Jump to content
Phantis Forums

Hudson

Members
  • Posts

    261
  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    4

Posts posted by Hudson

  1. For many of us, it's been 4 years of mental abuse. It's one thing to disagree about policies and another to find the most indecent and unqualified person in the top elected office of the land. And, because the prez has the loudest megaphone, you can't escape his assaults.

  2. 19 hours ago, Tzatziki said:

    If it's good enough for my yiayia, who am I to argue?

    3c4bd50e-57a1-46f5-9f2f-cb45b51700db.jpg

     

     

    I find this totally disgusting.  Plus, if anyone else was doing this kind of thing to willfully expose people to disease, they'd be locked up. It's sad that we make allowances for utter stupidity and superstition...  [it's magic, so it's safe!?]

  3. First, most of us did not vote this moron in chief. He also lost the popular count by 3 million votes.

    Sanders stood out in a field of many because of his core (some say fanatical) support. But, the majority of the Dem voters want someone who is more moderate and, above all, can be a better match against Trump in Nov.  Bernie failed to deliver on his promise to energize the base, especially the younger voters. As more and more candidates dropped out, Biden rose. He got important endorsements, especially in South Carolina--which he won big. 

    His numbers against Trump look good now, but most importantly he's winning good demographics, especially in swing states.

  4. You may have missed this in this climate of COVID19, but tonight, March 17th, 2020, Joe Biden effectively became the presumptive Dem nominee after winning in FLA, Ill, and AZ. He's also favored to win in most of the remaining states. Sanders cannot possibly win unless Biden drops dead.

    So, Sanders should understand this, sit down with Biden to talk about policies, and withdraw from the race. He can't campaign any more given the situation. The Dem voters have spoken. It'd be best for the party and the voters not to have a prolonged campaign.

    I think the general election campaign starts tomorrow.

    Be safe and well under the circumstances.

    Peace.

    PS>normally around here on this St Pat's day the bars would be busting with crowds. They're all closed now!  Same with many retail businesses. This is devastating to anyone connected to retail, and most workers, and retirees everywhere will suffer from this blow to the economy...

  5. On 7/16/2019 at 10:59 PM, Tzatziki said:

    Might be wise to invest in some future beach front properties in Northern Canada or maybe Greenland? Assuming the warming does not wipe us out by the time we can cash in.....

     

    Or some sort of self sustaining amphibious island/boat homes?

    NY will be like Florida soon... no need to go to Canada (at least in our life time)....  But, yeah, invest in property that you can sell for lots of $$ but where you'd go? Buy another beach-front property? Maybe you can trade your land for a yacht?!!  Actually this is my plan, to have a boat to live onboard if need be....  Safe from the zombie apocalypse too!

    • Haha 1
  6. On 7/11/2019 at 10:56 PM, AchillesHeel said:

    There is no global warming don't you know?....the proper term nowadays is climate shift! Whatever happened to acid rain and the greenhouse effect and the hole in the ozone layer? The scientists change the nomenclature so that the general public forgets how long these issues have been around and that the previous stuff has some how miraculously been solved and now we have some new, more pressing emergency to deal with....until the next re-baptism of the same old problems under a new name.

    You're kidding, right?

    Or, trolling for a reaction?

    Otherwise you're committing logical fallacies.

    [it sounds to me like, what happened to the big scare of the Spanish flu?.... or, the Cold War, or Chernobyl, or...   it's all scare tactics to make people obey, pay taxes, and buy things they don't need... . it's all a huge conspiracy, I tell you....]?

  7. On 3/15/2019 at 3:44 PM, Dutch Eagle said:

    Greek prosecutors have charged 20 people, including senior officials, in connection with the deaths of 100 people in a massive wildfire last year.

    https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-47468162?intlink_from_url=https://www.bbc.com/news/topics/c40rjmqdqrlt/greece&link_location=live-reporting-story

    In another thread there is a discussion about corruption and incompetency at the top. My point is that the political leaders wouldn't be able to sell b.s. if people weren't buying it. I noticed that Rena Dourou, Attica governor made it to the second round of elections.... So 1 in 5 voters bought her b.s. ...

    As for the snap national elections, Syriza shouldn't get more than 4% (like in its early days)...   There has to be a serious penalty for such a ridiculous and catastrophic exercise of power   (of course this won't be the case, I know) if things are ever going to change in Greece.  In addition, leaders who try to be truthful and responsible they have to get public support.

    "Υπαρχουν λεφτα"...  (only if you vote for me!)

  8. 13 hours ago, AchillesHeel said:

    When you say "you", who exactly do you mean? I suppose you agree with Pangalos when he said "Ta fagame mazi". The fact is that the ones responsible for all that happened are a very small group of corrupt individuals. What's incredulous is that many of them (or their offspring) are still around active in politics and business. Laying responsibilities on the vast majority of the people who have had a corrupt system imposed on them and having to find a way to survive within that system for years, is like blaming the casual football fan that watches the matches on tv on the weekend and occasionally attends a game for corruption and game fixing in the GSL. It's the common people who had "austerity" imposed on them to bail out the small minority in charge of the financial workings of the country and allow them to continue to operate.

