AndreasHG

Yes, what is the big fuss about it... ..he just applied vaudeville language to international diplomacy. He is just a clown at the service of a clownish and braggart America in which education and good manners have long gone missing. Better get used to it. It’s the new normal. The average Joe in charge of the Nation.

'Under her leadership, Italy has witnessed a troubling decline in civil liberties.' 'Meloni’s government has implemented laws criminalizing surrogacy abroad and blocked birth certificates for children of same-sex couples. Hate crimes against the LGBTQ+ community have surged, and Italy has plummeted in European rankings for LGBTQ+ rights.' These statements greatly exaggerate the impact of Meloni's policies on civil liberties and ignore the fact that some measures were implemented to please the Catholic church, which controls an important electoral group in Italy. Mussolini himself did his best to be endorsed by the Catholic church and Pope Pius XI called Benito Mussolini "the man of providence".

Inflation must be higher. Otherwise, the real interest rate Russian banks pay to the central bank to borrow liquidity would be a staggering 14.5 to 15%, something unheard of. Russian private borrowers would pay even more and the whole economy would be at risk of collapsing. As a reference, as of September 19, 2024, the real interest rate in the United States was -1.28%. The real interest rate is calculated as follows: Real Interest Rate = Nominal Interest Rate - Inflation Rate

In recent days, newspapers and televisions have been relaunching the news coming from Syria, regarding the imminent fall of the Assad family regime, which has ruled the country with an iron fist for almost 55 years. Few regimes in the Middle East have stood out for cruelty and sadism directed against the local population, particularly against the Sunni majority, as the Assads' regime. 13 years ago, a civil war erupted in Syria, triggered by the chain reaction that was the Arab Spring, and the regime was saved only because of the massive intervention of Russian troops, Iranian military advisors and Hezbollah militias. The civil war continued uninterrupted since then, alternating bloody clashes which also saw the use of chemical weapons against the civilian population, to moments of precarious truce, exploited by the belligerents to strengthen their respective positions. This was until two weeks ago. Last week, with a blitz that surprised all observers, taking advantage of the progressive weakening of the Russian military presence and the obliteration of the Hezbollah militias carried out by Israel, the troops opposing the Assads conquered new positions. Today they arrived just 10 kilometers from Damascus, the Syrian capital, which is preparing to suffer a siege. The Assads' regime days seem numbered. Neither Russia, nor Iran and much less Hezbollah have the military strength to oppose the rebel forces supported by Turkey. But not everyone is aware of what is at stake with the Assads' regime fall. The entire Russian military presence in the Mediterranean Sea is ensured by two bases only, both located in Syria. The Tartous (Тартус) facility, on the Syrian coast, is Russia's only naval repair and supply center in the Mediterranean Sea. The loss of this base relegates the Russian naval presence in southern Europe to the Black Sea alone, rendering it essentially useless and exposed to easy attacks in the event of conflict with NATO. The Khmeimim Air Base (Хмеймим), also Hmeimim Air Base, is, on the other end, the only Russian operated airbase in the Mediterranean Sea. Again, the loss of this facility would push Russia away from the southern flank of NATO, deep into the Black Sea. Reuters published yesterday an interesting article detailing the alarmed reactions of prominent Russian military bloggers, faced with the risk that the entire Russian military presence being obliterated from the Mediterranean Sea, relegating Russia to the simple role of medium sized Asian power, subordinated to the economic and military might of China. An unintended consequence of Putin's criminal military adventurism. https://www.reuters.com/world/russian-bases-syria-threatened-by-insurgent-advance-say-moscows-war-bloggers-2024-12-07/

It arrives timely to coincide with the Christmas holidays, the period in which the greatest number of travelers to the West and within Christian countries is recorded, and just in time for the inauguration of the second Trump administration. Only this time the Chinese got smarter. They chose Africa to disseminate the virus. Of course, I don't have a shred of evidence and it's just conjecture. But QAnon is already fabricating gathering evidence, and we will hear about it soon.

Since you mention stupidity, I guess you realize that Human Trafficking is a legal term, and only the Law establish when the crime of human trafficking is committed. Likewise you fully understand that only the Law states when there is consent, and when, on the other end, a person is "coerced" into an activity "without his/her consent". Don't you? Yes, you do. You're smart and you know it all. The Thai Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act is very clear with regards to what Trafficking in Human beings means (Microsoft Word - Trafficking_in_Persons_Act_B.E.2551) Chapter I, section 6, paragraph 2 clearly states: "procuring, buying, selling, vending, bringing from or sending to, detaining or confining, harboring, or receiving a child; is guilty of trafficking in persons. ". What is a child? Section 4 gives a clear answer: "“Child” means any person under eighteen years of age.". So yes, from the Thai Law point of view, this was 100% "Human Trafficking". You think they are not trafficked. But instead they are. The issue is that you do not understand that there is no consent. For a very simple reason: a minor, in Thailand, similarly to what happens in the USA, Australia, the UK, France, Germany, etc., is not 'sui juris'. Minors have not the full legal capacity to act on their own behalf and are under the authority of another person (usually the parents). A minor in Thailand refers to any person under the age of 20, unless they are married. A minor is restricted from doing juristic acts – for example, signing contracts. When minors wish to do a juristic act, they have to obtain the consent from their legal representative, usually the parents and otherwise the act is voidable. The exceptions are acts by which a minor merely acquires a right or is freed from a duty, acts that are strictly personal, and acts that are suitable to the person's condition in life and are required for their reasonable needs. A minor cannot 'consent' to become a prostitute. A minor can only be 'coerced', from a legal point of view, to become a prostitute. I think you are now in a better position to understand what stupidity is. Exactly: it is the definition of human trafficking.

