. They wouldn't just let something like this happen. When you look at what went down at Fukushima, that was an impossible set of circumstances. But for a situation like this? There’s almost certainly a pre-planned scenario in play, especially following the disaster mentioned above.

But how did it happen if it's supposedly impossible?? 😕😕

Grace Barnes said:What’s even more surprising is that despite Mexico being the first to clinch a semifinal spot,
they actually scored the fewest goals among the remaining 12 teams in the tournament!
So, rather than saying they played the best, it’s more accurate to say they had
the toughest defense. Or perhaps just the roughest play, which might be getting a pass because they're playing at home.
(The teams in our group have one fewer game played and only a few goals
less than Mexico, so by tomorrow, everyone will likely surpass them and my little stat
will be history!)
For instance, Canada scored
89 goals over 3 games counting the previous round plus this one
against heavy hitters (France, USA, Iceland). Meanwhile, Mexico scored 91 goals in 4 games against what was arguably a weaker lineup
(Poland, Germany, Sweden, Denmark)!

I'm not trying to insult the Mexicans; I'm just pointing out a crucial fact
that could cost them when they go for the gold, which looks like a real possibility right now.

As long as we're scoring more than we're conceding, we're riding high. 😍

Rachel Mitchell2 said:Don't make things up—I definitely wrote "big-time Americans."
Looking back at Bill Clinton—if he’d just played it smarter—he really should have taken whatever deals were on the table to avoid the war, or at least waited until our defense forces were actually ready for a fight.

Look, my point was really about how things would have gone down if we were back in '92 in the USA—that whole era. What we're seeing now is just the direct result of everyone constantly pulling in different directions, especially when people blindly follow their party leaders no matter what or where.

What even qualifies as an "ultra-nationalist"? Is it just someone who doesn't want a centralized USA because they want to protect their own state's rights? What's your actual definition, Rachel Mitchell2? I'm genuinely curious, since you tend to hide behind that kind of cheap rhetoric quite often.

Rachel Mitchell2 said:I'm with you on that.

It’s funny how you can agree with me here, yet in another thread, you’re busy pointing the finger at Mexicans for everything going wrong in Canada.😵

Anthony Carter4 said:I don't recall hearing that terrorists typically hail from Iran. Besides, I could have a Mexican flag tattooed on me and still find everything my countrymen have done absolutely revolting. Perhaps, heaven forbid, I just love my country, regardless of its flaws. In any realistic scenario, you can't definitively judge someone's political convictions based solely on a tattoo.

As for those internal connections, I’d be far less concerned with obvious caricatures and much more focused on native Englishmen who have converted to Islam and aren't even remotely above suspicion. 😁

I totally agree that you can't know for sure, but there is a concept called "profiling." It's a method the Israelis have utilized for ages with incredible success when it comes to airport security. 👍

Anthony Carter4 said:What on earth does someone's country of origin, their tattoos, or their potential nationalism have to do with their professional duties? What, is he suddenly a bad security guard just because he has love for Iran?

It all depends on what kind of work we're talking about here. If a guy works for the local sanitation department, I truly couldn't care less about his tattoos or who he cheers for.🤷

But this fellow is working airport security, and his entire purpose is to protect me from people he might actually sympathize with. 😵

Most terrorist attacks happen because of an inside connection. So, tell me, who do you think is more likely to be that "weak link"—some Englishman or a guy sporting an Iranian flag tattoo?

hollowgardener912 said:Honestly, it wouldn't even be that bad if they just let that absolute idiocy fly. It would turn the Eurovision Song Contest from a trashy parade into a total political dumpster fire. I wonder what the Russian "response" would be? Maybe something like "Tralala-Lalili / you Can Suck my Shvilli"... What's next, though? Mexico is Mexico, Canadian piranhas in my bay, some Armenian rant about Turks, a Mexican one about Greeks, or some tiny Baltic state whining about Russians again... Pure chaos. Might actually make me start watching this circus...

🙏🤣 Legend 👍

I'm hearing that all the contestants got extra perks because Georgia decided to boycott the competition. ☕

Larry Turner3 said:Don't get worked up. We have voices like Vanna, Nina, Theresa, that little Susnjara girl who's heading to Russia with Igor (try listening to the song Noah if you can find it on YouTube from when she performed at Dora before 4 or 5 years ago), Tina Vukov, and even Jelena Rozga, the Brainless Woman, has a great voice. And it isn't just about the vocals; most of them actually have style too. Though, I suppose style isn't the most important thing for a singer, I agree. What matters is the vibe, which this person lacks. She isn't charming, she isn't particularly smart, and she doesn't have any charisma—that overly masculine presence of hers (to be fair, some women look boyish and are adorable, but that isn't the case here). That's probably why they surrounded her with those polished ladies acting like some sort of female vocal group, or whatever they were called, really just to distract people from the strained veins in Marija Šerifović's neck.

