WDSmart

Really so how does the state pay for those services? Show me 1 socialist state where there are no taxes or money The state doesn't "pay" for any services. It provides them through the actions of its citizens. I don't think any states are providing true socialism. Most states, including the USA and Thailand, have a Keynesian economy, which is a mix of capitalism and socialism. For example, in the USA, any service which is called a "public" service is socialistic. Examples are public schools, public libraries, public streets, public parks, etc. Capitalistic services are usually called "private" services. It's the percentages of the mix of capitalism and socialism that are typically the source of arguments.

Yes, they do. My Thai wife of 20 years has no private health insurance. She goes to the public hospital, or if we think it's necessary, she goes to the private hospital I go to. No other Thai in our small mountain village has private health insurance.

I so love this moronic statement, How does the state get the services that it provides? It takes from the citizens, And of course the more it takes the more those with the means to, leave so they are not taxed excessively. Just like WDSMart. So you support paying taxes on money you didn't get yet? IE Unrealized gains. In socialism, everyone contributes their services to the state, and the state then provides everyone with what they need (to the best of its ability). The state gets the services from its citizens. It doesn't "take" it. They "give" it. And yes, some citizens contribute more than others because they can. And some citizens don't contribute at all because they can't. There are no taxes or "money" (wages?).

Thailand has a lot of social services for its citizens. All of them are not necessarily available to me. The cost of living here and the weather were attractive to me. I love living in the jungle-filled mountains. The other country that I was considering retiring to was Brazil, but in the end, I chose Thailand.

As I said above, Thailand has both aspects. I do not have to participate in the capitalistic parts of the country I live in anymore. I do admire the socialistic aspects of Thailand which are made available to their citizens.

I agree with that quote of Hillary Clinton 100%!

I was born and grew up in a capitalistic country, the USA. So, of course, I participated in capitalism. That means I'm set fairly well now, whereas many of my fellow citizens are certainly not because their participation in capitalism was not as successful as mine was. Now that I've traveled all over the world and learned a lot, I prefer socialism. If the USA had been socialist when I was born, I would be receiving services from the state, not relying on my own savings. The point is, so would all of my fellow citizens. I may not have as good a life as I do now, but none of my fellow citizens would be living on the streets as they do now. I'd prefer that.

Never!

I live on the life-long savings I deposited when I was working. In my case, that's called USA Social Security. (And I have a few dollars I saved independently of that.)

You could have taken her to a private hospital, and she could have had a checkup without having to wait a long time. However, she would have had to pay thousands of baht. (I pay about 4,000 baht for my yearly checkups.) That's the difference between social services and capitalism.

In socialism, there are no prices. The state provides all citizens what they need (to the best of its ability).

Hospitals are not free. Who told you that? Public hospitals are VIRTUALLY free. They cost very little, and if you really don't have any money, they are free. This is done so that all Thai citizens can get the necessary medical treatments.

Thailand mixes far-right (the government) and far-left (the social services like virtually free hospitals).

A very conservative estimate. And ALL of them would be much better than Trump.

I am a far-left liberal. I do not support wars. I do support borders that are open to refugees. I am concerned with rising unemployment, but that's a feature of capitalism. I support socialism. I used to love the USA, but now, after living in Thailand for 20 years and seeing the rise of people like Trump, the USA has definitely lost its appeal for me.

I don't believe I hold prejudice and resentment towards those who don't share my views. I can work with and discuss issues with those who see things differently than me. But there are at least two groups to which that doesn't apply because we are so far apart: child abusers and Trump supporters.

I am on the "far left." I used to be able to listen and understand the arguments of the GOP, but not now. Not while Trump and his supporters run the GOP.

I agree with most everything you say, but draw special attention to "beaten back by a decided majority." Trump has always lost the majority vote, but since the USA is not a democracy but a republic, he has to be beaten (again) in the Electoral College. Hopefully, that will happen.

Nice that you can come here and express your boxed-in prejudices that were programmed in during your media training sessions. I had no respect for Trump long before he ran for president, but his campaigns and time in office have strengthened my distaste for him and his followers.

As far as I know, it is legal in every state to shoot a human that is attacking you if you fear for your life. You can probably shoot a dog if you only fear for your trousers.

What causes more deaths in Thailand? Pit bulls (or dogs of any kind) or hotel rooms in Pattaya above the first floor with balconies?

They probably don't have a video of that. It sounds like it happened in another room, not the one with the camera.

I just read in another article about this that "The man had been alone the previous night and was captured on CCTV playing with the dogs before they turned aggressive. " So maybe the video was, as this quote says, BEFORE they turned aggressive.

I don't respect Trump or any of his supporters.

These dogs don't look like they are attacking him. They look like they're trying to play. I don't see any of them actually biting him. I'd thought they'd gone for his neck or face if they were trying to attack him.