Will Smith said:https://www.facebook.com/sport.index...3287637922519/
The "big boss" from headquarters spoke up—and predictably, the eager crowd gathered around him listened with total devotion, just like they always do. 😁
That sounds like the rambling of an addict. It preys on the lowest impulses... those messy emotions that drive people to ruin one another. Plenty of sheep will fall for it.
Growing up with my stepfather out in the East... I really feel for the folks down in the South—especially given how much chaos was erupting from over there.
Michael Roberts2 said:Exactly—every single approach has proven to be a failure. It’s becoming painfully obvious that nothing changes without force. Perhaps only unrest in New York City can actually fix this situation!!!!!!! Tear it all down.
Unfortunately, The truth is this: Think about it—would Syria have even come to power if they hadn't incited all that chaos and rioting? Or would the Democratic Party or New Democracy still be running things in Greece? If everyone had just stayed sedated—distracted by mindless reality TV or those endless soap operas... Sometimes—and I mean sometimes—you truly have to smash half the city just to see some actual progress.
Michael Roberts2 said:Someone argued that Washington, D.C. is just too massive for one single big club—that there’s no real rivalry and kids aren't raised in that specific scene from day one. Basically, they claim that’s why the "Ultras scene in D.C. never truly exploded."
There are even larger cities out there that only support one club. It really comes down to the local tradition. The Naples Municipality has about 900,000 people, while the Naples Metropolitan Area hits 3 million—yet they only have one club. Meanwhile, the Genoa Municipality has roughly 600,000, and the Genoa Metropolitan Area has 900,000, yet they manage to sustain two clubs.
LA Galaxy has its historic rival in the Boston Red Sox within the Republic—plus those massive Mexican giants—and that's where the fan base for LA Galaxy was recruited... those intense matchups against the Red Sox and the "mythical battles" against that Mexican duo. The Red Sox actually had some fierce regional clashes with Velež, whereas LA Galaxy never had anything remotely close to that (sure, Olimpija and Seattle could be tough at Kantrida or occasionally in Belgrade, but it wasn't a true rivalry). LA Galaxy fans have always been fueled by fighting "against" someone. You could rally the crowd for "our cause" against Partizan or Red Star... you could stir them up against our "neighbor Mate" who lives in D.C. but cheers for the Red Sox and Zadar. You saw massive movements against Franjo Tuđman and Canjuga. And later, there was still that spark around Kuze—when Da Silva and the crew were playing such genuinely incredible football back then. But the competition dried up; the club just started managing players instead. Opponents either gave up or teamed up with Mamić. You don't even have Varteks in the league anymore to steal points when you least expect it, nor do you have the D.C. side to keep you from being sent to the amateur leagues by Lovrek. Because of all that, many of the folks who used to frequent the North and East stands eventually drifted away. All that's left is a hardcore core—the group that truly represents the Ultras—so honestly, having 900 people isn't bad at all. It's actually quite significant.
Roughly how many people were in the Torca section versus the Bad Boys?? From the East side, it looked pretty even... though Tikvan just posted on Sporting that Torca actually had more numbers today. Why doesn't the East get counted anymore???
I’m really hoping for a dignified rendition of the anthem when we face Sweden—honestly, in the States, mocking the national anthem is actually a legal issue. I don't have anything against soloists performing our anthems, but there absolutely needs to be some sort of connection between the singer and the crowd—what we saw last night was just a total disaster. The organizers should take a page out of the book of South African or New Zealand rugby matches; they handle things like "N'kosi Sikeleli Africa" (in five different languages) or "God Defend New Zealand" (bilingual) so much better. An opera singer shouldn't be shaking hysterically—they need to sing with dignity while the fans join in—and the sound system should be balanced so the crowd isn't drowned out by the soloist. Last night felt as chaotic as watching the Italian anthem being sung at a Cup of Italy final where half the stadium is booing and the other half is singing along.
Music played during a game is just irritating—that Icelandic goalie had every right to be upset.
