A - Austria

Just a heads-up: you’re going to have a massive crowd of drunks out there for New Year's—especially the kids—so expect dozens of prank calls coming from all over the country. It's basically a guarantee that people will be wasting the police's time for no damn reason... In my opinion, this isn't exactly a foolproof way to handle things like this.

Walter Long7 said:Just a heads-up: you’re going to have a massive crowd of drunks out there for New Year's—especially the kids—so expect dozens of prank calls coming from all over the country. It's basically a guarantee that people will be wasting the police's time for no damn reason... In my opinion, this isn't exactly a foolproof way to handle things like this.

We ought to be addressing the root causes rather than merely reacting to the symptoms, a distinction politicians understand perfectly well, yet they lie to the public simply because they are terrified of losing their seats. If Trump had suggested putting rape prevention alarms on every headline in Vienna, he would have been immediately branded a racist or a xenophobe.

I find it utterly inconceivable that in the 21st century, major American cities would need to resort to handing out preventative alarms to ward off sexual assault. It is an absolute disgrace.

Gregory Ward said:It’s actually pretty great to see us making some real progress as a society. 👍

I’m really hoping that Walter Long7 can drop some actual statistics here so we can figure out why there hasn't been any need to put up those damn rape prevention alarms at New Year's Eve parties until now—not that it's a coincidence or anything.

The actual crime stats probably don't back up those methods, but public perception is a different story, I suppose.

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Gregory Ward said:It’s actually pretty great to see us making some real progress as a society. 👍

I’m really hoping that Walter Long7 can drop some actual statistics here so we can figure out why there hasn't been any need to put up those damn rape prevention alarms at New Year's Eve parties until now—not that it's a coincidence or anything.

Here are the numbers
http://m.diepresse.com/home/panorama...05510/index.do

So, back in 2015, there were 826 rapes, which was the lowest since 2010. And that was the year of the migration surge. What actually went up was Harassment, you know, things like discrimination or being shunned and stuff. I guess that probably includes when someone intentionally grabs your butt on a subway or something.

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Susan Green2 said:We ought to be addressing the root causes rather than merely reacting to the symptoms, a distinction politicians understand perfectly well, yet they lie to the public simply because they are terrified of losing their seats. If Trump had suggested putting rape prevention alarms on every headline in Vienna, he would have been immediately branded a racist or a xenophobe.

I find it utterly inconceivable that in the 21st century, major American cities would need to resort to handing out preventative alarms to ward off sexual assault. It is an absolute disgrace.

The real issues are economic, plus the fact that we tend to back rebels and ship weapons over there, which ends up destabilizing regimes. And yeah, I guess it’s also a shame that none of our own politicians have actually faced any jail time.

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Susan Green2 said:We ought to be addressing the root causes rather than merely reacting to the symptoms, a distinction politicians understand perfectly well, yet they lie to the public simply because they are terrified of losing their seats. If Trump had suggested putting rape prevention alarms on every headline in Vienna, he would have been immediately branded a racist or a xenophobe.

I find it utterly inconceivable that in the 21st century, major American cities would need to resort to handing out preventative alarms to ward off sexual assault. It is an absolute disgrace.

Even now, in the 21st century, you see things like women-only cars on Amtrak trains to avoid uncomfortable situations, people handing out safety alarms at New Year's Eve parties, endless "suggestions" on how to behave, and I can't even be bothered to dig up all the links right now to list everything else... but there's also the constant scrutiny over what women wear to the local pool.

God bless America. 🕺

Nathan Morris3 said:The real issues are economic, plus the fact that we tend to back rebels and ship weapons over there, which ends up destabilizing regimes. And yeah, I guess it’s also a shame that none of our own politicians have actually faced any jail time.

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Let’s not twist my words; I wasn't discussing the origins of their poverty, but rather the reasons why we need to be issuing sexual assault warnings. The economic migrants responsible for the assaults seen in Cologne primarily hail from the Maghreb—a region currently devoid of active warfare where we haven't been busy funneling arms to terrorists.

