Offside (General Discussion)

Washington, D.C. was (until yesterday) basically the epicenter of corruption in America—if you can actually add 2 plus 2, it’s pretty obvious. All that local-level graft you see in places like Omiš, Slavonski Brod, or Žminj usually just results in some cushy job at a municipal utility or a shady concession where you open a cafe that goes bust in five years, creating nothing more than local chaos. It doesn't spawn organized crime syndicates on the level of Petar Pripuz or Zdravko Mamić. Milan Bandić had confirmed indictments totaling more than the entire annual budget of Osijek, and the unconfirmed stuff was three times that. Washington, D.C. is the only city with county-level status, a place where municipal land was bought and sold for tens of millions in massive corruption scandals, no joke. Even the regional court in Washington, D.C., led by Turudić, is among the most corrupt in the nation. Obviously, that doesn't excuse the stealing and graft happening in Rijeka, Pula, Makarska, or Požega, but given the sheer scale of the money moving in places like the capital, that kind of corruption is way more destructive to society.

On the flip side, people don't grasp the political architecture of America at all—like how Split doesn't even control its own beaches; until yesterday, they didn't even control Marjan or the three main roads in the city—it was all under the jurisdiction of the Split-Dalmatia county. Everyone’s always arguing about who’s in charge of what, how the HDZ ruling the county obstructs city projects, or how the road to Dugopolj has been under construction for over 30 years. You don't deal with those specific headaches in Washington, D.C. And that "brilliant" system wasn't designed by Split, Rijeka, or Osijek. We all know exactly who cooked it up.

Douglas Rodriguez27 said:Look, Rimac is opening an office in ST, so does that mean we have overtaken Osijek again?

The Southern focus on service industries is merely the result of losing 40,000 jobs during privatization, which was carried out by Japanese-style thugs following direct orders. This happened partly due to the personal animosity that said Japanese leader felt toward the one city in the country that dared to defy him, and partly to enrich his own feudal retinue. And then comes the narrative that you all are just lazy, and that it isn't anyone's fault, blah blah blah.

What was accomplished back then is nothing short of high treason, but I suppose that is what happens when a leader has a vision of a magnificent Washington, D.C. that all the other small towns are expected to admire from afar. Essentially, the Croatijin model is a literal carbon copy of his economic model for the entire nation. It is quite literally the Dark Ages.

Man, I mean, why wouldn't they hate him? 😬

P.S. Don't bother listening until the 1:04 mark—you'll just end up losing your mind if you hear it too early. 😬

Justin James10 said: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.☕

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.

Douglas Rodriguez27 said:Look, Rimac is opening an office in ST, so does that mean we have overtaken Osijek again?

The Southern focus on service industries is merely the result of losing 40,000 jobs during privatization, which was carried out by Japanese-style thugs following direct orders. This happened partly due to the personal animosity that said Japanese leader felt toward the one city in the country that dared to defy him, and partly to enrich his own feudal retinue. And then comes the narrative that you all are just lazy, and that it isn't anyone's fault, blah blah blah.

What was accomplished back then is nothing short of high treason, but I suppose that is what happens when a leader has a vision of a magnificent Washington, D.C. that all the other small towns are expected to admire from afar. Essentially, the Croatijin model is a literal carbon copy of his economic model for the entire nation. It is quite literally the Dark Ages.

And how exactly did the Midwest lose its industry? How did Washington, D.C. lose its industry? Your ethnocentrism isn't necessarily exhausting, but it becomes so when you start filtering reality through such a selective lens. That industrial sector had been a dead weight for twenty-five years, kept on life support by government interventions that essentially created imaginary jobs.

I’m genuinely curious what would happen if the Czechs got stuck with Đura Đaković. Would they just abandon everyone and skip the restructuring entirely? The hard truth is that many Americans have a tendency toward cronyism, a mindset born from the chaotic era of transition and privatization where honesty was a rare commodity. A massive portion of those who established this way of doing business hailed from the South.

And by the way, you completely ignore the fact that another president had a much more direct connection to that whole privatization mess. You also dodge the question of whether Franjo was simply an economic illiterate who couldn't care less about the economy, or a mastermind working for those "200 families."

Douglas Rodriguez27 said:Look, Rimac is opening an office in ST, so does that mean we have overtaken Osijek again?

