wealthychef

So let's add ad-hominem to your logical gaffes and note once more your lack of any substance to back up your idea that the US is a free market economy and your lack of any knowledge about socialism which you ignorantly criticize. I answered your points and refuted your arguments and you have failed to demonstrate even the ability to spell correctly. If you find my ideas lacking, then I'm sure others will notice that which you didn't. Maybe you can get a friend to explain it to you?

You asked for examples of when price fixing worked, and I give you two of them. No doubt you were ignorant of these obvious examples or you wouldn't have asked for them. So now, you use three logical fallacies, namely special pleading[^1], moving the goal posts[^2] and the argument from authority[^3] as a way for you to weasel out of thinking what was it about these actions that worked in these circumstances and how they might apply to our circumstances of today. Your dogma is showing and your "background in commerce" smells of BS. What exactly is this background since you insist on trotting it out? I could use a laugh listening to you brag about your career as a financial coach or your junior college economics class or your experience running a shoe store or perhaps picking stocks or whatever. Your ideas about economics amount to nothing but a credulous recitation of state TV propaganda about the Great US Empire and its marvels, combined with the usual entitlement and ignorance of world affairs. If you provide any evidence of the ability to think independently, I'd love to engage on a couple of ideas that I think refute your claims. Here they are. First, socialism, I doubt you even know what that word means, do you? No doubt you are completely ignorant of this basic economic theory. Is your brain even capable of wrapping itself around the concept of worker's rights? Or do you just not care about workers except as to how they juice your stock market returns? Second, calling the USA a "renowned free market society" is just plain ignorant of what the US is actually renowned for at the moment, namely war and greed. It's also ignorant of the meaning of the term "free market" in my view. In a free market, actors have equal information and power to choose. The actual system operating in the US is more accurately known as "crony capitalism" and you have to be blind to not see that. The government, media and military are all captured by industry which is a well-known step on the way to fascism. Socialism is the antidote, not the problem. Since your vaguely referenced "background in commerce and ecomonics" did not include any training in logical thought, let me help you with some terms: [^1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_pleading [^2]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moving_the_goalposts [^3]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argument_from_authority Please don't do these any more. And please don't spell "your" wrong anymore, it makes you look dumb.

OK, how about Richard Nixon in 1972, Roosevelt in World War 2? You could always try educating yourself about the nature of economics and try to move beyond the 3rd grade level of understanding typical Americans (which I'm guessing you are) have about how government spending and policies affect the so-called "free markets." https://scheerpost.com/2022/06/10/there-are-better-ways-for-societies-to-address-inflation-than-by-hiking-interest-rates/

Thailand has always been unpredictable and weird, which is why it's charming. Sadly, I believe it will never be "back to normal" because normality has been crushed by the authoritarian overreach of pretty much every government on the planet, combined with the inevitable opportunistic profiteering of multinational corporations to boost prices. What does "back to normal" mean to you? To me it means more tourists, which means more beach hotels and garbage. And it means back to the merciless whipsawing of capitalism until the next World War fought by poor people at the direction of plutocrats. I think it's time for humans to start thinking beyond narrow economic interests... but until they start doing that, Thailand is as good as any place to get a nice massage, a craft beer, do some scuba diving, and eat some sticky rice! Mai bpen rai na krap. Jai yen yen

Oh, and the massive layoffs to spike profits in the middle of the pandemic... leads to another round of price gouging to hurts those same workers.

Still ok for pharmaceutical companies to advertise their opiates?

Oh thanks for clearing that up. I was confused before. This is why government, media and corporate censorship of "truth" is a bad idea. They always add confusion, it's in their interests to muddy the water.

Well how is he going to puff out his chest and look important if he doesn't have any powerless underlings and victimless criminals to throw under the bus?

I'd rather spend the evening with a moneyless hippy than with a banker on vacation.

God forbid we arm ourselves with the facts first. . The truth is that not only is it impossible to tell THC content without expensive tests that Thailand won't implement, but impairment itself is not really a thing with marijuana and driving. https://wayofleaf.com/blog/traffic-fatalities-since-marijuana-legalization. But years of propaganda are hard to shake.

this is why we in America believe that the right to free speech is more important than the right of public figures to not be "defamed." America does a lot of things wrong and the truth is complicated but clearly muzzling public photography only benefits the powerful.

So is it legal to video police officers taking a bribe if they don't wish to be filmed and it would end their careers?

I don't think the problem is with logic, the problem seems to be that you don't understand my use of the words "regressive" and "virtue signaling." These laws are *regressive* because they impact poor people more than wealthy. They are *virtue-signaling* because they do not grapple with any substantive governance issue such as police corruption or improving infrastructure or education, no protections against government or corporate intrusions or excess. Instead, they rather put the entire burden on the citizens to take measures to protect their own children against whom? Other citizens of course. You see, it's always the poor people who are to blame. Yes, the US seatbelt laws are the same. Cheers.

Nobody is against protecting children, but this is a regressive tax. If it's that important, cheap and easy, then the government should provide them for free to every citizen instead of this virtue-signaling new source of bribe revenues for their underpaid police force.

Huh? when did this happen?

CoVid is not a special disease any more I think. Just do the same thing as anyone else who gets sick with any disease without insurance. You help them in a free government hospital just like any citizen. It doesn't make sense to require insurance for this one particular disease. -- clearly a money grab for the insurance brokers

I guess it doesn't matter if it's "endemic" or not eh? 555. Great news! Now I have the option to travel to Thailand and actually relax. ในที่สุดนะ

Here's a thought: maybe remove the threat of quarantine if you fail a pcr test in the airport?

No effort to give the workers relief from long hours in the factory and terrible conditions, just tell them to pull over. Gotta love modern corporate owned governments that brutalize their citizens for profit.

This would be a very good result for Thailand, maybe. The culture and the country is invaded by foreigners, which is a culture in itself, but at scale becomes a hollow shell.

Yes, politicians are alike everywhere. Their job is literally to lie to you, and they don't even hide it any more. I have not noticed elections having that much difference on the quality of leadership.

You say that like the WHO is not a bunch of corrupt inept soldiers themselves. Everything that can be politicized around this has been, and every decision is seen through a political lens now, thanks to our idiot politicians. So no science will be used, don't worry, except as a talking point.

Good timing, because America just ruled mask mandates unconstitutional and we no longer have to wear masks on planes, buses, etc.

All politicians are clowns. That's their job, to distract you and fool you.

I love how politicians think they can legislate reality. Whether a disease is endemic or not is not something you vote on. LOL