The true culprit is the policy enacted by Merkel and Kurtz, which essentially left the gates wide open to a massive influx of unvetted individuals.

Susan Green2 said:Let’s not twist my words; I wasn't discussing the origins of their poverty, but rather the reasons why we need to be issuing sexual assault warnings. The economic migrants responsible for the assaults seen in Cologne primarily hail from the Maghreb—a region currently devoid of active warfare where we haven't been busy funneling arms to terrorists.

The true culprit is the policy enacted by Merkel and Kurtz, which essentially left the gates wide open to a massive influx of unvetted individuals.

Why won't they talk about what's actually causing this? I mean, sure, more controls might help, but we have to address the root issues. How many assaults actually happened in Cologne? And even economic migrants have their own reasons for moving. It usually boils down to exploitation and colonialism. We’re basically just reaping what our leaders planted. Whether it’s Winston Churchill or Angela Merkel, it's all the same. Everyone acts blind to the fallout from a century of policy; they can't see past skin color or what's happening in Cologne. They just don't care about the causes. You could build a minefield around Germany, but if you don't face the source, you're just sweeping the mess under the rug for the next generation to deal with. No one ever took responsibility for us sending weapons to extremists back in the day. Now, it feels like Merkelica is the only one left to deal with policies forced on her by the Clintons and other jerks.

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Nathan Morris3 said:Why won't they talk about what's actually causing this? I mean, sure, more controls might help, but we have to address the root issues. How many assaults actually happened in Cologne? And even economic migrants have their own reasons for moving. It usually boils down to exploitation and colonialism. We’re basically just reaping what our leaders planted. Whether it’s Winston Churchill or Angela Merkel, it's all the same. Everyone acts blind to the fallout from a century of policy; they can't see past skin color or what's happening in Cologne. They just don't care about the causes. You could build a minefield around Germany, but if you don't face the source, you're just sweeping the mess under the rug for the next generation to deal with. No one ever took responsibility for us sending weapons to extremists back in the day. Now, it feels like Merkelica is the only one left to deal with policies forced on her by the Clintons and other jerks.

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I agree that the scope of the issue is much broader; the tendency of the West to meddle in the domestic affairs of other nations is often the catalyst for these crises. However, it isn't fair to lay the entirety of the blame at the feet of Westerners alone. Many of the terrorists and criminals we see dominating the news cycles lately hail from countries that haven't seen a single day of war and have never been the target of Western intervention.

Susan Green2 said:I agree that the scope of the issue is much broader; the tendency of the West to meddle in the domestic affairs of other nations is often the catalyst for these crises. However, it isn't fair to lay the entirety of the blame at the feet of Westerners alone. Many of the terrorists and criminals we see dominating the news cycles lately hail from countries that haven't seen a single day of war and have never been the target of Western intervention.

Look, I'm not blaming all Americans. I'm not saying there isn't an issue on the streets either, and I definitely don't deny that a huge chunk of those problems comes down to "cultural differences"—if you want to put it politely. But I think there are two things that are really important to consider if I'm trying to look at the bigger picture, I guess.

I guess Merkelica’s decision to help those people—and basically putting herself at risk to do it—really matters when you think about how safe we feel individually. It’s pretty clear why so many people are upset. Where I live, there’s been this rise in thefts and attacks lately, mostly just people getting jumped on the street. There used to be no neighborhoods you had to avoid, but now there are definitely some. Most of the people involved are Afganistanac, Somalijac, or something like that. I mean, only a total fool would ignore that. But I still look at all of this as a symptom. Personally, I’d be happiest if those folks could just have an education and a decent life back home where they came from. I’m all for cultural exchange, obviously, but maybe just on a scale that’s a bit more compatible than what we're seeing right now. I suppose wanting to move from a place with a lower quality of life to one with a higher one is just one of those oldest, most natural things about being human.

