RikDao

My understanding of "basic economics" tells me it ain't the farmer, but the vast array of middlemen who are the problem.

I don't think you'll find much interest among British farmers in trucking a few lorries of their grain out to a Somali market in the hopes of making a sale.

'Middlemen' have always been what drives international commerce.

Wow. Your astute comment makes perfect sense on the face of it, but, umm, anyway, I was saying that prices are high not so much because of the farmer...

(Interesting and ironic that you chose Somalia as an example, as it's surely one of the poorest countries around).

How would they have found enough work to support their families much less the food to live on? The house we call earth is becoming too small to provide what is required to support in a comfortable style the growing population as it is. Personal freedoms are probable the least of the problems the upcoming generation will have to solve.

The world has mountains of excess food produced every year, always has since the start of the industrial age.

Staving people is caused by poverty, not lack of world resources.

Farmers grow food to earn money, if you can't pay for it, they won't give it to you.

All through my life I've read about, milk mountains, butter mountains, rice mountains, wheat mountains.

Food that's just left to rot, because nobody who needs it, has the money to pay for it.

You need a better understanding of basic economics, before you write nonsense about too many people in the world.

When what you really mean is too many poor and useless people in the backward countries of the world.

My understanding of "basic economics" tells me it ain't the farmer, but the vast array of middlemen who are the problem.

And hey, hat's off to the "poor and useless people" out there in the "backward countries of the world," indeed.

It's difficult to understand how the west has managed not to collapse when I think about the high quality individuals who have left the 'nanny state' to enjoy life in Thailand. Every where I go in Thailand I meet these guys, highly educated, highly qualified, high achievers, high contributors; the movers and shakers the west so desperately needs and must be hurting on account of their absence.

Even though not in the west, and perhaps not been in the west for a number of years, they have their finger on the pulse, they understand the problems, they have all the answers - they know precisely who to blame. They are a sad loss to their home countries.

But then they do at least quietly sneak home to 'nanny' when they need her.

LOL. At first I was "Whaaa?" But after a few words, I realized...

Vicious, but fair.

(That's the name of an LP by the Streetwalkers, whose singer was the GREAT Roger Chapman, of Family fame. One of the best singers that England ever offered the world, I'm not sure he ever made a decent dollar).

I grew up in the greatest place, in the greatest country, at the greatest time the world has ever known. I don't think it will ever be that way again.

Cheers.

Wow. So you're from Gary, Indiana?

Small world.

I haven't read all the replies, so forgive me if someone else has said this same basic thing:

It all depends on YOU, and whether you want to be a fluent speaker or just sort of get along in the stores, markets, and restaurants.

I've gone to the YMCA and AUA. Both have strong points. But you have to be serious about it, which means you have to STUDY, STUDY, STUDY! This is true if you want to learn in depth, or not so much... (The Chinese, Korean, and Japanese students were always the best ones in all these classes, because they studied).

(BTW, don't know from experience anything about Pantip or the others).

Only old Americans know anything about WW2, because they fought in one of the theaters, watched movie newsreels, read newspapers and listened to the radio during that era. Much of what they were told was myths, lies and exaggerations. There's a reason why WW2 documents have been sealed for 100 years. To give the allied war criminals time to die off. Today's generation of Americans don't care about WW2 anymore then they care about what is really going on at home and abroad. What they hear during 15 seconds of news watching as they are running out the door to work is enough for them. Many American kids believe, the U.S and Germany fought against Russia. Good luck with enlightening the Thai.

You might be right about a lot of the above. The last statement is humorous, and unfortunately, maybe true. I'd actually take it a little further by saying many American kids don't even know that Russia fought in WW II.

Oh, I wasn't aware that the Japanese had occupied Belgium, Holland, Denmark etc in WW II. Thanks for schooling me on that one.

The Thai Ambassador to the UK delivered a declaration of war to London, but a declaration was not forwarded to Washington by the equivalent Thai Ambassador. And yeah, maybe the Thai government (not necessarily the same as the Thai people, perhaps even you would agree) did help the Japanese; what would you have done? Fought against them?

You obviously need schooling on reading a simple statement in English. Notice those quotation marks on "offer they couldn't refuse"?

And your comment regarding the ambassador in English not forwarding a declaration of war from London to Washington? What absurdity! Perhaps they should have declared war in Saniago or Cuba? Declarations of war do not need forwarding from anywhere to anywhere else.

In the early part of the war, the government was supported by the Thai people, particularly during the Thai-French battles before WWII. The Thai newspapers glorified Thailand's participation. Yes, I have read those newspapers.

Try learning something from original papers.

