Posts by Sandra Johnson58

Nathan Morris3 said:Well, I already mentioned that the proportion is actually higher among foreigners. I wasn't trying to dodge anything or play it down, I'm just saying it isn't exclusive to any one group.

The issue is that this won't stay that way much longer because crime rates across the board are climbing among immigrants. When a fifth of the population ends up responsible for half the country's crime, we're looking at a massive problem—especially since some groups are overrepresented while others barely show up at all.

Look, here in Austria, crime spiked quite a bit once Romania and Bulgaria joined the EU. The news was all over it, talking about double-digit increases and everyone panicking. But what actually happened? Not much, really. Austria is still a relatively safe place. We didn't kick the Romanians out of the EU or the country; we just tried to patch the holes, even if we were mostly just treating symptoms. If we tried to fix every single little thing, I guess there'd be nothing left in Austria but animals and flowers.

Quote:I'm really curious what you think causes certain immigrant groups to have such extreme crime rates while others, coming from similar economic backgrounds, have almost none. Maybe it's just certain cultural norms? Crime rates usually have more to do with socio-economic status than actual social norms. There's plenty of data showing that an unemployed Austrian without an education who's struggling to get by is just as likely to turn to crime as a Romanian in that exact same spot. But, obviously, there are just many more Romanians in those tough situations, so they end up making up a larger number of criminals. Then, as a result, crime becomes somewhat "socially acceptable." So, I'm not sure where you got that idea about "foreigners from similar economic backgrounds having extreme crime rates." Where did that come from, I guess? Anyway, I might suggest it's actually the opposite, since the standards locals are used to are often higher than what migrants are accustomed to. With all its pros and cons, of course.

Quote:By the way, in Norway and Finland, it’s become mandatory for immigrants from countries known for their "human rights" and great "social freedoms," and respect for minorities, to go through intensive training on local societal norms. And if they don't like it, well, they can just head straight back to a war zone. I guess you've got that backwards. Honestly, I don't think any Norwegian would ever try to dump someone into a war zone—you might be misinformed or maybe just mistaken. And if they’re trying to explain local customs or rules to newcomers, I don't see anything wrong with that at all. It's not like they're attacking anyone's faith or identity; it's just saying, "Hey, follow our rules and you're welcome here." I'm totally on board with that. Sadly, in places like Austria, a lot of people just don't get it. There seems to be this push to just kick migrants out without even attempting to help. It feels like pure cruelty driven by a sense of superiority.

There's just so much misinformation being pushed about immigration. I guess at first everyone was crying about how it was all women and kids, but even a blind man could see that wasn't true. Then they kept claiming these people were highly educated when they barely speak a word of English, and now the media is suddenly obsessed with how many unaccompanied minors there are. It's wild, really. Apparently, authorities in Denmark and Norway ran tests on those "unaccompanied kids," and it turns out 72% weren't even children—they were all adults. And maybe even close to thirty percent of them were somewhere near that mark. 🤣 I mean, honestly, you don't even really need those tests when you've got eyes. I guess.
I guess most immigrants aren't exactly savages or anything, but they do come from totally different cultures with their own sets of social norms. Maybe we just need to focus more on assimilation so they don't end up stuck in ghettos.

I guess I don't know which news outlets you've been watching, but I honestly haven't seen anything about it being all women and children... that would be pretty weird, right? Who in their right mind would let their wife and kids cross the Mediterranean in a rubber dinghy? And the idea that everyone is highly educated or some kind of angel... maybe you're making the mistake of generalizing again. I'm really against any kind of sweeping generalizations because they just dull your mind. It’s like how people make those extreme assumptions about groups in the US—saying every single person belongs to one specific radical faction. They just don't.

Yeah, they’re definitely lying about their ages. It's pretty hard to prove otherwise, and I guess you can't really be surprised that people will do whatever it takes to make life better, especially just to survive. Like, if they say they're 16 when they've actually been smuggling themselves into Austria for two years... well, it is what it is. If we saved their lives by getting them out of the clutches of ISIS, the FSA, or Assad, then that seems like a tiny price to pay compared to the actual problems we're dealing with here in Austria.

What did they even do when my house was burning down during the war? What did they do while their people were out there looting, raping, and killing across Lebanon for decades? Nothing, I guess. They just didn't give a damn, so maybe I shouldn't either. I don't owe them anything.

There you go again with that "them" talk. I mean, they’re mostly just trying to escape ISIS and Assad and stuff like that. If you were running from an occupier in Syria, you'd probably treat people a lot better than how you're acting toward them right now. And honestly, saying you won't help because some of them might have done bad things in Lebanon forty years ago? It just doesn't feel very convincing, sorry. I guess you're just looking for any excuse not to help, especially since you know they haven't actually done anything to you. Not sure who you're trying to convince.

I think you might have misread me there. What I was actually getting at was your take on why certain immigrant groups seem to show up way more in crime stats than others, even when they’re coming from pretty much the same level of poverty. Like, I guess what I mean is... why would an Arab person be twenty times more likely to be involved in crime compared to a Vietnamese person, if they're both basically fleeing the same kind of struggle?

Nathan Morris3 said:Well, I already mentioned that the proportion is actually higher among foreigners. I wasn't trying to dodge anything or play it down, I'm just saying it isn't exclusive to any one group.

The issue is that this won't stay that way much longer because crime rates across the board are climbing among immigrants. When a fifth of the population ends up responsible for half the country's crime, we're looking at a massive problem—especially since some groups are overrepresented while others barely show up at all.

Look, here in Austria, crime spiked quite a bit once Romania and Bulgaria joined the EU. The news was all over it, talking about double-digit increases and everyone panicking. But what actually happened? Not much, really. Austria is still a relatively safe place. We didn't kick the Romanians out of the EU or the country; we just tried to patch the holes, even if we were mostly just treating symptoms. If we tried to fix every single little thing, I guess there'd be nothing left in Austria but animals and flowers.

Quote:I'm really curious what you think causes certain immigrant groups to have such extreme crime rates while others, coming from similar economic backgrounds, have almost none. Maybe it's just certain cultural norms? Crime rates usually have more to do with socio-economic status than actual social norms. There's plenty of data showing that an unemployed Austrian without an education who's struggling to get by is just as likely to turn to crime as a Romanian in that exact same spot. But, obviously, there are just many more Romanians in those tough situations, so they end up making up a larger number of criminals. Then, as a result, crime becomes somewhat "socially acceptable." So, I'm not sure where you got that idea about "foreigners from similar economic backgrounds having extreme crime rates." Where did that come from, I guess? Anyway, I might suggest it's actually the opposite, since the standards locals are used to are often higher than what migrants are accustomed to. With all its pros and cons, of course.

