Offside Chat Archives (2014-2021)

steelharbor9 said:So, honestly, that kind of makes your take on this totally irrelevant, man. I guess. That's just how it is.

A black hole exploding in a millisecond?

🤣🤣😂

God creating the entire world in just seven days... yeah, that sounds way more legit to me. 😂

restlesssurfer97 said:A black hole exploding in a millisecond?

🤣🤣😂

God creating the entire world in just seven days... yeah, that sounds way more legit to me. 😂

Way to go.

Honestly, I doubt they’ll even make it to the front of the line tonight😂

Every time I take a peek at the political scene, I realize exactly why I rarely bother coming back to America.

The whole country is just a complete disaster...

Larry Fox5 said:Every time I take a peek at the political scene, I realize exactly why I rarely bother coming back to America.

The whole country is just a complete disaster...

Don't be too discouraged; things are actually starting to turn around, and if today is any indication, we are finally seeing some progress. 🙂

Noah Roberts46 said:Look, when I look at ISIS, I see a cycle that’s hard to ignore. People over there are living through absolute hell—constant warfare, endless casualties. You lose your family, your friends, everything you ever cared about. When life loses all meaning like that, people get desperate. They turn to extremist groups that use religion as a way to bind them together, fueled by a pure, raw desire for revenge. That’s how we end up with the mess we have now. The best example is Iraq. So many innocent lives were thrown away for absolutely nothing, and naturally, that kind of chaos paves the way for groups like ISIS to rise. Honestly, until our foreign policy toward the Middle East actually changes, we're just going to keep seeing this play out. But the reality is, 90% of people don't have the slightest clue what's actually happening on the ground over there.

But then what are those crazy guys from the North America or expats doing in ISIS? Setting aside what Joseph Clark37 said for a second, ISIS basically "feeds" on this by recruiting people who are already living in those regions, or you've got people from all over—some Americans, some Germans, some Frenchmen, etc.—who head off to these pseudo-training camps claiming they're defending Islam.

I mean, sure, I get how easy it is to turn everything into a vendetta, but if we follow that logic, the whole world has had a right to lash out for centuries, because I refuse to believe there isn't some deep-seated connection where certain nations or peoples just inherently hate each other.
If you really want to screw someone over, you'll always find a way to make it happen.

Just imagine if we started training kamikazes right now to charge into government buildings in D.C. or whatever else, do you really think they wouldn't find some excuse to do it? Besides the obvious reasons, of course, and you could find an excuse like that for any country in the EU.

Sorry, but I can't justify it, not one bit. I can understand the "how" and the "why," but understanding isn't the same thing as justifying, right? Just because you grasp why someone is doing something doesn't mean you automatically agree with them, does it?

Keith Miller30 said:Don't be too discouraged; things are actually starting to turn around, and if today is any indication, we are finally seeing some progress. 🙂

Things aren't gonna get any better as long as the Republican Party and the Democratic Party are running the show—people just keep voting for these two evils over and over. Honestly, how much of a sheep do you have to be to vote for a party where the president and former prime minister ended up behind bars because they sold off our biggest national company for a measly ten million bucks? 🤦

In any normal country, that party wouldn't even clear the election threshold anymore, but here? They’re favorites for the next elections! And you call *that* things improving... 🤣

Or look at the Democrats. Even their own kids wouldn't vote for them if they had half a brain cell left.

Larry Fox5 said:Things aren't gonna get any better as long as the Republican Party and the Democratic Party are running the show—people just keep voting for these two evils over and over. Honestly, how much of a sheep do you have to be to vote for a party where the president and former prime minister ended up behind bars because they sold off our biggest national company for a measly ten million bucks? 🤦

In any normal country, that party wouldn't even clear the election threshold anymore, but here? They’re favorites for the next elections! And you call *that* things improving... 🤣

Or look at the Democrats. Even their own kids wouldn't vote for them if they had half a brain cell left.

To be perfectly honest, I feel like I have to simplify my thoughts just to make them land, but the reality remains unchanged: things are never going to get better as long as the Democratic and Republican parties hold all the cards. It is the same cycle over and over again. If you truly believe you possess a superior vision or more competence than the leadership within either major party, then why aren't you stepping up to offer a viable alternative? It seems everyone has plenty to say, yet most of these self-important figures sit comfortably in their climate-controlled offices doing absolutely nothing of substance. Everyone finds fault with Zoran Milanović, but they simply stay home or limit their entire political contribution to a casual conversation over coffee. We have to accept the situation we are in and stop complaining about our fate, because at the end of the day, this is our reality. Of course, if anyone genuinely believes they are smarter or more capable than the likes of the Democrats, the Republicans, or former leaders like Ivo Josipović, Tomislav Karamarko, or Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović, then by all means, go ahead and start something meaningful. It is always remarkably easy to play philosopher and lecture others when you are sitting in the comfort of your own home.