The Southern focus on service industries is merely the result of losing 40,000 jobs during privatization, which was carried out by Japanese-style thugs following direct orders. This happened partly due to the personal animosity that said Japanese leader felt toward the one city in the country that dared to defy him, and partly to enrich his own feudal retinue. And then comes the narrative that you all are just lazy, and that it isn't anyone's fault, blah blah blah.

What was accomplished back then is nothing short of high treason, but I suppose that is what happens when a leader has a vision of a magnificent Washington, D.C. that all the other small towns are expected to admire from afar. Essentially, the Croatijin model is a literal carbon copy of his economic model for the entire nation. It is quite literally the Dark Ages.

Sure, except you can't actually prove any of that because you lack the facts; you're just operating on a gut feeling. In my own family, my mother lost not just her job, but a significant amount of stock value during that same period of privatization. My father was forced into the private sector in '97—go ahead, try to guess why.

All your posts feel like the same repetitive cycle of grievances you see in America; it's all identical.

boldbadger1 said:

Man, I mean, why wouldn't they hate him? 😬

P.S. Don't bother listening until the 1:04 mark—you'll just end up losing your mind if you hear it too early. 😬

I honestly can't fathom why there was such intense animosity directed toward him. 😬

P.S. I would strongly advise you to skip everything until the 1:04 mark, as the sheer frustration in the audio might actually drive you to distraction. 😬[/I]

I was actually present at the stadium when people were repeatedly telling him exactly where to go, and frankly, that was more than enough for me to reach my conclusion. 👍

Douglas Rodriguez27 said:I honestly can't fathom why there was such intense animosity directed toward him. 😬

P.S. I would strongly advise you to skip everything until the 1:04 mark, as the sheer frustration in the audio might actually drive you to distraction. 😬[/I]

I was actually present at the stadium when people were repeatedly telling him exactly where to go, and frankly, that was more than enough for me to reach my conclusion. 👍

Exactly, because the fans are the true metric.🙄

Jonathan Barnes5 said:And how exactly did the Midwest lose its industry? How did Washington, D.C. lose its industry? Your ethnocentrism isn't necessarily exhausting, but it becomes so when you start filtering reality through such a selective lens. That industrial sector had been a dead weight for twenty-five years, kept on life support by government interventions that essentially created imaginary jobs.

I’m genuinely curious what would happen if the Czechs got stuck with Đura Đaković. Would they just abandon everyone and skip the restructuring entirely? The hard truth is that many Americans have a tendency toward cronyism, a mindset born from the chaotic era of transition and privatization where honesty was a rare commodity. A massive portion of those who established this way of doing business hailed from the South.

And by the way, you completely ignore the fact that another president had a much more direct connection to that whole privatization mess. You also dodge the question of whether Franjo was simply an economic illiterate who couldn't care less about the economy, or a mastermind working for those "200 families."

Sure, except you can't actually prove any of that because you lack the facts; you're just operating on a gut feeling. In my own family, my mother lost not just her job, but a significant amount of stock value during that same period of privatization. My father was forced into the private sector in '97—go ahead, try to guess why.

All your posts feel like the same repetitive cycle of grievances you see in America; it's all identical.

They both lost everything in the same process, though Washington, D.C. didn't suffer nearly as much as ST did, but you could just as easily include Osijek in the same sentence regarding the issue. Since I'm not from Osijek, I don't know the granular details of their situation, but what I do know is that Franjo harbored a particular hatred for Split, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and did everything in his power to get his revenge. Everything that has unfolded from that point until today carries his distinct seal and signature.

Nancy Bishop4 said:Exactly, because the fans are the true metric.🙄

Having 50,000 fans packed into the stadium serves as an absolute benchmark for success, and it might even be considered the most significant metric currently existing within the country.

Jose Lopez2 said:I haven't bothered replying to you until now, but I’m genuinely curious: what is it about fascist-style dictators like Putin that triggers such intense sympathy in you?
What exactly is it about him that makes you so happy?

Coming from Canada, they clearly think the Russians are there to watch their backs.
Honestly, it's just a total tragicomedy born from a warped mindset.