Quote:By the way, in Norway and Finland, it’s become mandatory for immigrants from countries known for their "human rights" and great "social freedoms," and respect for minorities, to go through intensive training on local societal norms. And if they don't like it, well, they can just head straight back to a war zone. I guess you've got that backwards. Honestly, I don't think any Norwegian would ever try to dump someone into a war zone—you might be misinformed or maybe just mistaken. And if they’re trying to explain local customs or rules to newcomers, I don't see anything wrong with that at all. It's not like they're attacking anyone's faith or identity; it's just saying, "Hey, follow our rules and you're welcome here." I'm totally on board with that. Sadly, in places like Austria, a lot of people just don't get it. There seems to be this push to just kick migrants out without even attempting to help. It feels like pure cruelty driven by a sense of superiority.

There's just so much misinformation being pushed about immigration. I guess at first everyone was crying about how it was all women and kids, but even a blind man could see that wasn't true. Then they kept claiming these people were highly educated when they barely speak a word of English, and now the media is suddenly obsessed with how many unaccompanied minors there are. It's wild, really. Apparently, authorities in Denmark and Norway ran tests on those "unaccompanied kids," and it turns out 72% weren't even children—they were all adults. And maybe even close to thirty percent of them were somewhere near that mark. 🤣 I mean, honestly, you don't even really need those tests when you've got eyes. I guess.
I guess most immigrants aren't exactly savages or anything, but they do come from totally different cultures with their own sets of social norms. Maybe we just need to focus more on assimilation so they don't end up stuck in ghettos.

I guess I don't know which news outlets you've been watching, but I honestly haven't seen anything about it being all women and children... that would be pretty weird, right? Who in their right mind would let their wife and kids cross the Mediterranean in a rubber dinghy? And the idea that everyone is highly educated or some kind of angel... maybe you're making the mistake of generalizing again. I'm really against any kind of sweeping generalizations because they just dull your mind. It’s like how people make those extreme assumptions about groups in the US—saying every single person belongs to one specific radical faction. They just don't.

Yeah, they’re definitely lying about their ages. It's pretty hard to prove otherwise, and I guess you can't really be surprised that people will do whatever it takes to make life better, especially just to survive. Like, if they say they're 16 when they've actually been smuggling themselves into Austria for two years... well, it is what it is. If we saved their lives by getting them out of the clutches of ISIS, the FSA, or Assad, then that seems like a tiny price to pay compared to the actual problems we're dealing with here in Austria.

What did they even do when my house was burning down during the war? What did they do while their people were out there looting, raping, and killing across Lebanon for decades? Nothing, I guess. They just didn't give a damn, so maybe I shouldn't either. I don't owe them anything.

There you go again with that "them" talk. I mean, they’re mostly just trying to escape ISIS and Assad and stuff like that. If you were running from an occupier in Syria, you'd probably treat people a lot better than how you're acting toward them right now. And honestly, saying you won't help because some of them might have done bad things in Lebanon forty years ago? It just doesn't feel very convincing, sorry. I guess you're just looking for any excuse not to help, especially since you know they haven't actually done anything to you. Not sure who you're trying to convince.

Unlike you, who doesn't twist things around at all...🍿 I mean, acting like they're being dumped straight into a war zone? That’s just total caricature. Honestly, all they're really looking at is deportation.

Nathan Morris3 said:Well, I already mentioned that the proportion is actually higher among foreigners. I wasn't trying to dodge anything or play it down, I'm just saying it isn't exclusive to any one group.

The issue is that this won't stay that way much longer because crime rates across the board are climbing among immigrants. When a fifth of the population ends up responsible for half the country's crime, we're looking at a massive problem—especially since some groups are overrepresented while others barely show up at all.

Look, here in Austria, crime spiked quite a bit once Romania and Bulgaria joined the EU. The news was all over it, talking about double-digit increases and everyone panicking. But what actually happened? Not much, really. Austria is still a relatively safe place. We didn't kick the Romanians out of the EU or the country; we just tried to patch the holes, even if we were mostly just treating symptoms. If we tried to fix every single little thing, I guess there'd be nothing left in Austria but animals and flowers.

Quote:I'm really curious what you think causes certain immigrant groups to have such extreme crime rates while others, coming from similar economic backgrounds, have almost none. Maybe it's just certain cultural norms? Crime rates usually have more to do with socio-economic status than actual social norms. There's plenty of data showing that an unemployed Austrian without an education who's struggling to get by is just as likely to turn to crime as a Romanian in that exact same spot. But, obviously, there are just many more Romanians in those tough situations, so they end up making up a larger number of criminals. Then, as a result, crime becomes somewhat "socially acceptable." So, I'm not sure where you got that idea about "foreigners from similar economic backgrounds having extreme crime rates." Where did that come from, I guess? Anyway, I might suggest it's actually the opposite, since the standards locals are used to are often higher than what migrants are accustomed to. With all its pros and cons, of course.

Quote:By the way, in Norway and Finland, it’s become mandatory for immigrants from countries known for their "human rights" and great "social freedoms," and respect for minorities, to go through intensive training on local societal norms. And if they don't like it, well, they can just head straight back to a war zone. I guess you've got that backwards. Honestly, I don't think any Norwegian would ever try to dump someone into a war zone—you might be misinformed or maybe just mistaken. And if they’re trying to explain local customs or rules to newcomers, I don't see anything wrong with that at all. It's not like they're attacking anyone's faith or identity; it's just saying, "Hey, follow our rules and you're welcome here." I'm totally on board with that. Sadly, in places like Austria, a lot of people just don't get it. There seems to be this push to just kick migrants out without even attempting to help. It feels like pure cruelty driven by a sense of superiority.

There's just so much misinformation being pushed about immigration. I guess at first everyone was crying about how it was all women and kids, but even a blind man could see that wasn't true. Then they kept claiming these people were highly educated when they barely speak a word of English, and now the media is suddenly obsessed with how many unaccompanied minors there are. It's wild, really. Apparently, authorities in Denmark and Norway ran tests on those "unaccompanied kids," and it turns out 72% weren't even children—they were all adults. And maybe even close to thirty percent of them were somewhere near that mark. 🤣 I mean, honestly, you don't even really need those tests when you've got eyes. I guess.
I guess most immigrants aren't exactly savages or anything, but they do come from totally different cultures with their own sets of social norms. Maybe we just need to focus more on assimilation so they don't end up stuck in ghettos.

I guess I don't know which news outlets you've been watching, but I honestly haven't seen anything about it being all women and children... that would be pretty weird, right? Who in their right mind would let their wife and kids cross the Mediterranean in a rubber dinghy? And the idea that everyone is highly educated or some kind of angel... maybe you're making the mistake of generalizing again. I'm really against any kind of sweeping generalizations because they just dull your mind. It’s like how people make those extreme assumptions about groups in the US—saying every single person belongs to one specific radical faction. They just don't.

Yeah, they’re definitely lying about their ages. It's pretty hard to prove otherwise, and I guess you can't really be surprised that people will do whatever it takes to make life better, especially just to survive. Like, if they say they're 16 when they've actually been smuggling themselves into Austria for two years... well, it is what it is. If we saved their lives by getting them out of the clutches of ISIS, the FSA, or Assad, then that seems like a tiny price to pay compared to the actual problems we're dealing with here in Austria.

