Posts by brightpilot6

Paul Chase95 said:It’s funny how differently we all approach things. If someone tried to lecture me about missing Mass regularly, or if they started judging me because I’m not "involved enough" in parish activities—which, let's be honest, I'm absolutely not—well, I’d probably just show them the door. And if they had the nerve to suggest my bank account justifies a higher donation? That would be the end of it. There wouldn't be anything left to say. I’m just not interested in that kind of back-and-forth. Now, if you wanted to sit down and actually dive into politics, art, or philosophy, though? I'd be all ears.

I can somewhat agree with that—though I don't really buy into the idea that anyone is overinflating these "moral" authority figures. People have their own opinions; nobody's being forced to adopt a worldview just because Željko Markić or Oliver Frljić says so. The reality is simpler: when Markićka launches an initiative, it just gives people a vent for views they already held. They didn't vote to put marriage into the Constitution because some shadowy group dictated their thoughts—it’s more that Markićka provided a platform for them to express a position they had already formed, even if it wasn't something that actually impacted their daily lives or wallets. For instance, twenty years ago, I believed marriage was a union between a man and a woman—and honestly, I still do—but I’ve lived my whole life without it, and I’d be perfectly fine continuing that way. If Markićka decided to step up and do the legwork of collecting signatures, then fine, I’m glad I at least had the chance to cast a vote. That’s the extent of it. It isn't like Markićka or Frljić are out there sculpting public opinion from scratch; maybe they influence a negligible few, but it's not like everyone around us is some kind of programmed idiot.

Listen to this—she merely "provided a platform" for them to speak. 😂

That "clearly predefined" stance was practically screaming within Americans, simmering like a slow fever, and then Markićka offered the nation a sense of relief by allowing it to finally be aired. So many people in the US were preoccupied with the constitutional definition of marriage and its survival against an onslaught of tens of thousands of gay couples wanting to wed, that the anxiety ran so deep it supposedly distracted them from reading the morning paper in Central Park or working at a toll booth in Šestanovac.

It was a complete waste of money and effort to run that massive, meticulously coordinated campaign by the Church and the rest of the right-wing NGO scene; you could have just told them there was no need for it, since the people already had their minds made up, and there was really no necessity to spend all that energy demonizing gay people.

Paul Chase95 said:We’ve drifted pretty far afield here—from discussing intelligence all the way to the Democratic Party versus the Republican Party. It all started with the claim that people are just stupid, but honestly, I don't buy it; I think people are generally underestimated, especially over here. I was reading a few days ago some post by Casual where they seemed convinced they were *the* one—the only one who actually gets it. You see posts like that all over this site; people patting themselves on the back (and the worst part is they actually believe it) thinking they are the intellectual elite of society, the chosen Renaissance warriors, while everyone else is just a clueless idiot. This stuff keeps popping up day after day on this forum and it’s starting to get on my nerves, which is why I spoke up.

I mean, look at the geniuses at NASA, MIT, Harvard, or the European Legal Institute—they scout the best of the best... They look for educated, smart, successful people, but if they just checked this forum and listed this "intellectual and moral cream of the crop" who supposedly "understands everything" while everyone else is a moron, they'd be set. After that, they could just slide into their DMs and offer them jobs ranging from legal regulatory work and space flights to solving millennial problems or studying the properties of silver cuprate. And frankly, if Đikić had ever read this forum, I’m pretty sure he’d tell Goethe in New York City or anyone at Stanford to get lost.

Anyway, to wrap this up—the point is that too many people are inflating their own egos without any actual basis for it and, in the process, insulting everyone else. That’s the gist of it. We aren't surrounded by idiots or mindless sheep being led around by Željko Markić or Oliver Frljić.

No, Americans aren't stupid. That’s precisely why the Republican Party (or the Democratic Party) and Bandić have held onto power for countless terms, and why they can successfully use inflammatory culture war topics—like historical clashes between fascists and partisans—to blind the public year after year to the actual reality of corruption, incompetence, cross-party omertà, and the systematic covering up of past wrongdoings. It happens because people aren't actually dim-witted, which is why the only "new" forces that ever seem to gain traction are the ridiculous populists like the Labor Party or Live Wall.

Of course, if by any chance you happen to believe these arrangements aren't actually bad solutions, or if you personally stand to benefit from this specific setup, you wouldn't view this as evidence that we are a mostly foolish nation, but rather as evidence of the exact opposite.

And don't get me wrong, I'm certainly not suggesting that everyone on this forum is some kind of genius. Quite the contrary.