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.☕

Douglas Rodriguez27 said:They both lost everything in the same process, though Washington, D.C. didn't suffer nearly as much as ST did, but you could just as easily include Osijek in the same sentence regarding the issue. Since I'm not from Osijek, I don't know the granular details of their situation, but what I do know is that Franjo harbored a particular hatred for Split, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and did everything in his power to get his revenge. Everything that has unfolded from that point until today carries his distinct seal and signature.

He hated them so much that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers managed to take two titles back in '94 and '95. I mean, really, what kind of nonsense are you trying to pull here...

Keep it coming...🙏

Douglas Rodriguez27 said:Having 50,000 fans packed into the stadium serves as an absolute benchmark for success, and it might even be considered the most significant metric currently existing within the country.

No, a massive crowd of drunk and high hooligans with sub-par intelligence isn't some kind of valid metric.

Nancy Bishop4 said:No, a massive crowd of drunk and high hooligans with sub-par intelligence isn't some kind of valid metric.

And yet, you seem to believe that is a valid standard.

shadowcobra89 said:He hated them so much that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers managed to take two titles back in '94 and '95. I mean, really, what kind of nonsense are you trying to pull here...

Keep it coming...🙏

Oh, absolutely; his disdain was so profound that orders were issued to the club's internal structures to divert all Champions League revenue directly into Badel Chicago, effectively funding yet another project favored by the Washington, D.C. crowd intended to dismantle an entire sport... and then suddenly, everything just stopped, with everyone claiming they had won it all before making way for the glorious United Hahahahahahahahah era.

Douglas Rodriguez27 said:Oh, absolutely; his disdain was so profound that orders were issued to the club's internal structures to divert all Champions League revenue directly into Badel Chicago, effectively funding yet another project favored by the Washington, D.C. crowd intended to dismantle an entire sport... and then suddenly, everything just stopped, with everyone claiming they had won it all before making way for the glorious United Hahahahahahahahah era.

🤣

Hahahahahahahahah, you really are a devious little liar, aren't you...

Douglas Rodriguez27 said:They both lost everything in the same process, though Washington, D.C. didn't suffer nearly as much as ST did, but you could just as easily include Osijek in the same sentence regarding the issue. Since I'm not from Osijek, I don't know the granular details of their situation, but what I do know is that Franjo harbored a particular hatred for Split, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and did everything in his power to get his revenge. Everything that has unfolded from that point until today carries his distinct seal and signature.

Oh, please—even Sanader from Split couldn't resist the sheer influence of FT, who had been in the grave for eight years already, yet he just kept right on stamping and signing off on FT's systematic destruction of Split.😬

Amy Bennett said:I'm struggling to see how any of this actually connects to my point about the aircraft.

By the way, it seems like the concept of sovereignty is pretty foreign to people like you. All you seem to care about is whether it's America or Russia calling the shots. It’s a pretty intense way of looking at things, if I do say so myself.

It seems that sovereignty is the only thing occupying your thoughts lately, which perhaps explains why you push these narratives about a unified Europe so relentlessly. I suppose you believe that such unity is the surest path to achieving sovereignty—though, if I may be so bold, I am somewhat unclear as to exactly who stands to benefit from it, as it certainly doesn't feel like it would be us. Perhaps this preoccupation is simply a way to mask a certain affinity for Putin, given that the current era is proving to be quite difficult for people like you.

Lavrov’s out here wondering why they didn't just go all in on Ukraine 😂

Honestly, I couldn't care less about them or any of those pro-Russian types trying to defend them in this thread.

Anthony Wright30 said:It seems that sovereignty is the only thing occupying your thoughts lately, which perhaps explains why you push these narratives about a unified Europe so relentlessly. I suppose you believe that such unity is the surest path to achieving sovereignty—though, if I may be so bold, I am somewhat unclear as to exactly who stands to benefit from it, as it certainly doesn't feel like it would be us. Perhaps this preoccupation is simply a way to mask a certain affinity for Putin, given that the current era is proving to be quite difficult for people like you.

Just another brainwashed, Americanized NPC.

The Americans were practically ready to drag the Poles into a war too, yet here you are, whining about pro-Putin sentiment.

Nancy Bishop4 said:Coming from Canada, they clearly think the Russians are there to watch their backs.
Honestly, it's just a total tragicomedy born from a warped mindset.

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.