Confessit
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Posts posted by Confessit
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4 minutes ago, ULIZOS said:
Not that things would’ve been better with Democrats in power (in terms of our relationship with Iran and Israel), but can you believe this piece of shit has only been in office for FIVE MONTHS?
it feels like a decade
He knows he’s only for 4 years in office and he is making sure he is doing everything possible to make an impact and leave a mark.
Its dangerous.
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18 minutes ago, jonski43 said:
The Iranian people are delighted that they have an opportunity to overthrown a regime that kills women for showing their hair. I've seen several posts from Iranians feeling empowered to stand up against the regime.
Iran has been funding terrorism across the middle east for decades.
I keep seeing pictures and film of how the Lebanon, Iran, Jordan etc used to be before the Islamic cultural revolution took over. It's shocking just how their lives have been repressed by this evil regime.
And I'm seeing middle class white libtards now holding banners supporting the ayatollah.
I appreciate that.
But Iran is far from the only country in the world that has that kind of Islamic regime!
America will bulldoze its way into something if it feels necessary to make a point or if there’s a benefit to them.
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12 hours ago, elijah said:
I really don't get this I m not European thing with Britain. I thought that this may be due to the fact that you already have DOUBLE identity: for example if you come from England you are first 1) English then 2) British. The same goes for Scots, Welsh and Northern Irish. Maybe because you are already 4 nations which on top of that have another identity (British) so European comes 3rd... However the same can be said of Spain (for example Basque-Spanish-European). I don't really know. It’s interesting though. I always viewed (from historic perspective) Britain as European and at the same time as very cosmopolitan (transcedenting Europe in a way). Also from EU POV having Britain in made it stronger (it was 2nd or 3rd economy depending of the year), but at the same time its like the UK was holding off the closer EU integration. UK role in connection to Europe (and EU) could be viewed as both positive and negative. As a whole, I d still prefer UK in the EU.
I think a lot of it has to do with the fact we are not landlocked with Europe.
Historically there was the British empire, that sense of sovereignty and significance across the world, long and epic wars with France & Spain and the history books being written (not always faithfully to the truth) of British victory over European countries.
The EU was stronger with Britain in it. We were one of its biggest financial contributors as you say, but the anti EU feeling was strong. I agree everyone was stronger with us in it.
When I was growing up at school we never referred to ourselves as European but of course all Brits know we are part of Europe.
It’s just not a typical thing we say.
But someone in here said Argentine people don’t call themselves American but they know of course they are from the Americas, they are Argentinian.
So I get the feeling we are not isolated in the fact we don’t use our continent as the prominent description and identity of where we are from.
Its our country and nationality that takes precedent.
But I would have thought the French say they are French first or the Spanish say they are Spanish they don’t say we are European first….
..or do they?
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7 hours ago, jonski43 said:
The Tories were in power for fourteen years! And yes, they didn't solve the problem but they're paying the price for not doing so in the fact that nobody is voting for them. Nobody trusts them now.
It's very likely that Farage could win the next election though if immigration, particularly illegal immigration, isn't controlled.
We had three little girls stabbed to death multiple times by a young Somali guy last year that caused riots and the prime minister handled it really badly.
He accused the 'far right' of causing the riots but a recent report has found they weren't responsible.
And you only have to look at the recent multiple murders in central Europe by people driving cars into crowds and the stabbing of young Austrian (?) teenager to know this isn't a 'far right' issue.
Plenty of British born people stab people every week here in the UK though.
Plenty of crime from British born people happens in towns and cities every day also.
Just saying.
Media & Social Media absolutely adore to play the immigrants causing crime drum and there was plenty of that spread about in the aftermath of brexit.
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20 hours ago, Cyber-Raga said:
What do you mean immigration crisis? Brexit primarily happened to stop uncontrolled immigration into the UK and not be bullied by Bruxelles?
That was the myth and the reason many voted.
The reality of course is different.
That was the propaganda delivered to the British public to ensure we voted out.
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53 minutes ago, jonski43 said:
A million people a year are coming into the country legally and illegally and it's completely unsustainable in a small country -they mainly stay in England but Wales or Scotland. We've got a housing crisis with four million homes needed and a health service that's struggling to cope.
