Offside Chat Archives (2014-2021)

Laura Chavez93 said:But honestly, there is absolutely nothing else being discussed—it’s just a non-stop loop of infection numbers, death tolls in France, and whatever Madonna thinks about the whole situation... it's been like this for the last month straight. It really makes you wonder about the future of tourism—which, let's face it, is basically the lifeblood of half the country... ☕

Do you really think the season wouldn't be a total disaster if these restrictions weren't in place here in the States?

Oh, please. Right now, I’m actually feeling a sudden urge to head out to Sweden and Belarus.

Laura Chavez93 said:The issue here is the total suppression of debate; one isn't even permitted to consider the economic fallout, let alone dare to question what this will do to the summer tourism season...
even someone like Dragan Primorac can't provide a straight answer as to whether people are dying from Corona itself, or from pre-existing conditions that the virus merely pushed over the edge.
And now Dybala has tested positive again—how is that even possible after two weeks?
Yet we are expected to place blind faith in those who seem to lie incessantly just to secure their next election cycle...😵

Who isn't letting you debate? Look at the PDFs at the top of the page; everything is being discussed in thread 16. The real issue is that Americans aren't used to a Crisis Management Team or an emergency state. Honestly, it's better that way. We haven't seen anything like this in a hundred years. It’s not me, it’s not you, and it’s not some random dust particle. The problem is a certain class of people who lack basic common sense. They’ll invite twenty of their buddies over for a BBQ because "hey, it's vacation time." The problem is that there are plenty of people like that in the US; just like how they spend their whole lives parking in handicap spots or blocking ramps, they couldn't care less about rules.

What about the economy? If you hadn't implemented measures, well, America isn't an isolated island. We're part of the European Union and import most of our goods. The economy would be suffering regardless of the bans, except you'd just have more dead people. As for the tourist season? Please. The Olympic Games are being canceled. You can't force a few million tourists to show up; they won't come anyway. This crisis is going to hit much larger and stronger countries than the US. I don't know why anyone is surprised.

Lionel Messi tested positive again—how does that happen after two weeks?

Lionel Messi tested negative twice, then positive the third time. His girlfriend was quick to post about it on Instagram. 🙏
It’s nothing unusual. It's the same thing where some people test negative the first time and then positive the second. He hasn't fully cleared the virus yet, so he tested positive. That's all there is to it.

Michelle Palmer6 said:Do you really think the season wouldn't be a total disaster if these restrictions weren't in place here in the States?

My point is—after being stuck indoors for so long—there’s going to be a massive surge in people just wanting to get away... we really need to go all out with our marketing for the summer season, especially since hardly anyone will be choosing to visit Italy or Spain when they'll have much more pressing matters to deal with than tourism,
which is how we redirect those travelers right here... that's what I'm getting at...

Laura Chavez93 said:My point is—after being stuck indoors for so long—there’s going to be a massive surge in people just wanting to get away... we really need to go all out with our marketing for the summer season, especially since hardly anyone will be choosing to visit Italy or Spain when they'll have much more pressing matters to deal with than tourism,
which is how we redirect those travelers right here... that's what I'm getting at...

Prika, if the lockdown ends in America, it’ll end in Italy too.

So, you're saying tourists would be actively avoiding Italy, yet your solution to fix that is to suggest measures that would basically turn us into a carbon copy of them?

Laura Chavez93 said:My point is—after being stuck indoors for so long—there’s going to be a massive surge in people just wanting to get away... we really need to go all out with our marketing for the summer season, especially since hardly anyone will be choosing to visit Italy or Spain when they'll have much more pressing matters to deal with than tourism,
which is how we redirect those travelers right here... that's what I'm getting at...

I couldn't agree more! Right now, the biggest hurdle we’re facing is COVID. If you want to actually jumpstart tourism again, you have to prioritize containing the spread and managing the mortality rates first. It's just common sense!

Laura Chavez93 said:My point is—after being stuck indoors for so long—there’s going to be a massive surge in people just wanting to get away... we really need to go all out with our marketing for the summer season, especially since hardly anyone will be choosing to visit Italy or Spain when they'll have much more pressing matters to deal with than tourism,
which is how we redirect those travelers right here... that's what I'm getting at...

Oh, they'll want to go, but with what money and when?
Think about it—someone’s going to take two months of unemployment and then be told they can only take vacation in July... if they're lucky enough to still have a job. And the people who already got laid off? They aren't exactly booking flights.

I saw an interview with some guy, I think he's an Amer who runs a news site and an agency, and his survey showed that maybe 50% of people who originally planned to travel decided they just aren't going anywhere this year. That's a massive chunk of the market.

People just won't travel this year, whether it's because they're scared, broke, or simply can't get the time off work. Tourism will happen, sure, but it won't look like it used to...

