Posts by Linda Hughes88

Of course it’s just pure politics... the second Franjo didn't get his way, he starts crying foul, and he's only doing it because he's an American...

Benjamin Diaz said:Basically, we’re twice as good as you guys... honestly, those refs absolutely slaughtered us... I’m just speechless. 16 fouls called against us...

And the US team had way fewer?

if the refs need to step up and help out then they better do it 😁

goldensailor15 said:Look, quit acting like you're all that. You need to stop being so insulting and actually work on your vocabulary—it wouldn't hurt you one bit, honestly.
There isn't some grand conspiracy going on here, and nobody's pulling strings behind the scenes... the whole setup is obvious and incredibly simple. The pieces just fall into place on their own, so all this mocking from the "civilized" elite is nothing more than a total distraction—just noise meant to lead you nowhere. Don't buy into those elaborate narratives.civilized circlesMan, my head is absolutely killing me...🙂

Look, Joe, your claims about Goldstein are pretty questionable, but honestly, there’s no point in getting bogged down in that right now—it’s not even what we're here to talk about.

So "no conspiracy," huh? Man, you can't even stay consistent with yourself... first you say there's no conspiracy, then you turn around and say the whole thing is a predictable setup. If there's no conspiracy, then everything is just totally organic and perfect, right, genius? So you're basically saying it's just the official story. Damn, you don't even know what a conspiracy actually is... to you, it's just some "dirty word" you're terrified of using.

My claims about Goldstein are questionable? Fine, but the ultra-wealthy definitely are! Now, where's the proof?

gentleraven6 said:Why would I waste my breath on you when you're clearly just lashing out because you know I'm right?
Later.

aha, so that's your move. you won't actually show any proof regarding their wealth because I called you out on all your nonsense, and I only did that because I know you're totally wrong... what an absolute joke!😂

goldensailor15 said:What are you guys even arguing about? And why are you being such an arrogant jerk to everyone else? Where do you get off acting like you're superior when half the stuff you defend doesn't make any sense to anyone with a brain?
At this rate, that Goldstein you're obsessed with is going to end up looking like a total pauper on welfare. Who's actually crazy here? Now you two are just going back and forth, post after post, obsessing over Goldstein's bank account. The whole topic is just ridiculous.

People can live however they want. As long as they're in the States, there shouldn't be any special treatment compared to other minorities, just like in any other country; as a minority, they have to follow the laws and rules of the land just like everyone else. And look at the absurdity of it... take Goldstein, for example. He's a Jew... does that make him American? Does he need specific papers? There's zero issue if you treat "Jew" as a religious term, but things get messy when you try to use it as an ethnic label. If an American is of Jewish faith, they aren't even a minority in that sense.
I'm telling you, the whole thing with Jews is incredibly complex because even among themselves, they don't seem to agree if it's an ethnic or a religious identity. And that's where the mess starts... Zionism was forced into the spotlight, and just imagine if someone decided to create 1,001 different factions of Christianity in the US based solely on religion and declared themselves a separate nation. The level of absurdity among homo sapiens truly feels endless.

I'm the one taking stances that don't make sense with common sense?🤣 coming from a guy who's fully bought into those 9/11 conspiracy theories. You and people like you are basically the laughingstock of any decent conversation, honestly, you're at rock bottom. No one who actually matters takes you seriously. And what the hell makes you think you can come after me? Someone drops a wild claim without a single shred of evidence and then suddenly my post is the problem...🙂

Calling Goldstein a pauper or a charity case?? How much lower can you actually sink than that...

