Patong2021

The US intelligence conclusion was conditional. The conclusion offered by the CIA was; "CIA assesses with low confidence that a research-related origin of the COVID-19 pandemic is more likely than a natural origin based on the available body of reporting. CIA continues to assess that both research-related and natural origin scenarios of the COVID-19 pandemic remain plausible" You are reading far more into the January statement than is there. Nobody has denied that there may have been a lab incident. It is the origin of the new virus variant that is in question. There is ;longstanding credible and reliable data that shows the link between infectious disease and the Chinese wet markets. They are horrible evil places. There is also reliable evidence that shows that many of the worst variants of avian flus originate in Asia due to Asian agricultural and farming practices. SARS Cov-2 virus is a variant of an existing virus. It is not entirely new. Viruses evolve and new variants are regularly created. This is how the world exists. The general consensus is that the virus originated in China and is linked to the Chinese animal abuse customs and lack of hygiene at their markets. It is plausible that samples were taken of the new respiratory virus once it was manifested in humans, and sent for study at the laboratory. The outbreaks in China occurred at the same time the virus was under study and it may have infected lab workers who then infected the general public. Breaches have occurred at other infectious disease facilities. The virus itself mutates and as the multiple variants that appeared over the past five years demonstrate, shows the same pattern of modification as other SARS related viruses. The medical research consensus does not deny that there were samples of the virus at the lab, nor the regional origin of the virus. Rather, the question that has never been resolved was whether the viruses at the lab were derived from infected patients or whether they were the result of viral engineering. Past experience indicates that the viruses at the lab came from human sampling and that human error or maybe even sabotage allowed the virus to enter the general population. Claiming that the virus was human created, allows a distraction from the underlying ongoing problem of the wet markets, the oversight of the Chinese microbiology facilities and safety at those facilities. The Chinese research facilities do not have the same moral or ethical constraints that western facilities have. Unethical or sloppy research practice can result in catastrophic damage, but does not necessarily indicate or prove that a virus was engineered and then released.

The article doesn't claim Musk will abolish social security. Rather it quotes Republican President Eisenhower. You know, the military military veteran who was an integral part of the defeat of right wing extremism. President Dwight Eisenhower, Republican and war hero, could have been talking about Musk when he warned in 1954 of a handful of “Texas oil millionaires” attempting to abolish Social Security. “Their number is negligible and they are stupid,” he wrote. It is no secret that there is waste at the Social Security administration. The pressure to get money into the pockets of beneficiaries coupled with personnel shortages and an obsolete data management system facilitates mispayments and fraud. It is also no secret that the funding for social security is inadequate. The qualifying age to collect retiree / old age benefits does not reflect the longevity of the beneficiaries today. Medicare and Medicaid benefits are relatively generous for those who qualify, and are structured such that fraud in inevitable. This is what Musk is tasked with investigating and fixing. I am one of those people who believes that the qualifying age for SS benefits should be raised and that the parameters to qualify for medicare and medicaid benefits should be tightened. As such, I support the DOGE initiative. What I do not support is the methodology and the wholesale disrespect of good management practice for the sake of expediency and publicity. On the other hand, if the Republicans were to come right out and say that SS benefits were to be reduced and to be changed, particularly in respect to increasing contributions and/or raising the qualifying age, much of its support in the trailer park and age 50-60 group would disappear. The easiest thing to do is to restrict or reduce social security benefits for non residents. Non residents are not spending their money in the USA and should not benefit from its generosity. Let the beneficiaries collect only what they paid in and nothing more than that.

go to the online publication called the hill and it is opinion/5148448-elon-musk-targeting-social-security/ Or go to your online browser and search for thehill elon musk targeting social security

