TouchMaster97 : You're being way too negative, man.

The European Parliament may have approved those proposals, but I have the hunch that this is basically the end of the story. They're too busy with other much more important matters so as to impose countries to introduce those proposals. We've seen that before, and it surely won't be the last time.

Even if they call out on countries to introduce them in due time, two words stand in their way: political instability. Almost all European countries are affected by it, and it's clear that they will try to first get a lasting party on the government rather than thinking on introducing these laws.

And even if a country attempts to introduce them, the movement against these proposals will hit the streets. We already have riots for all kinds of reasons, so will any government take the risk of giving the rabble one more reason to stand against them and threaten the longevity of their term?

While I admit I don't know what exactly can those proposals do to affect me, I don't feel like we'll see any intention of implanting them in years, if they even attempt to introduce them at all because the world can change a lot in the span of a few years.

The only thing we, the society, must do is to not forget that these proposals are in queue, so we're ready to stand against them whenever anyone attempts to introduce them. The Parliament is out of our reach, but the local governments aren't (and they are the ones who have the final say on introducing laws, after all).

How different are the McDonald's menus in Europe compared to the US?

gamerforlifeforever :

I think they're mostly the same. s***ty fries with s***ty burgers. At least most of the items I see in McDonald's over here I've also heard Americans talk about so idk. Maybe it's just the name that's similar.

gamerforlifeforever : It's been a very long while since I've gone to McDavideo7 McDonald's, so I don't know if they've changed much over the years.

I think that our menus could be a bit different, due to local dishes or ingredients offering a familiar touch, though overall they keep their theme everywhere. I do know that Burger King does bring many American things, so I'd be inclined to say McDonald's also does just to keep the competition at bay.

How are things in the country so far financially? Like government, jobs and all that with this virus being around at this moment

What parts of Europe have you been to? And which one is the best?

becerra95 : Quite complicated, really. There are tensions between the northern countries and the southern, most affected ones. Continental-wide I think we haven't reached an agreement, or at least not the one we wanted.

For my country in particular, it's just heavy turmoil day in and day out. The government is as disbanded as ever, with one faction in particular saying the government should be disbanded immediately, between many more insane things. Jobs have taken a great hit, with bosses firing people permanently or temporarily at an extremely fast pace, and some products and services have seen a rise in prices that are very underhanded (masks, for example, will have a limited price fixed by the government because enterprises could have ended up asking for your organs to buy one).

We could even see a summer with no tourism at all, and for Spain that's like chopping our head off. We'll see what businesses are allowed to re-open and when, but it looks like the worst hit could still be awaiting in the shadows.

legacyme3 : I've traveled a lot. Four times to Germany, twice to the UK, twice to Norway, once to Slovenia... Not to mention the short travels we've made to France and Andorra because they're close to my aunt's house in the Pyrenees.

It's hard to choose the best, really. I didn't see much of Slovenia or Norway because the travel was for an sporting event, but I did like them a lot. However, I still have to put Germany above them for everything the country has to offer: places to visit, culture, gastronomy, events, history...

Seeing your most recent answer, from 2020, about turmoil in Europe is intriguing. So much has happened since then, I was wondering what your thoughts were on ongoing conflicts in Eastern Europe, with the Ukraine problem ongoing and rising tensions in the balkans.

Barathemos : Talk about a blast from the past, was just thinking about this forum the other day.

It's an interesting topic, I should preface that I'm not nearly as politically well versed as I once was. I ended up very much burning out on politics after a short stint of pursuing political science as my major. As a a result, I don't keep up with world news and politics that closely anymore.

Having said that, my perspective on the Russia-Ukraine conflict is one of slight skepticism to popular narrative. I base this in historical knowledge. People are acting as if its this unprecedented event that Russia instigated out of nowhere but it has been many years in the making.

Before recent events there has been a constant back and forth between these two countries and it is worth mentioning that the Ukraine side has not been entirely innocent either.The Eastern part of Ukraine although constituting a minority overall, is largely pro Russia and you will find many people in former Soviet states (particularly older people) who look back at the old Soviet regime with nostalgia. The Soviet regime brought unprecedented investment to some areas (even if there were major problems on the whole). It created jobs and an improved living standard for residents in many remote regions.

Add to this a lesser known piece of recent history: Russia already invaded the Eastern parts of Ukraine in 2014 (supporting Russia backed separatists that wanted autonomy). In the light of the annexation of Crimea in 2014. The 2 states ultimately resolved this by agreeing to something called the Minsk accord. Among other things, this stated that Ukraine were to allow self governance for Donetsk and Luhansk, in the Eastern part of Ukraine. This would've likely also granted Russia some degree of influence over Ukrainian foreign policy. However, this was never implemented. Ultimately it was these regions that were first invaded by Russian forces. It is part of Russia's general concern of wanting to maintain a buffer zone between itself and the west.

Taking account of the historical background, I think you gain a much more nuanced view of the conflict. Not to be a Russia or Putin sympathizer. I am vehemently opposed to the invasion, and I support the defense of Ukraine. However, I do find myself bothered by the rather black and white perspective a lot of people (on both sides) have.

And here I was thinking since the last days of 2022 to maybe rebrand this forum, looks like all my evil plans have been thwarted with this new life this forum has received.

Zlinqx pretty much summarized the core of the problem. In general terms, the fact that Ukraine isn't entirely innocent is being overlooked. True is that a military invasion is never acceptable and that Ukraine is suffering, but we can't just ignore the past like that and act like Ukraine was always the good guy here.