gentleraven6 said:Let’s try this again. A publishing house owner? Where do you think the money comes from? Look at the Goldstein family—they're basically the biggest hypocrites in America and beyond. Seriously, I saw Slavko and Ivo waiting in line at a soup kitchen this morning...
How did an open society work? It's a cheap way for these structures to wash money. If you know which funds providing "aid" are tax-exempt, you can rake in cash through shady channels, fly into the US, play the "fighting for justice" card (the usual slogans), set up an open society, pump in tens of millions of dollars, and once that cash hits American soil, you do whatever you want.
In this scenario, they use the last bastion of justice—the Goldstein family—as their front. It would be great if they actually cared about fighting for societal justice, but that organization split into two factions ages ago. In my opinion, the worst and most radical faction belongs to Mr. Goldstein, because he builds his entire "career" by whitewashing others. Compare that to someone like Mr. Kraus, a top-tier intellectual and highly respected doctor I've had the pleasure of chatting with a few times. He's what a real member of the American community should look like. I'm deeply grateful to Mr. Kraus for reminding me why I can't view Mr. Goldstein as a true representative of the Jewish people.
I won't get bogged down in the internal drama of that organization, but your claim that one can live comfortably on a professor's salary is honestly too pathetic to even mention...

I honestly can't believe the sheer amount of nonsense you're capable of typing out... seriously, imagine thinking they own a publishing house and that's somehow massive wealth! Do you even realize what a publishing house actually is? It's not like they own a Ford factory or something. To you, they're just loaded. The only thing you've actually proven so far is that they aren't living on welfare. Well, bravo, they probably have Soros to thank for that. Your logic is just so incredibly stupid! You still haven't offered a single shred of evidence regarding their wealth; it's just more rambling fueled by your personal grudge and hatred toward the Goldsteins. The biggest martyrs in America and beyond? Is that what they call themselves? Come on, either cite a real source or just beat it!
So, to wrap this up, you basically just showed up here to pour out some bile while lying through your teeth. Honestly, there's no reason to take anything you say seriously.

Melissa Hughes63 said:They bombed Mexico to speed up the fall of Maddox and grab more influence in the region; they went into Korea to hold onto at least a slice of Southeast Asia. Obviously, the Russians act purely out of their own interests, too. For both the Americans and the Russians, nobody else matters. There aren't any ideals involved here.

That's total nonsense!

When it comes to Korea, that was all part of the old-school doctrine for containing global communism. I wasn't bringing up Korea in relation to the bombing of Mexico, I only mentioned it because rapidranger79 wrote that the American (well, actually the UN) intervention in Korea was a bad thing. People living in South Korea would definitely disagree with that. In that case, American interests and their own goals just happened to line up perfectly...

rapidranger79 said:I belong to that generation that looked at everything following the fall of the USSR and saw nothing but bright spots in America.
But then the years rolled on—Korea, then Vietnam, and so on. It took years after those conflicts for the truth to come out and for people to finally sober up. Think about it: if there had been oil in Rwanda or here, do you really think Americans wouldn't have jumped in immediately?
They are driven by one thing: oil and strategic positioning against the USSR, China, the Arabs, and Russia.

Every single foreign policy is driven by interests, period: from the US foreign policy down to the policy of Luxembourg. So why is it that only Americans get singled out for this? Is it just because you idealized them? Honestly, there’s a certain dose of idealism in US policy that you just don't see in other places. If you dig even a little bit into American history, I already touched on some of those chapters above. Just look at the bombing of Mexico to stop a humanitarian catastrophe...
If Americans had stepped into Rwanda, they probably would've been blamed for that too, with everyone hunting for some hidden agenda. They didn't go in, even though they should have, mostly because they were still feeling the sting of that intervention in Somalia where they lost 18 soldiers. See, that's how it works—people blame them for Korea too. I'm pretty sure South Koreans see things differently, except for the ones who'd rather live in paradise under Kim Il Sung and his descendants...

rapidranger79 said:These images are horrific, but they aren't anything new from some war zone where the US claims to be defending 😉the global order, democracy, or whatever else.
Yesterday I watched the movie "Valley of the Lost" and it got me wondering: why on earth has the US been fighting in godforsaken places for decades, constantly churning out generations of psychopaths, addicts, and PTSD sufferers? How is it that the American people continue to swallow the same old lines—that it’s their divine mission to spread democracy across the globe?🙄 Meanwhile, young men march off proudly only to come home in coffins, or if they're lucky, alive but mentally broken.

For anyone who insists that the US is the sole, untouchable champion of democracy, tasked with saving various nations from tyrants and such, here is my advice: go watch "Hotel Rwanda." And let me ask you this: how did Americans, those self-proclaimed world police and humanitarian cleaners, manage to stay completely uninvolved in that nightmare?