Larry Fox5 Asks:
In any functioning democracy, a party like that wouldn't even manage to clear the electoral threshold, yet here we are, watching them emerge as the frontrunners for the next congressional elections. And you honestly have the nerve to call that progress? 🤣

To be more precise about the situation—they aren't merely favorites heading into the next congressional elections. They are the inevitable winners of those elections. Or, if you prefer to look at it from a different angle, one could argue that the Democratic Party is the true loser here; it all really depends on how you choose to interpret the current landscape, doesn't it?

Larry Fox5 said:Things aren't gonna get any better as long as the Republican Party and the Democratic Party are running the show—people just keep voting for these two evils over and over. Honestly, how much of a sheep do you have to be to vote for a party where the president and former prime minister ended up behind bars because they sold off our biggest national company for a measly ten million bucks? 🤦

In any normal country, that party wouldn't even clear the election threshold anymore, but here? They’re favorites for the next elections! And you call *that* things improving... 🤣

Or look at the Democrats. Even their own kids wouldn't vote for them if they had half a brain cell left.

The Democratic Party is exactly what it has always been, possessing a voter base that isn't any more or less intelligent than anyone else, regardless of how much those self-proclaimed intellectuals among us might like to imagine they are superior. Personally, I find life in this country to be perfectly fine, though if I have one grievance with the Democrats, it would be their relentless ideological leaning.

If you truly believe you have a better vision than the Democratic Party or Zoran Milanović, why not come to America and present us with a real alternative? 🙂 Exactly, isn't that just the way it goes? Honestly, it’s always much easier to sit around and play philosopher, complaining about how everything is falling apart, how we have nothing left, or how everyone in charge is completely incompetent... doesn't it feel like that's become our default setting?

Then you see one of those critics pop up during a prime-time news segment, looking completely unkempt—hair all wild like he just stepped off a raft—dressed like he wandered straight out of rural Springfield, shouting at Stankovic that "Zoran Milanović is an idiot." Can you believe it? This man stands there on national television, calls the President of the United States an idiot, and actually receives rave reviews for it. Does it even matter that he hasn't offered a single coherent alternative policy? Not really, because he managed to call the widely disliked Milanović an idiot, and apparently, for the public, that’s more than enough to satisfy them. Who cares if he has nothing else to contribute?

Well, those were some truly stellar election results—a gap of 20,000 votes. Exactly how things should be...

Peter Thompson4 said:But then what are those crazy guys from the North America or expats doing in ISIS? Setting aside what Joseph Clark37 said for a second, ISIS basically "feeds" on this by recruiting people who are already living in those regions, or you've got people from all over—some Americans, some Germans, some Frenchmen, etc.—who head off to these pseudo-training camps claiming they're defending Islam.

I mean, sure, I get how easy it is to turn everything into a vendetta, but if we follow that logic, the whole world has had a right to lash out for centuries, because I refuse to believe there isn't some deep-seated connection where certain nations or peoples just inherently hate each other.
If you really want to screw someone over, you'll always find a way to make it happen.

Just imagine if we started training kamikazes right now to charge into government buildings in D.C. or whatever else, do you really think they wouldn't find some excuse to do it? Besides the obvious reasons, of course, and you could find an excuse like that for any country in the EU.

Sorry, but I can't justify it, not one bit. I can understand the "how" and the "why," but understanding isn't the same thing as justifying, right? Just because you grasp why someone is doing something doesn't mean you automatically agree with them, does it?

I am not justifying this attack. 🤣
On the contrary, I condemn it in every possible way. These people can mock whatever they want, and they can strike back through any similar legitimate means, but killing is never the answer. I'm just saying I don't get why everyone is so shocked; it was only a matter of time. The French and the West have only themselves to blame for this.

Robin Fox2 said:Well, those were some truly stellar election results—a gap of 20,000 votes. Exactly how things should be...

Sure, it was a nail-biter right until the end. Those Herzegovinians settled things with a siren. 🙏

Larry Fox5 said:Things aren't gonna get any better as long as the Republican Party and the Democratic Party are running the show—people just keep voting for these two evils over and over. Honestly, how much of a sheep do you have to be to vote for a party where the president and former prime minister ended up behind bars because they sold off our biggest national company for a measly ten million bucks? 🤦

In any normal country, that party wouldn't even clear the election threshold anymore, but here? They’re favorites for the next elections! And you call *that* things improving... 🤣

Or look at the Democrats. Even their own kids wouldn't vote for them if they had half a brain cell left.

I'll never wrap my head around it either—especially the whole Republican thing. You know exactly what they've done, yet people still go out and vote for them. There's more to it than just politics, though; it's probably job security and playing the system.

I'm always voting for a third option, no matter how fringe. I honestly think a third party could pull 20-25% of the vote in a general election, but they just end up cannibalizing each other's support. Look at how much momentum the last minor movement lost recently.

I suspect the figure is actually 20k rather than 2,000, though such a trivial discrepancy hardly matters...

By the way, whenever election results start rolling in, I find those areas where a candidate pulls in an 80% majority to be utterly nonsensical. It’s just absurd. While seeing 50 or 60% support in certain counties or cities feels perfectly standard, those 80% margins feel incredibly insular, regardless of which party is winning.

