Offside Chat Archives (2014-2021)

Anthony Jackson2 said:Is it just me, or is this whole situation regarding the footage from the Mayor's trial completely insane?

There’s video of him telling his subordinates to basically manufacture a job opening just to hire one of his cronies—it’s blunt, zero subtlety, and the media reaction isn't just lukewarm; it’s practically non-existent. Then, as if it weren't obvious they're ignoring the actual crime, they pivot the entire narrative to focus on his "communication style" with staff. Like that’s the real issue here 🙏

Did I miss something?

I don't even know why you're surprised, man. The whole damn country is out of its mind. We're just destroying ourselves and selling ourselves out. It's like we don't even understand what it means to actually have a nation. This kind of behavior would almost make sense if we were some stateless group just trying to suck whatever blood we can from our masters or whoever's running the show, but we aren't.

That mayor and the Republicans are stories all their own. Honestly, if that guy dropped a nuke on NYC, he’d probably still win the election there, just like the GOP. Hell, if they sold us out to a foreign power again, those same assholes would still pull 30-35% of the vote. The Democrats are supposed to be the social-justice party, but most of them are just big-time capitalists like Trump, and the kids playing politics are basically just building walls. The bridge is totally broken and nobody's even stepped up to fix the foundation yet—and I don't mean literal infrastructure, I mean the parties themselves.

Just look at that millionaire prick over there; he's got his hands in everything and nobody can touch him...

And all of this has led to a point where people just don't give a damn. They only care about looking out for themselves, and the "greater good"? Who cares about that? And it’s not just at the national level, either. You see it right in my own apartment building. We've got 17 units in a five-story building, and we have trash containers kept inside an enclosed area, but half the residents won't even put their garbage *in* the bins. They just leave it sitting next to them, and then during the HOA meetings, they start whining about the cockroaches. When you actually tell them, "Hey, it's because you're being lazy," they're ready to throw hands over you having the audacity to say it to them... it's pathetic.

We're a total circus.

Mayor Bloomberg—is he really the one holding this administration together?

wearyangler55 said:I don't even know why you're surprised, man. The whole damn country is out of its mind. We're just destroying ourselves and selling ourselves out. It's like we don't even understand what it means to actually have a nation. This kind of behavior would almost make sense if we were some stateless group just trying to suck whatever blood we can from our masters or whoever's running the show, but we aren't.

That mayor and the Republicans are stories all their own. Honestly, if that guy dropped a nuke on NYC, he’d probably still win the election there, just like the GOP. Hell, if they sold us out to a foreign power again, those same assholes would still pull 30-35% of the vote. The Democrats are supposed to be the social-justice party, but most of them are just big-time capitalists like Trump, and the kids playing politics are basically just building walls. The bridge is totally broken and nobody's even stepped up to fix the foundation yet—and I don't mean literal infrastructure, I mean the parties themselves.

Just look at that millionaire prick over there; he's got his hands in everything and nobody can touch him...

And all of this has led to a point where people just don't give a damn. They only care about looking out for themselves, and the "greater good"? Who cares about that? And it’s not just at the national level, either. You see it right in my own apartment building. We've got 17 units in a five-story building, and we have trash containers kept inside an enclosed area, but half the residents won't even put their garbage *in* the bins. They just leave it sitting next to them, and then during the HOA meetings, they start whining about the cockroaches. When you actually tell them, "Hey, it's because you're being lazy," they're ready to throw hands over you having the audacity to say it to them... it's pathetic.

We're a total circus.

I think the situation isn't quite like that, and the polls everyone cites are totally rigged to maintain this specific illusion. First off, the sample sizes are tiny. Second, the lead pollster who predicts election results admitted himself that polling is highly questionable now because while 30-40% of people used to participate, now barely 10% do. You have to assume that 10% represents the hardcore voters for various sides. Plus, you see online polls where the GOP gets around 10%, which feels pretty realistic...

The mayor barely gets 25% of the vote, which is mostly just families employed by the city or local government contractors—people tied to political kickbacks—along with certain interest groups and people working for companies linked to the city's economy. On top of that, the major parties didn't even put forward any relevant candidates; the Democrats didn't even run anyone, which makes it obvious there’s some sort of backroom deal going on. I’m convinced the candidate is just a puppet for the mayor; after all, the city's legal interests are tied directly to the Democratic machine, so you could say the mayor has them in a stranglehold...

So, the mayor and the GOP are backed by an economically dependent or just plain narrow-minded crowd. It’s not a huge group, but they’re managed by a cunning elite and a shadow bureaucracy positioned in strategic spots. They’ve split the right wing into half a dozen tiny parties and took over the liberal side long ago, while using connected media outlets to smear other parties so the general public stays away from the polls. Those who actually do run often fail to hit the threshold, and those votes just get redistributed to the winners: mostly the GOP and the Democrats... 😁

A higher turnout for a third option would absolutely kill that establishment. That’s why they fight against things like easier voting access; they live off the belief they've created—that nothing can ever change...

