
ronnie50
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Everything posted by ronnie50
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Trump Admin bans the use of 200 words and phrases
ronnie50 replied to ronnie50's topic in Political Soapbox
He has a point. -
NYT story last week" it has 200 words that NYT has found from government memos etc., indicating which words are verboten. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/03/07/us/trump-federal-agencies-websites-words-dei.html You can read it - it's erasing DEI wording mostly. But what jumped out at me is the erasure of 'woman' and 'female' - no restrictions on the use of 'men' or 'male' that I could see. How can they erase the words woman and female from government documents? What about birth certificates? What about other standard referencces? Weird.
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Altercation Erupts Between Tourist and Ladyboys in Phuket
ronnie50 replied to webfact's topic in Phuket News
They really need to move all these commercial sex ladyboy workers away from all these places - including Pattaya, Nana plaza and Cowboy - and give them their own clearly demarked area. Then the weirdos that like that kind of thing can go there and stop the ladyboys from bothering or fighting with everyone else. -
Dog Barking Drama: When Neighbourly Conflicts Turn Threatening
ronnie50 replied to snoop1130's topic in Thailand News
I think I posted this story before - but it fits here: There useed to be a series on UK television called "Noisy or Nasty Neighbours" or similar. In one episode, one family complained to BBC/ITV about how their neighbour's dog was constantly barking at all times of day/night. It would be worse if he went away for a holiday and left the dog there - barking constantly. The family complained to him, but he did nothing. So they recorded the dog barking and put it on a loud speaker (looped), pointed it at their neighbour's home, and turned it up full blast when THEY went on holidays. Even after the dog died they kept playing it over and over.. 🙃 -
Why the UK Civil Service Keeps Growing—But Not Improving
ronnie50 replied to Social Media's topic in World News
How many times have you heard: "I can only just apologize" - but they never fix the f'up or confusion? I came to believe that they were '(almost) always polite, but rarely helpful' -
Could Trump's plan fail in a spectacular fashion?
ronnie50 replied to spidermike007's topic in Political Soapbox
His companies have filed for bankruptcy six times, so no, he doesn't understand the economics of his actions on the electorate (and probably wouldn't care, even if explained to him using simple words). The fact he's a loud-mouthed loser, who thinks he's the smartest guy in the room, and surrounds himself with those equally incompetent - well.. writing is on the wall. Thing that worries me more is if China or Russia, who of course fully realize this, decide now's their chance to make major moves.. -
Could Trump's plan fail in a spectacular fashion?
ronnie50 replied to spidermike007's topic in Political Soapbox
Yes, it's almost a headline for The Onion, isn't it? "Trump slaps tariff on himself for signing 'unfair' US-Canada-Mexico Trade Agreement" (Washington, D.C.) United States' President Donlad Trump today imposed a 25 percent tariff on himself for signing the 2018 US-Canada-Mexico Trade Agreement. "It's a wonderful thing. Tariffs. I can't get enough of them," Trump said. "By introducing a 25 percent tariff on myself, I'm showing Canada and Mexico they can't beat me," he added. "America first!" The annual cost in dollars to Trump's self-imposed tariff amounts to $1 billion, according to the White House. A spokeswoman added Presidential advisor Elon Musk was expected to cover the costs, but would defer payments due to poor revenues from his SpaceX and Tesla sales. -
Could Trump's plan fail in a spectacular fashion?
ronnie50 replied to spidermike007's topic in Political Soapbox
Wanna 'bet'? -
Could Trump's plan fail in a spectacular fashion?
ronnie50 replied to spidermike007's topic in Political Soapbox
Now Trump hits Australia. Another "poke' in one of the 'five eyes'. Canada didn't blink. Instead it dropped its gloves and laughed in the face of the aggressor like every Canadian hockey player does. Aus should do the same - or at least teach Trump what real tackle football is like - without 100 pounds of padding on a fat guy. -
Could Trump's plan fail in a spectacular fashion?
ronnie50 replied to spidermike007's topic in Political Soapbox
Likewise, Canada can find another buyer. No one wins at this game. It will send the US and the world into a recesion. That means most people except the rich end up poorer - again - engineered by a guy who only has respect for the rich, oligarchs and other dictators. -
Could Trump's plan fail in a spectacular fashion?
ronnie50 replied to spidermike007's topic in Political Soapbox
Sure have. -
Could Trump's plan fail in a spectacular fashion?
ronnie50 replied to spidermike007's topic in Political Soapbox
They're just palying the game with him. This is going to hurt everyone sooner than later. -
Could Trump's plan fail in a spectacular fashion?
ronnie50 replied to spidermike007's topic in Political Soapbox
No it won't 'make US products more attractive and save and create US jobs' - at least not in any substantial way. There is a reason US industries and companies import products, particulalry raw materials from Canada, likw steel, aluminium, minerals, copper, etc. It's because US manufacturers of raw materials closed shop when everything was cheaper to make and ship from China. Canada was the next best choice (for steel/aluminium), so they imported from there. The US steel/aluminium manufactures cannot quickly upscale production to meet demand, so while they try hard, and hire a few more hands, imports are still needed at 25-50%. That doesn't make US final products more attractive at all. It makes them more expensive. Finally, on the notion of filling US (treasury) coffers with more money. Sure, that will happen. And where do you suppose it will go? To rebuild the US's 1950s infrastructure (Interstate highways, bridges, airports, schools, etc. or better social security and public health care)? Of course not. Trump will turn it into more tax cuts - which mean little to nothing to the majority if they're making 15-20 bucks an hour in some service sector job. -
Could Trump's plan fail in a spectacular fashion?
ronnie50 replied to spidermike007's topic in Political Soapbox
Trump just doubled the tax on Canadian steel and aluminium. Quebec's up next. Turn off the lights to the eastern seaboard of the US. -
Could Trump's plan fail in a spectacular fashion?
ronnie50 replied to spidermike007's topic in Political Soapbox
Oh that is hilarious. -
You mean kinda like the non-tax-paying billionaire oligarch mafia in the United States?