One of the saddest myths in the USA is that Republicans was the party that single handedly freed the slaves. The promotion of that exaggeration betrays an ignorance of US history, an ignorance so profound, that many US citizens repeat the revisionist history as if it was the truth, when it is a political myth and just not true. The US civil war started on April 12, 1861. Two years later, in January 1, 1863 the Emancipation Proclamation was issued. It was a limited in scope and was intended to harm the economy of the Confederacy. It was a military measure and not an attempt to correct a civil issue. It ONLY applied to the Confederate states that had seceded from the Union. Slavery was still allowed in the states that were still in the Union. Confederate states that were occupied by the Union were allowed to continue slavery. The proclamation permanency was conditional upon there being an absolute Union victory. Yes, eventually the slaves were supposedly freed. However, the Union allowed the south to create a system of laws and regulations that in effect enslaved the negroes again by means of an enforced penury and a denial of civil rights. The oppression of the Afro American was not exclusive to the south and was just as prevalent in the north. The Republican party of the North was a mixing pot of of different political parties and views; the Whigs, disgruntled Democrats, and the Liberty Party. It was the Liberty Party which was abolitionist. The Republican party had the stated position that while itwas opposed to slavery it accepted slavery within the states that allowed it. The party did not have an abolitionist position that would have freed the slaves and protected them from abuse. The Republicans, including Lincoln even offered the South a constitutional amendment that would have continued to allow slavery in the southern slave states. It was the Republican party and Lincoln that embraced the proposal of settling the "negroes" outside of the USA and of specifically excluding their presence in the regions to be settled. The new territories were to be exclusive for whites only.

Hegseth has a history of infidelity and of embracing white supremacist positions. One does not tattoo white supremacists symbols and catchphrases on oneself if one is not a sympathizer or holder of such views. The US military is approx. 46% non white and has approx. 18% women in its personnel. If he pushes his misogynistic and race views he may alienate some of these people, many of whom perform critical tasks. The US military has a labour shortage, particularly in the skilled trades and technical support. Women form a key component of those two activities. Visible minorities are a critical component of frontline combat personnel. Hegseth has many character faults and weaknesses. He is not the most appropriate person for Secretary of Defense and certainly not up to the level as William Perry, Robert Gates and Richard Cheney were.

My concerns a certainly far more credible than the MAGA enthusiasts claims of "pizzagate" or of the false claims promoted by Kush Patel. The USA now has multiple dangerous incompetents leading critical departments. The Russians have easy access to the nation's defence. The last line of defence against the fifth columnists will be the US military command.

Yes, I know what kosher means. And that is why I do not find it a credible story. If someone wanted a kosher meal, it means that the entire food system had to be kosher; from the type of food, to the slaughtering of the animal, to the preparation etc. It is unlikely that someone would go to a small local restaurant that prepares "italian" cuisine and ask for a kosher meal. It would not be possible to provide such a meal even if someone said yes. I was trying to be nice by suggesting that perhaps a dish made without pork was requested, rather than to call the person a liar.

And your profession is?

None of which applies in this story. The men were in the hospital and did not wish to leave their friend alone. They behaved inappropriately and were charged with disturbing the peace and removed quickly. It was a far quicker and harsher response than what we see with other misbehaving foreigners. I believe the response was appropriate and should be applied to everyone, including the French people who were b*tchslapping each other in Patong, the English yobs who ran amuck on walking street in Pattaya, and the Russians who ran over people.

If your restaurant closed at 10pm and the people showed up at 10:20 pm, why not tell them the kitchen was closed? I doubt that you were asked if you cooked kosher. The Israelis are well aware that Thailand is not a kosher country and they are most likely not keeping kosher if they are in Pattaya and are certainly not going to find a kosher restaurant on the outskirts of Pattaya. I expect that they asked if you can cook without pork. It is not an unreasonable request as several of my very Italian friends avoid pork and processed meat. It is related to health issues. My muslim friend does not eat prok either and asks for dishes without pork. I avoid pork in Thailand because of the over use of chemicals and antibiotics and I disapprove of the factory farming. How about being honest and not spitting out a story that conforms with your pre-existing bias?

It is his fault and his responsibility. He knows what he is doing and it is intentional. Yes, he is most likely mentally ill, but he has retained the ability to understand the difference between right and wrong.