The answer is simple: they had no interest. Because the US is always driven by political interest alone; everything else is just a fairy tale for the naive.

Containment, the Cold War? Ring any bells?

Regarding Rwanda, Clinton admitted it was his biggest mistake. If you want to know why they didn't swoop in, just watch "Black Hawk Down" since you seem to be into movies...

And saying the USA is always and exclusively driven by political interest is just plain stupid. Out of all the major powers, the USA is the last one you could ever pin that on. You only have to look at what Wilson was doing or what the American stance on colonialism used to be to see the truth... if there's even a shred of idealism left in any foreign policy strategy, it’s definitely an American one...

Charles Davis7 said:There's definitely an economic angle here—basically, American oil companies already have deals lined up with the new Iraqi "government" regarding those new drilling sites.

Plus, you’ve got millions of American soldiers who need jobs and paychecks—if they're just sitting around idle at bases across the US, you're looking at potential unrest, mutinies, or just total lack of discipline. Instead, they get shipped out all over the world, often with their families, risking everything in foreign lands for some seriously fat paychecks.
It’s also a way for them to field-test all kinds of new weaponry.

Then there's the third point: a massive amount of corporations are making a killing on contracts for building and maintaining military gear, planes, weapons, helicopters, and even just servicing the AC
units or providing food for the troops and their families.

It’s a massive business, honestly. International law? Doesn't really exist anymore. Human lives seem to matter less than ever when money and private interests are calling all the shots.

🤣 Honestly, that second point is my favorite part... I can't believe some of the nonsense people post here.
Regarding that first point, the oil companies haven't signed anything yet. That isn't expected until June 30th... but there's a major flaw in your logic. It won't just be American oil companies signing those deals. There are 41 different companies that have already stepped up, including firms from France, Turkey, Vietnam, and more...

Matthew Harris2 said:Inside Israel's borders before the 1967 invasion. The Jews know that damn well.

It’d be great if the Arabs actually agreed to those borders too, but so far it’s just been a handful of people—Egyptians, the PLO, and even then they barely cooperate at all...

Keith Nguyen7 said:The only catch is most of those scientists have names like Zing Jang, Muhammad, or Apa, even if they weren't born on that continent.

Maybe try double-checking your facts before jumping to conclusions... if you look at the Nobel Prize winners from 2006 in the sciences, every single one of them is American, and they were all born right here in the States.
Look, there are definitely some out there, it's true, and quite a few who were born elsewhere—I think I read somewhere that about a third of the American physics prizes over the last seven or eight years went to naturalized Americans, though economics is a bit different—but honestly, that’s actually an argument in favor of the USA... because those scientists move here specifically because the conditions are just better than anywhere else, since American society is a meritocracy that actually rewards the absolute best talent, unlike Europe or basically the rest of the world... and as long as America stays the only place with a system like that, we're gonna stay the undisputed leaders of the world...

silverrider44 said:I didn't get anything wrong; a friend of mine worked in insurance then and still does, and they say what’s happening now is pure idiocy—if you had been at the airport yesterday, you would have seen... well, you can imagine how bad today is.
When the Pope passed through, traffic was moving again within 20 minutes.
Back then, the staff were actually proud and happy to be near the Pope, whereas now everyone just makes jokes about it...

It seems the blue bird is preoccupied with numbers.
First off, there were plenty of sponsors involved in the Pope's arrival; Ford provided vehicles and a lot of infrastructure was built, Our Lady of Guadalupe was renovated, the entire route leading up was cleaned, and quite a bit was done in other cities too.
Besides, he’ll only be here for one day, whereas the Pope stayed for several, so you can't make those comparisons; maybe think twice before posting next time.

Furthermore, I don't understand why anyone would compare the visit of the most respected man on the planet—whom people cheered for all along his route—to this ridiculous American president. We should consider it an honor that he came to the USA, not once, but three times.

Look, stop trying to sell me that nonsense. When the Pope was in the city, windows on the buildings he passed had to be shut tight and shutters pulled down. And days before the visit, the police were going door-to-door checking IDs and verifying everyone. I know this from firsthand experience.

