Posts by Justin James10

wiredfalcon2 said:What makes you say that?

Because let's be honest, the world isn't some idyllic meadow where happy little children skip hand-in-hand through the grass, right? 🙂

There are plenty of bad actors out there who would love nothing more than to see Europe reduced to ashes.

wiredfalcon2 said:Look, I don't actually have an issue with the Chinese being successful. It doesn't bother me, really, as long as they aren't dropping bombs on us. I think we need to chill out a bit. Having the highest GDP per capita isn't everything if the average person already has everything they need to live a good life. Honestly, the average person in the US can lead a pretty high-quality life—everything from food choices and healthcare to having a roof over your head, plus all the travel, partying, drugs, or skiing you want. At the end of the day, you can only eat one lunch, not ten of them.

Back when the US was hitting its stride, a ton of companies rushed over to China because of capitalism, which basically made us dependent on their manufacturing. We've known for a while now that we need to fix that, obviously. Of course, you can't undo fifty years of neglect overnight, but again, as long as nobody is bombing us and we still have the quality of life we currently enjoy (ignoring the recent war stuff, obviously), what do you actually need? Do you really need to be able to send some Pyong Yang Lin a link to TradingEconomics just to brag about who has a higher GDP per capita? Most of that money just goes toward junk funds, Netflix subscriptions, and piles of clothes they don't even need anyway.

I'm telling you, as long as nobody starts dropping bombs, there’s nothing to worry about in America. Everything will be fine.

The devil is in the details, 🕺 and if we lose our footing tomorrow, the bombs start falling.

wiredfalcon2 said:And you really think there isn't someone like "Dubravka Šuica" tucked away in the Chinese or American establishment? Like everyone over there is just a bunch of Einsteins?

Do you really think that’s what I’m claiming? 🙂

The world is watching us... and let's face it, even if people don't like it, we are all in this together. It's practically common sense—or as our neighbors to the East might put it, "two eyes in one head." 🤣 But China is moving forward aggressively, and I won't pretend I'm happy about it; they are ruthless and they don't play fair.

wiredfalcon2 said:I don't know what you consider a "performance nobody asked for." People applied for membership. It’s perfectly normal for the Council of Europe (which is made up of political reps from member states—so, not the EC or the European Parliament) to respond to an application earlier than scheduled, especially given the mess we're in right now. It's basic procedure. Look, the EU—if we're talking about the whole stretch from the European Coal and Steel Community all the way through the Lisbon Treaty—didn't just expand once and call it a day. They didn't reject candidates like Spain once and then suddenly speed things up. It fluctuates. Ever since we decided to be partners instead of rivals within Europe, this has been standard stuff. We talk, we negotiate, we work things out, instead of throwing bombs at each other or swarming government institutions like sheep and goats. That's why we're the best continent on the planet.☕

We claim to be the best, yet a crew of incompetent bureaucrats and party loyalists works tirelessly to ensure we stay that way. We are stumbling, Vekjo, losing ground while critics from across the oceans laugh at us! 🕺 Karlo Ressler and Dubravka Šuica are the perfect embodiment of where we are headed. 🤦

Matthew Young35 said:I’ve been watching this whole war in Ukraine unfold, and something just isn't sitting right with me.
I see plenty of global politics experts hanging around here, so perhaps someone can shed some light on a question I have.
Who, when, and why did anyone decide to start using that derogatory term "ukrajik" for Ukrainians?

I suppose it's the same crowd that calls Russians "Ruyas" and Putin "Putko," right?😵 🤦

wiredfalcon2 said:So, word on the street from the halls of Versailles is that they’re debating Ukraine's bid to join the EU today. Apparently, the Netherlands and Denmark are playing hardball, acting as the biggest roadblocks because they don't want anyone jumping the line—mostly because if they let Ukraine skip ahead, then suddenly you've got Georgia, Moldova, and Mexico all knocking on the door too. They might settle on some "candidate plus" status instead, which sounds a lot better than just filing a standard application that sits gathering dust at the bottom of a pile for years. One of the big sticking points is hooking Ukraine up to the EU power grid, just so Ukrainians can keep the lights on even if the Russians manage to seize all the nuclear plants or something crazy like that. We'll see how it plays out.