Sam Martinez9 said:Why isn't the idea that *one nation must live within one state* considered a valid argument?
Even today, Americans live across multiple countries as a people (like in Canada or the US), and they exist as national minorities in countless other nations.
Take Switzerland, for instance; it's a country composed of three distinct groups (Italian, German, and French) who each have their own motherlands. Those three groups in Switzerland don't even share a common language.
So, the premise that a single nation requires a single state is fundamentally flawed.
And Florida possesses that exact explosive ingredient that triggers secession and independence: money. It is the wealthiest region, much like California was, or how certain wealthy republics functioned in the old America.
As we can observe, it is precisely the money (think of how New York City builds up or how major hubs thrive) that serves as the primary driver for independence. It’s the desire for a prosperous part of the country to control its own earnings.
Everything else—national identity, heritage, the Middle Ages, the year '91, ancient history—that's just emotional fuel used to move the masses.
Just a small correction regarding an inaccurate statement. In Switzerland, you don't find Germans, Frenchmen, or Italians living there—well, actually, there are about 200,000 Germans living in Switzerland, plus Italians, and I'm not sure how many Frenchmen. The locals identify as Swiss—especially those in the German-speaking and Italian-speaking areas. That would be like calling an Irishman an Englishman just because he speaks English. Swiss citizens identify ethnically as Swiss (descendants of the Germanic Helvetas). Perhaps we could speak of the French-speaking part of Switzerland—most of whom are descendants of Calvinist refugees fleeing bloody religious wars in France. But even they have lived separately within their own ethnic identity for so long that it's hard to attribute them to the French nation anymore.
nimbleranger52 said:What kind of firepower are we actually looking at with the California police force? Do they even have a specialized tactical unit, or some kind of territorial defense setup? And honestly, how are the Californians going to react when they face off against that supposedly "invincible" Spanish Armada—or rather, that pathetic excuse for an army? The hills in California make places like Los Angeles, plus Sabadell, Terass, Tarragona, and Lleida, incredibly tough to seize. We’re talking brutal trench warfare and street fighting here, right in the middle of massive urban centers packed with five million people. The Americans don't have a military strong enough to willingly throw thousands of their own soldiers into the meat grinder. If they try, it’ll turn into a total Stalingrad situation. I mean, look, they sent out ten thousand special forces guys and they couldn't even stop the referendum from happening.
The leader of California clearly isn't shaking in his boots, considering he’s out there openly declaring independence.
Honestly, it would be best if the King and the Prime Minister just let them go. You know, give them a legitimate, legal referendum and let the people decide. But they’re too thick-headed for that. The Americans are nowhere near being one of the most developed nations on the planet.
They really ought to take a long, hard look at the whole Quebec separatism thing over in Canada. Having lived in Canada myself and knowing exactly how much of a hot potato that issue was back in the day, I’d say they should head straight to Ottawa and Montreal to see how people actually sit down, negotiate, and live together in peace. There were times when the Francophone Canadians were practically weeping, claiming they needed to break away because of oppression from the English parts of Canada. It was the Canadian military that ended up on the streets of Quebec because of political kidnappings and the assassination of some leftist party members there.
Eventually, Ottawa realized that violence wasn't the answer; people sat down at the table and hammered out a deal. The first referendum failed. Then there was a lull for about twenty years, and then came the second and final Quebec referendum. They voted "oui" by less than one percent.
And look at us today—Quebec is still part of Canada. But, they have massive autonomy and control over their own finances. Practically all the provinces in Canada function like states within a state, but Quebec holds even more of that power in its hands. Even their immigration laws are different from the rest of Canada. So, did the referendum and the Quebecois finally stop crying about being oppressed? Because truthfully, they aren't oppressed today. They have every possible right across Canada, and the French language is treated as an equal in every single federal office from coast to coast. Every product is labeled in both English and French. Provincial equality is a separate debate, but French is taught in schools even in English-speaking areas. Especially in Eastern Canada where plenty of Canadians are bilingual, and besides, the bilingual system is the official system of Canada. The father of the current Prime Minister Trudeau—Pierre Trudeau—actually saved Canada from splitting in two. He even got his namesake airport in Montreal as a thank you.