The ruling classes are unaffected by this but the average person is expected to have just accept it.
If this isn't addressed we'll end up with Farage who just the most self serving sack of shit.
I agree.
But we still have the mega rich not paying their taxes and multi-million companies tax avoiding.
It’s easy to attack the less fortunate in society to take the heat off those mega rich bosses who sit at the top, and that’s exactly what the political party in power always does.
The Furlough scheme during Covid was a great example, Richard Branson is one of the richest men from the U.K. and he went begging to the government to prop up Virgin Airlines to the tune of 200 million.
He has that is assets ALONE never mind his personal fortune of 100s of millions sat in accounts.
The UK is built on entitled riches.
So whilst I agree we need to review and organise the immigration issue out here in the U.K., the super doooer rich do not pay what they should and get away with it openly.
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3 hours ago, promise to try said:
and that´s normal, we all do. By the way, for me is really strange when they announce some tours as UK+Europe: was it like that before brexit?
I’ve never seen that?
We are still in Europe the European Union wasn’t created until 1958 and the continent pre dates it by centuries.
Not every country in Europe is in the E.U but they are still part of the continent.
They are both totally separate. If you asked the average Brit if they were European they would have said No for all those decades we were in the E.U. It’s not a new revelation for Brits.
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On 5/12/2025 at 9:12 PM, Je5u5 said:
You said "as time goes on that America the country is slowing taking precedence in people’s minds when they hear/read something that says American over the continent".
Correct me if I'm wrong @Beastialg but from what I'm reading nothing of what he said agrees with that.
What I understood from his comment is that (on daily situations) people in Argentina don't refer to themselves as Americans, not because they don't see themselves as Americans or much less because they think of gringos or yankees but because they refer to themselves as Argentinians.
He even said that in media reports the new Pope is considered as the second American Pope because Francis was the first, as he was Argentinian and therefore American.
Like Ulizos said and probably explained it better than I did, in the other countries in America people consider themselves as Americans by definition. It's not part of the regular conversations because people don't tend to refer to themselves by their continent first. But belonging to that continent is assumed.
I totally understand you live in a country where a big chunk of the population thinks they are not part of their continent but that's a bit of an exception when you look at the larger picture of the world.
I hear you.
I appreciate all of your posts about this and perhaps I do come at it from my cultural perspective.
I don’t see it that we don’t think we are a part of the continent it’s just we don’t refer to ourselves as European.
If some asked someone in the streets of the U.K. which continent are we a part of……then of course we would know.
We just don’t frame it as “we are Europeans” we always say British or English/Northern Irish/Scottish/Welsh.
Its just not a common term over here and never has been.
But I always read posts from international fans in here and I have certainly learned a lot as we have had the debate.
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16 hours ago, Crystal Coffin said:
In Southeast Asia when "America" is mentioned people automatically think of the USA first, not the continents.
I think most people think of their home country first and continent second anyways?
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4 hours ago, Je5u5 said:
Only in English. There's a larger world out there. Native English speakers are roughly 6% of the population. For the rest of the world America is the continent.
I know there is but a member has already said they live in Argentina and nobody calls themselves American so I don’t think it’s all non-English countries hun.
But we have debated brilliantly !!! I will leave it there.
x
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41 minutes ago, Je5u5 said:
Which was ridiculous in the first place. Like I said, it's like, say, Norway Sweden and Denmark suddenly deciding to become The United States of Europe and claiming the name European just for themselves and start calling the rest Mediterraneans, Eastern Europeans and so on.
I absolutely agree but do you think as time goes on that America the country is slowing taking precedence in people’s minds when they hear/read something that says American over the continent ?
Especially with America the country dominating so much of popular culture and news across the world.
If America the country wasn’t such a prominent presence in the global stage there wouldn’t really be any confusion between what people think about when they hear “American”……
I am not saying it is right or wrong just an observation.
Like Madonna pre-1983 in most people’s minds who came into contact with the word they thought of Madonna & Child, the sacred Madonna and associated it with the Catholic faith.
Today of course most people think about Madonna the artist.
The Catholic Madonna of course came first but the word is now synonymous with Madonna the star.