What did they even do when my house was burning down during the war? What did they do while their people were out there looting, raping, and killing across Lebanon for decades? Nothing, I guess. They just didn't give a damn, so maybe I shouldn't either. I don't owe them anything.

There you go again with that "them" talk. I mean, they’re mostly just trying to escape ISIS and Assad and stuff like that. If you were running from an occupier in Syria, you'd probably treat people a lot better than how you're acting toward them right now. And honestly, saying you won't help because some of them might have done bad things in Lebanon forty years ago? It just doesn't feel very convincing, sorry. I guess you're just looking for any excuse not to help, especially since you know they haven't actually done anything to you. Not sure who you're trying to convince.

The media played along at first until they just got slammed with actual numbers. I mean, if they aren't letting women and kids onto those dinghies, how do you explain all those women and kids being pulled out of boats constantly? Not to mention the huge number of them drowning.
Here’s the first thing Google spat out
http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/spanish-ita...an-sea-1554315

just dozens of kids in one boat🤣

Look, I generalize, sure, but you're doing the exact same thing by attacking people who support far-right parties. And hey, you even hinted earlier that refugees would probably help you more than you'd help them if the roles were reversed. Have you actually met every single immigrant, or are you just generalizing too? 🍿

Nathan Morris3 said:Well, I already mentioned that the proportion is actually higher among foreigners. I wasn't trying to dodge anything or play it down, I'm just saying it isn't exclusive to any one group.

The issue is that this won't stay that way much longer because crime rates across the board are climbing among immigrants. When a fifth of the population ends up responsible for half the country's crime, we're looking at a massive problem—especially since some groups are overrepresented while others barely show up at all.

Look, here in Austria, crime spiked quite a bit once Romania and Bulgaria joined the EU. The news was all over it, talking about double-digit increases and everyone panicking. But what actually happened? Not much, really. Austria is still a relatively safe place. We didn't kick the Romanians out of the EU or the country; we just tried to patch the holes, even if we were mostly just treating symptoms. If we tried to fix every single little thing, I guess there'd be nothing left in Austria but animals and flowers.

Quote:I'm really curious what you think causes certain immigrant groups to have such extreme crime rates while others, coming from similar economic backgrounds, have almost none. Maybe it's just certain cultural norms? Crime rates usually have more to do with socio-economic status than actual social norms. There's plenty of data showing that an unemployed Austrian without an education who's struggling to get by is just as likely to turn to crime as a Romanian in that exact same spot. But, obviously, there are just many more Romanians in those tough situations, so they end up making up a larger number of criminals. Then, as a result, crime becomes somewhat "socially acceptable." So, I'm not sure where you got that idea about "foreigners from similar economic backgrounds having extreme crime rates." Where did that come from, I guess? Anyway, I might suggest it's actually the opposite, since the standards locals are used to are often higher than what migrants are accustomed to. With all its pros and cons, of course.

Quote:By the way, in Norway and Finland, it’s become mandatory for immigrants from countries known for their "human rights" and great "social freedoms," and respect for minorities, to go through intensive training on local societal norms. And if they don't like it, well, they can just head straight back to a war zone. I guess you've got that backwards. Honestly, I don't think any Norwegian would ever try to dump someone into a war zone—you might be misinformed or maybe just mistaken. And if they’re trying to explain local customs or rules to newcomers, I don't see anything wrong with that at all. It's not like they're attacking anyone's faith or identity; it's just saying, "Hey, follow our rules and you're welcome here." I'm totally on board with that. Sadly, in places like Austria, a lot of people just don't get it. There seems to be this push to just kick migrants out without even attempting to help. It feels like pure cruelty driven by a sense of superiority.

There's just so much misinformation being pushed about immigration. I guess at first everyone was crying about how it was all women and kids, but even a blind man could see that wasn't true. Then they kept claiming these people were highly educated when they barely speak a word of English, and now the media is suddenly obsessed with how many unaccompanied minors there are. It's wild, really. Apparently, authorities in Denmark and Norway ran tests on those "unaccompanied kids," and it turns out 72% weren't even children—they were all adults. And maybe even close to thirty percent of them were somewhere near that mark. 🤣 I mean, honestly, you don't even really need those tests when you've got eyes. I guess.
I guess most immigrants aren't exactly savages or anything, but they do come from totally different cultures with their own sets of social norms. Maybe we just need to focus more on assimilation so they don't end up stuck in ghettos.

I guess I don't know which news outlets you've been watching, but I honestly haven't seen anything about it being all women and children... that would be pretty weird, right? Who in their right mind would let their wife and kids cross the Mediterranean in a rubber dinghy? And the idea that everyone is highly educated or some kind of angel... maybe you're making the mistake of generalizing again. I'm really against any kind of sweeping generalizations because they just dull your mind. It’s like how people make those extreme assumptions about groups in the US—saying every single person belongs to one specific radical faction. They just don't.

Yeah, they’re definitely lying about their ages. It's pretty hard to prove otherwise, and I guess you can't really be surprised that people will do whatever it takes to make life better, especially just to survive. Like, if they say they're 16 when they've actually been smuggling themselves into Austria for two years... well, it is what it is. If we saved their lives by getting them out of the clutches of ISIS, the FSA, or Assad, then that seems like a tiny price to pay compared to the actual problems we're dealing with here in Austria.

What did they even do when my house was burning down during the war? What did they do while their people were out there looting, raping, and killing across Lebanon for decades? Nothing, I guess. They just didn't give a damn, so maybe I shouldn't either. I don't owe them anything.

There you go again with that "them" talk. I mean, they’re mostly just trying to escape ISIS and Assad and stuff like that. If you were running from an occupier in Syria, you'd probably treat people a lot better than how you're acting toward them right now. And honestly, saying you won't help because some of them might have done bad things in Lebanon forty years ago? It just doesn't feel very convincing, sorry. I guess you're just looking for any excuse not to help, especially since you know they haven't actually done anything to you. Not sure who you're trying to convince.

Actually, it isn't that hard to prove. Age tests are reliable and they aren't even that expensive; that's why they're already using them in Denmark and Norway. And again, you're generalizing. How do you know you're saving them from ISIS? Maybe they're members of ISIS, maybe they're criminals, or maybe they're just lost in the woods—honestly, you probably have no clue. Taking in a mountain of undocumented people isn't just a resource issue, it's a security issue too.

Nathan Morris3 said:Well, I already mentioned that the proportion is actually higher among foreigners. I wasn't trying to dodge anything or play it down, I'm just saying it isn't exclusive to any one group.

The issue is that this won't stay that way much longer because crime rates across the board are climbing among immigrants. When a fifth of the population ends up responsible for half the country's crime, we're looking at a massive problem—especially since some groups are overrepresented while others barely show up at all.

Look, here in Austria, crime spiked quite a bit once Romania and Bulgaria joined the EU. The news was all over it, talking about double-digit increases and everyone panicking. But what actually happened? Not much, really. Austria is still a relatively safe place. We didn't kick the Romanians out of the EU or the country; we just tried to patch the holes, even if we were mostly just treating symptoms. If we tried to fix every single little thing, I guess there'd be nothing left in Austria but animals and flowers.