About 10 minutes after Bush passed by, traffic went right back to being a mess, so there weren't any massive delays or anything. It was pretty much the same as when the Pope arrived, and honestly, it was still better than that summit organized at the Westin a few years ago.
As for comparing Bush to the Pope, yeah, you're spot on there. You really can't compare the two. Stalin once cynically asked, "How many divisions does that Pope have?" Well, he doesn't have any. The Pope's political weight is more like the Prime Minister of Luxembourg, if you can even call it that. This isn't the era of Alexander VI or Gregory VII when Vatican City was a major political player. He recites his speech from the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica and that's that. It goes in one ear and out the other. His only real importance is the influence he has over hundreds of millions of Catholics, but even that influence is pretty limited.
So, the Pope's visit is more like the Beatles or Elvis coming to town. A huge crowd of fans for whom it means something, and that's it. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad the Pope visited, I'm just talking about his actual real-world impact.
On the other hand, Bush is the leader of a superpower, the head of a nation that makes up about 25% of the global economy and leads the strongest military and nuclear force on Earth. And you're trying to compare him to the Pope. 🙄

Ethan Reyes2 said:look, you don't have to go being an absolute jerk and totally rude right out of the gate👎

as if you were some saint of politeness yourself...

Ethan Reyes2 said:well, aren't you just a genius, 🙄

but really, why shouldn't she be complaining?
and besides—she actually asked a valid question.
you can either answer what was actually asked if you happen to have any clue about the subject matter, or you could just skip this thread entirely and move on to something else.

silverrider44 responded to your (incorrect) assumption, and for that, Hallelujah!

and you can also just back off from my post if you don't like it, got it? 😉

Ethan Reyes2 said:well, aren't you just a genius, 🙄

but really, why shouldn't she be complaining?
and besides—she actually asked a valid question.
you can either answer what was actually asked if you happen to have any clue about the subject matter, or you could just skip this thread entirely and move on to something else.

silverrider44 responded to your (incorrect) assumption, and for that, Hallelujah!

but he got it wrong. when the Pope visited Washington, D.C., everything went down exactly like I said... feel free to go check for yourself.

silverrider44 said:Things were completely different when the Pope was here, so quit whining.
Traffic was halted for half an hour. The streets were empty, but only because everyone was either at the racetrack or glued to their TV.

Around here, they’ll arrest you just for walking across the bridge near the American embassy. They'll haul you off to a local precinct, hold you for two hours, drop you back at your job, and then demand your employer vouch for you...

The highway from Virginia to D.C. gets shut down from Thursday night until God knows how late Friday morning, truck driving is banned for several days, and Customs basically goes on strike...

And the funniest part was what they said on the news: the US is covering half the costs—five million—just to protect its "good reputation."

nah, it wasn't any different at all, because even then the cops would be circling apartment buildings right on the route of the papal motorcade, checking everyone's IDs and telling people they better not even think about opening their windows...☕

Casey Palmer5 said:I’m trying to wrap my head around how it can even be legal to stop people living right on the route from opening their windows or raising their blinds when that chimpanzee is passing through. I mean, privacy and rights within your own home are supposed to be fundamental pillars of the Constitution, so how did we even get to this point? Is this whole mess ever going to be cleared out of our lives after it completely paralyzes the entire city, shuts down schools, and brings businesses to a standstill?

I’ll probably have to declare a forced vacation since none of my clients will be able to make it to the office. Who am I even supposed to send the invoices to at this rate?

Everything was just like this back when the Pope visited Washington, D.C.... were you whining then too?

man, the whole vibe was straight out of a play
you could hear these little kids' voices drifting in from the background...

Portland's defense was honestly a joke, our perimeter guys really had to carry the heavy lifting out there to keep them in check
and man, Balic was basically a ghost up front, nothing even close to the guy we used to see on the national team
he seriously needs a home-court advantage and a solid supporting cast to actually find his rhythm, so if he's serious about playing at the top tier, he might be better off just heading back to Chicago...