Offside Chat Archives (2014-2021)

Our national policy is basically the VB16 of political strategy.

Every time I convince myself they’ve finally hit rock bottom, they somehow manage to surprise me by digging even deeper.

Between today and yesterday, we’ve witnessed the most blatant, shameless trading I’ve seen in all my years following this scene; it's as if they've completely abandoned any sense of dignity...

brightpilot6 said:Our national policy is basically the VB16 of political strategy.

Every time I convince myself they’ve finally hit rock bottom, they somehow manage to surprise me by digging even deeper.

Between today and yesterday, we’ve witnessed the most blatant, shameless trading I’ve seen in all my years following this scene; it's as if they've completely abandoned any sense of dignity...

It isn't hard to imagine Saucha sitting in some dimly lit room with someone acting friendly, just explaining that he's a bit too soft to handle a long stint in prison 🤣

James Anderson5 said:Look, let's be real—I think we're both right here. Both sides are acting pretty much the same way... though personally, I'm really not feeling either side...

A preferential interest rate isn't exactly a crime, but approving a $45 million loan through the Federal Reserve is another story entirely. Since he was the chairman of the board at the Federal Reserve, he would have been briefed on every single one of those disbursements. No sane American bank would have handed out a loan like that to any subsidiary of Walmart back then, especially when everyone already knew the money wouldn't be paid back...

It’s the exact same story with Dalić—it's a total conflict of interest. Her husband sits on the board at ExxonMobil, where his interests are basically the polar opposite of what's best for America... you can see it from the view up in an airplane...

Not to sound biased, but the whole situation with Vrdoljak, those contractors, his wife's company, and Duke Energy is just as terrible...

It's all just typical American business...

It seems hard to escape these kinds of situations. We're a relatively small country, so I guess it's quite easy to find someone's family member working at a firm, which then leads to accusations of a conflict of interest. I'm not trying to defend anyone, but that's just the reality. Besides, "conflict of interest" is a pretty flexible term, almost like the definition of bribery. At the end of the day, it all comes down to whether someone decides something is appropriate or not. I've actually taken courses on this, and you eventually realize it's entirely subjective. When you add politics into the mix, it becomes even more prone to manipulation. As soon as this happened, the man seemed to be very careful with his words, trying to handle the situation as best he could. But then you end up in the hot seat where people like Pernar and Morris, or any other figures looking to score political points, decide your fate. Whether someone belongs to the Republican Party or the Democratic Party doesn't really matter; I don't think institutions should be torn down just because someone thinks it's politically convenient right now. Maybe the Bridge party could have handled all of this behind closed doors, but they seemed to prefer the theatrics. I voted for them because I wanted them to do their jobs, and just a few weeks ago, I was actually writing on Offside Chat about how some ministers were doing a decent job. But it looks like playing to the crowd is more important than actual work, and as a voter, I guess I can't tolerate that, so I'll probably give my vote to someone else.

brightpilot6 said:Our national policy is basically the VB16 of political strategy.

Every time I convince myself they’ve finally hit rock bottom, they somehow manage to surprise me by digging even deeper.

Between today and yesterday, we’ve witnessed the most blatant, shameless trading I’ve seen in all my years following this scene; it's as if they've completely abandoned any sense of dignity...

Are they seriously sitting there praying for Bog to swoop in and save them?

I don't personally hold a grudge against Marić. He seems like a decent enough guy to me.

However, we have to look at the reality of his track record, which is largely defined by his involvement with a corporate mess like Walmart. It feels somewhat surreal that he holds a seat in The Government when their primary focus remains cleaning up the wreckage of the very company that built his reputation—a company he arguably still maintains some sort of connection to. Then there is the matter of the credit; even if we accept the legal argument that he wasn't the one who authorized it, but rather those who granted it, he took the money regardless, likely knowing full well he wasn't entitled to it. From a purely moral standpoint, it reeks of that same "not my problem" attitude we see in so many other politicians. Fortunately, this might be the limit of what one can reasonably blame a politician for, though the line between a minor lapse in judgment and a major ethical failure is incredibly thin.