Quote:I'm really curious what you think causes certain immigrant groups to have such extreme crime rates while others, coming from similar economic backgrounds, have almost none. Maybe it's just certain cultural norms? Crime rates usually have more to do with socio-economic status than actual social norms. There's plenty of data showing that an unemployed Austrian without an education who's struggling to get by is just as likely to turn to crime as a Romanian in that exact same spot. But, obviously, there are just many more Romanians in those tough situations, so they end up making up a larger number of criminals. Then, as a result, crime becomes somewhat "socially acceptable." So, I'm not sure where you got that idea about "foreigners from similar economic backgrounds having extreme crime rates." Where did that come from, I guess? Anyway, I might suggest it's actually the opposite, since the standards locals are used to are often higher than what migrants are accustomed to. With all its pros and cons, of course.

Quote:By the way, in Norway and Finland, it’s become mandatory for immigrants from countries known for their "human rights" and great "social freedoms," and respect for minorities, to go through intensive training on local societal norms. And if they don't like it, well, they can just head straight back to a war zone. I guess you've got that backwards. Honestly, I don't think any Norwegian would ever try to dump someone into a war zone—you might be misinformed or maybe just mistaken. And if they’re trying to explain local customs or rules to newcomers, I don't see anything wrong with that at all. It's not like they're attacking anyone's faith or identity; it's just saying, "Hey, follow our rules and you're welcome here." I'm totally on board with that. Sadly, in places like Austria, a lot of people just don't get it. There seems to be this push to just kick migrants out without even attempting to help. It feels like pure cruelty driven by a sense of superiority.

There's just so much misinformation being pushed about immigration. I guess at first everyone was crying about how it was all women and kids, but even a blind man could see that wasn't true. Then they kept claiming these people were highly educated when they barely speak a word of English, and now the media is suddenly obsessed with how many unaccompanied minors there are. It's wild, really. Apparently, authorities in Denmark and Norway ran tests on those "unaccompanied kids," and it turns out 72% weren't even children—they were all adults. And maybe even close to thirty percent of them were somewhere near that mark. 🤣 I mean, honestly, you don't even really need those tests when you've got eyes. I guess.
I guess most immigrants aren't exactly savages or anything, but they do come from totally different cultures with their own sets of social norms. Maybe we just need to focus more on assimilation so they don't end up stuck in ghettos.

I guess I don't know which news outlets you've been watching, but I honestly haven't seen anything about it being all women and children... that would be pretty weird, right? Who in their right mind would let their wife and kids cross the Mediterranean in a rubber dinghy? And the idea that everyone is highly educated or some kind of angel... maybe you're making the mistake of generalizing again. I'm really against any kind of sweeping generalizations because they just dull your mind. It’s like how people make those extreme assumptions about groups in the US—saying every single person belongs to one specific radical faction. They just don't.

Yeah, they’re definitely lying about their ages. It's pretty hard to prove otherwise, and I guess you can't really be surprised that people will do whatever it takes to make life better, especially just to survive. Like, if they say they're 16 when they've actually been smuggling themselves into Austria for two years... well, it is what it is. If we saved their lives by getting them out of the clutches of ISIS, the FSA, or Assad, then that seems like a tiny price to pay compared to the actual problems we're dealing with here in Austria.

What did they even do when my house was burning down during the war? What did they do while their people were out there looting, raping, and killing across Lebanon for decades? Nothing, I guess. They just didn't give a damn, so maybe I shouldn't either. I don't owe them anything.

There you go again with that "them" talk. I mean, they’re mostly just trying to escape ISIS and Assad and stuff like that. If you were running from an occupier in Syria, you'd probably treat people a lot better than how you're acting toward them right now. And honestly, saying you won't help because some of them might have done bad things in Lebanon forty years ago? It just doesn't feel very convincing, sorry. I guess you're just looking for any excuse not to help, especially since you know they haven't actually done anything to you. Not sure who you're trying to convince.

I don't know which part of "I don't give a damn" you're missing. I'm not looking for an excuse not to help; I'm just saying I won't help because I put myself first, and they aren't my priority.
I guess you know your way around Lebanon, huh? ☕ If you want my help, the occupation of Lebanon ended back in 2005, but only after international pressure and the assassination of Hariri, which obviously triggered those massive protests in Syria. 🤣

Nathan Morris3 said:Sorry, but just give me one single reason why CNN or any local news outlet would cover up an incident involving migrants. They actually put migrant incidents right on the front page, whereas cases like this get buried way in the back of the paper:

http://www.nachrichten.at/oberoester...n;art4,2230538

It's honestly kind of funny to me how my fellow Austrians are freaking out over rising insecurity—and all the stories they hear (that aren't in the papers). We're heading into a mess, and I just feel bad for the innocent people who didn't deserve this. I guess everyone pushing for uncontrolled immigration should have ten random immigrants living in their apartment, or have kids (at least one girl) who don't need to be fully embraced and are out between 8 and 10 PM, then we'll see how long it takes before she isn't a virgin anymore....

Well, if you can't see past your own apartment building, I guess it makes sense why you wouldn't bother looking at causes and consequences, or things that play right into Isa's hands. Though, I don't really get the connection to sexual assaults if it's true that over 60% of sex offenders are Austrian. To me, it seems totally reasonable that people are worried when they see an unfamiliar culture right outside their door. But it's not right to just turn off your brain and do exactly what Isa wants us to do. It's not right to shrink your whole world down to a few square feet and not "bother" with the big picture.

It's sad how much common sense and observation isn't being used... kind of like that transgender stuff in America....

Interesting, because that's exactly what I "accuse" Republican Party voters of—acting like they don't understand why refugees arrived in the first place, or thinking that not all Jewish people are enemies of Germany or that all refugees are uncultured savages.

So, I guess I'll ask you again—what have you actually done to provide even a little bit of mental support to the biggest victims of this IS chaos? It’s always easiest to kick those who are weak and innocent.

Why do you keep throwing that stat about 60% of rapes being committed by Austrians in my face? That feels like such a way to dodge the real issue. Like, obviously you'd expect the local population to commit more crimes since there are way more of them around. The real problem is that it won't stay that way soon because crime rates across the board are spiking among immigrants, and once a fifth of the population is responsible for half the crimes in the country, we've got a massive problem—especially since some groups have huge representation in crime while others barely show up at all. You don't see Vietnamese or Arab groups having that kind of representation anywhere in Europe.
I'm really curious, what do you honestly think are the reasons why some immigrant groups have extreme crime rates while others have almost none, even though they come from similar economic backgrounds? Maybe it's some cultural norms or something.
By the way, in Norway and Finland, they've made it mandatory for immigrants from countries known for their "human rights" and great "social freedoms" and respect for minorities to go through long training sessions on the social norms of those societies. And if they don't like it, no biggie, they can just ship them back to a war zone.
Also, going back to that famous 60% thing... those kinds of studies happen all over Europe, but some are detailed and some aren't. You really have to know how the data was gathered before you analyze it deeply. If these studies are done properly, they go into tiny details. For instance, it could easily happen that second-generation immigrants are counted as locals because, at the end of the day, they are citizens too.

