R2061478

So, start building, what the hell are you doing here writing?

Just for the record, I got a 27 on that history exam, which means I’m not exactly clueless. Go take it up your ass, Vortex. :-)

Look Delbert, everyone has their own vision of history, but if you want some unbiased advice, read news reports if you can, not essays by scholars. You can read essays if you like, but they can clarify certain ideas just as much as they can confuse them. Everyone has a personal perspective, but each can lead to the truth. A scholar, even if well-prepared, can influence you both positively and negatively. If you read the facts, with a bit of reasoning, you can come to your own conclusions. Then consider the testimonies of people; for example, if you have grandparents, ask them to tell you certain things, always keeping in mind the "nostalgia factor" that often affects the stories, especially from the elderly. However, if you ask the right questions, you will receive the right answers, from anyone. There’s nothing simpler than having a grandparent tell you something, and it’s useful for understanding what books don’t say. Of course, I have also read the entire Sabbatucci-Vidotto, "Il Mondo contemporaneo. Dal 1848 a oggi," for an exam in contemporary history. It’s a hefty volume, but it discusses established facts presented, in my opinion, with common sense. What I said about weak thought is my personal idea; it’s not taken from any book, but rather it comes from my school studies, readings, experiences, films, people's stories, and my own reasoning. It comes from the life I've lived. It's an opinion like any other, but it’s mine, and I’m sticking with it for now. If you want a book by a scholar who knows what they’re talking about, in my opinion, there’s "Storia del pensiero liberale" by Bedeschi, which gives a good overview and common sense. The chapter on Tocqueville "democracy can kill freedom" is rich in food for thought.

That Vortex is such a jerk, still hopping around and going "me! me! me!" like a little kid. My mom has been studying religious studies (philosophy and theology) for six years, always gets top marks, and every now and then we have a chat where she gives me her opinions on some of my ideas. Of course, I have my own beliefs and I stick to them; if we're talking about the '80s, I'm not going to start discussing engines, in fact I just replied by copy-pasting from Wikipedia just to mess with him.

Vortex, do not forget the short lifespan of the sealing elements of the trochoidal rotor in Wankel engines.

J&R, but why does every comment you write have to be such nonsense? Do you do it for fun or did you sign a contract with Debaser? If it’s the latter, are you paid by the hour or per piece? No, because I would be interested. Best regards, Ezekiel25_17.

So, you said a big bullshit: "there's a lack of quality." Individual technique has improved compared to the past because kids are taught the fundamentals from a very young age. Quality, in terms of the presence of talent, is even better (I'm talking about Italy) than it was 40, 30, or 20 years ago: facilities have grown, more money is invested in football, and tactical and technical science is at unprecedented levels. Even the no-hopers can juggle with the ball, do freestyle, and all that stuff. By the way, the team that won the World Cup in 2006 is qualitatively much stronger than the team from '82: just think that while that team had Zoff, we had Buffon and Peruzzi on the same team. Totti, Del Piero, and Pirlo, and the whole crew. So the potential is there, and it's greater than in the past. People complained back then too (see Bearzot's media silence), and they whined just like they do now, so basically, nothing has really changed.

You seem a bit confused. Start reducing the dots, and you’ll see it’ll get better. ;-)

The 1980s marked the peak of irresponsible consumerism. True discomfort and the awareness that something wasn’t right began in the early '90s. I would say that the real crisis of conscience occurred between the early '90s and the early 2000s. That’s when we really hit rock bottom, with the “administration” of Bush Jr. Now, whether we like it or not (and thankfully), we have already entered a new global phase, with the rediscovery of some real values. It can be said, in a broader reflection, that the '80s represented the peak of the collective madness that characterized the entire 20th century, rooted in the theories of Enlightenment, the ideologies that led to totalitarianism, and which ultimately failed, giving rise to what is known as "pensiero debole."

There are still good defenders, football changes, culture changes, people change, today all coaches have studied tactics, all teams have athletic trainers, physiotherapists, psychologists... Technically, apart from the usual renowned national teams, all teams know how to move the ball around; we saw Egypt yesterday, it’s more difficult to be a defender today. Chiellini is an excellent defender, and so is Legrottaglie, Santon is on the level of Maldini or Facchetti, maybe even better. The idea that "it's not like it used to be" holds true, but not to say that it was necessarily better before; things change, in 50 years people will say it’s not like it used to be...