I feel perhaps it could be the same principle for America the continent and America the country.
The continent came first and still exists, but the term American is becoming more and more synonymous with the country.
I am not changing history, geography or culture I am just making an observation…..
Perhaps?
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52 minutes ago, Beastialg said:
I'm Argentinean. I live in America (the continent). I've never called myself American (or heard some else in my country call themselves "American"). It's an old term not really used by anyone even though we DO live in America and Pope Francis was the first American Pope.
And we don't call people from USA american either. We call them norteamericanos (north americans) or Yankees.
I do get why the appropiated the term since is part of their country name (United States of America)
Thanks for this insight from someone who actually lives in Latin America.
That’s an interesting perspective to add into the debate the fact you say Argentine people don’t call themselves American. I did think that originally.
Out of curiosity can I ask you in Argentina (or the part of Latin America you now live in) how has the media declared Pope Leo, as the first or second American Pope?
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9 hours ago, promise to try said:
the term Europe is used also for the UK here. I mean, you are europeans too, even if you are not in the union anymore, or being an island. Actually, the problem here is that people use England as a synonime of the Uk. And of course, UK-GB, that´s another complicated difference in everyday life.Everything is England and that´s it. I guess is shorter
The UK is absolutely part of Europe and we are Europeans in terms of geographical proximity.
But the term has never been popular over here and that pre dates leaving the EU by centuries.
I think some of it is the fact we are not land locked to Europe, the fact we had an empire for 200 years that was the British Empire, the fact we have our own church and broke with Rome when much of Europe remained Catholic.
The on going wars with France & Spain that stretched for centuries.
Plus we are made of 4 nations. England, Scotland, Wales & Northern Island.
If you talk to the average Scot they will tell you they are Scottish not British. It’s the same for England.
But the whole identity of not being European has a long history here before leaving the EU with many factors.
7 hours ago, Je5u5 said:My partner lived in the UK through Brexit and would always make fun when some Brits would say that they're no longer part of Europe asking them if they lifted the anchor and sailed somewhere else.
Brexit was a prime example of just how much of the country rejected not only the EU but not seeing the UK as European.
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17 hours ago, Je5u5 said:
No. That's incorrect.
English speaking people might think that. But that's not the case in the rest of the world.
Starting with the rest of America, as mentioned, but in the rest of the world it's the same.
French wiki for America = the whole continent
https://fr.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amérique
German wiki for America = the whole continent
https://de.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amerika
Italian wiki for America = the whole continent
https://it.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/America
Portuguese wiki for America = the whole continent
https://pt.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/América
Danish wiki for America = the whole continent
https://da.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amerika
Polish wiki for America = the whole continent
https://pl.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ameryka
Russian wiki for America = the whole continent
https://ru.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Америка
Chinese wiki for America = the whole continent
https://zh.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/美洲
And so on.
Thank you for this I absolutely appreciate that Wiki shows all these countries indicating the term America is the continent and not the a country.
I absolutely appreciate as well from my previous post that culturally, as you say, non-English speaking territory/counties typically think of America as the continent and not the country.
Bringing it back to the original point though of Pope Leo being the first American Pope, I do wonder if all those countries you have listed have reported him NOT being that and instead the 2nd which is what you were saying it should be….
I did quick search on google as I was curious and I have found for France (one of the countries you listed)
Le Monde one of the biggest French newspapers apparently breaks the story as the first American Pope
https://www.lemonde.fr/en/religions/article/2025/05/08/new-pope-elected-by-conclave_6741061_63.html
Also a French website France24 also breaks the story with the first American Pope
So it appears even in the countries you have listed there news are reporting the same as English-speaking counties and citing the new Pope as the first American Pope.
I havnt looked at anymore I don’t know how the rest of Europe are breaking the story ….I just looked at French media
When Pope Francis was announced as Pope I remember the news breaking he was the first Latin American not American Pope.
I totally appreciate where you are coming from that the Latin countries consider him the 2nd American Pope but unfortunately I don’t think the world media does? And that’s even in the places you are saying that view America MORE as the continent and NOT the country.