Nathan Morris3 said:Sorry, but just give me one single reason why CNN or any local news outlet would cover up an incident involving migrants. They actually put migrant incidents right on the front page, whereas cases like this get buried way in the back of the paper:

http://www.nachrichten.at/oberoester...n;art4,2230538

It's honestly kind of funny to me how my fellow Austrians are freaking out over rising insecurity—and all the stories they hear (that aren't in the papers). We're heading into a mess, and I just feel bad for the innocent people who didn't deserve this. I guess everyone pushing for uncontrolled immigration should have ten random immigrants living in their apartment, or have kids (at least one girl) who don't need to be fully embraced and are out between 8 and 10 PM, then we'll see how long it takes before she isn't a virgin anymore....

Well, if you can't see past your own apartment building, I guess it makes sense why you wouldn't bother looking at causes and consequences, or things that play right into Isa's hands. Though, I don't really get the connection to sexual assaults if it's true that over 60% of sex offenders are Austrian. To me, it seems totally reasonable that people are worried when they see an unfamiliar culture right outside their door. But it's not right to just turn off your brain and do exactly what Isa wants us to do. It's not right to shrink your whole world down to a few square feet and not "bother" with the big picture.

It's sad how much common sense and observation isn't being used... kind of like that transgender stuff in America....

Interesting, because that's exactly what I "accuse" Republican Party voters of—acting like they don't understand why refugees arrived in the first place, or thinking that not all Jewish people are enemies of Germany or that all refugees are uncultured savages.

So, I guess I'll ask you again—what have you actually done to provide even a little bit of mental support to the biggest victims of this IS chaos? It’s always easiest to kick those who are weak and innocent.

There is so much misinformation being pushed about immigrants. In the beginning, everyone was whining that it was all women and children, but anyone with eyes could see that wasn't true. Then they complained they were highly educated, even though they couldn't say a word in a foreign language, and now all the media is crying about how there's a mountain of unaccompanied children. Get this: Denmark and Norway ran tests on those "unaccompanied children," and it turned out 72% of them weren't even kids—they were all over 18, and a decent chunk of them were close to thirty.🤣 I mean, honestly, you don't even need tests when you can just see it with your own eyes.
Immigrants aren't all savages or anything, but they come from totally different cultures with their own set of social norms and rules, so we really need to focus on assimilation and stop them from forming those isolated ghettos.

Nathan Morris3 said:Sorry, but just give me one single reason why CNN or any local news outlet would cover up an incident involving migrants. They actually put migrant incidents right on the front page, whereas cases like this get buried way in the back of the paper:

http://www.nachrichten.at/oberoester...n;art4,2230538

It's honestly kind of funny to me how my fellow Austrians are freaking out over rising insecurity—and all the stories they hear (that aren't in the papers). We're heading into a mess, and I just feel bad for the innocent people who didn't deserve this. I guess everyone pushing for uncontrolled immigration should have ten random immigrants living in their apartment, or have kids (at least one girl) who don't need to be fully embraced and are out between 8 and 10 PM, then we'll see how long it takes before she isn't a virgin anymore....

Well, if you can't see past your own apartment building, I guess it makes sense why you wouldn't bother looking at causes and consequences, or things that play right into Isa's hands. Though, I don't really get the connection to sexual assaults if it's true that over 60% of sex offenders are Austrian. To me, it seems totally reasonable that people are worried when they see an unfamiliar culture right outside their door. But it's not right to just turn off your brain and do exactly what Isa wants us to do. It's not right to shrink your whole world down to a few square feet and not "bother" with the big picture.

It's sad how much common sense and observation isn't being used... kind of like that transgender stuff in America....

Interesting, because that's exactly what I "accuse" Republican Party voters of—acting like they don't understand why refugees arrived in the first place, or thinking that not all Jewish people are enemies of Germany or that all refugees are uncultured savages.

So, I guess I'll ask you again—what have you actually done to provide even a little bit of mental support to the biggest victims of this IS chaos? It’s always easiest to kick those who are weak and innocent.

🤣
What did they do when my house was literally burning down during the war? What did they do while their people were out there looting, raping, and killing for decades in Lebanon? Nothing. Absolutely nothing, because they didn't give a damn. So now, I don't give a damn about them either. I don't owe them a thing.

Nathan Morris3 said:What do you mean by "my area"? Like, the Middle East and Afghanistan?
Sorry about the typo, my bad.

By the way, you're making the mistake of thinking all immigrants are the same and should be treated as one big group, which isn't true. Immigrants aren't a monolith, and you can't treat them that way since there's so much tension between different groups with immigrant backgrounds.

?!
I guess I've been saying all along that they aren't all the same, and that the 99% shouldn't be judged because of the 1% causing issues. Maybe you just missed that part.

Yeah, my bad, I totally missed that I messed up what I wrote.

Nathan Morris3 said:What do you mean by "my area"? Like, the Middle East and Afghanistan?
Sorry about the typo, my bad.

By the way, you're making the mistake of thinking all immigrants are the same and should be treated as one big group, which isn't true. Immigrants aren't a monolith, and you can't treat them that way since there's so much tension between different groups with immigrant backgrounds.

?!
I guess I've been saying all along that they aren't all the same, and that the 99% shouldn't be judged because of the 1% causing issues. Maybe you just missed that part.

Look, when I say not everyone is the same, I’m talking about cultural differences too. It’s not like every immigrant group has the exact same crime rates; that stuff varies a ton. A big part of it is just tied to where they’re coming from and the whole social structure of their home countries. You shouldn't lump everyone together—that's obviously wrong—but we still have to deal with crime within certain minorities instead of just sweeping it under the rug. That’s what happened with all those different attacks across Europe during New Year's. I mean, look at Sweden. There was this one festival in Stockholm where young women were being harassed and even raped for years, and they basically covered it up because they were terrified it would trigger some kind of anti-immigrant backlash.🤣So now we’re looking at a situation where the Republicans are actually leading the polls. Honestly, when you try to cover up the truth like this, you’re basically just handing a massive megaphone to xenophobes and racists. It gives them all the ammo they need to push their version of reality—which usually boils down to "they're all the same"—and then you end up making them look like heroes just because they're standing up to the establishment. These kinds of parties used to be stuck on the fringes, you know? Back when you could actually say what you were thinking—like pointing out that certain immigrant groups aren't really integrating, aren't working, or have disproportionately high crime rates relative to their population size. But today? If you even mention that, people immediately start screaming "racism" and "xenophobia." Like, seriously. In places like Sweden, there's stuff like 80% of the Somali community being unemployed, but you can't even bring that up because apparently, it's too hurtful to their feelings. I guess that's just how it works now.

Nathan Morris3 said:So, you don't see an issue with being associated with the troublemakers? And you aren't doing anything about it? Not really—you're basically just siding with the majority against a problematic minority. We all love pointing fingers at politicians, but we rarely do the actual work needed to stop things from falling apart. It feels like history repeating itself, where people get blamed for things they can't control, and then once the chaos settles, everyone will just claim they had nothing to do with it.