    ΟΚ, fair points... about the few Greeks that had/have no way to react to a bad system. Yet, I do believe most Greeks are responsible if they support parties and leaders that tell them what they want to hear. Not unlike in this forum, when we discuss historical facts versus the fiction most Greeks want to believe. (national propaganda, like national poet Solomos and others had argued, truth is whatever serves the national interest)

    You argue, what can I do? the system is what it is...  Pangalos is right and wrong.... Yeah, the EU money was mostly wasted in bribes, corruption, and hiring unnecessary bureaucrats. There are lots of things individuals can do, themselves and collectively.  Good example you use about football fans....  How many do you honestly believe are the sensible ones? This is a sports league100% made and run by Greeks.  [well, except the disgrace to call in foreign refs lately... which shows that Greeks can't be in charge of their own affairs?]....

    If I were in Greece, I would not participate in this charade and wouldn't spend a penny until there was serious improvement. I'd also demand from the political leaders to fix this... and go after my favorite team's leaders if they broke the law. Democracy may be the best regime of all we've tried but it requires sensible people.  For example, Trump wouldn't be empowered if it weren't for 40% of Americans who still support him. A con man wouldn't be able to sell you b.s. if people weren't buying.

    Yet, I'm afraid the corruption is not only at the top--saying so it's only a convenient excuse. It's a culture of corruption and a long tradition of the worst politics.....

  9. ^^^^

    One of the most incredulous arguments I've seen here (and heard in many gatherings of Greeks)...

    What kind of an excuse is this? Don't give me money because I don't know how to handle it and be responsible! If you do, then don't blame me for irresponsibility.... it is you who's at fault!   

    But, when Greeks are told they're not mature to be in charge of their own affairs, they take offense!  Sadly, it's been always the case, since the failed revolution of 1821. Greeks themselves echoed the argument above and called foreigners to be in charge, from King Otto to the foreign refs in domestic sports leagues today!

    Funny, they also think they're superior to everyone else.   [referring to recent Pew Research survey of Europeans about people's cultures that showed 90% of Greeks believe "we may not be perfect" but we're better than anyone else]  I'm of Greek dissent and I'm embarrassed by such attitudes.

     

    • Like it 3
  10. The Repubs are morally corrupt. They're openly advancing the interests of big business and the wealthy elites. But, in order to get support for their policies from the people, they lie and distract. They lie about their economics. They don't work for strengthening the middle class. They have a negative proposal for (our) government. To them gov is not there to provide a safety net, and social services every decent advanced civilized country has and needs! To them it's a libertarian gov that does national defense and law & order. (and they would even privatize that if the GOP could) only. They're stuck in the 18th century! 

    Distractions? Oh, yeah, Benghazi!  Seriously? Let's say it was 100% HRC's fault (It wasn't and the GOP Congress investigated her 30+ times).... still it doesn't follow you'd vote for DJT or any Repub. Corrupt Clintons? OK. but she'd be raising her own taxes to pay for social programs, not like DJT and the Repubs who cut their own taxes and gave permanent tax breaks to the wealthy, when the meager middle class tax cuts expire in a couple years. 

    This regime is a kakistocracy (as some people have already mentioned). Rule by the worst.

     

    As for Biden, yeah, I'd take him over any Repub anytime even if he fell into a coma in 2020.  Which condition he appears to be in, or he had left the planet between 2007-2017.... when he says now that Trump is the GOP's problem, and once he's gone the Repubs will see the light..... Really? Clearly he's forgotten what they did to Obama. He forgot what McConell said before even Obama took the oath , that he'd make him fail. 

    Trump is the result of the Repub party's ideology and practices in the last 25 years..... a party that allowed unheard personal attacks (DJT began his campaign by questioning Obama's legitimacy, birthright, etc) against political opponents, attacked the legitimacy of our institutions (elections, judges, media, military, etc) advanced racist rhetoric, empowered hate groups, promoted the worst divisions in our society (actually this is their strategy), and lowered the political discourse to new depths. They even denied Obama a nomination to the supreme court....

    You want to be supporting the party of ..stupid?  Yeah, any party or individual who is anti-science is a moron! No way to sugar-coat this.  And, the GOP has this unique distinction among conservative parties in the West.... Anti-science, moronic, and a stance that represents ignorance!

     

     

    • Like it 1
  11. Yeah, 'cause Tiger Woods has devoted his life in promoting ..freedom and opportunity for the minorities! Or, maybe because Trump equates golfing with freedom from ..work.  He has played more golf so far than Obama did in 8 years. (and of course Trump was criticizing O for wasting the people's time and money)

  12. On 4/15/2019 at 12:43 PM, Tzatziki said:

    whast does that have to do with the electoral college?