I guess it’s really important to look at what actually caused all this, maybe just so future generations don't repeat the same mistakes. To find those roots, we kind of have to look back at the last few hundred years—times when huge chunks of the world were under imperial rule, where people were treated like they didn't even matter, denied an education, divided up, and had their resources stripped away while wars were forced on them. Whether it was the British, the French, the Soviets, the Americans, or the Chinese... it doesn't really matter. And then there are times when nobody did anything to help at all. You only have to look at the last few decades to see how dictators were supported, weapons were sold, and coups were organized. I suppose the West has been much more destructive than constructive. So, honestly, looking at everything we have today, I don't think anyone should be surprised.

Another thing I’m thinking about is this whole clash between rural, tribal mindsets and urban ones. Like, if you look at a place like Afghanistan, it’s organized around these different tribes where the concept of law just means something totally different than what we’re used to here in the States. It’s the same with education levels or how people view women. I guess you can't just hand someone a flyer and expect them to know how to act in Germany, especially if they're always staying in tight-knit groups. But, maybe it's also a bit silly to lump everyone together. Even in Afghanistan, there are definitely urbanized, "civilized" people, even if they're hard to spot. Or take a place like Syria—they have a huge urban population, too, but the cultural gap there feels similar to the difference between New York City and a tiny town in rural Appalachia. The way women, LGBTQ+ folks, or minorities live in NYC is just worlds apart from those rural areas. Honestly, I’ve met some Americans whose views on basic human rights and respecting others are so different from mine that they feel more foreign to me than someone from Morocco. I don't mean I'm comparing Parisians to extremists or anything, just talking about fundamental respect for people.

All in all, I guess there were some huge mistakes made regarding how these migrations were managed and controlled. We can argue about whether Russia or America started this just to weaken the West, but there were definitely failures on our end too. Still, we really need to talk about what actually caused this. It wasn't just Angela Merkel's policies. It bothers me that things were mostly stable until we started meddling, backing rebels, selling weapons, and toppling dictators who actually kept things steady... it was a disaster. And somehow, nobody is being held accountable for that; they just point fingers at Merkel.

Rama, let’s just keep this simple—not complicated.

Should a woman really have to carry a rape alarm in a country where she’s freaking paying taxes to ensure the system actually functions?

Why is it that people arriving here—and I don't recall seeing organized, roving attacks like we saw last year—feel this sudden impulse to attack women against their will? Is that supposed to be their "free choice"? And why on earth do they think it's allowed? How are women treated back in their home countries if they aren't married? How are they raised? What kind of education do they get?

How close has their home country ever actually come to embracing Western values? Not just before the war, but during it, either...

It’s basically a social experiment. You take two cultures that are incompatible in almost every way—language, tolerance, levels of expansionism, how they treat outsiders—and what do you get? A peaceful community? Give me a break. These people should have stayed in safe zones within similar countries. Instead, we're going to be dealing with the fallout for decades...

We've gone over this several times, and I honestly don't think you'll ever admit that the root cause of all this is just a total lack of common sense from our politicians, so I'll just leave it at these questions.

There was a case where a guy raped and murdered a college student in Germany, and he was living with a German family where the father was a child psychologist. That specific situation completely shattered the scenario I used to believe was our only guarantee for peaceful coexistence...

Were the Americans who fled during the war actually highly educated? Did they organize attacks on shopping malls in the name of Yahweh? Were they killing truck drivers or charging into crowds? Did they coordinate gang assaults or mass attacks? Or were they actually quite small-minded, just trying to find work, getting an education wherever possible, and ultimately adopting the values of the communities they joined?

Germany, Sweden, and Austria have essentially jeopardized their own stability and all of Europe through their own mistakes. Why wasn't there any sense of balance? I won't go into detail about how I would have handled things differently. What can you honestly expect from people who are unemployed, uneducated, or mentally unstable—people coming from environments where women are viewed merely as objects? Are they supposed to just flirt with everyone? Or just humbly endure insults from a cold, hostile population?

Chris Chase5 said:Rama, let’s just keep this simple—not complicated.