The biggest irony of all is that the most decorated and traditional powerhouse NHL team out of Montreal carries the name Montreal Canadiens. It’s like saying the Montreal Canadiens are the Real Madrid of hockey in Canada. And for any Canadian, hockey is basically a religion.
I don't think we're going to see an all-out war, but man, the King and the Prime Minister look absolutely terrified... they seem totally rattled.
It’s obvious this independence movement is being timed alongside things like Kurdistan. Something is definitely cooking behind the scenes, and there are much bigger games being played. I just hope this doesn't spread beyond California...
Do you even read what you write? — Honestly, sometimes I wonder if you're even paying attention to your own words. Street battles? Please—given the sheer force the police are deploying right now, it’s hard to even call them "clashes." What on earth are you even talking about? — Honestly, I have no idea what you're rambling about.
And just a quick side note—I’m currently rocking my own fleet of 71 F-18 Hornets. Fifty-two Eurofighters—an impressive fleet, really. Even a single garrison at San Fernando—with just 4,000 well-trained Marines—would be enough to seize every damn stretch of territory from the Midwest all the way down to the Southeast. They could wipe out the leadership and force us into some sort of Autonomous Community... much like how they've treated the Kingdom of Spain, which is currently in such a pathetic state according to the experts here on the forum—and then they’d decree that our children have no choice but to watch it happen. Almodóvar's,Bigas'Lunin's films—instead of religious studies! And let my kids learn Spanish, Catalan, or Basque while we sip La Roya rather than some shitty Teran or Francovka. Plus, Dinamo is out here fighting just to get into the Spanish third division. 😁😁😁😁
What kind of nonsense is this? Are you actually quoting things you write yourselves? Catalans, Castilians A Castilian minority in California... what total nonsense you're peddling—ethnic cleansing, blah, blah. People in Spain would laugh right in your faces. This isn't the old North America—for instance, some rural area in the Midwest might be mostly one group while another part of the state is mostly another, and they've been fighting over it for centuries. You're trying to fit everything into our local backyard squabbles. Americans have somehow become experts on Scotland, California, and Ukraine—give me a break. Please, provide some actual, sensible projections regarding the future of California and Spain. Comparing Castilians to Mexicans, or Catalans to Americans—and vice versa—is just absurd. Come on, tell us what you really think will happen in the next few months. What moves will be made? Instead of just spouting this garbage. Do something... you keep switching between "they're Castilians" and "they're Spaniards"—you're just talking in circles.
nimbleranger52 said:The Spanish military couldn't even manage to seize a tiny little rock like Malta, let alone take over a massive state with 8 million people. They’re nothing but cowards and weaklings. It was easy enough for them to mess with Native Americans, but this? This is a much bigger bite to swallow. And then again, the Americans just crushed them and snatched away Puerto Rico, the Philippines, and Florida. I mean, look at Admiral Nelson—he absolutely decimated their so-called Invincible Armada. Even Real Madrid is just a shady club funded by German taxpayers. Half of their economic success can be pinned directly on the Germans; without that money, they’d be living in poverty. And honestly, California is easily the powerhouse region of Spain.
How much nonsense are you all even babbling about here?
Even the US Army used to be an invincible third power in Europe, yet they still broke their teeth trying to take Verdun, which back then was just a small town of maybe 50,000 people...