The Thai government was instructed by the Japanese to declare war on the UK and the good ol' USA. The Thai ambassador to London delivered the declaration to the British like a good boy, and thus war was officially declared. However, the (equivalent) Thai ambassador to Washington refused, like a naughty boy, to deliver the official declaration to the Americans, stating that the Americans had always been friends with Thailand (unlike the British, perhaps?) Therefore, war against the USA was never officially declared. Perhaps my use of the word "forwarded" was incorrect; I should have said "delivered."

I made a snide remark about the Japanese occupying Belgium, etc, I couldn't resist. However, please notice I was able to refrain from attacking you personally.

The limit of my ex's and her family and village knowledge stopped at what was to eat,who was shagging who,she admitted she only voted for Thaksin because she got 200 b ,had no clue about his policies,new nothing of any history,except Thailand was the greatest country in the world,and could beat any other,she watched the news,but when something about syria,or something outside Thailand came up,no interest.Compare this to my friend in the Philippines,who not only can i have a proper conversation with,but knows about Syria,the refugee crisis in Europe,ww2,and heaps of stuff,her biggest dream is to travel,where as my ex mrs refused to ever leave Thailand[mainly due to the panic of no som tam],my freind in the phillippines comes from a poor family,but her EDUCATION has been so much better,and this is the crux of the matter the crazy face saving,and lack of a decent education,Thailand has and never will do anything but sit in it's own insular bubble as the rest of southeast asia draws further and further ahead and away,and the main reason for this they have better educated and informed populations,who actually want to learn about the outside world, i mean my local immigration office has no one who can speak good English,the immigration office.!!!!

"Nobody speaks English at the immigration office? Gee, too bad!" is what many Thais are thinking, and likely saying out loud amongst themselves.Could it possibly be that, unbelievable as it may sound, they're getting tired of us being here? Perish the thought!

Honestly, many of them are sick to death of farangs who come here and constantly denigrate them and their society. Don't think they're not aware of it.

"Don't like it here? Move to Guatemala! Likely you'll be begging to come back here within six months. Can't afford to live in your home country? Don't blame us!"

Boring, boring, boring.. Yet another of the "if you dont like it go home" brigade. When will you find a new song to sing.

People who live here are bound to make comments on the good and bad of living here, get used to it, it isn't going to change. Probably the same way that Thai people do when they live abroad and every other nation for that matter.

Wasn't singing, nor was I trying to express something that meets with your approval. Also, I have plenty of songs to sing when I'm in the mood, and I try not to rely on old, stale cliches when I reply to someone who disagrees with me.

Merely stating a theory as to why the immigration offices (some of them) seem to be getting bogged down, as in, it might be happening by design. Your attempt to censor me is amusing. Speaking of boring, why not try to come up with something a bit more interesting than the old "people who live here are bound to make comments" routine? Everybody knows that already.

I dont think many people even in the West realise Russias losses in the war and the fact Europe was just a side show for the Germans

lf Europe was "just a side show for the Germans" then pray tell where the Germans' main show was?

Russia's losses were at least 25 million.

I'm getting confused. Isn't the guy saying Russia was the main show for the Germans? Stopping communism and all that...

In answer to the OP; Simple: The US wanted an empire but couldn't beat Britain at sea. They engineered an illegal Asian and European war, and blackmailed a washed out British spokesman (hero in his early days certainly) to be the worst traitor in British history (that's saying something).

This post will probably be deleted because the victors claptrap is still widely held to be the truth despite the palpable absurdity to those who have bothered to check and do not have a vested interest in the establishment.

It's a sad story for us that inherited Churchill's price for hanging on to Chartwell and a place in history. Serving his mother's homeland interests more closely than his father's.

I think FDR was probably the biggest and most successful opportunist in history. Fair play to him; audacious and a winner, wish we'd had one.

I think that is succinct enough for a Thai.

Hmm, interesting opinion, stated as if it were fact.

Forgive me, I'm not British, I'm American, and I don't understand what you're talking about. I'm not denying what you say, don't get me wrong, and I'm not criticizing. I just really, really don't know what the deuce you're on about. Like, how was Churchill a traitor, again? For fighting the Germans? Hey, maybe you're right. Maybe Hitler knew Churchill was being blackmailed (for what, exactly? I have no idea), which might explain Dunkirk?