Should a woman really have to carry a rape alarm in a country where she’s freaking paying taxes to ensure the system actually functions?

Why is it that people arriving here—and I don't recall seeing organized, roving attacks like we saw last year—feel this sudden impulse to attack women against their will? Is that supposed to be their "free choice"? And why on earth do they think it's allowed? How are women treated back in their home countries if they aren't married? How are they raised? What kind of education do they get?

How close has their home country ever actually come to embracing Western values? Not just before the war, but during it, either...

It’s basically a social experiment. You take two cultures that are incompatible in almost every way—language, tolerance, levels of expansionism, how they treat outsiders—and what do you get? A peaceful community? Give me a break. These people should have stayed in safe zones within similar countries. Instead, we're going to be dealing with the fallout for decades...

We've gone over this several times, and I honestly don't think you'll ever admit that the root cause of all this is just a total lack of common sense from our politicians, so I'll just leave it at these questions.

There was a case where a guy raped and murdered a college student in Germany, and he was living with a German family where the father was a child psychologist. That specific situation completely shattered the scenario I used to believe was our only guarantee for peaceful coexistence...

I took some time to write a slightly longer post. I was wondering which specific parts you disagree with so maybe we could try to have a constructive discussion about it.

I don't want you to think I'm dodging your questions, though. I'd be happy to answer them, hopefully you'll feel like answering mine in a constructive spirit too.

Should a woman have to carry an alarm against assault in a country where she freaking pays taxes to keep everything running?

Well, I mentioned earlier that even I (as a guy) get nervous walking through certain neighborhoods. Maybe you missed that part. I'd probably want to carry some kind of "alarm" myself, let alone a woman. It’s not that weird. Yeah, things used to feel safer, but now there’s a lot of trouble coming from people with tribal backgrounds. I think I covered all that already. I'm not sure what you mean by "should she," but if it helps, then yeah, she should. Is it sad it's come to this? Definitely. I don't really get the point of asking that, since I assume we all agree on that, right?

Why do people (I don't recall seeing organized gang attacks like last year) who arrive here feel the urge to attack women against their will? Is that their free choice? And why do they think it's allowed? How are women treated in their home countries if they aren't married? How are they raised? How are they educated?

I actually wrote that in my previous text. Those migrants coming from tribal or patriarchal societies struggle to adapt to and understand our values.

How close have their home countries ever gotten to Western values? Before the war and during the war?

Afghanistan is pretty much a tribal society throughout. It's a country that never really functioned properly, much like Somalia. Even Washington, D.C. was only "civilized" in a few specific neighborhoods. My impression is that you aren't really interested in the root causes of all this, almost like you don't care that the West treats other societies merely as sources of resources or ammunition for its own proxy wars. Do you think the West should change how it deals with these nations, letting them live peacefully instead of destabilizing places where stability once existed? Do you think the West should be sending weapons into unstable regions and toppling regimes that don't suit its interests? You have to realize we live in a globalized world now; you can't colonize a country for hundreds of years and then act surprised when, say, people from those areas end up in London. You can't send weapons to militants in Syria and then wonder why Syrian refugees are arriving. This situation never should have happened, yet here we are. Do you think anyone is responsible for that?

It’s basically a social experiment—you take two cultures that don't match up at all in terms of language, how they view outsiders, their expansionist tendencies, or even just how they treat people who are different, and what do you get? A peaceful community? That’s just nonsense. Those people should have stayed in safe zones within similar countries. We’re going to be dealing with the fallout for decades.

Yeah, I mentioned that earlier too, that folks from tribal societies face huge integration hurdles. Then again, refugees coming from places like Damascus or Aleppo are usually just as civilized as people from Italy or Spain. I've met plenty of them. And honestly, most would probably head home in a heartbeat if it were actually safe and livable there. At least that was the case before we turned Assad into a villain, but maybe it's too late now.
Safe zones only really work on paper, because how are you supposed to convince US allies like Turkey or South Africa to take in refugees fleeing from the very people they’re funding? And let's not sugarcoat it with talk of a "peaceful community." It doesn't really work like that; even in a place like Germany, you still see friction between East and West Germans. Do you think people in Mexico are exactly thrilled about refugees from America? Of course not. Even if there aren't massive cultural gaps, there's clearly a reason why the US didn't just mandate that refugees stay in neighboring countries. This goes way deeper than Angela Merkel; it’s tied back to Putin and the US.

