jas007

Politics doesn't usually work that way. Even in business, change is the rule of the game. No matter how well the old system is working, some new regime or some new boss comes along and wants to "fix" everything. I'm sure you've seen that. Some consultants show up, look at the workflow and the workers, and no matter what, they always have way to fix everything.

Long ago, in a galaxy far away, there was a country like the United States where "due process" had some meaning. However, what was left of that concept didn't survive the Biden Administration, I'm afraid. There's an old federal law called the "Alien Enemies Act" that allows the president to do exactly what he did. There are a number of legal hurdles, to be sure, but the entire issue will no doubt be flushed out in court. The Trump team thinks they have a winner. I'm afraid none of those people sent to El Salvador will ever return.

You may be right, but if I did that I'd probably never post anything. Usually, I remember things better than that.

Yep. I just looked. For some reason, 180 stuck in my mind. Still, 90 days is not bad. I think it's Mexico that will routinely give you 180 days. Maybe some other countries do that as well.

I think Malaysia has the right idea. You can show up at the airport and they stamp you in for 180 days? Something like that. I'm not sure if that's for every country, but it seems like a simple thing to do and cuts down on all the bureaucracy.

No. Trump has said repeatedly that he won't cut Social Security, He has even advocated for no tax on Social Security benefits. That said, the Fed has been destroying the value of the dollar since 1913, and Trump is on a path to spend tons of money and has no debt ceiling to contend with for a while, so there's always the danger that the dollar will collapse entirely. At that point, you may still be receiving your benefits, but what will you do with your monthly check? Buy a cup of coffee? It probably won't come to that anytime soon, though. Still, he dollar decline is inevitable, so it would be smart to start investing in assets that will generate an income, regardless of the dollar's value, either through dividends or capital gains. And it wouldn't hurt to have some gold and silver and maybe some crypto.

I'd be surprised it was that low. Depending on what you're trying to buy, the number can be a lot higher than that. Some things are starting to come down, although Trump's tariffs might complicate things for a while.

Can you turn that junk off? Even the autocorrect spelling thing is a pain in the neck, sometimes. Anyway, when I write something, I don't need an AI assistant telling me how to improve. It just complicates matters.

2022? That's three years ago and a lot has changed since then. Don't forget inflation. The government would have us believe inflation is running around 3% or so. A ridiculous number that everyone knows is fake. It's a lot higher than that, and many people simply aren't buying anything but necessities right now, and many can do that only with credit.

You really should do just a little research about game theory in the context of diplomacy and nuclear war. Learn the basic principles of the theory and learn about the factors that make it work well and those factors that make it less reliable as a tool. One factor: game theory operates on serval assumptions in addition to mutually assured distraction (MAD). In this context, the theory assumes the presence of rational actors. You think Putin is bluffing but more importantly, you seem to think Trump is crazy, right? Maybe they're both crazy? That factor alone makes the little game you want to play with the future of humanity more of a crap shoot. Another complicating factor? The presence of Ukraine. It's difficult enough when there are only two actors. The presence of Ukraine complicates matters. And let's not forget the EU and the nuclear capacity of France and the UK. In short, you're gambling with the future of humanity with the presence of multiple parties and, in your mind, at least one "crazy" actor. A big red flag. Things are not as simple as you seem to think.

America is hard to explain. Can Americans "afford" to take vacations? What do you mean by vacation? What do you mean by "afford"? A certain segment of the population can afford to do anything they want, including travel at home or travel around the world. Much of what's left of the middle class can still "afford" to travel, so long as Visa, Mastercard, or American Express is involved. Fly now, pay later. And some can't even pay their rent or buy groceries, let alone travel anywhere. I saw a news story today about Door Dash food delivery that now comes with a financing option. That should tell you something about Americans and their financial situation. And there's also a cultural component to it all. Some think the end all be all to a great vacation is hoping on a plane and going to Florida or California. That's their mindset. And some don't want to travel because they think they're indispensable at work. On the whole, I'd say not many Americans can or will do much traveling.

What I think doesn't matter. What matters is what Russia thinks. I don't have anything to do with any of that, but I do think that they may well be serious. Gambling with the future of the human race isn't such a good idea, in my opinion. If you take a course on International Relations, you'll probably study game theory. It's important in this context. And the way you play the nuclear game? You don't play. That's the only winning strategy.

Last time I was in Bangkok, a woman was walking up and down Soi 4 trying to sell baby wipes, of all things. Maybe that's all she had to sell? I didn't need any baby wipes, but I bought some from her and then told her to keep them.

Why does Wise care where the money comes from or where it's going? The minute they start playing that game is the minute their service loses its purpose. A wire transfer once in a while is probably the way to go, despite the cost.

Anything is possible, I'll grant you that. But the likelihood? Anyway, one thing I know for sure: a global thermonuclear war would probably not be a good idea. The world as we know it would be over. Is that your mindset? Ukraine wins or we end life on earth as we know it? There wouldn't be much left, I'm afraid.