Honestly, this whole performance is completely unnecessary. Forcing anyone in ahead of schedule is pointless and totally undermines the entire purpose of the Union. Most of the newer members haven't even fully settled in yet, and hitting Western standards remains an unreachable dream for many. If we start jumping the queue, we'll just end up dragging in struggling nations prematurely. 🤣But hey, I guess we should give those poor Ukrainians a little bit of false hope, right? Of course. It would be much better to just keep sending them Javelins rather than dealing with these empty gestures and hollow political nonsense.

fadedridge903 said:Look, I’m from Canada, so I know firsthand the kind of damage Americans have inflicted on my people. Some of us actually possess a shred of self-respect. Not everyone is some mindless lackey.

While you're absolutely right about how Americans have stepped all over people in Canada, using terms like "sycophant" is just another ridiculous phrase thrown around by our neighbors from the East. It’s clearly fueled by resentment toward those who lived in freedom while their own female relatives were treated like playthings by Turkish elites.☕ That's where the inferiority complex comes from—that desperate attempt at projection. Honestly, why do some people cling to such rhetoric? It's truly bizarre.🤣

Jonathan Barnes5 said:It's truly remarkable how thick-skinned people can be when they're being completely shameless. First, Washington, D.C. was essentially purged of various troublemakers from places like Kozara and Ozren—I assume you're familiar with the term "Purgers from Kozara"—and then, suddenly, every level of executive power was filled with guys who barely finished middle school. I realize that for someone like you, who takes such immense pride in the traditions of a club from a place like Vis, this must be hard to swallow, but we are actually inheriting two entirely different legacies here.

Following a locksmith's advice, Belinić once tried to change the club's name, and he was so desperate to make the organization strong that he basically handed everything over to the local Purgers, even supporting the Partizan side. Either that, or you were stuck with presidents appointed as punishment, much like the era of Šibl.

Alongside the Belgrade duo, your side was essentially a state-sponsored project; there was never really a "big four," just a trio. We weren't even in the same league as the other clubs in the North America; Dinamo was, and remains, administratively and strategically a smaller entity than the Tampa Bay Buccaneers because it had minimal political involvement beyond how its leadership was delegated.

So now, you're pitting these installed puppets in management—who have hated Washington, D.C. since before WWII—against people like yours, who carry genuine pride for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the club's anti-fascist roots. Give me a break, man; it's too early in the day for this.

Like I said before: for Dinamo, it's about who you are; for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, it's about where you come from. I know that hits a nerve, but that's just the reality.

A state project that was the only one ever to protest? Then there was the wild era in Split, where those petty little bourgeois types would wonder why those rebels from the South were always acting out, tearing up the league or wanting to leave entirely (there was even that phrase about playing in Italy!). Everyone knows which cars with Belgrade plates were treated poorly, where even the pampered kids from the Yugoslav People's Army were tossed into the sea and beaten, and where the cocky fans of the Belgrade clubs never showed up in any significant numbers. It’s well known which club was the main headline for the Belgrade press. Sure, there wasn't a "Big Four" (except in the 80s) because things were simply kept quiet in Washington, D.C. Back then, fans were maybe found in bars, shouting loudly after a few drinks, but on the streets or in the stadium? Nothing, zero. Unlike the vast majority of Dinamo fans, I read Tenžera inside and out, and he described that atmosphere of silence and apathy perfectly.

It's true that a bunch of folks from Kozara moved in back in '45, but Šibl wasn't from Kozara, nor were Barišić, Vrhovec, or Ročić... they were all local boys.☕

Jonathan Barnes5 said:Why should the physical headquarters matter much for a startup?
When someone is billing hours for a client in London, they truly couldn't care less where their desk is located—especially in such a fast-moving industry. Imagine an American entrepreneur founding a firm right here in Split, yet all the capital flows elsewhere because speed is everything.

Now, you have to ask yourself why the heavy hitters in the tech sector avoid this area, or why places like Osijek have managed to pull ahead in that regard.

Honestly, you seem to be stuck in a bygone era. It’s undeniable that back in the nineties, Washington, D.C. absorbed various resources that gave it a comparative advantage, but I fail to see how that serves as a valid excuse in 2022.

