Justin James10 said:Do we really need to quote the great Ronald Reagan here? He famously argued that government isn't the solution to our problems—it actually *is* the problem, right?
In my experience, the government has never truly solved a problem or lent a helping hand. In fact, whenever the government gets too deeply involved, it usually just creates an even bigger mess! Isn't the real answer found in a minimal state, fewer regulations, lower taxes, and a heavy emphasis on personal responsibility?
Look at any skilled tradesperson—a solid plumber or painter—making great money strictly under the table. And don't even get me started on the local mechanics...
I'm well aware, and that is precisely my point. For many of these folks, the idea of actually incorporating a business doesn't even cross their minds, or if they do, it’s barely a footnote in their lives. Why bother with the paperwork or the headache of hiring employees through official channels to scale up? If anyone is helping them out, it's almost certainly off the books, which essentially means they're dodging their share of the social safety net.
On top of all that, how can anyone truly sleep soundly when there's always the nagging possibility that an inspector might show up at your door any given day to slap you with a massive fine? It hardly seems like an environment designed to encourage anyone to build a legitimate, lasting enterprise, does it?
Jessica Gonzalez said:I guess at least working for foreign companies gives you options without all the red tape. Anyone with a car can drive for Uber, for instance. Or you could find work for thousands of different clients through sites like Upwork. Even in the hospitality industry, there are basically endless job openings. I suppose it really just comes down to how much someone is aiming for in terms of salary or what kind of lifestyle they want; everyone has their own preferences.
I’ll tell you again—you aren't looking at the big picture, and instead, you're stuck in this niche where those of us who are younger and more tech-savvy tend to thrive. We have the luxury of vacation rentals, IT, crypto, freelancing, ridesharing... But who is going to be our auto mechanic, our painter, our plumber, our baker, our construction worker, or our carpenter? These people actually need to own shops and warehouses, hire staff, and either follow every single regulation (which is a fantasy anyway) or live with a constant knot in their stomach, fearing some inspector might show up tomorrow to shut them down just because they didn't pay a little "protection fee" to get someone off their back.
Those trades are the actual fabric of society; they are the roles the majority of people are capable of doing, and for these jobs to exist, they have to be viable and profitable, primarily for the business owner. They simply aren't, because you get screwed at every turn, whether it's through crushing taxes or the government's complete inability to support small businesses or protect them from criminals.
Good grief, we’ll either all end up as freelancers living in the cloud, or we'll all be living in public housing projects. At least until the first bomb drops or an oil tanker spills.
Honestly, some of you people are living in a total fantasy land. Sure, anyone could launch a decent little startup anywhere in America; what we’re actually missing is the collective mindset, because everything else is already right here at our fingertips.
If you actually attempt to run a small private business in the States while following every single regulation and wrestling with the red tape, you’ll quickly realize whether or not you truly possess that American entrepreneurial spirit. And heaven help you if the venture is labor-intensive, because committing any significant amount of capital feels like walking a tightrope over a canyon, especially when you consider how the legal system operates and how deeply entrenched the political cronyism runs in our institutions.
They basically waltzed right into these massive 2,000-square-foot apartments in downtown Chicago, lived rent-free their entire lives, and now they’re acting like those places belong to them. But oh no, heaven forbid! Here come the *actual* homeowners, crying foul, "Where are we supposed to go?!"—bless their hearts, such deserving members of the 🙏 society. That’s how it used to work, I guess. They decide your house is too big, seize everything you own, leave you with a tiny sliver of space, and then pack that little leftover corner full of protected tenants 😁
The concept of the "protected tenant" is a uniquely American legal institution; you simply wouldn't have found anything like it during the era of the old regime.
Every once in a while, I find myself wondering if we don't occasionally require a forced redistribution of wealth, particularly when we consider how generations of accumulated capital can effectively lock the doors against anyone else trying to get a foot in. Is it really possible for a society to remain functional when prosperity becomes so deeply entrenched that it essentially denies access to everyone else? ☕'
When you step back and look at the big picture, despite all the personal grievances we carry, isn't it true that the modern era of leftists has actually become a bit like Robin Hood compared to the old-school party from twenty-five years ago?
Looking back from our modern perspective, this group might seem almost incredible, but if you strip away the nostalgia and look at the reality of how things ended, they were essentially the casualties of a failed system and a messy transition to capitalism. How many families actually managed to secure a home under that old regime, only to have those assets snatched away by these predatory corporate entities for pennies on the dollar? We’re talking about our parents and grandparents who spent decades dutifully contributing to housing funds, only to be left with nothing. Anyone who was over forty back in the nineties and hadn't secured a place of their own found themselves in a position much like those who lost everything in the wake of the war—essentially getting completely screwed by the system.