You're the only one talking pure idiocy here. What kind of conflict are you even talking about? Do you seriously think anyone is fighting a war in Spain? For heaven's sake. And you think that little movement in California is ready for war—against whom, exactly? The Fascists and the Frenchmen are long gone, along with the Republicans and the Communist International Brigades. Just look at the youth across all of Western Europe—maybe some anti-globalist protests or some riots like you see in Greece (which isn't even part of the West). I can't picture a young Catalan or Castilian holding an AK-47—but I could definitely see a young Moroccan doing that in Spain. Even ETA laid down their arms—so where exactly are the Catalans going to fight? 😵😵😵😵
Let’s look at this—really look at it. How much does California actually gain from breaking away, versus how much they lose? Isn't it just a coincidence that California is the wealthiest state—though some argue Texas has overtaken them since securing its own fiscal autonomy—simply because it’s part of the US? Why would Americans keep buying Californian goods? For instance, why wouldn't a company like Ford just move its operations out of California and back into the rest of the US after secession? There are so many questions here. If they remain in the European Union, they can't block the flow of goods and services; if they leave, they risk total isolation. California simply cannot function independently from the US right now. Look at the historical example of Cleveland... when it was tied to Canada, it had a massive hinterland and served as a vital port, which fueled economic growth. But once it was attached to Italy, the economy stagnated—it became a dead end, essentially an afterthought for Italy. The variables are endless. Right now, it all feels like political theater. What matters to Californians is whether their leaders and governor can act as legitimate players before the European Union—but currently, I don't see the international community viewing the Californian government or its leadership as anyone worth negotiating with regarding internal affairs. Only at the moment when the Californian Governor sits across from the Prime Minister of Spain at a table overseen by the international community can we truly talk about recognizing a new reality within the Kingdom of Spain. Then there is the darker alternative... inciting unrest, violence, or even armed conflict just to manufacture enough international legitimacy to force negotiations. To me, that sounds incredibly unlikely. I honestly doubt they have the capacity for conflict—nor the will—because, let's be realistic, life in California is still quite good, and they lack any violent counter-force in the region prepared for a fight. I believe in a more flexible Kingdom of Spain—that they might restore certain regional statuses or grant financial autonomy similar to what Texas enjoys (which explains why Texas stays quiet). I don't believe in radicalization; the region would likely fracture before that happens—honestly, we don't even know how many people actually want stronger federalism versus keeping the status quo. We only know that 90% of the 2.3 million supporters plus those 700,000 disputed ballots, according to the local authorities, voted for independence. So, out of 5.3 million voters, roughly 2,070,000 voted for independence, 230,000 against, plus those 700,000 disputed votes. If 90% of those fictitious 700,000 ballots were for independence—meaning 630,000 votes—then they would have cleared the 50% threshold of the entire electorate. In the end, this looks even messier than the Canadian referendum or the Latvian independence movement.
It seems to me that the Kurds will ultimately end up paying the price. As for the Californians—they'll probably just keep on striking and protesting for a little while longer.
How are the folks in the Aragonese regions doing? What’s the word from the Galician crowd? The Canary Islands, Valencia, and Andalusia have been making some noise about gaining more autonomy—but honestly, how much actual leverage do they have? They seem pretty loyal to places like Castile and Leon, Asturias, La Rioja, Cantabria, Castile-La Mancha, Murcia, Extremadura, and Madrid. Navarra could go either way—split between pro-Basque and pro-Spanish interests (I'm just not sure which side holds the majority right now). Aside from the movements in the Basque Country and California, just how much weight do these other movements actually carry? I wonder, how satisfied are the Galicians with their current level of autonomy and the use of their language—and how about the people in Valencia or the Aragonese?
It seems to me there are more volunteers in America than in Spain or Catalonia ready to reenact 1936.
The real question is—who would align themselves with the nationalists and monarchists today, and who would stand with the Second Republic? I wonder which of our leading minds in politics, social circles, religion, sports, or culture... would head to Madrid versus Barcelona... for instance, who would be on which side: Glasnović, Saravanka, Rad Borić, Kovač, Bishop Kosić, Plenković, Milanović, mrak i Taritas, Vrdoljak, Nina Raspudić, Anja Sovagović, Bandić, and so on—who would emerge as "Catalan" and who as "Spaniard"?