Your hyperbole does not address the current risk crisis. Trump has quite literally allowed unvetted people, some with a past history of impropriety gain access to critical security infrastructure. You don't think it will make it worse, but really have you thought it through? Trump has in effect created a massive security breach by allowing third party access to critical confidential information. Russia and China have been given an easy access to the US defense and security infrastructure. IT workers are some of the most mentally unstable and immature workers around. Humiliating and insulting them will only encourage some of them to retaliate in the only way they know how: Sabotage and/or selling secrets to foreign agents. I stand by my belief that the Trump - Musk activity is either a well nuanced foreign plot to gain control of the USA or it will result in the largest security breach in US history that may lead to the downfall of the USA. Nice chart, but like the $50 million condom story, it is unsubstantiated in its accuracy and is unreliable. Aside from large deployments in Germany and Japan and to a lesser extent, South Korea, the US foreign presence has been greatly reduced and is almost negligible in some regions. The foreign military presence is needed to secure US trade routes and access to critical commodities. Germany serves as a regional base and allows the USA access to critical signals intelligence The USA is not in the Mediterranean and Gulf region because it has a fondness for Arabs. Rather, it likes their oil and wants to have control over oil routes. The USA is in Japan and South Korea to hold China in check so that China does not control Asia Pacific. If Trump and Doge were really serious about cutting waste, they would start with closing the redundant military bases in the USA. Billions are spent keeping those bases open for no particular reason other than to keep some Republican power brokers happy. Stop subsidizing airports and air travel in areas where there is minimal activity and the USA can easily save a few hundred million $$. The same for agricultural subsidies that support massive corporate farms. Another big waste is on the VA. Apply the same eligibility criteria to all veterans. It is ridiculous that the veterans who enlisted prior to September 1980 have unlimited access, while the post 1980 veterans are subject to the 24 month active service criteria.

He is trying to get a rise out of people on the forum.

It is not about defunding. It is about the creation of a massive security breach in the USA. Elon Musk is creating hundreds, if not thousands of people with a grudge, who may very well become enablers of foreign sabotage, espionage and even violence. The DOGE team has removed critical personnel from the US security infrastructure. This is following the plotline of a James Bond movie, with Spectre gaining control of the US government.

Ok, so I mistyped. You know what I meant. And no, Thailand does not have an issue with israelis going back decades. You are presenting your own bias. On the contrary, Israel and Thailand have enjoyed a very warm relationship. That relationship has grown closer as Israel has come to depend on Thai labour. It is the muslim dominated parts of the world that has not had a good relationship with Thailand. In case you forgot, muslims consider Buddhists to be idol worshippers, the worst of the infidels. If you took the time to study the teachings of Islam you would understand why that is. Islam does not consider Buddhism to be a divinely revealed religion. The common view is that Buddhism (and Hinduism) have corrupted corrupted Christianity from its original monotheistic message, which was derived from Judaism. Islam doesn't just condemn idol worship and polytheism, but takes a hard line on the practice of magic or supernatural powers. Buddhism is said to be the source of the Sufi deviancy that claims that Sufis can attain supernatural powers through spiritual exercises. This results in an inherent disdain and contempt for Buddhists by Muslims. There are far more Europeans, and Australians per capita causing problems in Thailand than Israelis.

Correct. Unless you are trained to deal with the mentally ill, you are wasting your time. They can genuinely be organically impaired such that they believe their delusions and cannot be reasoned with. The only way to manage them is through medication, or incarceration if they are violent. And then there are the those who are so emotionally immature and dysfunctional that they think they are being funny when they promote obvious lies and fabrications. They thrive on the annoyance and disruption that they cause. It should be obvious that when someone is denying the existence of the Corona virus, the person is not normal and should therefore be treated in the same manner as one would treat the more obviously mentally ill.