The limit of my ex's and her family and village knowledge stopped at what was to eat,who was shagging who,she admitted she only voted for Thaksin because she got 200 b ,had no clue about his policies,new nothing of any history,except Thailand was the greatest country in the world,and could beat any other,she watched the news,but when something about syria,or something outside Thailand came up,no interest.Compare this to my friend in the Philippines,who not only can i have a proper conversation with,but knows about Syria,the refugee crisis in Europe,ww2,and heaps of stuff,her biggest dream is to travel,where as my ex mrs refused to ever leave Thailand[mainly due to the panic of no som tam],my freind in the phillippines comes from a poor family,but her EDUCATION has been so much better,and this is the crux of the matter the crazy face saving,and lack of a decent education,Thailand has and never will do anything but sit in it's own insular bubble as the rest of southeast asia draws further and further ahead and away,and the main reason for this they have better educated and informed populations,who actually want to learn about the outside world, i mean my local immigration office has no one who can speak good English,the immigration office.!!!!

"Nobody speaks English at the immigration office? Gee, too bad!" is what many Thais are thinking, and likely saying out loud amongst themselves.Could it possibly be that, unbelievable as it may sound, they're getting tired of us being here? Perish the thought!

Honestly, many of them are sick to death of farangs who come here and constantly denigrate them and their society. Don't think they're not aware of it.

"Don't like it here? Move to Guatemala! Likely you'll be begging to come back here within six months. Can't afford to live in your home country? Don't blame us!"

Lol. Speaking of the English, they abandoned British-occupied Burma to the Japanese, who in turn slaughtered thousands of unarmed Burmese on their way to the coast. England heroically fought the Germans, yeah, but the Thais would've been slaughtered by the Japanese. Better to make a deal with them in order to survive the war and avoid unnecessary suffering for the population. Speaking of which strategy, isn't that kind of what the French government did in WW II?

(Not putting down the French here; they had a very courageous and effective unofficial armed resistance, as we all know).

Given Thailand's collusion with Japan during WW2 it is probably no surprise that the subject is not spoken about in Thai schools.

Umm, you sure? There's a small museum in Phrae dedicated to the memory of the Thai underground anti-Japanese resistance in WW II. They taught British and American intel agents how to survive in SE Asian jungles, engaged in anti-Japanese sabotage, and radioed information on Japanese military activities and troop strength in Thailand to the Allies in Sri Lanka (Ceylon).

The Thai government was given an offer they couldn't refuse* by the Japanese, who were headed to Burma from China, but I wouldn't say Thailand 'colluded" with the Japanese.

* Basically, declare war on the Allies, or else!

That "offer they couldn't refuse" was the same one given to Belgium, Holland, Denmark etc. wasn't it? Somehow those nations did refuse.

And no, Thailand did not collude with the Japanese: they joined them and became full allies and declared war on the western nations, even to the surprise of the Japanese!

That underground anti-Japanaese resistance was the Seri Thai, the best equipped, best communicating, best organized, best supported, and least effective of all anti-Axis resistance forces in all of World War II. They did radio information about bomb targets and damage reports, and rescued a few downed airmen, but caused no damage to the Japanese forces whatsoever.

Oh, I wasn't aware that the Japanese had occupied Belgium, Holland, Denmark etc in WW II. Thanks for schooling me on that one.

The Thai Ambassador to the UK delivered a declaration of war to London, but a declaration was not forwarded to Washington by the equivalent Thai Ambassador. And yeah, maybe the Thai government (not necessarily the same as the Thai people, perhaps even you would agree) did help the Japanese; what would you have done? Fought against them?

And one of the reasons for helping the Japanese was to try to regain some Thai territory that had previously been annexed by Burma. Apparently, by the end of the war the Thai people at large were firmly anti-Japanese.

Given Thailand's collusion with Japan during WW2 it is probably no surprise that the subject is not spoken about in Thai schools.

Umm, you sure? There's a small museum in Phrae dedicated to the memory of the Thai underground anti-Japanese resistance in WW II. They taught British and American intel agents how to survive in SE Asian jungles, engaged in anti-Japanese sabotage, and radioed information on Japanese military activities and troop strength in Thailand to the Allies in Sri Lanka (Ceylon).

The Thai government was given an offer they couldn't refuse* by the Japanese, who were headed to Burma from China, but I wouldn't say Thailand 'colluded" with the Japanese.

* Basically, declare war on the Allies, or else!

Cool, thanks. I'll check some of that stuff out, wrote it down.

Melbourne, huh? Then you must be familiar with the Melbourne Shuffle? I stumbled onto that about five years ago on youtube. Man, I love those videos. I might just possibly have been able to do that when I was a teen, 50 years ago, rockin out and dancin to the beat! Not like the really top level guys, but I could have done a version.