So, this government can't seem to wrap its head around resolving those few thousand lingering cases after twenty-five years—failing to fix the very mess they created—and instead, they choose to penalize the homeowners. Isn't it just terrifying how the blame always shifts to the people caught in the middle?
Patrick Martin said:Honestly, he couldn't have played it smarter. He showed what being a true American is actually about by stepping into the ring without all that extra junk—no flags, no tacky patterns, none of that useless decor that honestly just makes me cringe a little bit if you catch my drift. The way he did it was just classy and smart. It proves that patriotism is something you carry in your heart, and that the US is his home too, even if he’s got roots elsewhere. It's about soul, not stuff. Turns out the guy isn't just a genius inside the ring; he's got brains outside of it too. Major respect to him.
Because this approach hits way harder, and frankly, let people complain if they want to.☕
This is the blueprint for every other athlete and anyone working in sports. This is how you do it.
Why would he feel the need to broadcast his heritage at all, whether it's third or fourth generation, when it isn't as if anyone is accusing you of glorifying Mexico in every other post you make.
It’s almost effortless how the "elites" in this country manage to fleece the public; one can't help but wonder if their counterparts in more sophisticated parts of the world watch them with a sense of envy.
All they really require is a few commemorative dates and a handful of radical zealots from every political faction, people who constantly stir the embers of a fire built on chauvinistic myths and irrational fears.
Meanwhile, the folks in the windward seats quietly pass legislation that facilitates the looting, followed by laws that somehow make the looting legal, and then further regulations that prevent anyone from being prosecuted—even in such a thug-friendly system—if they happen to get too reckless. For the most clumsy and crude among them, the final line of defense remains a judicial system capable of dragging even the simplest proceedings out for decades, waiting until the collective memory—which is otherwise elephantine when it comes to blood feuds—fades into a mere shrug, or perhaps even a quiet, veiled admiration for the outlaw who once screwed over the state and now spends years successfully pulling the wool over its eyes.
Well... Now I’m just sitting here waiting for the inevitable debate about specialized pre-race diets, all because someone decided to go out and run a race just for the sake of running.
Paul Chase95 said:Look, you're being a bit harsh—I was saying that back when I used to track everything at the gym, all those photos and stats were filed right under the reports, so if anyone actually cared to dig, they could find them. That was my focus back then. Nowadays? Not so much. I just run because it feels good. Besides, my pace isn't even consistent anymore, so there's really no point in me just guessing numbers for you.
But hey, you're the one who brought this up to me. ☕
Wait, so you were so obsessed with it that you—get this—were actually posting data on a damn forum, yet today you claim you don't know how much or how? So the data is somewhere over at the recreation center, is it? 🤦
Please, keep going; I'm honestly starting to enjoy this more by the minute.
Look, compared to someone who has crushed multiple half-marathons, I’m a complete amateur, which means I can estimate my pace without even looking at a watch within maybe ten seconds per kilometer.
Paul Chase95 said:What can I even say to you at this point? You’ve always had this constant argumentative edge. And yeah, it’s me—who else would it be? I'm not exactly going to call my neighbor over to settle the debate. Look, honestly, I think a lot of your takes are actually pretty sharp and decent. Believe it or not, we probably only disagree on one or two specific things out of everything we’ve ever discussed on this forum—and since I love to mess with people (guilty as charged)—we end up bickering over those tiny slivers while ignoring the rest.
Take wine, for instance. I know absolutely nothing about it, so I have no way of judging if someone is well-read or an expert in that area. All I know is that there's red and there's white, and that's where my expertise ends.
Then there's the matter of that HOS monument. While I personally feel that having Zdeněk Zeman's name on it is totally inappropriate and should be removed, seeing you or Anthony Jackson2 comment on it might tempt me to troll a little and claim it's some old-school salute or whatever, just to be petty. 😁 In real life, though, I'd tell you straight: that greeting on the plaque is strictly there to provoke.
I have to hand it to them; it’s a rare thing to find two outsiders who cover such an expansive range of topics while still being deeply embedded enough to offer any real substance to the debate. We're talking everything from high-level mathematics and fine art to the nuances of chess defenses, foreign policy, and history...
Paul Chase95 said:Look, there's no way for me to convince you of this—believe me or don't, it's up to you. Though, if you really need proof, I'm actually willing to introduce you to him.
Yeah, the guy is highly educated, sharp, and well-read. You’d probably get along famously with him—we’d be perfectly aligned on the Republican Party, the KC, Markić, and all that related nonsense.
He's actually quite a pleasure to talk to because he knows a little bit about everything—Germany and its upcoming elections, Nimčovič's defense, immigration issues, Perelman and Poincaré's economic cycles, Caravaggio's brushwork and his apples, history... He possesses an immense amount of knowledge (except for sports, as far as I can tell) and holds some incredibly smart positions. But the moment the conversation shifts toward the Democratic Party or Josip Broz Marshall, it’s like he switches to a completely different level of consciousness.