I am not disagreeing with your opinion that Thailand has high tariffs, but you picked some products where the higher costs are attributable to market characteristics and not tariffs. We all struggle with the issue of undergarments (and shoes too). I have just returned from the USA ,(Florida) and was flabbergasted by the cost of everything. Doritos used to be $2.99 for a big bag and now they are $5.29 (on sale). The cost is similar at Villa. I walked into a Target and was in shock at the prices on clothing. I needed a basic pair of sandals -flip flops, that I used to be able to by for under $7. at Walgreens or at Old Navy. I had to pay $18.99. I am sort of surprised to see that US food conglomerates, like Tyson and Orida are stocked at my local Lotus and they are priced competitively with the local Thai monopolies. However, the US government has this to say about Thai tariffs; High tariffs in many sectors continue to hinder access to the Thai market for many U.S. products. The highest ad valorem tariff rates apply to imports competing with locally produced goods, including automobiles and automotive parts, motorcycles, beef, pork, poultry, tea, tobacco, flowers, beer and spirits, and textiles and apparel. Wine imports are subject to a 54 percent tariff and six different taxes; taken together, the effective duty and tax burden is nearly 400 percent. Industry has raised concerns about the import tariffs on wine and disparate ad valorem taxes that appear to favor domestic white liquor. Despite Thailand’s 20-year Alternative Energy Development Plan (2018-2037), which aims to increase biofuels consumption, Thailand restricts the import of biofuels intended for fuel use. Fuel ethanol imports require approval and issuance of permits by Thailand’s Ministry of Energy, but to date the ministry has not issued any approvals or permits. Thailand originally aimed to phase out premium gasoline containing 10 percent ethanol blends (Octane 91 E10) by 2018 and octane 95 E10 E85 between 2023 and 2027, with the intention of making 20 percent ethanol blends (E20) the primary gasohol. However, concerns over sufficient feedstock availability in Thailand have repeatedly delayed the full transition from E10 to E20.

The Hashemites are a minority in a nation where a majority of the population identify as Palestinian. The King knows from experience the violence they are capable of. At some point, the Hashemites will be pushed aside and the Palestinian nation will take its rightful place in Jordan, uniting with parts of the West Bank of Israel.

The go to excuse is always " mental health issues". Yes, it is reasonable to say that one has to be seriously screwed up to drive a vehicle through a crowd, targeting children. However, that does not mean the responsible party is mentally ill. Mental health issues are often intentionally confused with intentional actions and is a means to ignore a culture that teaches such actions are acceptable. Use mental health as an excuse to avoid dealing with an inconvenient truth that some cultures are inherently barbaric and cruel. It is a "normal" event for shiites and sunnis to bomb each other's mosques. It is part of some of their cultures to use the organically impaired ( aka the mentally retarded) and the vulnerable (e.g. depressed) as suicide bombers. It is acceptable in their community to lie, to rape infidels, to locate munitions depots below schools and hospitals and to hide missile firing positions in residential areas. The sad reality, is that we are faced with members of a community resistant to respecting the morals, laws and culture to the places they have immigrated to. They view the generosity of the host nation as weakness and their religion teaches them, compels them to exploit the host compassion and welcome to further their own culture and religion.

Ok. However, weren't you previously saying that the Trump collective would change all that? And no there isn't any evidence to support your claim that the 3 presidents you mention profited from their activity while in office. Trump obliges his secret service detail and white house workers to pay for accommodation and meals at Trump owned facilities when he makes his near weekly return to his home in Florida. Why is Musk allowed access to business competitors' files and contracts? Why was he meeting with Modi at the White House to discuss his projects in India? The MAGA collective would be the first to scream and claim criminal conspiracies if it was anyone other than the Trump cabal.

looks more like the Trump family is profiting as is Musk. Conflicts of interest are of no concern amongst the MAGA collective.

Get a grip. They behave like this back in the 18 & 19ieme arrondisements. However, back home when they leave their self created ghettos, they are typically fighting with the gendarmerie or harassing French jews.

Ahh yes, the pride and joy of France. Let's see if the forum's pitchfork brigade will have as much venom for these people as they did for the mild incident in Pai.

Not really.The jew bashers toss out this chestnut to provide cover for their hateful positions. The reality is that the people who claim to be non zionist jews are not really jewish. They neither practice the religion nor affiliate with the community. They are not a particularly large group either. They typically fall into three groups; 1. A small religious cult which does not accept the state of Israel, because they believe that there cannot be a state until the messiah arrives. 2. Marxists, Communists, Trotskyites and other extreme left wing political adherents and 3. Mentally ill people with low self esteem and self loathing.They know little about Israel or zionism. A jew typically follows their bible and their opening prayer has been the same since they were living in the Land of Israel thousands of years ago; "Hear, O Israel: the Lord is our God, the Lord is One." Israel is what that they are connected too, much as the Italian diaspora is connected to Ireland or Italians to Italy, Greeks to Greece etc.

You missed your calling. Goebbels could have used you almost a century ago.