And if the rumors are true and deep tax audits weren't conducted at Walmart for an entire decade, then every single person at MF and the head of the IRS during that period should be looking at prison time.

ruggedjackal46 said:Are they seriously sitting there praying for Bog to swoop in and save them?

They turn a blind eye to tax evasion, yet somehow find their greatest sense of satisfaction right after pulling off some epic heists.☕

Jessica Gonzalez said:It’s honestly pretty wild to see how the Democratic Party has gone from being a major political force and a legitimate alternative to feeling more like a disorganized bunch of amateurs. I mean, maybe Bernardić isn't necessarily a bad guy himself, but when you look at the people backing him, there's just such a massive lack of talent and drive. It feels like a total void of competence and ambition. Personally, I think I'd much rather have someone leading the country who actually shows some real initiative.

Oh sure, they are clearly the biggest problem facing this nation right now. In the land of the free, apparently it's better to be a crook than to be weak and ineffective. Typical American logic...

Jessica Gonzalez said:It’s honestly pretty wild to see how the Democratic Party has gone from being a major political force and a legitimate alternative to feeling more like a disorganized bunch of amateurs. I mean, maybe Bernardić isn't necessarily a bad guy himself, but when you look at the people backing him, there's just such a massive lack of talent and drive. It feels like a total void of competence and ambition. Personally, I think I'd much rather have someone leading the country who actually shows some real initiative.

I’d argue Bernardić is actually lower than the crew standing behind him. I'm pretty sure of that.

Keith Miller30 said:To me, Bernardić comes across as a very capable and intelligent individual, but his struggle lies in the fact that he lacks that certain political "edge" or ruthlessness that someone like Milanović possessed. Don't get me wrong, I don't exactly hold Milanović in high regard, but you have to give him credit where it's due, regardless of how you feel about him.

But really, who is the alternative to Bernardić? If they actually want to take power, they simply don't have anyone with the necessary weight for the role. They had Milanović, who was ten steps ahead of everyone else in the party, and then they have Bernardić, who is genuinely smart but perhaps unsuited for this specific arena. Then there is Ostojić, though if they ran with him, the right wing and the centrists would likely reject them even more aggressively. Maybe Picula, who is clearly an intelligent man and seems like a reasonable person, but he seems unwilling to leave his current post, so you're stuck.

It feels like a worn-out party that has run out of ideas, talent, and vision. Their only saving grace is that, much like the Republican Party, they will always have a loyal base combined with those people who simply can't stand the opposition and vote for them as the "lesser of two evils."

As for Maras, he is a complete clown and arguably one of the most ridiculous politicians out there. I caught him on ESPN yesterday, and the level of nonsense he is capable of spewing is almost supernatural.

By the way, I noticed that Marić is now apparently Todorić's nephew; just last week, he was being called Todorić's son. At this rate, within a week, Marić will probably be Todorić's father. 🤣

Please, stop talking about Bero like he's some kind of genius.

urbanhawk17 said:Please, stop talking about Bero like he's some kind of genius.

Just imagine the absolute chaos if you paired up Bero and Kiro...

Amanda Evans2 said:Just imagine the absolute chaos if you paired up Bero and Kiro...

and cobankovic.

Honestly, if Marić had even an ounce of integrity, he’d step down from the Prime Minister position. It's a massive conflict of interest, plain and simple. Doesn't matter if people think he's great or terrible—you just need a little bit of accountability...

But hey, he says he finally "relaxed" today...

urbanhawk17 said:Please, stop talking about Bero like he's some kind of genius.

Fair enough, but could you explain your reasoning? Is he actually unintelligent? To me, he doesn't come across that way at all; rather, I get the impression of a genuinely smart young man—and I am referring to his general intellect here, not his political savvy—who simply isn't quite "ruthless" enough for the role he holds. It seems obvious that the more seasoned lions in the room eat him alive given the circumstances, but based on how he speaks, one gets a very positive impression regarding his intelligence and certain human values, regardless of his political affiliations. Furthermore, I know a few people who were once his professors, individuals with no ties to the Democratic Party, who describe him as a phenomenal talent.