Anthony Jackson2 said:Is it just me, or is this whole situation regarding the footage from the Mayor's trial completely insane?

There’s video of him telling his subordinates to basically manufacture a job opening just to hire one of his cronies—it’s blunt, zero subtlety, and the media reaction isn't just lukewarm; it’s practically non-existent. Then, as if it weren't obvious they're ignoring the actual crime, they pivot the entire narrative to focus on his "communication style" with staff. Like that’s the real issue here 🙏

Did I miss something?

I guess he might have leaked that specific clip on purpose to make himself look like some sort of benefactor. That would explain why there isn't much pushback; it might all just be part of the game.

Some agencies seriously need to just do their jobs for once

James Anderson5 said:I think the situation isn't quite like that, and the polls everyone cites are totally rigged to maintain this specific illusion. First off, the sample sizes are tiny. Second, the lead pollster who predicts election results admitted himself that polling is highly questionable now because while 30-40% of people used to participate, now barely 10% do. You have to assume that 10% represents the hardcore voters for various sides. Plus, you see online polls where the GOP gets around 10%, which feels pretty realistic...

The mayor barely gets 25% of the vote, which is mostly just families employed by the city or local government contractors—people tied to political kickbacks—along with certain interest groups and people working for companies linked to the city's economy. On top of that, the major parties didn't even put forward any relevant candidates; the Democrats didn't even run anyone, which makes it obvious there’s some sort of backroom deal going on. I’m convinced the candidate is just a puppet for the mayor; after all, the city's legal interests are tied directly to the Democratic machine, so you could say the mayor has them in a stranglehold...

So, the mayor and the GOP are backed by an economically dependent or just plain narrow-minded crowd. It’s not a huge group, but they’re managed by a cunning elite and a shadow bureaucracy positioned in strategic spots. They’ve split the right wing into half a dozen tiny parties and took over the liberal side long ago, while using connected media outlets to smear other parties so the general public stays away from the polls. Those who actually do run often fail to hit the threshold, and those votes just get redistributed to the winners: mostly the GOP and the Democrats... 😁

A higher turnout for a third option would absolutely kill that establishment. That’s why they fight against things like easier voting access; they live off the belief they've created—that nothing can ever change...

Man, screw the polls, they aren't even the real issue. And what you wrote after that? Yeah, that’s exactly it. This tiny minority that actually goes to the polls, along with their "benefactors," runs the whole show while the rest of us just sit here getting fleeced, complaining but doing absolutely nothing. We're a rotten nation, honestly. Maybe a charity drive or a big football game is the only thing that can lift our spirits. Everything else? Nobody gives a damn, no matter how much we're being robbed blind...

I’ve said it a million times already—the way this whole system works just makes zero sense. Whether you're looking at Germany or even right here in the States...

It’s basically the same mess everywhere—it just looks different because some places have a slightly better political culture or a longer history of democracy, giving them that fake sense of stability.

Larry Fox5 said:I’ve said it a million times already—the way this whole system works just makes zero sense. Whether you're looking at Germany or even right here in the States...

It’s basically the same mess everywhere—it just looks different because some places have a slightly better political culture or a longer history of democracy, giving them that fake sense of stability.

People don't seem to know much about how things actually work; they mostly just philosophize and live in an illusion. Americans didn't invent corruption, political games, or theft—and we certainly didn't invent the necktie either. What we see here is just a small-scale local game with low stakes. If you look at our neighbors, you'll see all sorts of political swamps exist everywhere. We haven't truly had a long-standing tradition of democracy or stable governance; it's relatively new to us, so maybe it will take a lot more time to establish actual order. Everyone seems to think they're entitled to everything, as if a perfect life and justice are guaranteed by default. People want to be like Sweden or Switzerland without putting in the 300 years of hard work and education required to get there.

First off, I suspect no smart young person is going to jump into politics because, honestly, it doesn't make much sense or pay well. You can find much better careers and more comfortable lives in other fields. That’s probably why certain career politicians stay in power; nobody really tries to unseat them. I guess it's mostly just people who didn't succeed in their studies who end up chasing political office. In most countries, that's usually the case. Why would someone smart bother? They’d rather become engineers or doctors, where they can earn a good living and work with dignity without having to deal with idiots every day. Did Bill Gates ever go into politics? What about Steve Jobs or Richard Branson? Or even Elon Musk? The people who go into politics are folks like Bush, Clinton, Trump, or Nigel Farage. Who in a city like New York is actually stepping up to replace the old guard? Who is calling the masses to rise up? I don't think anyone is actually looking to do that.

I suppose it's encouraging that younger generations are different; they might eventually move past these old social mindsets. They don't seem to care much about left-vs-right politics or being weighed down by the past. Maybe young Americans have the same interests and values as young people in Germany. Perhaps then we'll see a Congress that isn't just filled with people who couldn't make it anywhere else. It feels like the current leadership, mostly people over 50 who grew up in a completely different era, doesn't quite fit the modern world. I guess it's hard to understand why people are surprised by how certain cities are run when the leaders often come from outdated academic backgrounds. If you asked anyone under 25 on the street to explain those old specialized degrees, most would probably just stare at you like you were speaking Mandarin.