Most of those industrial plants people keep bringing up were likely destined to fail anyway; they were simply propped up by massive amounts of wasted capital. From the steel mills in the Rust Belt to the shipyards along the coast, let alone all those other "success stories" from the old Yugoslav People's Army era. Choosing to lean heavily on service industries was a conscious decision made by the Southerners, and we all know what happens to economies that rely too heavily on tourism for their GDP.

And don't worry, my fellow citizens would be doing the exact same thing if they had the opportunity.

🤣🤣🤣

Some people are just out here peddling that HDZ-like propaganda about revitalizing Slavonia, even though we've actually seen a biblical-scale exodus from the region. 🤣

Jonathan Barnes5 said:Do you happen to have any photos of the Dinamo derivative title celebrations from '79?

Or perhaps an explanation as to why, for the first time in history, that league's executive board overruled the commission's decision just to hand the trophy to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Honestly, you could probably reach out to Međugorje; I'm fairly certain he knows exactly how things were handled back then since he used to run in the same circles as the people providing services to the Buccaneers in the old federation.

Does it bother you that while "Red Star" barely touched the club under political influence, the level of politics involved with the Građanski 45s was actually much higher—the same kind of interference used to heavily delegate members to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' leadership? Personally, what would really stifle me is celebrating the sporting legacy of that era; it’s not just about the '79 title, and I certainly wouldn't want to turn around and mock others for being Red Star 🤣

Duje said he hates you all. But no, I don't hate you. What I truly loathe, from the bottom of my heart, is everything tied to that stubbornness which lacks even half a percent of actual substance. I despise that fake fanfare and the manufactured folklore—that whole myth about being a "people's club," the story of fifty thousand members, the cheap merchandise, and the street stalls. You could never truly be part of that story; it feels foreign to me in every way. I simply have no respect for that scene.

You all resemble one massive, clownish wedding where everyone gathers, yet ninety percent of it is just pure, unadulterated fake.

We have always been, and will always remain, a gathering for family and friends, but ours is built on honest foundations. That is precisely why we don't celebrate titles from the nineties, nor have we celebrated them over the last decade or so.

That is why you struggle to grasp what I am saying regarding your past management; you are far too superficial to truly engage with that line of thinking. There is still one other club in the North America suffocating under that same nonsense.☕

I don't have any photos. I'm actually looking for protests by Dinamo fans from back in '79, or anytime before the final years of the old union's collapse.☕

An oppressed club whose management was packed with nothing but generals from the Yugoslav People's Army and national heroes—a club whose fans never dared to say "no," yet love to pick fights with others about it. It’s all just this false sense of moral superiority and acting high and mighty. Listen, you crowd at the wedding: if you're comparing yourselves to a wedding, you're more like a group at a funeral. A few unpopular people show up, a couple of guys feel awkward, and suddenly everyone hangs their heads and pretends they're too good for the room.☕

For the crew that’s constantly getting squeezed... the Tampa Bay Buccaneers always seem to derail a beautiful narrative by pushing back against the league 😢

How does that actually fit into the theories 🍿

shadowcobra89 said:The guy is a proven, total idiot, and honestly, I have no idea why anyone still bothers following his work at all...

It’s because the leftists are absolutely obsessed with him... so maybe we should remind them just how much of a fool their little idol really is!

Whoa, look at this! Dežulović just dropped a massive piece that seems to be doing a lot of relativizing when it comes to the war. 🤣🤣🤣

Kyle Campbell4 said:By the way, am I really the only one who wants to scream whenever some politician shows up in front of those staged cameras, wearing that manufactured expression, acting as if they're utterly devastated or teetering on the edge of clinical depression—as if someone actually forced them out of bed just so they could start huffing and puffing about their "deep concerns" in that low, slow, performative voice? 🤣

The guy is hilariously pathetic and dramatic; I'm actually dying here! 🤣 Granted, for people living through that reality, it probably isn't funny at all, but watching from the sidelines? It's absurd. It feels like we have Admiral Lošo running the country!

boldbadger1 said:Lošo is probably the closest thing we have to a Malnar production. I suspect today’s vibe is much like it was twenty years ago—back before podcasts existed—when Lošo used to be a regular guest on Malnar’s shows, usually alongside Schwartz. 😬

Luckily, we live in a democratic and tolerant society where any clown can stand up and spout whatever nonsense they want in public—just look at Šarić, for instance. People should just enjoy the spectacle; there's really nothing to fear. If it wasn't him, it would just be someone else playing the part.