I'm honestly just wondering how you jumped from "people in MY area are starting to lean toward the damn National Front because they hate being associated with a certain group causing issues" to "so you must support these extreme parties." Like, wow. Thank God I'm not that narrow-minded, because I know most immigrants are just decent, regular people. Honestly, you're making a huge mistake right out of the gate by assuming all immigrants are the same thing. They aren't some giant, identical blob. There’s actually a massive amount of intolerance between different groups within immigrant communities too, if you think about it.

Parties like the Republican Party, the National Front, the AFD, or the Social Democrats are just gonna keep gaining ground as long as the European Union keeps trying to force this failed version of multiculturalism down everyone's throats. It’s like they’re actively trying to push anyone with a different opinion or anyone questioning the EU’s immigration policies to the fringes. Honestly, there's zero culture of actual dialogue happening, which just plays right into the hands of these parties. They end up looking like heroes because they’re supposedly telling the "hard truths" and fighting against the establishment. I mean, it’s no surprise that even the National Front is seeing more support from immigrants—even those coming from the Middle East—because, let's be real, the average person is sick and tired of being lumped in with that tiny minority of troublemakers. It's exhausting. Look at Sweden, where groups like Tommy Deogan's crowd are actually siding with their Social Democrats... that alone should be a massive wake-up call to the people in power that something is seriously broken. Right now, these mainstream, cookie-cutter parties can still hold these extreme groups back by forming these weird, unnatural coalitions between traditional political enemies. But if they keep going down this path? Eventually, they won't be able to control it anymore, and then everything is just gonna go south fast.

Anthony Jackson2 said:True, but you can't convict Sanders without indicting the whole Republican Party.

I agree, we share the blame, but most people are essentially building the country they want. We could have complained eight years ago about being blindsided by this, but not anymore. Now we're just living in the exact kind of pathetic circus we consciously chose.

The question is who is actually choosing this? Nobody voted for some caricature to run the country. Listening to him sometimes feels like being in a parallel universe—if he weren't so tragic, he'd actually be a comedy.

I honestly think people will snap eventually and things will descend into chaos. This administration seems tailor-made to ignite the nation through sheer stupidity and their knee-jerk reactions to minor protests. But I fear it might be too late, and even if it happens, it'll be futile—we stopped making our own decisions a long time ago; now someone else out West handles that for us.

They do, but not in such an obvious, blatant way. This isn't some grand mission to "purge leftist influence" like they're trying to sell us—it's just basic political cronyism and installing loyalists. Just look at how they started pushing out veteran journalists in NYC just to appease certain radical factions. They aren't "loyal" enough. And then there was the Reform Party—they promised us the moon and stars, big changes we desperately needed. What did we get? They filled positions just as fast as the Democrats, backed out of local government reforms, abandoned cutting congressional perks "because nobody supports them 🙂," and grabbed every single privilege they claimed they were going to abolish. Unbelievable.

In the end, that one populist outlier was the only one showing any accountability to voters; everyone else just folded.

Man, it's been like, what, 25 years since there were any actual die-hard party loyalists left? And their talent pool is even thinner than that. I honestly don't know if there were even any true-blue hardline communists on PBS back in the old days. Most of the people there were just in it for the perks and the sweet benefits, not because they actually believed in the ideology. I mean, if I'm being totally honest, most of them probably didn't even care about the whole communist thing—but hey, you don't bite the hand that feeds you, right? And when it comes to shuffling staff around... well, the Democrats pull the exact same moves. They basically operate on the same playbook, even going as far as changing the laws governing public broadcasting just to suit them. It seems like every time there’s a change in administration, the *modus operandi* is always the same: just a massive revolving door for cronies and political appointees. The Democrats are just way better at it, though. Their public image is definitely more polished than the Republicans'. They're much better at hiding their dirty laundry, and honestly, they probably have less of it to hide anyway. To put it bluntly? The Democrats will wrap a pile of crap in fancy gold foil two hundred times so you don't realize what it is until you unwrap it. Meanwhile, the Republicans just hand you a turd wrapped in a greasy paper bag from a local bakery.😁.
I don't know, I find it kind of hilarious watching people lose their minds because MOST decided to ditch the Democrats and team up with the Republicans instead. Like, honestly? It would’ve been way better if they had just gone with some other party entirely—then things actually might have gone smoothly for once.🤣I mean, look, Democrats might be slightly better than Republicans, but let’s be real—they both suck. In any actual, functioning country, they’d just be a tiny footnote in history. They wouldn't be hogging all these seats in Congress just because their fan clubs refuse to let anyone else take the wheel.
I mean, I’ve actually had the privilege of working as a contractor for some big government agencies, and honestly? When it comes to cronyism and hiring their buddies, there isn't much of a difference between the Republicans and the Democrats. I don't even need some "expert" analyst to tell me that. I've seen enough firsthand—just listening to those hacks from both sides mock each other while simultaneously giving these long-winded speeches about why they'd "never" work for such low wages. It's all the same.
Honestly, I don't even have the energy to write about this. I totally messed up big time, and I guess I'm pretty late to the party with this response too.

Anthony Jackson2 said:True, but you can't convict Sanders without indicting the whole Republican Party.

I agree, we share the blame, but most people are essentially building the country they want. We could have complained eight years ago about being blindsided by this, but not anymore. Now we're just living in the exact kind of pathetic circus we consciously chose.

The question is who is actually choosing this? Nobody voted for some caricature to run the country. Listening to him sometimes feels like being in a parallel universe—if he weren't so tragic, he'd actually be a comedy.

I honestly think people will snap eventually and things will descend into chaos. This administration seems tailor-made to ignite the nation through sheer stupidity and their knee-jerk reactions to minor protests. But I fear it might be too late, and even if it happens, it'll be futile—we stopped making our own decisions a long time ago; now someone else out West handles that for us.

They do, but not in such an obvious, blatant way. This isn't some grand mission to "purge leftist influence" like they're trying to sell us—it's just basic political cronyism and installing loyalists. Just look at how they started pushing out veteran journalists in NYC just to appease certain radical factions. They aren't "loyal" enough. And then there was the Reform Party—they promised us the moon and stars, big changes we desperately needed. What did we get? They filled positions just as fast as the Democrats, backed out of local government reforms, abandoned cutting congressional perks "because nobody supports them 🙂," and grabbed every single privilege they claimed they were going to abolish. Unbelievable.

In the end, that one populist outlier was the only one showing any accountability to voters; everyone else just folded.

🤣 I mean, is this some kind of new thing where everyone just loses their minds? Because honestly, it feels like this has been the standard since the dawn of time here in America.

Morgan Williams said:Regarding the former PM, it would be unfair to throw him in jail while letting the Republican party walk away scot-free. He’d just be the scapegoat. It would be like if we set a bucket of water over the door in my old elementary school classroom to prank the teacher (something like that), but then only the class president gets detention because apparently nobody else in the room saw a thing. He couldn't have pulled this off alone any more than just having Messi, Suarez, and Neymar on a team could carry them through the Champions League; you need a coordinated squad, a strategy, and meticulous planning. The rot goes way too deep into every single layer.

