Posts by Nicholas Watson

Honestly, I’m kind of kicking myself that I wasn't the one 😢

I’m honestly dying to know if anyone is actually trying to squeeze triangles into bluecyclist64's or Linda King's posts 🤔
maybe some former buddy who’s just got a weird thing for Stalinist tactics 🤔

driftingtinker, I can't tell if you were taking a shot at me when you mentioned people with partial brain function were debating Ukraine with the chat 🤷

and as for Linda King, does she suddenly find the moderation more annoying now that you were opening up all those threads specifically to tighten the leash on everything ☕

they just don't have that ☕

You basically just shook their faith in being straight right out from under them.
If a few comments on the forum are enough to make them finally come clean about who they really are, then fine, let them own it. It’s the 21st century; there's zero shame in it and it's definitely not some big taboo anymore.

It’s honestly such a massive injustice that one gay guy isn't allowed to comment on other gay guys' junk on this forum

When you sit down and actually dig into an analysis of everything promised to Ukraine—all that heavy-duty hardware they were supposed to be getting—it’s pretty hard to find much to get hyped about. Honestly, looking at the reality of what's actually showing up on the ground versus the big promises, there isn't really a reason to start celebrating just yet. We're probably looking at several more months of waiting before anything actually shifts.

William Anderson5 said:Poland doesn't recognize any concept of same-sex unions at all.

Like I said before, this isn't something the EU dictates. Individual states pass their own laws to regulate these matters because, frankly, these unions exist, and the state needs to account for them.
From a purely pragmatic standpoint, it's in a state's best interest to have these regulations in place. Otherwise, you just end up with a mess of legal headaches, especially when it comes to things like property rights and inheritance...

rowdytiger13 said:Canada recently implemented an anti-LGBTQ+ propaganda law modeled after the one in Russia.
Poland doesn't recognize anything either, and their laws even protect abortion.

then Ukraine will fit right into the EU in no time👍

let's hear what old man Putin has to say about Ukraine joining the EU

The Russian President, Vladimir Putin, stated on Friday that Russia has no problem with Ukraine joining the European Union.

"The European Union isn't a military-political bloc, unlike NATO, so we've always maintained—and I've always personally said—that our position here is consistent and understandable; we have no objection to it," Putin remarked during a panel discussion following his speech at the World Economic Forum in Saint Petersburg.

"It is the sovereign decision of any country whether to join or not join economic unions, and it is up to that economic association to decide whether to accept new members or not. As for how appropriate that is for the European Union, let the individual EU countries decide for themselves. Whether it ends up being a benefit or a detriment to Ukraine is entirely up to them," Putin added.

some good guy

William Anderson5 said:Neither of those groups has anything to do with marriage laws specifically. In Canada, much like here in the States, the Constitution defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman.

It’s about whether they actually have the option to marry or form a same-sex union. Honestly, I don't care what kind of label you slap on it; it's the actual rights that matter.

But hey, that's just one tiny piece of the massive pile of laws they'll have to align.
And then there's the whole mess regarding border agreements. I mean, do they really think people living in places like Crimea or the Donbas are going to get issued EU passports if they're still stuck under Russian control?

William Anderson5 said:The European Union doesn't touch family law; that's entirely up to each individual member state...

Just go ask the folks in Poland and Canada.

You guys are talking like Ukraine is going to slide into the European Union tomorrow afternoon right between two Russian missile strikes

Seriously though, how much time do you think they’ll actually need just to align their laws on foreign trade or deal with the legalities surrounding gay marriage bans?

If a war ever actually breaks out between China and the US, it’s going to be a naval showdown first and foremost. Honestly, nobody even comes close to matching the US Navy, and let's face it, they won't for at least another few decades. Not to go too far off track here, though.

It looks like Canada is the one taking the heat for the drop in gas supplies—or at least, that's how things look from the Russian perspective.
Siemens sent over a turbine needed to keep the pipeline running smoothly to a manufacturer in Canada, but the Canadian government held onto it as part of their sanctions against Gazprom. Now, the Russians are threatening to cut off the gas entirely if that turbine isn't sent back.