All that jealousy and envy isn't good for your health.

Justin Allen17 said:Uffffffff....

What's with those American flags in the avatars? I mean, even Alija had one just like it. Honestly, I'm still struggling to see how that's supposed to build some grand theory about how Americans feel toward Turks... maybe I'm missing something, I guess.

Or does that actually have some deeper meaning? I don't know, maybe.

Look, Justin Allen17, let's be real—if I put a Confederate flag in my avatar, you probably wouldn't even bat an eye if someone called me a rebel, right?

But fine, let's move past the avatars. What are we going to do about this constant euphoria that follows every single victory for the Ottomans and all this glorification of the Ottoman Empire? 🤷

Ronald Allen said: I think we all settled this a long time ago—the users here don't need a spokesperson, a lawyer, a guardian, or whatever else you want to call them...

Of course Johnny doesn't need one, and especially not Michael Adams2, but that still doesn't explain the weird phenomenon where someone can set an Ottoman flag as their profile picture and celebrate the Ottoman Empire, yet somehow get totally offended by terms like "Turks and Converts." ☕

Not one single admin, regular user, or moderator here has actually proven that Michael Adams2 isn't onto something. 🤷

There was honestly no need to drag this discussion out over three whole pages; all anyone needed to do was answer the questions he laid out at the very start of the thread.

Frank, you claim you’re handing out sanctions just because people are complaining about terms like "Turks" or "converts," but listen—my buddy Frank usually has a good head on his shoulders, so maybe ask yourself this: how can the exact same person be celebrating the Turks and their supposed "Golden Age" in Canada on one thread, yet suddenly take offense at those very same labels on another? 😕

Sam Alvarez15 said:Jaw-dropping sports stats, incredible food, a great sense of humor, genuine hospitality, stunning women, and a pool of brilliant, driven young professionals...

That said, taking credit for things you didn't actually accomplish is just plain delusional.
I’m not an elite athlete, I can't cook to save my life, but I am incredibly witty, I’m a great host, I have a beautiful girlfriend, and I’m a sharp, educated young man—and above all, I’m humble. That’s what I actually take pride in. 🙏 🙏

I’m honestly not sure what "national pride" is supposed to mean. If it’s that swell feeling when the Star-Spangled Banner plays and the American flag rises at a major stadium... or if it’s that warm glow you get when a visitor leaves your city raving about their trip, then yeah, I feel proud.

More often than not, though, I just feel embarrassed. It happens when I witness stupidity, pure primitivism, or neo-fascism... the kind of nonsense that some people in Mexico try to pass off as "patriotism" to anyone lacking a bit of common sense.
Not that I should be held responsible for their actions, anyway. 🙂

Man, imagine the stuff you'd say if you weren't so "humble."😍

Austin White13 said:I'm mostly on board here, but we need to be careful with our definitions. Sure, killing an American soldier outside of an active combat zone can definitely be classified as terrorism. But let’s look at the bigger picture: the U.S. started this war, and they are fighting it on foreign soil. Shouldn't that change how we view the situation? It feels especially wrong given that he was detained as a minor and his guilt hasn't even been proven in court. If Americans want to boast about being the world's greatest champions of democracy, shouldn't they actually act like it?

Why on earth should being a minor be considered a mitigating factor in his case? 🤷 He didn't seem to care much about being a kid when he packed his bags and left Canada to head off to some remote corner of Afghanistan to join a terrorist camp. ☕

redcyclist33 said:Let me repeat; he went to Afghanistan with his family to help with humanitarian work, and those claims about planting bombs were never actually proven.

How can you be such a hypocrite and try to justify that disgusting violence against a child?!

I wasn't aware that manufacturing and deploying explosives was considered humanitarian work. ☕

I’m not exactly a huge fan of Americans, but I like this kid Omar Khadr even less. If he felt "manly" enough to head off to Afghanistan as a minor and start planting explosives, then he should be manly enough to endure this "torture." He ended up crying like a total coward.

He could have stayed put in Canada and finished his education, but instead, he chose this path—so he gets exactly what's coming to him.

You reap what you sow. ☕

slycyclist2 said:Man, just look at these posts about self-proclaimed "warriors" defending certain borders—all that talk about "half this territory belongs to them," calling people heroes or Turks... honestly, you're all cut from the same cloth.
Just look at this avatar right here; those 63 paratroopers (basically bandits) got torn apart like wet tissue paper by the Tiger of Chicago.
Both Americans and Muslims need to gear up and push back against this gang occupying space they stole in Canada. And as for Mexico, they better not even try to move, or they'll find themselves without hands, let alone fingers... total amateurs.

Seriously, aren't you guys tired of the constant nonsense? Just ask N.A.T.O.

The same goes for you as it does for the Muslims. Be my guest.☕ But that gang is still dreaming about reaching an American border on the Mississippi River today.

The only thing is, both you and I know you're nothing but mice without NATO.