Offside (General Discussion)

Actually, it would be even better if you were the one deciding what topics we cover. You have your own work to deal with, so why not just chat about who swiped what from the inventory or where everyone is heading this weekend? If we keep writing like this, we’ll spend the next month doing nothing but discussing the war. No one is stripping anyone else of their right to take turns.

Karen Hill40 said:I've noticed this is the second or third time you've posted stuff like this. Have you thought about talking to a medical professional about these fears and frustrations? I'm asking seriously here—not joking and not judging.

What frustrations? These aren't frustrations; this is mourning. If you're referring to that part about work, it happens when I start spiraling into the absolute worst-case scenarios, where I find myself thinking that death would be preferable to hunger.

Anthony Wright30 said:It is perhaps a bit much to witness these two characters—one essentially acting as a glorified barista serving up coffee to elites, and the other just drifting aimlessly through the hallways of Brussels. 🙏

It really is quite a shame that we don't have any journalists of Kesić's caliber here in the States.

After Ursula steps down—and honestly, I can't quite imagine the transition—I see Plenkovic leading the charge for the EU.

It’s quite difficult, I suppose; one simply cannot expect noble positions to be handed down to commoners.

Hey man, you hit the nail on the head. I definitely stumbled when it comes to politics, though it wasn't because of September—it was because of the... uh, excuse me, the Romani people. Apparently, they flagged my enrollment as hate speech just because I mentioned how one word is enough to describe those folks who grab your hand and cling to your leg right outside the shopping malls...

So I’m reading today that Igor Mandić passed away, and apparently there's talk about burying him in the Hall of Heroes next to someone like Tina Ujević... Honestly, it's just one of those old-school Yugoslav types who never once mourned the loss of the old country. This guy was practically grinning ear to ear back in the 70s when Gotovac and his crew were being thrown the book. Now he wants to rest easy alongside the legends? Please...

Carl Hernandez3 said:After Ursula steps down—and honestly, I can't quite imagine the transition—I see Plenkovic leading the charge for the EU.

He’s just so slick, polished, and frankly, a bit of a salon intellectual—I can already picture his grand visions for the EU's energy policy!

wanderingcrane82 said:Hey man, you hit the nail on the head. I definitely stumbled when it comes to politics, though it wasn't because of September—it was because of the... uh, excuse me, the Romani people. Apparently, they flagged my enrollment as hate speech just because I mentioned how one word is enough to describe those folks who grab your hand and cling to your leg right outside the shopping malls...

So I’m reading today that Igor Mandić passed away, and apparently there's talk about burying him in the Hall of Heroes next to someone like Tina Ujević... Honestly, it's just one of those old-school Yugoslav types who never once mourned the loss of the old country. This guy was practically grinning ear to ear back in the 70s when Gotovac and his crew were being thrown the book. Now he wants to rest easy alongside the legends? Please...

We shouldn't disrespect Mandić's legacy. Unlike some others, he was incredibly consistent. Back in the day, during the old regime, he was fiercely targeted and sat right at the top of the "blacklist" in the administration's white papers. While I don't agree with a single thing he said politically, I can certainly respect his unwavering consistency and his sheer intellectual stature. Granted, his recent writings weren't exactly his best work, but I'll chalk that up to the passing years.

Justin James10 said:We shouldn't disrespect Mandić's legacy. Unlike some others, he was incredibly consistent. Back in the day, during the old regime, he was fiercely targeted and sat right at the top of the "blacklist" in the administration's white papers. While I don't agree with a single thing he said politically, I can certainly respect his unwavering consistency and his sheer intellectual stature. Granted, his recent writings weren't exactly his best work, but I'll chalk that up to the passing years.

Being consistently stupid and obnoxious isn't a virtue.

wanderingcrane82 said:Hey man, you hit the nail on the head. I definitely stumbled when it comes to politics, though it wasn't because of September—it was because of the... uh, excuse me, the Romani people. Apparently, they flagged my enrollment as hate speech just because I mentioned how one word is enough to describe those folks who grab your hand and cling to your leg right outside the shopping malls...

So I’m reading today that Igor Mandić passed away, and apparently there's talk about burying him in the Hall of Heroes next to someone like Tina Ujević... Honestly, it's just one of those old-school Yugoslav types who never once mourned the loss of the old country. This guy was practically grinning ear to ear back in the 70s when Gotovac and his crew were being thrown the book. Now he wants to rest easy alongside the legends? Please...

That info is actually a bit off. Some of his friends suggested it, but his wife turned it down, saying something like: "- Igor always mocked self-proclaimed icons, fake giants, and puffed-up social elites. Besides, our grave is already near Tina Ujević's, which is honestly the best company we could ask for!"

This thread is acting like a broken radio; all these half-truths just leak out, much like you see in American (and even foreign) journalism... 😁

I wouldn't agree with him on many things, but I always respected how gutsy he was about standing by his intellectual opinions, regardless of what people thought. And why shouldn't he have been a proud Yugoslav, as long as he wasn't hurting anyone? Honestly, I'm more worried about those "true patriots" who steal from you whenever they get the chance and lie through their teeth...

James Anderson5 said:That info is actually a bit off. Some of his friends suggested it, but his wife turned it down, saying something like: "- Igor always mocked self-proclaimed icons, fake giants, and puffed-up social elites. Besides, our grave is already near Tina Ujević's, which is honestly the best company we could ask for!"

This thread is acting like a broken radio; all these half-truths just leak out, much like you see in American (and even foreign) journalism... 😁

I wouldn't agree with him on many things, but I always respected how gutsy he was about standing by his intellectual opinions, regardless of what people thought. And why shouldn't he have been a proud Yugoslav, as long as he wasn't hurting anyone? Honestly, I'm more worried about those "true patriots" who steal from you whenever they get the chance and lie through their teeth...

