AlexRich

Lazy because they thought they had security covered. Now they are scared, and that might be enough to change their mind set.

I’d agree with that. We are in a new world, with Trump cosying up with Putin and stitching up Ukraine. It’s time for Europe to get serious. 1) Each country should build up a strong military force and join a European NATO. 2) Any country that has close Putin ties or peddles Russian propaganda, like Hungary and Slovakia, should be excluded, and kicked out of the EU. 3) More European countries should develop their own nuclear weapon capability, and France and the UK should decouple from the US. If you have a capability you won’t constantly be threatened by Russia. 4) The lesson is not to talk and appease, it is to show overwhelming strength and firepower. Europe is wealthy enough to outcompete Russia and if it really concentrated its resources they could end the incompetent Russians on the battlefield. 5) Europe has to develop its own weapons systems, and not rely on the US. Again, the capability is there. it just requires focus and willpower. The German war machine in the 1930’s was formidable … there is no reason it can’t be again. There is no need to fear Putin, if they do the above he’d be shaking in his boots. The question - do they have the strength of mind to do it. If we don’t we will be condemning or children and grandchildren to be the slaves of criminal empires.

I find Thailand a very relaxing place to stay. As long as you are decent and respectful the people are great and the facilities like shops, restaurants, cinemas and gyms are of a western standard in the major spots. However, it can be bureaucratic at times and the new and confusing tax laws means that I will never spend more than 180 days here. So I will keep on visiting and enjoying living here but I will keep property and assets in the home country, whose tax system I can easily navigate.

Corruption and criminality … thy name is Trump.

That was a message from “peacemaker” Donald J Trump. He doesn’t want Americans involved in overseas wars, so he abandons Ukraine to his master Putin. Now he’s talking about taking Canada, Greenland and attacking Iran. Hypocrisy thy name is Trump.

I can’t believe that any right thinking person would object to investigating how taxpayer money is spent? That’s what we all should expect. But don’t lie about it, which is what Musk is doing. And take care that you do not get rid of programmes that make sense or result in people dying. Musk has just scrapped the Epidemic Intelligence Programme at CDC, and that has consequences in a crisis. I’ve also read of food programmes overseas being scrapped and food lying to rot in warehouses. But the real surprise will be what they do with the “saved” money. My prediction is that corruption will soar, and Trump will be one of the main beneficiaries. I suspect he wants what Putin has, which is a criminal enterprise that he controls which allows him to accumulate massive wealth.

That’s what happens when you pledge allegiance to a Cult. They can do no wrong, and even when they do wrong you can offer up an explanation about how it is in fact right. I heard the word “gaslighting” a few years ago, I’d never heard it before. But now it’s being applied everywhere. We’re in this Orwellian world where the truth is lies, and lies is truth. And we are all constantly bombarded by the opinions of numpties who have “done their research” and now have the inside track on how the world really is … and how Donald Trump is in battle with the “Deep State” to save the poor and exploited. The only thing Orwell got wrong was the date.

I read that Musk claimed to have found 150 year old’s claiming social security. That would of course be scandalous if it were true. It turns out to be a quirk of the old COBOL system, and they all had the same birthday. So completely untrue, but not spotted by the DOGE geniuses. Move fast and break things has consequences … they are trying to break the Constitution so that they can do anything they like. We can expect the US to be flying up to first place in the World Corruption Index. Winning!

Paddy sounds more like a ladyboy fan.

I get tired of their “click bait” headlines like “I’m finally leaving Thailand” only to discover they are spending a week touring Vietnam. I don’t subscribe and click off every ad that appears as soon as I can.

He’s working on it.

Unfortunately he’s simply someone with a poor knowledge of history, and he applauds fools like Trump, a man who when faced with Putin soils his pants. Trump has effectively signalled that he won’t come to the aid of Europe, so NATO is now a busted flush. If Europe doesn’t build a war machine Putin will rearm and make his move on the Baltics. NATO is over … some haven’t realised it yet.

The United States has voted for an autocrat, your democracy is about to get destroyed in the next few years by a traitor called Trump. Now as much as I despise him I think I hate his supporters more … the dumbest bunch of idiots ever to walk the Earth. As for the Chinese military, they are a great deal more capable than North Vietnamese rice farmers or Afghan goat herders … so when the merde hits the fan in the South China Sea I don’t care what happens to you.

Be careful moving funds to Thailand. The new and confusing tax rules could easily trip you up. Make sure you get solid professional advice before doing anything.

When Nobel issue the Appeasement Prize Trump will be a shoe in.

I’m the guy who’ll be eating popcorn when your country is humiliated by its enemies … only this time it will be so much worse than Vietnam.

We don’t have to worry about Xi … you do. Trump is isolating you and your allies won't give a damn when you get schooled in the South China Sea. And I’ll live long enough to see it. A once great power on the slide. You’re heading for a historic humbling.

The US saved Europe? How come it then went on to get beaten by north Vietnamese rice farmers? It doesn’t do very well on its own … and Trump is making you more and more isolated by the day. Your friends in Russia and China are planning your downfall, and Trump is helping them do that. No one will come to your aid … because they now know you would never come to theirs.

Trump is worse than Chamberlain, because even Chamberlain wasn’t obedient to Hitler. This will go down as the beginning of the end for the US empire … allies won’t support you anymore.

We are watching Ukraine and US allies being sold down the river in real time by Putin’s obedient poodle Donald Trump. But trashing your closest allies will come back to bite you when both China and Russia try to destroy you. There will be no desire to help you out … like we did with your preposterous invasion of Iraq.

In the Asia/Pacific space you are on your own against China and Russia. Given how well you handled Vietnam I don't fancy your chances much.

Trump surrenders to Putin, and sells Ukraine down the river. US leadership in the world is over. China will take notice, so now Taiwan is an open door for them. And in a few years we will see war in Europe. France are no longer the "surrender monkeys", the baton has been passed to the US.

Who elected Elon Musk? He has no authority to access US Government data.

Stay away from the Casino.

That’s exactly what a cult member would say? You’re gone, lost down a rabbit hole of lies and propaganda … one of Trump’s useful idiots.