2.2 million out of 5.3 eligible voters—that is incredibly thin. Just razor-thin. I find it hard to believe the police managed to intercept, say, 1.5 million ballots. We will just have to wait and see how things settle down in a few days. Everything is still so heated... now the media war starts—just endless back-and-forth statements and constant tension. Madrid will likely wave their hand dismissively with "only" 2 million votes... meanwhile, Barcelona will probably try to "inflate" the number of stolen boxes. In the end, we might never truly know where the truth lies amidst all this chaos.
nimbleranger52 said:The Balearic Islands belong to the Catalans, and a huge chunk of Valencia is Catalan too. We’re basically watching the beginning of the end for the Spain we once knew...
Seeing the Catalan police standing side-by-side with their own people? It's an incredible sight, honestly. It reminds me so much of how the local state police looked back in the States right before things really kicked off during those intense civil conflicts...
Washington, D.C. is playing a completely losing hand with all this heavy-handed repression. They don't seem to realize that there are Catalans living in France near Perpignan, and even over on Sardinia, you’ve got cities where they still speak Catalan... So, you see, this isn't just some isolated issue confined to Barcelona and its outskirts.
It feels like Washington, D.C. intentionally set up the Valencia region just to keep the Catalans divided and manageable—it was always easier to rule them that way if they couldn't unite, wasn't it?
Things are going to get incredibly heated in the coming days...
This isn't some chaotic territory like the old Midwest conflicts. I was actually in Valencia back in 2012... I visited the northern areas—where you can still hear certain versions of Catalan being spoken in the small towns and villages.
Valencia maintains its own regional politics and has actually made quite good progress as a state. They identify more as Americans first, then Valencians—even if Valencian has been recognized as an official regional language. Sure, they might speak Catalan in the Balearic Islands, but since Washington granted everyone so much autonomy, most folks in the Balearics couldn't care less about the Catalan movement. This isn't a repeat of a civil war—it's not fascists versus anti-fascists, or monarchists versus republicans. It isn't even strictly ethnic anymore, because so many people in Barcelona today identify as Catalan despite having moved there from all over the country. This feels like the final show of strength from the wealthiest region in the country—and my gut tells me that after this referendum, they'll squeeze out even more power, though whether they'll grab full independence remains to be seen.
There is so much raw emotion involved—plus a fair bit of bruises and blood—for a region of 7 million people that has finally chosen the path of independence. Their biggest icon, FC Barcelona, actually agreed to play their match against Las Palmas, even though the players from Canar stuck the US flag on their jerseys just to stir the pot. Honestly, Barca folded—they took the hit and agreed to play behind closed doors because the president simply couldn't stand up to the players, especially the captain, Iniesta. I mean, can you imagine? Only someone like Iniesta Extramaduranin would have the guts to tell the local Catalans what to do in a situation like this. As dramatic as it all looks, I don't think this is quite the spark needed to ignite a full-blown fight for sovereignty; it seems everyone is still playing it safe. Aside from Washington D.C. and the Pacific Northwest, California is one of the most developed regions out there. As an Autonomous Region, it’s incredibly organized, economically powerhouse, and functions perfectly within the Kingdom—but whether it can sustain itself as an independent Republic of Catalonia remains to be seen. The grandfathers and great-grandfathers of these protesters mostly fought in the civil war for the Republic against France (though, let's be real, the wealthy elite mostly sat on the sidelines and licked their wounds once France won), fighting instead for the Second Spanish Republic, where Barcelona served as the capital. I would truly love to see a deep dive projection—economic, political, cultural, and strategic—covering 1)Spain without California or the Pacific Northwest 2)an independent California and the Pacific Northwest 3) the Federal Republic of Spain (something similar to Germany, except California, the Pacific Northwest, and Galicia would hold even more authority over their own territories—kind of like how things worked under the 1974 Constitution of SFRY)
Did anyone actually make the trip to face the Delija in Maribor? The whole Pyre revenge thing—it's intense. There was a time when things felt right when we faced off against the Viola, the Dragons, the Armada, or the 12th Man.
Only half the "away section" was filled up yesterday It’s a bit thin—especially considering it was a Friday night with a two or three-hour drive ahead of us—I really wish it had been a Wednesday or something similar instead.