I’m not saying that right but that’s what’s being reported even in one if the countries where you say the term American is still the continent over the country in people’s minds.
I guess it’s about where you live ultimately.
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17 minutes ago, elijah said:
It's weird because the term American is 1) a nationality for USA 2) consciousness (belonging to the American continent/s) for USA and the rest of the American nations. It's the first time I thought about it. In Europe we don't have such a phenomenon. Maybe the same is true for the Central African Republic nation or the South African nation?
That’s absolutely right.
The fact is it’s the only example on Earth a continent and a country are named the same thing.
But when most people in the world think of America they are thinking about
and when people say it’s American I think they also are referring to the USA.
In my country we don’t call ourselves European we are split into 4 separate nations, we are English, Scottish, Welsh & Northern Irish.
Overall British but never ever European but I know that’s a big term in the rest of land locked Europe.
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@Je5u5 @ThomasW @promise to try @ULIZOS @elijah
I don’t want to quote everything but I have found it fascinating and interesting reading the comments!
I totally accept that people in Latin American countries refer to themselves as American I didn’t realise that originally.
I am a Brit and over here we are taught from school that America the continent is split in general terms between North America & South America (commonly referred to as Latin America).
I absolutely understand that people from France, Italy ect. are also Europeans in the same way the Chinese & Japanese are Asian.
Referring back to the reports of The Pope being the first I suppose it doesn’t help the fact that America is the only country in the world that shares its name with a continent.
I was aware that the term pre-dates the US by a few centuries. But the fact there has been a country of America since 1776 and the fact it has emerged as a super power in the last century does of course mean that in most peoples minds, when they hear the term America they think about the country US over anything else (people outside of Latin America).
In terms of reporting over here in the West and largely across the world that The Pope is the first American pope is of course driven by the fact he comes from America the country. He speaks English as a first language and with an accent synonymous with the US. And of course American is a nationality as well.
We have a huge list of Popes from many European countries, we have only had 1 from America the continent and now 1 from America the country.
I think both are stand alone scenarios in that sense.
So I do understand it, but also with the knowledge gained in here and thinking more overall with the benefit of history and culture he isn’t the first for the Americas.
Its amazing to chat in here to so many people from across the globe because culturally we have so many different perspectives.
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13 hours ago, promise to try said:
he is not the first american pope: the last one was also american...anyways, apparently he is quite homofobic
Francis was from Latin America (South America) though.
That is different. It is a continent all of its own.
I don’t even think people from Argentina call themselves American they are Argentinian. It’s the same for all the other countries in Latin America, I don’t think any of them call themselves American.
So he is the first American Pope really, from the United States of America.
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3 minutes ago, jonski43 said:
Apparently, he is more traditional than his predecessor but his tweets criticising the trump administration / JD Vance have been published.
He’s a cannon law lawyer he will absolutely be the most traditional Pope going.
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5 minutes ago, Raider of the lost Ark said:
As far as I understand, he is a man of the middle. The name he chose, Leo XIV, is a sign that he intends to be socially consious. The cardinal that was preferred by Trump did not win.
I hear you.
I should hope he will be and follows on from the openness of Francis.
But Leo XIV is a lawyer of cannon law, so he is also loyal man of the Catholic cloth and defending the conditions of the Catholic teaching.
I saw his opening speech on the papal balcony.
He said Jesus Christ loves you unconditionally. Ironic when the Church has a list as long as St.Peters square of conditions
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3 minutes ago, jonski43 said:
They chose a yank!
The first ever American Pope.
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Just now, Leebf said:
Dont forget Canada also made their opposition leader lose his seat. Hopefully this continues in other countries as well!
It’s going the other way here in the U.K. and the far right are gathering momentum.
It’s scary times here in Britain currently and it’s not going to get any easier.
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12 hours ago, Creepy Insane Person said:
I thought the original Pope John Paul ii was the best pope? The nicest most open minded non judgmental pope?
He was dangerous.
When he visited Africa and told the thousands of catholics there not to use condoms……absolutely shocking he was literally encouraging the spread of HIV.
Israel, Hamas, Iran, etc.
in Politics and World Events
Posted
Exactly.
He also said he would end the war in Ukraine within a few days of taking office!