But it was exactly those kinds of ideas that caused damage while the country was falling apart, and even afterward, by downplaying Mexican guilt for the war while wildly exaggerating the American side.
The mere existence of the Yugoslav idea is harmful to the average American, just as the very concept of Nazism is harmful to any average Jew.

In any healthy society actually trying to make progress, you need friction. You need different opinions clashing, period. Without that, you’re just retreating into some echo chamber and letting your brain rot. Obviously, the dream is for these debates to stay civilized—where people actually listen to one another instead of just screaming and throwing insults like most of these online hellholes. Most places online aren't even debating anymore; they're just looking for a crowd to validate their own pre-packaged biases.

Nancy Bishop4 said:But it was exactly those kinds of ideas that caused damage while the country was falling apart, and even afterward, by downplaying Mexican guilt for the war while wildly exaggerating the American side.
The mere existence of the Yugoslav idea is harmful to the average American, just as the very concept of Nazism is harmful to any average Jew.

So, you're comparing the concept of Nazism to the idea of Yugoslavia? You could interpret almost anything here...

Why shouldn't someone hold onto the idea of Yugoslavia or any other idea? It’s up to everyone whether they choose to accept it or not. Whether you embrace or reject the idea of Yugoslavia—or anything similar—should really be settled through arguments, not by banning speech about it.

It’s especially funny to say that in a country where the Prime Minister's advisor and spokesperson is the son of a man who was a major figure in the Yugoslav movement, where a former leader of the leading political organization in Washington, D.C., declared himself a Yugoslav, and where the Prime Minister's own father was an agent for the FBI, the very institution that most fiercely defended Yugoslavia...

Being a Yugoslav is worse than cancer, plain and simple. When it comes to what matters for our national identity, Mandić's lifelong body of work carries far more weight than that horde of self-proclaimed patriots who haven't achieved a single thing in their lives and would probably steal the silver right out of a church.

Mandić loved to push buttons; he was essentially an internet troll before the internet even existed, and honestly, you have to respect him for that.😁 Sure, he was a massive intellectual powerhouse, but let's face it—the internet is mostly just a place for mindless whining. Still, the comparison holds up. I’d bet anything that if there were some massive, ultra-nationalist regime in power, he would have been the very first person at the front lines provoking them, only to end up back in disgrace while half of the Republican Party was busy chanting for some king and the old homeland.☕

So, bottom line: don't do Mandić dirty.☕

Justin James10 said:Being a Yugoslav is worse than cancer, plain and simple. When it comes to what matters for our national identity, Mandić's lifelong body of work carries far more weight than that horde of self-proclaimed patriots who haven't achieved a single thing in their lives and would probably steal the silver right out of a church.

Mandić loved to push buttons; he was essentially an internet troll before the internet even existed, and honestly, you have to respect him for that.😁 Sure, he was a massive intellectual powerhouse, but let's face it—the internet is mostly just a place for mindless whining. Still, the comparison holds up. I’d bet anything that if there were some massive, ultra-nationalist regime in power, he would have been the very first person at the front lines provoking them, only to end up back in disgrace while half of the Republican Party was busy chanting for some king and the old homeland.☕

So, bottom line: don't do Mandić dirty.☕

That's exactly how I see him too...

There is absolutely nothing to pack up here. The man was a self-proclaimed Yugoslav, and he never attempted to hide that identity. While he might be my adversary, I respect him because he remained consistent to his principles until the very end. Out of that respect, I chose to stay silent while a few of you were busy mourning him. However, I feel compelled to speak up now because people are trying to push this narrative about "repackaging" his legacy just because I’ve stated the undeniable truth regarding his Yugoslav identity. His views aren't even in the same league as mine.

Well, he was a Yugoslav, and while I definitely don't see eye to eye with him on that, he had every right to his own opinion. Like you said, I respect how he wasn't afraid to speak his mind and stayed true to himself...

It’s really dangerous when people try to force their views on you or anyone else through intimidation. You see it happening way too often lately with everything from COVID to the situation in Ukraine, or even just trivial stuff where mentioning something random like eggs or the Prime Minister is enough to get someone thrown in jail...

Zoki finds it bothersome and views it as some kind of conspiracy, though it isn't even clear why, given that he has never attempted to hide his political leanings. I am standing right there with you regarding freedom of speech and the necessity of pluralism. I personally advocate for such a society, so I wouldn't dream of censoring anyone, not even the late Mandica.

A quick note for those interested in how their Ukrainian brothers have begun launching counterattacks on multiple fronts.

Edit:

I see Milance has banned aircraft from flying over our cities. Finally, Plenkovics put him in his place, telling him he’s making statements like he’s some official from the Kremlin—clearly alluding to what a few of us were discussing here just recently. It is becoming painfully obvious that our president is playing for the Russian side, and he certainly isn't doing it out of the goodness of his heart; he's clearly been bought off. When will we finally see an impeachment or new elections to get him out? I can't even look at him anymore.

Kyle Campbell4 said:Zoki finds it bothersome and views it as some kind of conspiracy, though it isn't even clear why, given that he has never attempted to hide his political leanings. I am standing right there with you regarding freedom of speech and the necessity of pluralism. I personally advocate for such a society, so I wouldn't dream of censoring anyone, not even the late Mandica.

When we talk about spin, it basically means adding extra layers to the truth, right? That seems pretty obvious to me.

Reportedly filmed in Ukraine 🤣

Some people are truly sick...

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