Yeah, a solid reaction from the University. 👍

Agreed. We share the blame, but most people shape the country they want. We could have been complaining eight years ago about being blindsided, but not anymore. Now, we’re living in the exact kind of disgusting circus we consciously chose.

Oh, and what they're pulling on CNN right now? Absolute genius. 🤣

I don't know why everyone's acting so shocked, though. I mean, every single administration does this kind of stuff.

Robin Fox2 said:The American judicial system 🙏 provides yet another example of the rather colorful approach to sentencing found throughout the entire Western world... 🙏

The main thing is, my lawyer buddies always tell me I’m being way too harsh, because if it were up to me, I’d be handing these guys 15+ years behind bars. Like, they say I'd basically be ruining their young lives 🤣as if I'm the one forcing them to get behind the wheel drunk or something.

Morgan Williams said:Religious groups were only included because the administration thinks they carry more weight than education or science. In this country, there’s only a shot if a group like the Libertarians or some other sensible faction managed to pull in numbers similar to the Reform Party. If they actually prove to be a legitimate third option after the election, I’m convinced they’d pull way more votes in a runoff. For instance, I didn't vote for the Reform Party because I knew nothing about them and they didn't feel like a real alternative. But during those few days when a reelection seemed possible, I made it clear: if they can actually unseat the Democrats and Republicans, they’ll have my vote—even if I personally find some of their members' pasts and stances pretty distasteful.

The Smart Party isn't gonna come anywhere close to what the Libertarians did. Why? Because the Democrats and Republicans will just steamroll them to avoid having to deal with this whole mess again. Right now, the Smart Party just looks like a group that talks big from the sidelines without actually having to run anything, you know? Like, they don't govern a single city. We'll see how they do in the local elections, I guess. We can talk more once I hear someone say, "Hey, we have the solution," because honestly, that just makes me sick.

ruggedjackal46 said:I think you missed the point. It’s not that high schoolers represent the absolute highest number of unemployed people, but rather that their unemployment rate is significantly higher compared to those with associate's or bachelor's degrees. Essentially, the more education you have, the better your odds of actually landing a job.

Obviously, a college degree opens up way more doors, though I highly doubt employers are out there hunting for specialized philosophers, occupational safety engineers, or crisis management experts🤣.

There’s a massive pool of jobs out there that don't require a specific degree; instead, employers just want someone flexible enough to learn the ropes quickly. Having a philosophy degree will definitely get you through the door for a wider variety of roles—non-manual labor, obviously—much faster than someone who only has a high school diploma or a trade certificate.

America is basically churning out college graduates right now just so politicians can brag on the global stage about having 20 percent of the population educated, rather than ten. Honestly, these folks might find work, but they'll be using shovels instead of brains, and most of them aren't exactly thrilled about that. They aren't too "refined" for manual labor, and they didn't spend years in a lecture hall just to get their hands dirty. It’s a shame they picked the wrong majors, because now they’re stuck choosing between manual labor or starving. You see plenty of philosophy majors working as servers in Chicago, and don't even get me started on the economics grads—I know some personally😁

Compared to the rest of Europe, the US actually has a relatively low number of highly educated people; it’s not like we have degrees to throw around like confetti. So, when they leave the country, it’s more of a labor shortage issue for America than an education issue. In other words, having fewer educated people wouldn't fix everything; it would just mean a higher unemployment rate, since people with less education struggle even more to find steady work.

My bad, damn, it was getting late.

ruggedjackal46 said:I think you missed the point. It’s not that high schoolers represent the absolute highest number of unemployed people, but rather that their unemployment rate is significantly higher compared to those with associate's or bachelor's degrees. Essentially, the more education you have, the better your odds of actually landing a job.

Obviously, a college degree opens up way more doors, though I highly doubt employers are out there hunting for specialized philosophers, occupational safety engineers, or crisis management experts🤣.

There’s a massive pool of jobs out there that don't require a specific degree; instead, employers just want someone flexible enough to learn the ropes quickly. Having a philosophy degree will definitely get you through the door for a wider variety of roles—non-manual labor, obviously—much faster than someone who only has a high school diploma or a trade certificate.

America is basically churning out college graduates right now just so politicians can brag on the global stage about having 20 percent of the population educated, rather than ten. Honestly, these folks might find work, but they'll be using shovels instead of brains, and most of them aren't exactly thrilled about that. They aren't too "refined" for manual labor, and they didn't spend years in a lecture hall just to get their hands dirty. It’s a shame they picked the wrong majors, because now they’re stuck choosing between manual labor or starving. You see plenty of philosophy majors working as servers in Chicago, and don't even get me started on the economics grads—I know some personally😁

Compared to the rest of Europe, the US actually has a relatively low number of highly educated people; it’s not like we have degrees to throw around like confetti. So, when they leave the country, it’s more of a labor shortage issue for America than an education issue. In other words, having fewer educated people wouldn't fix everything; it would just mean a higher unemployment rate, since people with less education struggle even more to find steady work.

Finding a job in America is getting harder and harder, I guess. College helps, but it really depends on what you study. A Mechatronics degree is definitely gonna be way more helpful than, like, any Philosophy degree. Besides, for all those general jobs that don't require a specific major, people from all kinds of majors will apply. Let's play a guessing game: if they meet all the requirements, who do you think gets the edge, a lawyer or a librarian😁 just because of the sheer variety of stuff they can do for the same pay?

ruggedjackal46 said:I think you missed the point. It’s not that high schoolers represent the absolute highest number of unemployed people, but rather that their unemployment rate is significantly higher compared to those with associate's or bachelor's degrees. Essentially, the more education you have, the better your odds of actually landing a job.

Obviously, a college degree opens up way more doors, though I highly doubt employers are out there hunting for specialized philosophers, occupational safety engineers, or crisis management experts🤣.

There’s a massive pool of jobs out there that don't require a specific degree; instead, employers just want someone flexible enough to learn the ropes quickly. Having a philosophy degree will definitely get you through the door for a wider variety of roles—non-manual labor, obviously—much faster than someone who only has a high school diploma or a trade certificate.

America is basically churning out college graduates right now just so politicians can brag on the global stage about having 20 percent of the population educated, rather than ten. Honestly, these folks might find work, but they'll be using shovels instead of brains, and most of them aren't exactly thrilled about that. They aren't too "refined" for manual labor, and they didn't spend years in a lecture hall just to get their hands dirty. It’s a shame they picked the wrong majors, because now they’re stuck choosing between manual labor or starving. You see plenty of philosophy majors working as servers in Chicago, and don't even get me started on the economics grads—I know some personally😁

Compared to the rest of Europe, the US actually has a relatively low number of highly educated people; it’s not like we have degrees to throw around like confetti. So, when they leave the country, it’s more of a labor shortage issue for America than an education issue. In other words, having fewer educated people wouldn't fix everything; it would just mean a higher unemployment rate, since people with less education struggle even more to find steady work.