Laura Chavez93 said:But honestly, there is absolutely nothing else being discussed—it’s just a non-stop loop of infection numbers, death tolls in France, and whatever Madonna thinks about the whole situation... it's been like this for the last month straight. It really makes you wonder about the future of tourism—which, let's face it, is basically the lifeblood of half the country... ☕

Yet, there’s a complete silence on the actual impact. Just the other day, they had a segment on a major national network specifically tackling this topic.
Whenever we discuss the economic fallout, the conversation almost exclusively centers on the travel and hospitality sectors.
Either you aren't paying attention to the media, or you haven't quite grasped the gravity of what's being discussed.

Does anyone else realize the real issue here is the absolute silence surrounding this—all just so the big shots can cling to their positions?
Given the current circumstances, one would expect town halls, serious debates, and perhaps even a dedicated primetime lineup on networks like ABC or CBS focused on how to navigate this crisis, jumpstart the economy, and—most importantly—save the summer travel season
instead, the trending topic is nothing more than some tired, washed-up celebrity like Kelly Clarkson whining about her personal feelings during these times🙂
For heaven's sake, you don't have a single broadcast questioning whether these overpriced masks actually protect us from anything at all...🙂

I suppose I’d be genuinely concerned if our leadership started barking orders that fell outside the scope of what comparable nations typically do. But they aren't doing that, at least nothing on a scale that demands alarm. So, rather than following them blindly, I prefer to weigh their actions against how other countries have handled similar situations. If I were forced to take direction from a volatile and overly emotional Vucic, then we would certainly be facing a different story altogether.

And frankly, the idea that debate is being suppressed isn't quite accurate. People are talking about everything from travel permits and labor hours to new business openings and civil rights violations. Even the economy is under scrutiny. I think you're exaggerating the situation. While I agree there are certainly lapses in protocol, there simply isn't a standard playbook for a scenario like this.

Laura Chavez93 said:Does anyone else realize the real issue here is the absolute silence surrounding this—all just so the big shots can cling to their positions?
Given the current circumstances, one would expect town halls, serious debates, and perhaps even a dedicated primetime lineup on networks like ABC or CBS focused on how to navigate this crisis, jumpstart the economy, and—most importantly—save the summer travel season
instead, the trending topic is nothing more than some tired, washed-up celebrity like Kelly Clarkson whining about her personal feelings during these times🙂
For heaven's sake, you don't have a single broadcast questioning whether these overpriced masks actually protect us from anything at all...🙂

Man, where on earth do you live? For weeks now, the entire conversation has been nothing but "how do we boost tourism" and "how do we save those poor struggling restaurant owners." Newsflash: we are a service-based economy!
Honestly, thank God we didn't need a massive pandemic to hit the reset button on this whole mess.

Michelle Palmer6 said:Man, where on earth do you live? For weeks now, the entire conversation has been nothing but "how do we boost tourism" and "how do we save those poor struggling restaurant owners." Newsflash: we are a service-based economy!
Honestly, thank God we didn't need a massive pandemic to hit the reset button on this whole mess.

Reset my ass.

urbanhawk17 said:Reset my ass.

Give me a break!😍

Look, I know deep down they won't. Maybe they'll change a tiny bit, but sometimes even a little bit of change feels like way too much.
It’s just like those wide-eyed optimists who claim that once this crisis blows over, soccer will magically become "pure" again—you know, less money-driven, more grassroots, honest...😍

Seriously, if the last 200 years of human history have taught us one thing, it's that we always emerge from a crisis being more honest and smarter. As if!

🤣

Miley Cyrus, the government just dumped $6.5 million into Pittsburgh. 🤣

If anyone actually believes we’re going to come out of this crisis any smarter, they're dreaming. We’re headed straight for bankruptcy and then what? Who cares, right?

urbanhawk17 said:Reset my ass.

And what about sticking a toothpick into the national power grid?🤷

bluebison47 said:And what about sticking a toothpick into the national power grid?🤷

Who knows? Maybe. 😍

urbanhawk17 said:

🤣

This goes much deeper than people realize.
For years, the nation has been numbed by endless reality TV and trashy mainstream media, leading to this blatant, transparent sycophancy toward the political elite. But nothing hits harder than when Vučić shows up on Pink or PBS just to play the part.



Macron invited him to his Picasso room 🙏 , some guy from the West 🤣

Susan Kim2 said:This goes much deeper than people realize.
For years, the nation has been numbed by endless reality TV and trashy mainstream media, leading to this blatant, transparent sycophancy toward the political elite. But nothing hits harder than when Vučić shows up on Pink or PBS just to play the part.

Macron invited him to his Picasso room 🙏 , some guy from the West 🤣

This level of blatant sucking up didn't just happen by accident. I guess they're all on the payroll.

Setting aside the whole pandemic situation, this meeting between the administration and certain media outlets is pretty dangerous.

Anyway, since shops are staying open until 8 PM now, I suppose that's not an issue anymore? 🤷