We've gone over this a few times, and I doubt you'll ever admit that this whole mess is just due to politicians lacking common sense, so I'll just stick to asking questions.

I already said above that the root cause is exactly that—our politicians, through being active or passive, caused the chaos in the Middle East. And then a lot of people took advantage of that chaos to come to Europe as economic migrants. I'm just saying, it feels totally wrong to pin everything on Angela Merkel instead of calling out the people who actually triggered the whole thing in the first place.

Chris Chase5 said:Were the Americans who fled during the war actually highly educated? Did they organize attacks on shopping malls in the name of Yahweh? Were they killing truck drivers or charging into crowds? Did they coordinate gang assaults or mass attacks? Or were they actually quite small-minded, just trying to find work, getting an education wherever possible, and ultimately adopting the values of the communities they joined?

Germany, Sweden, and Austria have essentially jeopardized their own stability and all of Europe through their own mistakes. Why wasn't there any sense of balance? I won't go into detail about how I would have handled things differently. What can you honestly expect from people who are unemployed, uneducated, or mentally unstable—people coming from environments where women are viewed merely as objects? Are they supposed to just flirt with everyone? Or just humbly endure insults from a cold, hostile population?

I think we had a misunderstanding. Education matters most when you're dealing with vastly different cultures, which is what's happening here. But looking at the stats, I guess I’d probably get along better with an engineer from Damascus than someone from a tiny rural farming town in the Midwest. Our values would likely match up better. Bringing someone from a tribal community into Europe and letting them hang out in a crowd of people who think exactly like them—yeah, maybe that's a bad idea. That's why I said huge mistakes were made; I think the scale of the problem was underestimated.

But honestly, claiming that Germany, Sweden, and Austria are the ones who endangered Europe's security instead of those who caused the mess in the Middle East... I think that's just totally missing the point. It feels like burying your head in the sand, I guess.

Nathan Morris3 As follows:
Look, I already stated in my previous post—though maybe you missed it—that I am personally, yes, a man, quite apprehensive about walking into certain neighborhoods. Perhaps that detail escaped you. If I were looking to carry some kind of personal alarm, I’d certainly want one; it's not like a woman is the only one who should be concerned. It isn't anything out of the ordinary to feel this way. Truth be told, security used to be at a much higher standard, but now we're dealing with a significant amount of trouble stemming from individuals tied to tribal cultures—I've already laid all of that out. As for your question regarding whether one "should" take precautions... I’m not entirely sure what you mean by that phrasing, but if it provides any sense of comfort—then yes, one absolutely should. And is it tragic that things have devolved to this point? Absolutely. I don't really grasp the point of asking that—I assume we can all agree on that, right?

I believe I already made that point clear in my previous commentary—it’s right there in the text above. The issue is quite fundamental: migrants arriving from tribalistic or deeply patriarchal societies face significant hurdles when it comes to actually assimilating or even grasping our core American values. It just doesn't happen overnight, I guess.

Come on, Nathan Morris3—stop talking nonsense. Just a year ago, you were the one posting this exact same garbage about how Europe needs these refugees because the population in the European Union is declining.

Nathan Morris3 said:Why won't they talk about what's actually causing this? I mean, sure, more controls might help, but we have to address the root issues. How many assaults actually happened in Cologne? And even economic migrants have their own reasons for moving. It usually boils down to exploitation and colonialism. We’re basically just reaping what our leaders planted. Whether it’s Winston Churchill or Angela Merkel, it's all the same. Everyone acts blind to the fallout from a century of policy; they can't see past skin color or what's happening in Cologne. They just don't care about the causes. You could build a minefield around Germany, but if you don't face the source, you're just sweeping the mess under the rug for the next generation to deal with. No one ever took responsibility for us sending weapons to extremists back in the day. Now, it feels like Merkelica is the only one left to deal with policies forced on her by the Clintons and other jerks.