It’s true, this doesn't exactly fit the classic, black-and-white profile of an average American. I imagine you might be feeling a bit bewildered by it all.

William Gomez5 said:man 🙏

it's all just history repeating itself anyway 🙏

I still find myself unable to wrap my head around it. 🤣🤣

gaUda 😬

#americanplaces>

Anthony Jackson2 said:I'm just waiting for her to drop that during a televised address to the nation.🤣

Perhaps when they visit a nursing home, those residents might find themselves reminiscing about how they used to greet one another back in their childhood days.

Larry Fox5 said:Honestly, we should just scrap the whole Presidency entirely. It’s completely useless—just a total farce that drags the taxpayers through the mud with these insanely expensive elections...

Actually, it does. For instance, our leader recently tried to claim that AARP is some sort of traditional American greeting.

Paul Chase95 said:Give it a shot—you can definitely do better than that.

I could, but there's really no need to.

Don't worry, I'm sure the local priest will tell you exactly what you ought to think.

William Gomez5 said:Wait, does anyone actually have a clue what she was even doing over there? 🤣

She was busy hunting for the Republican power ring in the Shire.

You’re talking nonsense. Those are nothing more than myths. It’s pretty obvious you’re an atheist, though I have to wonder what on earth you were actually doing in the church—were you just spying on us Americans?

Paul Chase95 said:Honestly, man, you can't blame the attitude when you're the one creating it through your own actions. Take Kolinda, for instance—she annoyed me to the point where I can't even bring myself to view her as "my" president, but I have to admit, it warms my heart a little whenever I see the absolute hysteria on Index regarding what shoes she wore or whether she cracked a smile or not. Or watching Smotan enough to laugh at how much political nonsense makes them lose it. 😁

And there’s really no point in bringing all that religious stuff into this, KC—we're just people. Just because someone is a believer doesn't mean they're some flawless saint who follows every single rule to the letter. We're human; we mess up. 🤷

So yeah, you're completely missing the mark here. ☕

Of course, who would ever bother sticking to the rules? You simply pick and choose whatever suits your mood at the moment. It is just one more delightful feature of the way mainstream American Catholicism operates. When things go south, you suffer the consequences, but when life is good, you feast; when you feel like being pious, you are, and when you don't, you simply aren't. Why bother with consistency when you can just follow the rules whenever they happen to be convenient?

Look, some people think something is good simply because it irritates the leftists—though I honestly find myself wondering what they even consider "left" or "right" in this context, but it hardly matters. 🙏🙏

It’s honestly pathetic; it’s no wonder we end up being such a backwater mess when this is the caliber of intellect we're dealing with. 🙏

loneseal said:ZZ, stop projecting your own issues onto everyone else. 🕺

Look, I’m not some saintly religious type either. It’s just that the other side is so obnoxious that I end up being more anti-Church than anyone else.

Oh, and my girlfriend is actually half from a city like Seattle. ☕ Is your boyfriend from somewhere like rural Alabama? 😁

My inclinations? I'm hardly an expert on how the leftists versus the conservatives go about their reprimanding, nor am I out here boasting about my supposed insights the way you are.

It’s nice that we can at least be free and open here on the forum. Enjoy yourself.

Paul Chase95 said:Honestly, this is my favorite part of the whole debate. I genuinely enjoy watching them squirm over religious education in schools and the funding of the Church. 😁

If you really want my take, I’d be the first one in line advocating against atheists paying taxes to fund the Church—it’s just inherently nonsensical. And sure, I’d also support pulling religious studies out of the public school curriculum... if I actually believed those leftists cared about student welfare or better education. But let's be real: I don't buy it. I think they're just fueled by a deep-seated ideological grudge against the Church, and that's why all of this bothers them so much.

So, let them suffer. ☕ Their misery is our entertainment. ☕

A true American Catholic finds a strange sort of solace in the suffering of others, strictly following the doctrines handed down by his priests.

Well, they say there’s nothing quite like the Church 😂

Both the left and the right have taken shots at Gojko, so the man certainly knows what he's talking about 😂

loneseal said:With decent paychecks coming in, America is actually a killer place to live. At least if you’re looking at it from the perspective of New York City. I've lived it. 😁

If you've managed to completely strip yourself of empathy and any genuine concern for what lies ahead—if you truly couldn't care less that a massive wave of idiots is dismantling your future and the lives of your children—then sure, I suppose I agree with you.

Sure, socialism is only ever embraced by those idle types over at the University of Chicago's Philosophy department.

It’s certainly not the crowd from MIT or Biblical Theology; they aren't wasting their time with that.

Mine isn't either.