One thing I forgot, for sure, is that the USA sells lots of war material. Missiles, bombers, jets, munitions. The rest of the world buys that junk all the time, although the world would probably be a better place if no one bought any of that stuff. Made in the USA? Johnny Walker scotch. Whiskey. Some cars, perhaps. Some audio equipment. Actually, I had two cousins who own a factory that ships products all over the world. And they do that from New York State, of all places. It's a family owned business, so they don't have shareholders to answer to. When they make money, they expand the business rather than paying taxes on the profits. Anyway, it is possible to successfully manufacture products in the USA. For political reasons, that hasn't happened ate large scale in quite a while.

Calling me "stupid" won't win you an argument. Whether you like it for not, the "surrender"" negotiations are currently under way. In any event, if you seriously believe that armies could somehow be assembled to retake territory that's now part of Russia, perhaps you should talk to someone who knows something about fighting a ground war. Armies would have to be assembled over a period of months. They don't materialize out of thin air. And, once assembled, those armies need to be supplied. And yet Russia will not sit back and watch for months as the armies and equipment are put into place. Nor will they tolerate the presence of supply lines. Remember where all this is taking place. Right in Russia's back yard. The USA and its equipment is far away, and EU has none, for all practical purposes. They have a lot of hot air and they are delusional. But you can't fight a war with hot air and delusions. Could NATO or the EU send in some paratroopers or whatever? A small force? Sure, but they would be on a death mission. How big is the front? Thousands of miles?

People make money begging and so it will continue, until someone puts a stop to it. I've seen little kids selling gum in go go bars at 3AM. Where are the parents? Usually, the beggars just sit around on the sidewalk, maybe with a little kid. I never give them money because I figure it's all part of a criminal enterprise and the woman or the little kid won't get any of the money, anyway.

The issue will end up in the Supreme Court, where it belongs. Whether or not they do anything about it all that would satisfy the Republicans remains to be seen. In any event, aside from those who maintain that this is all a "constitutional crisis," the country has been through this type of situation before. Several times. And here we are. Still functioning.

Many of them are incapable of thinking for themselves. They've been brainwashed and only think what they're told to think. They may well truly believe their own nonsense. Propaganda works well, which is why it's so dangerous and why free speech is so important. It's the First Amendment for a reason.

Assume all that's true. What's the remedy? What's the remedy that will actually work?

The system is broken. But trying to impeach these judges will likely be an exercise in futility. Good political theatre, perhaps. In any event, anyone who knows anything about judges and the judicial system must surely know how it all works. Not everything is black and white, and judges are often "swimming in a sea of grey." In other words, they have to weigh evidence to determine questions law. They consider various factors, and, depending on how they weigh the evidence, the outcome can vary. No one factor exists in a vacuum. Once upon a time, I used to write for federal appeals judges. However the judge wanted a case to turn out, I could make it turn out that way. It isn't rocket science. And that's why we have a system of judicial review. It all ends with the Supreme Court. Will they do the right thing? Of course, there's always the political process and congress, but that seems to be broken, too, much of the time.

I'm not sure why you think you necessarily have to start over. If you've always had the 800,000 baht in the bank, and if you meet the other criteria, why can't you just continue down that path except that from now on, you go to immigration yourself? I've used an agent before, not because I didn't have the money in the bank or because I didn't meet any of the other requirements, but because the agent didn't cost too much and it was less of a hassle. I'm one of those people who doesn't like annoyances. Years ago, I did it all myself with only a few glitches that were easily rectified.

You ignore one simple but important fact: the war has already been won. Russia won, at least to the extent that no armies could now be assembled that could take back on the ground those territories that are now Russia. The only question is whether that fact is recognized now, so that the killing may stop, or, would you feel better if another million young kids are fed into the meat grinder because you don't like Putin? In the end, we'll be right back here still trying to end it all.

I think that, in retrospect, you're going to look back and find out that that was a rather poor decision. Brainwashing works well, I guess. The EU economy is on life support, as is the UK economy. Without the US subsidizing them as they have in the past, there's no way their industrial base survives. Consider Germany. Once a great powerhouse, now falling apart under the weight of expensive energy and idiotic immigration choices. They're not going to turn that around anytime soon. Granted, much of the US manufacturing capacity has been moved offshore, but that will reverse rather quickly. The US has a good economy compared to many parts of the world, and is certainly more resilient. US consumers buy what the rest of the world makes. Tariffs might make that more expensive, but it'll work itself out over time. And the Fed has Trump's back. They won't allow a collapse. Still, I wouldn't invest blindly in the US market. There will be winners and losers, as always, and we'll see sector rotation, as always. The big caveat is the bond market. If the world's financial system collapses, all bets are off. The other big caveat: War. Specifically, the war in the Middle East that the Neocons are now so desperately trying to start. Again, such an event could spread quickly and sink markets around the world, including those outside the USA,