Honestly, America doesn't have a massive overflow of graduates in certain fields right now—especially when you look at STEM and tech—but we definitely have too many people with degrees in other areas because everyone keeps flocking to those majors. Professional associations constantly send data to Washington suggesting what the actual quotas should be for specific jobs, but nobody seems to care because the students are paying tuition, and the government needs that cash. Our education system is pretty messy and honestly kind of incompetent compared to other similar countries, yet our politicians walk around with zero shame bragging about how much of a "knowledge economy" we are🤣. You can totally see it in this☕

ruggedjackal46 said:The largest chunk of the unemployed population falls within the non-specialized workforce. Generally speaking, the more education someone has, the better their shot at landing a job.

Sure, you’ll find plenty of unemployed graduates, plenty of "educated" folks who lack common sense, and plenty of broken institutions, but should we really take that as a sign that education itself is worthless? Not necessarily.

I mean, I think the NSSA holds like almost 30 percent if I remember correctly, so it makes sense that they have the biggest slice of the pie. Obviously, going to a university opens up way more doors for you, but I highly doubt employers are out there scrambling to hire some philosophy major, an occupational safety engineer, or a crisis management specialist. 🤣It feels like America is just cranking out college grads right now just so politicians can brag on the world stage about how we have 20 percent higher ed coverage instead of ten. But honestly? I guess they’re all just gonna end up using shovels instead of degrees, and most of these folks aren't exactly thrilled about that. They aren't exactly built for manual labor or getting their hands dirty in some trade, you know? It's such a shame they picked the wrong majors... they'll either be working hard in the dirt or just starving. I mean, you see guys with philosophy degrees working as servers in Chicago, and don't even get me started on the economists—I know a few personally who are in the same boat. 😁

Morgan Williams said:Same deal with science. Unlike those religious groups that supposedly matter so much for national progress. Let's just scrap physics and chemistry in middle school and add four extra hours of Sunday school a week instead. ☕

We need to fund science, and the education system needs a total overhaul. Right now, a kid finishes high school knowing absolutely nothing about how banks work or how the government actually functions. I'd start by making health ed, civics, and computer science mandatory.

Did it ever cross your mind that improving education could actually produce enough smart people to stay in the country after graduation? Instead of fleeing to Europe, they could actually fix things here. We need people who focus on actual economic plans rather than just obsessing over political extremes from the 40s or the 90s. Sounds crazy, I know, but theoretically, it works.

Wait, when did I even bring up religious groups? Honestly, I don't give a damn about them—I wouldn't give them a cent. Just for the sake of argument though, looking back, we've basically always been run by people with fancy college degrees, you know? Highly educated types. And look where that's gotten us... nowhere. I mean, I haven't really noticed any major difference in election results just because we have more people with degrees running things now. As long as the main Democratic party keeps sweeping the majority instead of actually struggling to even hit the threshold, there’s really nothing left to debate. And the American education system? Yeah, it's pretty much trashed. I mean, sure, there are some exceptions here and there, but it's gonna stay messed up for a long time. The government just doesn't have the cash, and even when they do find some money or go into debt to get it, it just ends up lining someone's pockets anyway. I guess that's just how it's been since this country was founded.

I mean, what’s the point of even pushing for more college grads when we can't even find decent jobs for the ones we already have, let alone pay them a living wage? Plus, honestly, not every degree actually matters for society... there are just so many useless majors out there, and some of these community colleges or state universities—kind of like those random local campuses you see in the Midwest—they don't really offer much. Our education system just gets more and more broken every single time a new administration takes over in D.C. At this rate, if things keep going the way they are, I guess the whole system won't even exist in twenty years.

wiredfalcon2 said:Look, Kerum might be an idiot, but he still managed to use taxpayer money to build a driveway for his private hotel. I don't see why someone like Orešković wouldn't do the same thing. Just look at Tony Blair—after the political grind, he jumped into consulting and started pulling in three times what he makes now. Money is power. This whole idea that someone is going to slash their income from $67 a month down to $6.75 just because, you know, "they're already rich," is hands down the stupidest take of the year.

Wait, where did I actually say he was going to cut his pay? I just said Silvio didn't jump into politics solely for the cash. And yeah, obviously money is power, though I guess you're probably more powerful running a massive country than being "just" a billionaire. Personally, I'm not really expecting anyone to take a pay cut; I just want them to do their job honestly and responsibly. What they do once their term is up? Honestly, I couldn't care less. If there are people out there willing to buy his consulting services, then hey, good for him.

wiredfalcon2 said:I honestly find it hilarious when people act like someone wouldn't jump into politics if they weren't chasing a paycheck. Like, "Oh, he’s already loaded, why would he bother?" Please. It's the same nonsense they said about Berlusocan, and the guy was swimming in cash long before he ever ran for office. Or look at guys like Kerum over here. People just don't get how it works.

I mean, Silvio didn't get into politics for the money, at least not directly. He did it for the power, I guess. He’s obsessed with it, and you can still see him trying to claw his way back into office even though, realistically, he could just live out his days with thirty hookers on some private beach. Of course, being Prime Minister definitely helped his business ventures, too. I mean, damn, when you're traveling around meeting all these heavy hitters, you make contacts that obviously help the bottom line.
As for Kerum? He's just an idiot.🤣

Larry Fox5 said:No matter how you slice it, at least Orešković actually did something with his life—unlike Milanovic and Karamarko. Though, honestly, I’ve got my doubts since he’s basically jumping from one sinking ship straight onto a donkey hooked up to a ventilator...
The only decent reasons he'd do this would be for the challenge or some weird sense of altruism.

I mean, the guy's got a solid career behind him, so why jump into this mess? Who knows, really.

Jesse Sullivan5 said:But let's be real—the next election is way too soon for that kind of shift.

Seriously though, if the Bridge party doesn't actually manage to push through some real reforms, they aren't gonna get squat as a third option in the next election. They'll be totally screwed.

The Bridge basically screwed over America by letting both the Democratic Party and the Republican Party clear the electoral threshold.

Eric Fox7 said:Looks like even folks from Turkey are paying their respects to the fallen:

Man, seeing this just makes me feel good deep down... probably because of that one Turkish guy getting beat up a few years back. I guess it's just karma, maybe.😁

So, ETA was basically a nationalist group, but their whole vibe was actually super far-left and totally anti-religious.

Jessica Gonzalez said:What they'll likely do is send French soldiers into that desert, where those kids will probably perish for no real reason. The French president seems a bit ridiculous to me; all these moves feel pretty absurd. He’s putting 115,000 police officers on the streets now that everything is already over, mostly just so he doesn't lose the next election.

Honestly, Hollande is just a total clown and a desperate politician. Like, the guy literally has zero wins under his belt, period. I guess the only way he stays in office is if he just declares a permanent state of emergency across the whole country.

Patrick Wright2 said:I honestly think what really hit them hard was when that guy started playing Imagine on the piano right outside the concert hall. From everything I'm hearing, it absolutely wrecked them.

🤣