    Candidates for the presidency design campaigns based on the EC.... How to get the right combination of states to get 270 electoral votes. It's not about winning the national vote count. I'm not disputing the rubber-stamping of the state electors (those who actually are appointed to the EC)... yes, they do as their state goes. It's no surprise really since 48 states have winner-takes-all system. For example, all electors from NY and CA are going to be Dems, whether from Texas all Repubs, and so forth.

    The candidate that gets 270 out of 538 electoral votes wins the US presidency.  

    So since getting 45% in a state gets you zero EVs, you don't campaign there.  Your calculation is always succeeding in the EC.

  13. On 4/12/2019 at 2:22 PM, Tzatziki said:

    The electoral college is a non issue, they just rubber stamp whoever wins pretty much, except for a stray vote here and there.

    What do you mean it's not an issue?

    Yes, the electors from each state vote like their state voters have done, but the popular vote winner may be denied the presidency. In my lifetime in happened twice, 2000 and 2016.

  14. Labor unions have never been in such decline in the US... 10% of workers. In the private sector is less than 6%. Unions won more for all US workers, not just their members. I think Iceland has the highest unionized work force, 90%, unless you include the ..Vatican with 100%.

    Yeah, the marketplace has advantages but without labor and consumer protections it becomes a playground for the robber barons.

  15. Yeah, good show. Too bad this team isn't in 4th place.... they've won enough points if it weren't for the penalties... ?

    Insua said today that he wants to stay.

    The problem with this team is that there's no depth, and there's so much you can do with using talent from the academies. You need established, mature, and proven players to compete higher. The bigger contracts though haven't contributed. Only Kourbelis justifies his 500k (?). Anyway, they'll get rid of many of those contract at the end of the season. But, look, even though money isn't everything, it's still a big factor.  Someone else needs to take over from Alafouzos; he'll keep the budget low next season too.   It's sad that we're trying to be in the top 5 to earn a euro spot....  Unless there's a change in ownership next year will be more of the same... no way to compete for the title ?

     

     

    • Like it 1
  16. I do not discount the feelings of people(s)....  They have a right to feel anyway they want, but such feelings may be based on erroneous knowledge! 

    Many people want to claim a special relation to someone great, because they themselves can feel better/great by ..association.

    But, why is association important? Does it mean they have special qualities that were transmitted through the ether, or DNA? Are others, not related or associated with the great (μεγας) person somehow inferior?

    Can the non-associates acquire the special qualities another way?.... Like through education (ideas) or emulation (practicing the principles)...

    Say a random person came to us and asked to be venerated, worshiped, liked, be given authority and glory.... and, that they asked for such benefits because they could prove that their great grandfather was one the most brilliant persons that ever walked this planet...

    What would be your response?....

     

  17. Agreed.

    I don't know what those people actually believe, but I do know if 1-2 generations (since the 1990s) were being taught they were Macedons it's a very good chance they believe it. 

    Most people throughout history are given a culture and a certain history and don't examine things independently. If it sounds good, and it makes them feel good, that's all they need. I had an educated colleague from Turkey who didn't know about the Armenian genocide. And, when I brought it up and he ...checked, he said it was a myth by enemies of Turkey..... "Maybe a few hundred Armenians died during the...war,  but...."

     

  18. Interesting that Greek football tribes call other Greek tribes, "Bulgars/Βουλγαροι"... 

    Indeed Alexander and his Macedons had Greek culture even though they slaughtered any Greek who didn't want them as rulers.

    Alexander left Macedonia to Greeks/Helenes in his will. Unfortunately that will was lost in time.

    In the centuries that followed, a collection of ethnicities lived in Macedonia, Greeks, Turks, Slavs, Bulgarians, Albanians, Vlachs, Jews, etc. With the creation of Yugoslavia, a region in that country was named Macedonia. When Yugo broke apart some people to bolster their claim to be an independent country invented a new history based on the geography and thus made Alexander their ancestor.

    I've learned from GREEK history books that Greece has 51% of Macedonia. And, if someone controls 51% of the shares, he has the right to control the company.

    It's really simple!  right?...

  19. It's done. Northern Macedonia is the agreed name by the two sides and the international community.  I think this is a positive development. The name "Macedonia" had been used as de-facto since 1992 by everyone other than Greece. This composite name denotes the geographic nature of the new state to the north of Greece.

    The name "Macedonia" had been used by multiple countries and ethnicities in the area for thousands of years. They spoke lots of languages and identified with the geographical area not a particular civilization.  Greece had accepted the composite name of FYROM.... "M" stood for Macedonia....  At least now there are more chances people will be making the differentiation between Greek Macedonia and its norther neighbor.

×
×
  • Create New...