Keith Miller30 said:To be perfectly honest, I feel like I have to simplify my thoughts just to make them land, but the reality remains unchanged: things are never going to get better as long as the Democratic and Republican parties hold all the cards. It is the same cycle over and over again. If you truly believe you possess a superior vision or more competence than the leadership within either major party, then why aren't you stepping up to offer a viable alternative? It seems everyone has plenty to say, yet most of these self-important figures sit comfortably in their climate-controlled offices doing absolutely nothing of substance. Everyone finds fault with Zoran Milanović, but they simply stay home or limit their entire political contribution to a casual conversation over coffee. We have to accept the situation we are in and stop complaining about our fate, because at the end of the day, this is our reality. Of course, if anyone genuinely believes they are smarter or more capable than the likes of the Democrats, the Republicans, or former leaders like Ivo Josipović, Tomislav Karamarko, or Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović, then by all means, go ahead and start something meaningful. It is always remarkably easy to play philosopher and lecture others when you are sitting in the comfort of your own home.

Larry Fox5 Asks:
In any functioning democracy, a party like that wouldn't even manage to clear the electoral threshold, yet here we are, watching them emerge as the frontrunners for the next congressional elections. And you honestly have the nerve to call that progress? 🤣

To be more precise about the situation—they aren't merely favorites heading into the next congressional elections. They are the inevitable winners of those elections. Or, if you prefer to look at it from a different angle, one could argue that the Democratic Party is the true loser here; it all really depends on how you choose to interpret the current landscape, doesn't it?

The Democratic Party is exactly what it has always been, possessing a voter base that isn't any more or less intelligent than anyone else, regardless of how much those self-proclaimed intellectuals among us might like to imagine they are superior. Personally, I find life in this country to be perfectly fine, though if I have one grievance with the Democrats, it would be their relentless ideological leaning.

If you truly believe you have a better vision than the Democratic Party or Zoran Milanović, why not come to America and present us with a real alternative? 🙂 Exactly, isn't that just the way it goes? Honestly, it’s always much easier to sit around and play philosopher, complaining about how everything is falling apart, how we have nothing left, or how everyone in charge is completely incompetent... doesn't it feel like that's become our default setting?

Then you see one of those critics pop up during a prime-time news segment, looking completely unkempt—hair all wild like he just stepped off a raft—dressed like he wandered straight out of rural Springfield, shouting at Stankovic that "Zoran Milanović is an idiot." Can you believe it? This man stands there on national television, calls the President of the United States an idiot, and actually receives rave reviews for it. Does it even matter that he hasn't offered a single coherent alternative policy? Not really, because he managed to call the widely disliked Milanović an idiot, and apparently, for the public, that’s more than enough to satisfy them. Who cares if he has nothing else to contribute?

And honestly, that’s the most depressing part. It’s already a foregone conclusion. New parties will pop up, and the only way I can actually do anything is by voting for them. Sure, maybe the youth vote shifts things, but the rest of the country? They’ll just go right back to their old ways.

Tomasi following the election results

Robin Fox2 said:I suspect the figure is actually 20k rather than 2,000, though such a trivial discrepancy hardly matters...

By the way, whenever election results start rolling in, I find those areas where a candidate pulls in an 80% majority to be utterly nonsensical. It’s just absurd. While seeing 50 or 60% support in certain counties or cities feels perfectly standard, those 80% margins feel incredibly insular, regardless of which party is winning.

An 80% margin is just amateur hour. Just look at what happened with Ivanbegovina in the first round. ☕

And now we have them heading into the second round. 🤣

Noah Roberts46 said:And honestly, that’s the most depressing part. It’s already a foregone conclusion. New parties will pop up, and the only way I can actually do anything is by voting for them. Sure, maybe the youth vote shifts things, but the rest of the country? They’ll just go right back to their old ways.

What I am saying is that you are always free to propose an alternative. There always is, without exception, a lesser of two evils to choose from. People won't necessarily vote for the Republican Party out of passion, but rather because they are voting against the Democratic Party. We simply have to accept that this is the reality we are living in.

Don't tell me it's impossible, because looking at someone like that radical kid over there, it's clear that change is always an option.

The populist movement is sweeping up the next election—expect to see Pernar as Secretary of the Treasury. ☕

restlesssurfer97 said:Honestly, I doubt they’ll even make it to the front of the line tonight😂

LMAO 🙂

Larry Fox5 said:Every time I take a peek at the political scene, I realize exactly why I rarely bother coming back to America.

The whole country is just a complete disaster...

Politics is everything—really. 🤣 The sheer amount of stupidity concentrated up there is absurd—even the sane people on the forums eventually head south. 🤣

Robin Fox2 said:Well, those were some truly stellar election results—a gap of 20,000 votes. Exactly how things should be...

It would be pretty depressing if it turns out the diaspora actually swung this election—those numbers might just be telling us exactly that.