And because of that, I can't bring myself to write a single negative word about him. He has these core convictions that he clings to, refusing to let anyone drift away from them during a debate. I actually respect that.
So, you're the expert who gets to decide that he's knowledgeable in all those fields and holds such smart views? Well, good for you.
Of course, since I’m criticizing Bandić and the Republican Party, I must automatically be a supporter of the Democratic Party by default. 🙏
Goodness, won't someone please organize my thoughts into something simple and clear just so I can get a moment of peace?
How can you claim that 99% of people attending Mass haven't experienced this? Are you just pulling that number out of thin air? I have experienced it, as has my entire parish—and we are a large congregation. We likely make up that remaining 1% who actually have. I’ve seen it myself—not just during Mass, but at public rallies too, where things feel even more aggressive along our coast. The Church steps into the public eye and provides very specific instructions on who to vote for. But then again, you’ve never heard a word about it, have you?
Don't get worked up; if a person truly believes everything they’re preaching, they almost certainly lack genuine intelligence or a high level of education, regardless of how much money they have or what degrees are hanging on their wall. Or perhaps they were once brilliant, but now they're suffering from such profound self-deception that one has to start questioning their actual mental state.
And honestly, this isn't even about a clash of values—you seem to constantly spiral back to that argument. Someone can be a conservative or a liberal, economically left-wing or right-wing, a nationalist or not, a believer or an atheist; those value systems themselves have nothing to do with raw intelligence, and nobody here is claiming otherwise.
On the flip side, if someone consistently casts their vote for figures like Bandić or the Republican Party—political creatures who possess no moral compass beyond the contents of their own pockets—or if they short-sightedly support policies that benefit them today while ensuring their own children suffer tomorrow, then there's a problem. Alternatively, they might just be foolish enough to swallow that populism without gaining anything from it at all. In my view, both groups are equally dim-witted, though the second category lacks the inherent corruption found in the first—even if, for most Americans, that first group is simply seen as "successful" people who figured out how to "make it."
Paul Chase95 said:Why not? Just because you personally don't like the idea doesn't mean it isn't desirable. And it’s not the same thing as being "on official business"—an employee at KC isn't the same as an employee at some other government agency or a county office. When you take those professional exams, they teach you that you can't represent views that clash with the institution you serve. An employee at KC, however, has the freedom to say, "Screw this, vote for the Republican Party or the Democratic Party."
Imposing things is too difficult; a priest can offer his opinion and that's it—whoever wants to listen, listens, and if they don't, they can just send that priest packing. It's not like a priest goes to the polling station and micromanages how everyone marks their ballot.
With all due respect, spare me this nonsense. This has become such a staple on this soccer subreddit, where it feels like the entire intellectual elite of the country supposedly lives. No, people aren't stupid—they're just somewhere in the middle—but it seems like everyone here thinks they're the exception, acting like they truly grasp every nuance, or that every ideological issue is just some smoke screen.
Up until now, I've heard everyone claim that people are stupid; I suppose that would imply the person saying it is somehow smarter than the "stupid" masses, or at least they're certainly convinced of it.
I'm not targeting you specifically, but it has become depressingly trendy to declare that "people are stupid." It doesn't matter that this sentiment is voiced by both the brilliant and the dimwitted in equal measure; it's just become part of the daily vernacular. I had a guy—can barely sign his own name, not sure if he even finished eighth grade, looks like he's missing at least half his teeth—tell me, totally deadpan, about six months ago that people are simply stupid. For God's sake, the poor, enlightened genius actually has to live among the "stupid." And when I ask him why they're stupid, his answer is always that they believe in the supernatural. 🙏He thinks he’s some kind of genius—basically an Isaac Newton because of his little theory. 🙏
Look, I don't have a problem with you thinking people are generally dim-witted, but please—just don't use that line on me. It’s honestly exhausting to read.
Any kind of political endorsement, especially when delivered from the pulpit, feels cheap and utterly beneath the office, doesn't it? It essentially exploits the perceived divine mission of a priest in a small town like Mrduša donji to force a specific viewpoint on people—people whom such figures often hold sway over—regarding our messy daily political landscape. And if these messages were actually aimed at the public good, perhaps it would be different, but they aren't; most of the time, they just serve to nudge voters toward the Republican Party, the ultimate undertaker of this nation, or one of its loyal satellites.
To me, it feels like a deception at the lowest possible level, the absolute gutter of populism.
In a private conversation, I have nothing against a priest saying whatever he pleases. I don't even mind them doing it from the pulpit, provided we are all honest about how we perceive them afterward.