There is a significant difference between criticizing him for not being a natural leader of the party, or perhaps disliking the current direction of the Democratic Party, and simply dismissing him entirely. The one moment of perceived foolishness was his suggestion regarding expanding the President's authority, which I assume is the specific point people are using to judge him.

Keith Miller30 said:Fair enough, but could you explain your reasoning? Is he actually unintelligent? To me, he doesn't come across that way at all; rather, I get the impression of a genuinely smart young man—and I am referring to his general intellect here, not his political savvy—who simply isn't quite "ruthless" enough for the role he holds. It seems obvious that the more seasoned lions in the room eat him alive given the circumstances, but based on how he speaks, one gets a very positive impression regarding his intelligence and certain human values, regardless of his political affiliations. Furthermore, I know a few people who were once his professors, individuals with no ties to the Democratic Party, who describe him as a phenomenal talent.

There is a significant difference between criticizing him for not being a natural leader of the party, or perhaps disliking the current direction of the Democratic Party, and simply dismissing him entirely. The one moment of perceived foolishness was his suggestion regarding expanding the President's authority, which I assume is the specific point people are using to judge him.

I won't call him stupid, but he isn't exactly a genius either. I know him slightly, so I have an idea of what he's capable of.

And he’s crooked. Really crooked. Maybe he's more corrupt than he is dim-witted, if you want to put it that way.

I used to support the Democratic Party before certain other groups showed up, so I'm not some Republican who hates everything Democratic by default.

Milanović is basically stuck in the Stone Age. Well, maybe that's an exaggeration.

In many ways, Milanović stands out from almost any other politician in America, appearing far more vivid and larger-than-life than the usual crowd.

But what does that kind of presence actually matter when, over the course of four years, seventy percent of his cabinet turned out to be nothing more than incompetent fools? I can't really point the finger at anyone else for that except him.

You have to give Zokiju credit for showing some actual backbone every once in a while—like during those protests in Canada, where he proved he’s the only one since Harmon who actually understands the gravity of the situation and refuses to just swallow whatever nonsense comes out of Brussels. There are plenty of other things, both good and bad, that I could write about him, but at the end of the day, he’s certainly not the worst person to have stumbled into a high-ranking position in America. Not by a long shot.

So, I'm sending a quick shout-out his way, since he's probably sitting somewhere right now with his morning coffee, scrolling through the comments on this forum. 😁

I guess Milanović is someone who talks quite a bit. Unfortunately, he doesn't seem to be much of a results guy. He doesn't really acknowledge the issues facing America, which makes it pretty tough for him to actually find solutions for them. He isn't unintelligent—he probably understands the numbers okay—but maybe there's just too much mental resistance to seeing the bigger picture.

As for Bernardić, I'm speaking purely from memory based on his media appearances. I realize that sometimes, because of certain people within his own party, he might have to say things he doesn't truly believe. It seems similar for Plenković; he also has to walk on eggshells regarding certain topics.

Anyway, the Democratic Party seems like a group only really older folks would vote for, mostly because they lean into those collectivist social justice tropes. During the last election, I saw one of their posters over in Brooklyn featuring Stipe Mason. Stipe Mason in late 2016? That was a bit of a joke, I suppose. 🙂

urbanhawk17 said:Honestly, if Marić had even an ounce of integrity, he’d step down from the Prime Minister position. It's a massive conflict of interest, plain and simple. Doesn't matter if people think he's great or terrible—you just need a little bit of accountability...

But hey, he says he finally "relaxed" today...

The thing is, Marić can't actually resign from the Prime Minister's office because he doesn't even hold that position.

Best regards,

Športy

The clock is ticking on this forty-eight hour wait for the Prime Minister's vote, and once that’s over, things are bound to get heavy.

This whole mess with Walmart really brings back memories of Bandic—everyone sees exactly what's happening and just looks the other way until suddenly everyone decides they're a saint of morality 😁