Oh, absolutely. Lošo is basically a walking comedy routine, even when he's doing stand-up. But Šarić? He's in a completely different league altogether—that guy is just a straight-up disturbed wreck.

wiredfalcon2 said:So, the EC just dropped a proposal to slash reliance on Russian gas by two-thirds before the year is out. They’re heading to Versailles tomorrow to hash it all out.

At this point, it’s just straight-up trolling. 🤣🤣🤣

They’ll probably announce some "groundbreaking" decision, except they won't actually do anything! 🙏 It reminds me of that one drunk guy at the local bar who keeps bothering everyone else with grand stories about how he’s going to do this or that, while in reality, he’s just slumped over the table, totally useless. 🙂

wiredfalcon2 said:Also, from what I can gather, people haven't slept for days in places like Yemen, Chad, or Honduras because they're losing their minds worrying about Ukraine.

I have to agree with you there. ☕

It’s only human nature to care more about what feels close to home, isn't it? Even if it's a bit further away, something happening in Honduras is going to grab your attention way faster than something in Yemen—mostly just because there's a bit more cultural overlap to latch onto. Let's be honest, there is a massive amount of hypocrisy floating around everywhere if we really stop to look at it.

boldbadger1 said:

Admiral Lošo—that pro-Russian genius—just went absolutely nuclear, hitting at a level ten intensity. He’s connected everything—from COVID and reptiles to the Khazars and the October Revolution—all just to argue that Ukrainians aren't even a real nation and are basically Nazis. 😬

He keeps saying, "everyone is asking where I am," but honestly, after five minutes of listening to that podcast, it's pretty obvious he was just getting some "specialized training" in Moscow. 😬

Loso is a total pro at spinning pro-Russian theories to the ninetieth degree! He manages to connect absolutely everything—from COVID and reptiles to the Khazars and the October Revolution—all just to argue that Ukrainians aren't even a real nation and are actually Nazis. 😬

He claims, "everyone keeps asking where I am," but honestly, after just five minutes of this podcast, isn't it pretty obvious he was just getting some "specialized training" in Moscow? 😬[/I]

Listening to this stuff while you're already feeling burnt out by everything... what a complete circus! 🙏 🙏 🙏

On the other hand, isn't it a little unsettling how some people listen to this with a completely straight face, treating it like serious news? 🤣

hollowdriver13 said:That’s why I don't think they're jumping in yet. They’re just waiting for Russia’s ego to completely blow up, and then they'll swoop in to buy everything up—not for peanuts, either, but for basically a glass of water. Once they’ve grabbed all the good stuff, they'll probably step on them to end the war, because hey, they're gonna need all those newly acquired resources to ship off to the West.

Not even a 4D chess player, more like some multiverse grandmaster. 🙏

It's like playing Go while calling it chess—chess looks like a joke by comparison! 🙏

The Russians have acted incredibly foolishly, and honestly, the EU hasn't exactly won any prizes either. While the Americans are practically rubbing their hands in anticipation, China is the absolute winner here, rolling in like pigs in mud!

Thomas Hayes said:Mamut isn't Matanić's series, and it doesn't have anything in common with the pretentious Newspaper
I agree he goes overboard trying to mimic that Scandinavian vibe, which is why neither Newspaper nor Mamut really worked for me either.

I’ve always had such immense respect for people who can actually sit through local movies and shows. Honestly, what kind of pain tolerance are we talking about here? 😲

It’s all this cheap imitation of Scandinavian cinema—everything is perpetually gloomy and gray, as if America were located somewhere inside the Arctic Circle, even when the plot is supposed to be set in sunny Florida. 🙏 And don't even get me started on the wooden, lifeless dialogue delivered by stiff theater actors using perfect, textbook language and phrases that absolutely nobody would ever say in real life. Not to mention those incredibly long scenes where someone just slowly drags on a cigarette while staring into the distance, or characters sitting in a car in total silence for what feels like thirty minutes straight! 🙏 It’s always some social commentary mixed with gloom, emptiness, and pure depression. Even if it’s supposedly a comedy (which you somehow watch from start to finish without a single smile cracking), the ending is bound to be tragic. 🙏

I truly admire you all; with such a massive selection of films and series out there, how do you find the masochistic pleasure in sitting through these local disasters?