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The Great American Employment Collapse Has Commenced
ronnie50 replied to Alpha84's topic in Political Soapbox
Yes, it's true that post-war years saw the greatest take up of union members. But it was only down 5%, according to your graph by 1980 - the year Reagan was elected, and look at it after that. Conservative brainwashing/misinformation from Reagan and his buddies about unions was partly to blame - so was offshoring of their jobs, a big mistake (as you will surely agree). Or would you disagree with that? The guy who made $35 an hour in a unionized auto parts assembly line in Michigan, was lucky to be washing rental car returns at Hertz for $12 an hour 10 years later. No health insurance or pension of course. But Bill Clinton was also to blame for the offshoring. no question about that. I reckon Trumps' gutting of the US federal service is more about union-busting than it is about gutting essential services. He's just doing the same this to the entire federal government that Reagan did to all the unionized air traffic controlers. That's most likely what this is. He'll hire them back at half salary and fewer benefits - and no unions of course. Why people can't see the forest for the trees. Pulling some down pulls everyone down and the spiral down the toilet continues for all. -
The Great American Employment Collapse Has Commenced
ronnie50 replied to Alpha84's topic in Political Soapbox
In case you missed it, the trade unions created the middle class from 1950's through early 1980's. The Reagan Movement all but destroyed them. -
The Great American Employment Collapse Has Commenced
ronnie50 replied to Alpha84's topic in Political Soapbox
Nice try. Thats was February 2024 - LAST YEAR - under Biden (275,000). https://www.dol.gov/newsroom/releases/osec/osec20240308 This February (2025) the labor force added 151,000 jobs. https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/empsit.pdf -
The Great American Employment Collapse Has Commenced
ronnie50 replied to Alpha84's topic in Political Soapbox
Oh, sure. Harris' campaign was a ridiculous replay of Hillary Clinton's - all Hollywood weirdos and wealthy celebrity luvies. No real people. Didn't work for Clinton and of course didn't work for Harris (I don't think there was anything wrong with Harris 'herself' actually, but she and the Democrats ignored working class and middle class voters - again! - bad campaign). But let's be honest, the erosion of the American middle class and the betrayal of the working class voters began with Reagan. That's clear. But for decades following him all Presidential administrations - Republicans and Democrats - continued the sell out of the middle/working class. Bill Clinton was more than happy to pick up where Bush left off and send the remaining factories to China. So I get that part of Trump and his followers (try to reverse the erosion and bring back good jobs). But so much has changed since then - the country is now run by a handful of oligarchs and Trump seems okay with furthering that. Getting rid of entire government departments won't fix any of this, nor will pandering to the libertarians. Otherwise everyone should start buildng their bunkers - if you can't beat them... -
The Great American Employment Collapse Has Commenced
ronnie50 replied to Alpha84's topic in Political Soapbox
Yup, but they don't want to discuss that. They are fans of Ayn Rand and think the novel Atlas Shrugged is being played out now in real time and the conclusion is being delivered by Trump and his clowns. -
Any Jewish people in Thailand noticing local hostilities?
ronnie50 replied to wasabi's topic in ASEAN NOW Community Pub
Thing is - you could ask the same question to Indian and Brit tourists, both of which seem to be in the news quite a bit for all the same wrong reasons as Jews/Israelis lately - antisocial, fighting, insulting to local Thai sensibilities, etc. That's just an example. I doubt Thais know much about Jews or their religion, other than Thai workers in southern Israel were taken hostage and some killed by militants from Gaza. Thais put up with all of us here - regardless of where we are from - and they couldn't care less to know about where we're from. That's because they see money flowing from tourism. Otherwise, they couldn't care less. I've lived here as long as you, and that's my take. Regarding the Halal food. I'm neither Jewish nor Muslim, but I once worked briefly in the Middle East and clearly remember an educated Iraqi guy (doctor) telling me that he (and others) believed it was fine to eat in a Jewish restaurant, but not sleep beneath their roof. Don't know why. A protest against Palestine land grab I guess. But I don't really know. (but yes, the Halal food is pretty good in Thailand - Lebanese especially). -
The Great American Employment Collapse Has Commenced
ronnie50 replied to Alpha84's topic in Political Soapbox
Unlikely. The federal government firings and shutdowns of whole departments will mean the US private sector suppliers will need to lay off staff and cut back, that will then affect their suppliers and so on. Likewise, the trade war Trump started with the US' largest trading partner Canada (and Mexico), will result in layoffs on both sides of the border, possibly business failures, and a downward cycle to recession in both countries (if not worse), as expendable income of families dries up and prices shoot up at the same time. -
The Great American Employment Collapse Has Commenced
ronnie50 replied to Alpha84's topic in Political Soapbox
I read today or yesterday that, in response to Trump's tarriffs, the premier of Ontario (the guy threatening to turn off the power to Northeast US) plans to go ahead full throttle, even though Trump offered another one month pause. It will badly affect the electricity grids of Minnessota, Michigan and New York States.