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Everything posted by John Drake
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More fundamentally, they have identified themselves as terrorist sympathizers. Hamas has been designated a terrorist group since 1997. So foreigners have had 28 years to realize they cannot support terrorist causes without losing the privilege of visiting, working, or studying in the US. And there are plenty more organizations on the list that also should make for immediate cancellation of permanent residency, tourist visa, or student visa. https://www.state.gov/foreign-terrorist-organizations/
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I do like what I see out of DOGE so far. I've even turned in some programs to DOGE myself. Hope they take aim at the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Fulbright Commission. I'm sure others have made the same suggestions.
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Thailand Halts Durian Exports to China Over Chemical Scare
John Drake replied to snoop1130's topic in Thailand News
I'm thinking it's the latter. The rumors I hear, and I have no idea how true they are, is that the Chinese have cut out the middlemen. They own and ship from the durian farms directly. -
Thailand Halts Durian Exports to China Over Chemical Scare
John Drake replied to snoop1130's topic in Thailand News
With any luck, this scare will long term discourage durian exports to China and keep Thai durians in Thailand for awhile and get the prices back down to more reasonable levels. -
UK Retailers Demand Crackdown on Chinese Tax Loophole
John Drake replied to Social Media's topic in World News
It is occurring. Last week I had Fedex deliver a used book (US$17) I ordered from South Africa. The fedex driver collected 52 baht on delivery and gave me a tax receipt. Used books I've ordered through ThaiPost, however, have not been imposing the tax. -
USAID - Dems in full delusional mode as usual
John Drake replied to theblether's topic in Political Soapbox
That's true love, if I've ever seen it. -
This is one of the few times I see that a post deserves a "confused" emoji (I didn't put the one that is there already). But you seem to criticize USAID for being "sneakiest liars on the planet." That is where the lies are coming from, after all. And then you turn around and condemn Trump for shutting down USAID.
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Plenty of people there with green and purple hair already had access before these guys. Nobody complained then.
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USAID - Dems in full delusional mode as usual
John Drake replied to theblether's topic in Political Soapbox
Yep. Department of Energy with 172 subscriptions. Money laundering scheme? -
USAID - Dems in full delusional mode as usual
John Drake replied to theblether's topic in Political Soapbox
It seems that USAID may have only purchased 236 subscriptions for a Politico service called Politico Pro. That amounts to around $34K per subscription. I wonder how many other federal agencies have signed up for this "deal?" You can't find prices on the Politico webpage. You need to contact them. Yeah. https://www.politicopro.com/plans/ -
Anyone interested in USAID and CIA activities during the Secret War should look up the name, Pop Buell. Buell is long dead. And there was another important coordinator who as of seven or eight years ago was still here in Thailand. So I don't want to give out his name. The point is that this is a dirty agency, putting on a pretty face. We need transparency, because what they're doing now is tens if not hundreds of times more malicious and deceptive than during the 1960s and 1970s.
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Trump’s mad, mad, mad, mad world—now with extra madness
John Drake replied to webfact's topic in World News
It's a boneheaded idea that will just increase the attention on the Middle East. The US should be refocusing on China and the Far East. That's where the major problem lies. Let Israel and the Palestinians solve their own problems. Too many resources are being devoted to a relatively minor geopolitical region and conflict. -
This was true during the Vietnam War and in the Secret War in Laos. You had USAID operatives assigned to individual villages, regional USAID directors, and USAID coordinators operating with CIA field agents. I know in Laos that the key USAID guy just packed his bags after the country fell and moved into Thailand where he set up shop again. They and the CIA case officers worked hand in hand with Air America, because aircraft were the only way you could move around the country.
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USAID - Dems in full delusional mode as usual
John Drake replied to theblether's topic in Political Soapbox
What Americans wanted and mostly thought they were getting was an agency that helped developing nations in the aftermaths of catastrophes or gave them advice on healthy and safe high yielding agricultural practices (could use that in Thailand), clean water and local level financial management. What they were getting were exports to foreign countries of tranny operas, DEI kid shows, and recommendations from anti-farm zealots to eat bugs and stop agricultural development. And not to mention the money going to ngos that ran pro censorship campaigns both inside and outside the US. Then there are the intelligence agencies who were using it as a blind to overthrow governments and impose puppets who steal from their own people. All this modeled in Vietnam 60 plus years ago. All it did was make enemies and lose minds. -
USAID - Dems in full delusional mode as usual
John Drake replied to theblether's topic in Political Soapbox
Overseas staff given 30 days to get out. How many, I wonder, are packing their bags at the Bangkok embassy? https://www.usaid.gov/