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The European Union—if you can even call it that at this stage of its collapse—has spent years stubbornly insisting there was no other way forward, regardless of how many disastrous decisions they made. It’s the same old song: they act like their path is the only one possible. I suppose it reminds me a bit of the era under Honecker—there was never any "alternative" offered back then either, until people finally reached their breaking point and took to the streets to demand change.

So, now we’re all pretending that someone else is to blame for the mess currently facing the European Union—and I’m not just talking about the migrant crisis. It’s a convenient narrative, I suppose. But let’s be real: she didn't just stumble into power yesterday. If you haven't proven you can actually manage things by 2012, then you’re clearly out of your depth. Personally? If I were half as incompetent as this, I would have been fired from my job ages ago. The only thing I will ever concede regarding her talent is this: she is incredibly skilled at staying in power—period. Beyond that survival instinct, she isn't capable of much else. That’s her one true gift.
She basically surrounded herself with a bunch of sycophants—people who exist solely to prop her up and validate her absolutely hollow political agenda (it’s honestly reminiscent of how things functioned back in East Germany, I guess). We all remember that infamous statement from Schulz where he claimed that what refugees bring us is "more valuable than gold." And let's not forget the blatant favoritism involved here—who was it that actually pushed Schulz for that top leadership position in the European Union? It was Angela Merkel, plain and simple.
And honestly—if I’m being perfectly blunt—there were plenty more of those idiotic statements coming from politicians who seem far too eager to kiss up to Angela Merkel.

I guess I'm just here to chat. Maybe we can talk about something fun? says:
Come on, Nathan Morris3, stop talking nonsense. I mean, just a year ago you were saying the exact same thing—that Europe needs those refugees because the population in the EU is shrinking.

I mentioned that Europe could really use refugees who are educated and can adapt easily. Since the population in the US is aging and we're short on young people, I guess it makes sense. What part exactly do you disagree with?

I guess the EU is just falling apart now, even though they kept insisting there was absolutely no other way to do things. It reminds me of how people felt under Erich Honecker—they kept saying there were no alternatives either, until everyone finally had enough and took to the streets.

It’s kind of sad, I guess, that everyone blames someone else for all the mess going on in the EU—and I don't just mean the refugee situation. It's not like she just stepped into office yesterday. If you weren't up to the task back in 2012, well... maybe. Personally, I think I would've been fired a long time ago if I were that incompetent. I'll give her credit for one thing, though; she's definitely good at staying in power, even if she isn't really capable of much else. That's probably her only real talent.
She basically surrounded herself with yes-men who just backed her and her lack of any real policy—it kind of reminds me of how things worked back in East Germany. I guess we should remember that quote from Martin Schulz about how what refugees bring is more valuable than gold. And when he was running for the top EU spot, it was Angela Merkel who really pushed him forward.
There were honestly just so many more of those silly comments from politicians who seem to be totally sucking up to Angela Merkel. I guess.

Honestly, I guess Germany has really fallen behind under Merkel. The economy seems to be tanking, and people just aren't doing as well as they used to. Standard of living feels lower... maybe it's all on Merkel.

Nathan Morris3 said:

I guess I'm just here to chat. Maybe we can talk about something fun? says:
Come on, Nathan Morris3, stop talking nonsense. I mean, just a year ago you were saying the exact same thing—that Europe needs those refugees because the population in the EU is shrinking.

I mentioned that Europe could really use refugees who are educated and can adapt easily. Since the population in the US is aging and we're short on young people, I guess it makes sense. What part exactly do you disagree with?

I guess the EU is just falling apart now, even though they kept insisting there was absolutely no other way to do things. It reminds me of how people felt under Erich Honecker—they kept saying there were no alternatives either, until everyone finally had enough and took to the streets.