Hey, fair enough. I'm aware that they haven't done anything new in eons. However, they're giving the people what they want. Apparently, your taste is more sophisticated than average (whatever that means). Playing in Cuba for free? That's gonna make millions of people VERY happy. Cuban music? Maybe it will get out and about, now that Cuba is more "free."

Avant grade is what your trying to say and yes i push the boundaries, i like my music as fresh as possible, as for Cuban music getting out there, your a bit slow there my man, Cuban music and dance took the world by storm in the 90's, every major capital city and any other city worthy of being called a city has Cuban style dance clubs....why even there in BKK, friend took me to a low key one in Chinag Mai, music is to Cubans what air is to the rest of us, they will love the event even if they don't like the music because Cubans are party people.

I replied to this a few days ago, but I don't know what happened to the reply. Whatever. Maybe it went to you in an email. Below is a new reply.

Now, you said you hope the Stones absorb some Cuban rhythms when they go there,and then you said Cuban music got big in the 90's. So they are probably aware already? I'd say yeah.

On the other hand, like you I hope (even though you don't really) they're gonna catch some shows when they're there, esp Charlie.

Cuban music is respected, especially Cuban Jazz, and thats going back to even before the revolution, there are of course many styles that the Cubans play, the 90's explosion was in salsa music and dancing just one style of many though a very important one and has been a big money earner for the island since the Americans have had an embargo on it.

Don't know about mr Richards, he is pretty much a blues man through and through but as you say charlie and even mick would be up with the Rhythms to some degree....Clapton and the Stones helped introduced the west to reggae from Jamaica and there just a hop skip and jump from Cuba.

Most people wouldn't know that for some musicians playing in Havana is like others going to Nashville, there is a history there for music, an Australian band played and recored there about 7 ys back, Simply Red has also played there, an Italian artist went there and recored an Album...

Bit more info for you, once Fidel came to power being an educated man he made all schooling free and encouraged everyone to study, Cuban musicians by and large are university trained, they have degrees, Cuba is only a backwater place economically they excel in medicine, education and even possibly music to some degree...depends on your tastes.

Hey man, thanks a million (baht, that is) for the info. I love learning about stuff like that, stuff that isn't common knowledge, maybe, but very interesting. Believe it or not, my favorite jazz player, Kenny Dorham, played trumpet and came up around the same time as Miles and a little after Dizzy, maybe. Anyway, he played a lot of what I think they called Afro-Cuban back in the 50's and 60's. Kenny hated the avant-garde movement and wanted to keep playing be-bop, so he slid into irrelevance, I think, and died from heroin at age 42 or so. Sad. My favorite jazz track ever is El Matador by Kenny. It has the smokingest trumpet solo ever, as far as what I've heard, anyway.

As for the Stones, certainly Charlie and Mick would be aware of Cuban music. As far as Keith, yeah, he's a bluesman, but he also plays brilliant acoustic country, American folk, old English folk, etc. Don't sell that guy short, cuz. So, little doubt he's into Cuban as well.

As far as salsa, likely I haven't heard the right stuff maybe, because to me it just seems to go on and on and on, and I lose interest after the first 8 minutes of what turns out to be a freaking 45 minute song! I remember going to a free concert in Chicago in the mid-80's, called Rock Against Racism. It was a crummy, muggy, overcast summer day, and there were blacks, whites, and Latinos in the crowd. A salsa band started out and played a 25 minute song. When it was over, most of the crowd cheered loudly, mainly being glad it was over. Then they launched into another one, 20 guys on stage pounding away, just going on and on, and after 20 minutes of that the crowd started screaming for them to stop. Naturally, they DIDN'T stop, just played louder, and eventually people started throwing stuff at the stage and screaming louder still, and the Latinos in the audience tried to stop the throwing, and so on. My friend, who was black, looked at me and said: "This is about to be a race riot! Let's get the hell out of here!" Which we did! Never heard any of the bands we'd come to see. LOL. (Yo, we weren't football 'ooligans, mate! We were suburbanites. We went to a lot of shows, and anytime it seemed like guys wanted to start fighting, we cleared out fast! Hahahahah!)

Lol. Good point. And still kickin'!

Hey, fair enough. I'm aware that they haven't done anything new in eons. However, they're giving the people what they want. Apparently, your taste is more sophisticated than average (whatever that means). Playing in Cuba for free? That's gonna make millions of people VERY happy. Cuban music? Maybe it will get out and about, now that Cuba is more "free."

Avant grade is what your trying to say and yes i push the boundaries, i like my music as fresh as possible, as for Cuban music getting out there, your a bit slow there my man, Cuban music and dance took the world by storm in the 90's, every major capital city and any other city worthy of being called a city has Cuban style dance clubs....why even there in BKK, friend took me to a low key one in Chinag Mai, music is to Cubans what air is to the rest of us, they will love the event even if they don't like the music because Cubans are party people.