If you look at it, Ukraine has always been the most prosperous country in every field of all those that formed the Soviet Union, excluding Russia itself of course. It's only normal that a fraction of the Russian population would like to retake it back as in the "golden days", even more if it was actually Russia which helped it blossom into what it is now. Take into account the pro-Russian population of Ukraine, like Zlinqx mentioned, and we have the spark of a never ending conflict.

It's been more than 45 years since Franco passed away, yet I can tell you his spirit is as alive as ever. Many people, including some political parties, still consider him an idol whose figure is untouchable as are his titles and colleagues from the regime. Many people still like to showcase the old Spanish flag with the black eagle proudly and loudly. Many people still wishes we would go back to those "glorious days".

We can't ignore the fact that Spain did indeed blossom with him in the power after centuries of being a mediocre and, to an extent, ungovernable country. However, this eclipsed many atrocious things that happened during those decades of dictatorship, which many people still overlooks just because in their opinion things now are worse than then.

The same thing applies in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The people that wants to go back to better times in either side are what have eventually produced this event. And just like we did have a thwarted military coup d'etat six years after Franco's passing, just like Franco himself had done to rise to power, in order to restore the good times, Russia has used its military power to retake what they feel is rightfully theirs.

This is just how the world goes. People is just unable to let go of the past and they're pursued by it, becoming a burden they can never let go of. Society changes and keeps moving forward, whether we like it or not. But when the people who don't like it rise to power, things like this tend to occur. It's a very twisted way of seeing it, but I honestly think it all comes down to this.

As for the balkans, that's been the powder keg of Europe for the last three decades. More and more countries are fighting for their independence, which is clearly seen in history books from 1990 onwards. My parents studied just Yugoslavia, I studied five countries derived after its dissolution, and kids nowadays study seven countries, some even with a name change from the time I studied them. Such instability is sure to create tensions, both because of the same nostalgia as in the Soviet case as well as more countries wanting to be independent and recognized (a problem that is spreading through Europe, though still on the diplomatic side).

I don’t know if you watch soccer or not. I mean it is about Europe in a sense so…

What are your thoughts about rich oil companies and hierarchies buying sports teams in Europe? Let’s say for example… soccer clubs. How PSG is owned by Qatari Sports Investments or Manchester City owned by Shiek Mansour. Some examples I know there’s more (Malaga, Newcastle, pffft even Aston Villa)

Those are just some examples. I know Saudi Arabia bought rights to host F1 races in their land since 2021 I think and then some other sports.

becerra95 : I don't watch soccer, but the problem about ownership of soccer clubs in Europe has been plaguing the sport for two decades now. They are money-making machines and everybody knows they generate tons of income, so they're the target of millionaires who want to enlarge their fortune even more.

And yes, the problem extends to other sports. F1 is a meme for this, with their real catchphrase being "we race for money" due to accepting absurdly lucrative contracts from these countries instead of racing in the countries where there's at least racing heritage or interest and not just showroom.

Tennis hasn't been so affected just yet, not many tournaments happen there during the regular tour and it's just their sponsorship of tournaments via QatarAirways for example but they're trying to catch the attention of all sports and the stars that participate in them.

As for my opinion, I can see the logic of owning soccer clubs due to the money they generate but the treatment they get from the FIFA because of money is disgusting. The same happens with the organizations in charge of other sports, they can't just say no to so much money and it totally ruins the spirit of the sport. Moreover, once they've bought their place in the sport they start making more demands as if they get cocky from the power they seemingly possess.

At least there are still some that aren't affected in the slightest by this, like MotoGP who only has one round there opting to race in countries where they actually have a meaning, but they're becoming less and less. I honestly wish organizations wouldn't sell their soul to the devil and stay true to the spirit of the sport, but money makes the world go around and only a mad man would refuse their generous payouts. As sad as it is, this is the world right now and hope is scarce.

becerra95: I can't say I'm a fan, but it's also not something that keeps me up at night as an active follower of the premier league (Sours fan). Beyond buying teams, we're also seeing a massive exodus of players from European leagues that are picked up by clubs in Saudi Arabia on ridiculous contracts for ridiculous fees. So its been a growing trend. Perhaps part of a larger plan to elevate the country's standing internationally.

Even though there's plenty to question about those owners, you kind of have to ask yourself how much worse they really are from some of the rich Europeans and Americans. There's plenty of moneygrubbing and questionable people at the top, and always have been since long before these oil barons rose to the top. I think this is only bound to increase the more revenue the sport creates. That's the nature of wealth and business I feel, you can't get stinking rich without it being at someone's expense, whether you admit to it, or even realize it.

Football as with other sport fandoms, isn't really an area where most people concern themselves with the moral implications. It's an escape from reality, a way to cope. It's an opportunity to get wrapped up in something that's completely detached from your surrounding life, and to unite with others around a common desire (seeing your team succeed). It's a highly irrational thing, that's also the beauty of it in terms of the emotions it can evoke. In that sense it really can turn into a lifestyle, and people will overlook a lot of things if it means success is on the cards for their team. Such as morally questionable ownership, as long as they're subtle enough about it to where people can disassociate those aspects from what they're supporting.

Personally, I feel like the club I support has one of the better ownership groups and that's how I'm able to deal with it. There's Joe Lewis who is about as faceless of an owner as you can be, and isn't really involved with the club directly in any way. So in that sense he is rarely synonymous with the name. Then there's Daniel Levy, who while he has made controversial decisions, clearly seems to be invested in the club on a more personal level as well, making it successful and at least maintaining an image of social consciousness.

That's about all I feel I could expect of someone who is ultimately a business owner.. But I also don't live under the pretense of any of these people being out to do good. If I did I'd probably need to stop watching the sport. But then the same goes for so much else who do in our lives. So much of capitalist society has been built and continues to be built at the expense of others.