Politics is incredibly lucrative; the political elite here has amassed millions in dollars, even at the mid-level positions. These massive sums, which you could never accumulate through legitimate means even in the rest of the West, are pulled in here in a heartbeat...

https://www.express.com/top-news/wealthy-elites-and-their-mansions

I wonder how much unreported cash they actually have tucked away. This is just the public data for a handful of them, not even counting offshore accounts or money funneled to relatives...

A specialist doctor in the US might pull in $10k a month, or about $120k a year. Even if they save half their paycheck, they’ll hit maybe $10 million after 20 years with some interest. To match what our "middle management" types make, they’d have to spend decades studying and training, only to move abroad by age 35. Meanwhile, some low-level bureaucrat with a fraction of that education can rake in the same amount during a single term as a local official or someone managing high-profit land rezoning projects. The higher-ups? They’ll literally never catch up, even with double the salary...

The political scene is basically a closed loop, reserved for those with the right connections or old-school ties. There isn't room for any newcomers to shake things up; they just get crushed by paid media or other tactics before they can gain momentum. I don't even believe certain political parties dissolved on their own without outside interference once they started threatening the status quo. That’s how all the minor opposition groups have crumbled...

We might be a relatively small country, but the money moving through here is anything but small. Look at the scandals where consultants walked away with hundreds of millions. The corruption involving environmental destruction is estimated in the billions. And don't even get me started on the privatization of major banks. At the end of the day, politicians are just the faces for much more powerful players who pull the strings for their own benefit...

I don't want politics cluttering up my shop floor

Wait, did you just claim that Elon Musk is a genius who’s staying out of politics, even though you were just arguing that incompetent types like Trump are bound to take over...
🤣

James Anderson5 said:Politics is incredibly lucrative; the political elite here has amassed millions in dollars, even at the mid-level positions. These massive sums, which you could never accumulate through legitimate means even in the rest of the West, are pulled in here in a heartbeat...

https://www.express.com/top-news/wealthy-elites-and-their-mansions

I wonder how much unreported cash they actually have tucked away. This is just the public data for a handful of them, not even counting offshore accounts or money funneled to relatives...

A specialist doctor in the US might pull in $10k a month, or about $120k a year. Even if they save half their paycheck, they’ll hit maybe $10 million after 20 years with some interest. To match what our "middle management" types make, they’d have to spend decades studying and training, only to move abroad by age 35. Meanwhile, some low-level bureaucrat with a fraction of that education can rake in the same amount during a single term as a local official or someone managing high-profit land rezoning projects. The higher-ups? They’ll literally never catch up, even with double the salary...

The political scene is basically a closed loop, reserved for those with the right connections or old-school ties. There isn't room for any newcomers to shake things up; they just get crushed by paid media or other tactics before they can gain momentum. I don't even believe certain political parties dissolved on their own without outside interference once they started threatening the status quo. That’s how all the minor opposition groups have crumbled...

We might be a relatively small country, but the money moving through here is anything but small. Look at the scandals where consultants walked away with hundreds of millions. The corruption involving environmental destruction is estimated in the billions. And don't even get me started on the privatization of major banks. At the end of the day, politicians are just the faces for much more powerful players who pull the strings for their own benefit...

You’re comparing apples to oranges here. You're basically trying to justify why being a criminal pays better. Give me a break. 🤣.

It's not some unique American trait that criminals (at least this kind) find it "easier" to rake in more cash than highly respected, well-paid professionals.

Larry Fox5 said:You’re comparing apples to oranges here. You're basically trying to justify why being a criminal pays better. Give me a break. 🤣.

It's not some unique American trait that criminals (at least this kind) find it "easier" to rake in more cash than highly respected, well-paid professionals.

Look, being a criminal absolutely pays if you've got a massive safety net behind you—kind of like how all those big shots in high-level positions at state-run companies back home have. That kind of corruption happens everywhere, whether it's right here in the States, or in Germany, or China. It’s just... I don't know, they've got more experience and they're probably a bit smarter, so they're just better at hiding the tracks.

God, I can't believe Nikki Lauda actually passed away, it’s just such a massive blow. 😢

Death was playing games, dodging him left and right, but eventually, he had to face the music... damn it...

Amanda Evans2 said:Death was playing games, dodging him left and right, but eventually, he had to face the music... damn it...

Played him? Officially, he only crossed the line three times. Unofficially? Just ask God.

Amanda Evans2 said:Death was playing games, dodging him left and right, but eventually, he had to face the music... damn it...

That’s why it feels so damn jarring, you know?
I don't know, I guess I just kept telling myself it would never actually happen...

I guess this might be worth a quick look if you have some free time. Maybe it could be interesting.

Old man finally cracked the case, now he’s all over the news—name, age, his whole life story laid bare 🙏

Man, screw this government. If things keep going this way with the rest of the US, we're headed straight for a total meltdown, God help us

Look, here’s some sunlight for you, Ramos—it’s really not all doom and gloom...