The Germans are really feeling the squeeze now.

Paul Thomas46 said:You're talking as if China is facing a population shortage.

Even if they were cut in half, there still wouldn't be an issue—aside from the overcrowding, of course.

Believe it or not, China really does have a major issue with a shrinking youth population. That’s actually why they finally scrapped the one-child policy.

Noah Sanchez2 said:I agree. China is effectively the world's manufacturer, and their entire business model relies on that fact. From their perspective, a weakened Russia is actually a win; it provides a steady stream of cheap raw materials they can process into high-end goods for the West, whose economy is driven by consumption. There's a perfect balance between China and the West, and I doubt China will disrupt it since they’re too dependent on the status quo.

China produces, the West buys. By making this reckless move to go to war in Ukraine, Russia has essentially placed itself under China's thumb, becoming nothing more than a supplier of cheap resources. This setup works for both China and the West. Why would China risk a conflict with Russia? They're both nuclear powers—war doesn't make sense. Meanwhile, economic subjugation has been happening for a long time, and this war just pushed it to a new level. Russia will become increasingly dependent on China (and we shouldn't overlook India as a major player here), meaning they'll be conquered without a single shot being fired.

Everyone will feel the fallout from this war, but no matter how you look at it, Russia is the biggest loser in this grand game of chess—aside from the innocent lives lost, of course.

I was watching some analysis by Peter Schiff where he argues that the West isn't really buying from China so much as they're just borrowing. He was specifically talking about the USA. His point is that since that debt is never actually going to be repaid, it doesn't really matter if these two sides keep dragging each other down into a recession; the end result is pretty much the same.

William Cooper11 said:Turkey keeps blocking things until the US tells them enough is enough.

And what happens next, we just order them to go pick a fight with Greece?

William Cooper11 said:Not a chance. We should just egg Turkey on to push against Greece over those maritime disputes and then sit back quietly while the Turkish military tears things up and ruins the entire tourist season.
After a month of everything going to hell, then maybe we can call the Greeks and ask if they still plan on ignoring the sanctions against Russia.

But wait, wasn't everyone screaming about kicking Turkey out of NATO just yesterday because they were blocking Sweden and Finland?

It’s getting pretty hard to keep track of who the good guys and bad guys actually are at this point.
What, you want me to suggest Turkey goes and attacks themselves in Cyprus or something?

Terry Green3 said:The Russian government is on track to see an unprecedented $250 billion cash influx this year

It’s a joke. These sanctions look like they were scribbled down by Jerry and Tom.
I mean, is there actually a single competent economist or lawyer working in those European Union commissions? Or is it just a bunch of career bureaucrats—the kind of people you see in Washington like Andrej Plenković or Ursula von der Leyen—who wouldn't know real life if it hit them in the face?

Honestly, even a street hustler from Brooklyn could outsmart these sanctions, let alone a major power.

The whole time, Wall Street has been busy trading Russian bonds.
War is always just another way to squeeze out some extra profit, isn't it?

Don't go thinking for a second that Western leaders give a damn about some random Russian farmer or laborer; they're looking after their donors and lobbyists.

Judo for someone who loves calling other people's moms fascist lackeys... I don't get why you're getting so worked up just because I brought up your family tree.

Wait, what just happened?

Steven Newman50 said:Once a movie actually hits theaters, you end up having to scroll through endless pages of nonsense just to find some actual reviews—you know, the stuff that actually matters to someone like me who’s just passing through the forums. Everything before that point is basically useless noise; it’s much better suited for a random chat thread anyway.

So, take a look at this Batman situation. We’ve got thirty whole pages of nothing but wild guesses about what might actually happen in the movie and endless debates over that one trailer. Honestly? It’s basically thirty pages of absolutely nothing.

That’s just your take on things, isn't it?
Let’s be real, there’s always going to be a crowd of people who absolutely live for this kind of stuff, especially when you're talking about a movie that's being adapted from a book or a comic series.
That’s honestly what gives the whole thing its vibe.

So, what you're telling me is I can't even speculatively obsess over the project, dissect the rumors, or lose my mind over the trailer anymore?