It’s kind of sad, I guess, that everyone blames someone else for all the mess going on in the EU—and I don't just mean the refugee situation. It's not like she just stepped into office yesterday. If you weren't up to the task back in 2012, well... maybe. Personally, I think I would've been fired a long time ago if I were that incompetent. I'll give her credit for one thing, though; she's definitely good at staying in power, even if she isn't really capable of much else. That's probably her only real talent.
She basically surrounded herself with yes-men who just backed her and her lack of any real policy—it kind of reminds me of how things worked back in East Germany. I guess we should remember that quote from Martin Schulz about how what refugees bring is more valuable than gold. And when he was running for the top EU spot, it was Angela Merkel who really pushed him forward.
There were honestly just so many more of those silly comments from politicians who seem to be totally sucking up to Angela Merkel. I guess.

Honestly, I guess Germany has really fallen behind under Merkel. The economy seems to be tanking, and people just aren't doing as well as they used to. Standard of living feels lower... maybe it's all on Merkel.

Well, it’s a given that the standard of living has dropped (at least for a huge chunk of the population), and once the European Union actually starts to fracture, things will get even uglier. I guess we won't see the true fallout from the policies of the last decade for another ten years or so. For now, they're still just patching over holes and ignoring the cracks. Even communism in Europe took years to fully crumble—and even America didn't just vanish overnight.

Scott Rodriguez19 said:Well, it’s a given that the standard of living has dropped (at least for a huge chunk of the population), and once the European Union actually starts to fracture, things will get even uglier. I guess we won't see the true fallout from the policies of the last decade for another ten years or so. For now, they're still just patching over holes and ignoring the cracks. Even communism in Europe took years to fully crumble—and even America didn't just vanish overnight.

It's wild. America is basically on the brink of bankruptcy yet we're sending weapons to extremists, which feels like pouring gasoline on a fire. We're getting tangled up in stuff that shouldn't even be our business. Meanwhile, we blame Germany when they're actually trying to help people fleeing the very conflict our weapons are fueling. And then there's us, mocking how Germany might fail while we're still stuck arguing over old civil war factions. Does that sound totally insane to anyone else? Or is it just me? 😁

Nathan Morris3 said:It's wild. America is basically on the brink of bankruptcy yet we're sending weapons to extremists, which feels like pouring gasoline on a fire. We're getting tangled up in stuff that shouldn't even be our business. Meanwhile, we blame Germany when they're actually trying to help people fleeing the very conflict our weapons are fueling. And then there's us, mocking how Germany might fail while we're still stuck arguing over old civil war factions. Does that sound totally insane to anyone else? Or is it just me? 😁

What does any of that have to do with the decline of German living standards? We weren't even discussing our own domestic issues—we were talking about theirs. You really need to learn that when you run out of actual arguments, you shouldn't just pivot to an entirely different topic.

Scott Rodriguez19 said:What does any of that have to do with the decline of German living standards? We weren't even discussing our own domestic issues—we were talking about theirs. You really need to learn that when you run out of actual arguments, you shouldn't just pivot to an entirely different topic.

Well, you actually wrote this about Merkel:

If someone isn't capable back in 2012, they'd be incompetent. I would've been fired long ago. I'll just admit she's good at staying in power for a long time, even if she isn't capable of anything else. That's her real skill.

Maybe you're living in some bubble in America, so you missed how the German economy grew under Merkel and how that raised the standard for Germans. Sure, she made mistakes, but your view that she's incompetent is... interesting, I guess, especially without any real arguments.

We weren't even talking about our issues, just German ones.

I think you don't get it (or maybe you just don't want to). You're telling Merkel that she's bad at handling the fallout from problems we actively helped create.
It's kind of like me starting a fire and then complaining that the firefighters are too slow and the building is falling down because they can't put it out, when really it was arson just to hide my own fault.

But I guess it's not clear what I mean, or maybe I need another metaphor?