I replied to this a few days ago, but I don't know what happened to the reply. Whatever. Maybe it went to you in an email. Below is a new reply.

Now, you said you hope the Stones absorb some Cuban rhythms when they go there,and then you said Cuban music got big in the 90's. So they are probably aware already? I'd say yeah.

On the other hand, like you I hope (even though you don't really) they're gonna catch some shows when they're there, esp Charlie.

Hey, fair enough. I'm aware that they haven't done anything new in eons. However, they're giving the people what they want. Apparently, your taste is more sophisticated than average (whatever that means). Playing in Cuba for free? That's gonna make millions of people VERY happy. Cuban music? Maybe it will get out and about, now that Cuba is more "free."

Stale Stones? Perhaps a reflection of yourself. And Mick's a great granddad these days.

Most obvious joke: Word has it that the Hell's Angels are providing security.

This is a racist article. A very SMALL percentage of Thai people believe in gooman thong. It is not a look into the THAI mind.

It is like me writing an article about the KKK saying a look into the American mind.

So you are also saying that almost no thai believe in ghosts, some kind of reincarnation, karma etc?

And you are the racist for believing this is a racist article.

Hardly worth a reply but....

I never said anything about ghosts, or reincarnation. Incidentally, both of which I firmly believe in as do most of the world's population.

Your second sentence is just weird.

Hey, you have my sympathy. That poor guy seemed to get a bit, well, can't and shouldn't really say it on here. I hope he's getting some rest. Still feel his fear.

Just one question for all you snooty, superior bashers:

How do you know the souls of children don't reside in these dolls?

Fact is, you don't.

You need to see something, apparently, to believe it's real.

What a constricted worldview.

God created everything in the universe one week ago, that is wednesday 27th of january 2016. All your memories aren't really your memories, God implanted them into you and all history you think you know was also implanted. Everything else either sopken, written, dream and so on are implanted into your and everyoen else head. All the light coming from far away stars are really illusions and not real and so on.

Now...

The fact is, you don't know if the things i wrote are true, don't you?

Such a constricted worldview you got RikDao.

Hmmm, a little nervous? I think you meant "do you?"

But as to your question, yeah, I do know. It's baloney. That's what "the fact is."

And son, if you wanna hang with the alpha pseudo-intellectuals, at least learn to write coherently. If you do, your credibility will go WAY up. Of course, most on here couldn't care less; in fact, correct writing is cause for suspicion, I'm sure.

Aww, how cute of you to be a grammar nazi. Well anyway english is my third language, i bet you are monolingual and we all know what monolinguals are right?

Anyhow, no you don't know. And the reason is clear from your earlier posts in this thread. Hint: lack of something somewhere.

So, grandpa, take your medication and head to bed.

Obviously, not much more I can say. The discussion has degenerated too far.

But thanks for that phrase, "lack of something somewhere." That's a keeper.

Just one question for all you snooty, superior bashers:

How do you know the souls of children don't reside in these dolls?

Fact is, you don't.

You need to see something, apparently, to believe it's real.

What a constricted worldview.

God created everything in the universe one week ago, that is wednesday 27th of january 2016. All your memories aren't really your memories, God implanted them into you and all history you think you know was also implanted. Everything else either sopken, written, dream and so on are implanted into your and everyoen else head. All the light coming from far away stars are really illusions and not real and so on.

Now...

The fact is, you don't know if the things i wrote are true, don't you?

Such a constricted worldview you got RikDao.

Hmmm, a little nervous? I think you meant "do you?"

But as to your question, yeah, I do know. It's baloney. That's what "the fact is."

And son, if you wanna hang with the alpha pseudo-intellectuals, at least learn to write coherently. If you do, your credibility will go WAY up. Of course, most on here couldn't care less; in fact, correct writing is cause for suspicion, I'm sure.

I will express my honest opinion, not that anyone particularly cares, as to what this thread is really about.

It's an IDEAL place to denigrate Thais.

A few Thais buy these dolls, and bingo! All Thais are child-like, superstitious, and vapid.

So please, do tell me, who are the real dummies here?

My sweet, complex, hilariously funny Thai wife is so highly intuitive as to be almost psychic. Once I wanted to get a pic of her in front of a large, foreboding looking banyan tree, but she refused to go near it. Said it was full of negative spirits. I gave it some thought and decided, who am I to say otherwise?

A Hello Kitty T- shirt would have done the trick.....

Says a lot about your wife, perhaps? And you?