LOL. The Rubble is still down a whopping 9.8% year over year to the US Dollar, while the Central Bank of the Russian Federation (Центральный банк Российской Федерации) key rate is set at a mind blowing 21%. For your reference, the Federal Reserve's interest rate is between 4.50% and 4.75%, the ECB's rate is 3.25%, the Thai central bank's rate is 2.25%, and the key rate of the Central Bank of Kenya is set at 11.25%. But don't worry, Ivan, there are central banks that are doing an even job better than the Russian central bank's one: Iran's key rate is 23%, the overnight lending rate of the Egyptian Central Bank is 28.25%, the key rate of the Argentine Central Bank is 32%, while the reference of the Venezuelan Central Bank is 59.23%. With a bit of luck, your country will beat them all in the race to raise the lending rate by the end of next year. But sorry, I assumed you understand the implications of a high interest rate for the economy. Only now I realized that you, poor Ivan, have no idea of what a rate is. I forgot that the Marxist economics taught in Soviet Union completely ignored this issue.

We all wish Trump succeeds. At the very least, doing better than he did in his first term shouldn't be difficult at all. What keeps me awake at night is how China will respond. Last time China pulled the Chinese virus out of the hat, and only God knows what China may have in store this time.

It is the cyclical history of Russia. Between delusions of grandeur and immense tragedies. Tragedies that drag Russia's neighbors into the maelstrom, sparing no one.: Holodomor - Wikipedia Remember the Holodomor - Sweary History with James Fell

You simply misunderstood Heryford's sentence. The meaning of the sentence is this: "Russia could have been a great country with its resources and a high level of education." But communism threw away this opportunity due to the failed management of the economy. There are also other reasons why in 1991 the Soviet Union crashed down: the Afghan people and low oil prices made a significant contribution to the demise of the Soviet Union. But the economic missmanagement and the endemic corruption of the apparatchik (Rus: аппара́тчик) were the root causes of the Soviet Union collapse.

Blasphemy and blasphemous libel were formally abolished from the common law only in 2008 (England and Wales) and 2024 (Scotland), effectively bringing these nations at par with France, where the blasphemy laws were abolished in 1871 AD. As of today, in the United Kingdom, blasphemy and blasphemous libel continue to be offences under the common law of Northern Ireland, arguably the most conservative and socially retarded nation among the four making up the United Kingdom. Below a map of blasphemy and blasphemous libel laws in the world. Blasphemy may result in a death sentence in some muslim countries (Mauritania, Somalia, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan) and in Nigeria. And it may result in jail sentences in some European countries (Germany, Denmark, Poland, Slovakia, and San Marino). In Thailand too, blasphemy may result in jail time. According to Wikipedia violations range from 1 to 7 years imprisonment, to a fine of 2,000 to 14,000 baht.

Any idea of what Russia wants? Because, let me remind you, that it is Russia that invaded Ukraine, first in 2014 and then again in 2022 (and not the US). And Sen. Lindsey made it clear that rare earths are the reason why Russia invaded Ukraine. Ukrainian resources shall belong to Ukrainians and to no one else. By the way, you didn't even get your number right: Sen. Lindsey clearly stated that the value of rare earths is estimated (by the Ukrainian government) in 2 to 7 trillion dollars, not 12.

Cut me off from where? Who T.F. do you think you are? I am sure that when you watch in the mirror you are disgusted by what you see. That's the reason why some people despise humanity. And given who they are, they have every right to be pissed off.

Japan is very different from the UK. Japan is the world's second largest exporter of vehicles (the first in dollar terms) and the Japanese industry is still highly competitive. The UK ranked low both in terms of manufactured volume and in terms of export. When the consolidation of the British automotive industry was accomplished, the UK had not yet joined the European Economic Community (it did so only in 1973) and had a sketchy access to the European market, which limited both its capability to implement the most advanced automotive technologies developed overseas and to penetrate effectively the nearest, largest and most lucrative market. By 1968 when the consolidation was fully accomplished, the UK automotive market was shared between four manufacturers, three of which were foreign owned and had massive economies of scale, with their cars manufactured, almost identical, on both side of the British channel (Ford, General Motors/Vauxhall and Chrysler, the last two now part of Stellantis). The British Leyland MC, given its insularity, low volume, fragmented and outdated product lineup stood no chance. Japanese owned automakers, on the other end, still command an almost complete control of their domestic market, and a high market share in all major international markets.

These are sold by Villa Market in Bangkok. I guess the same should be true in Pattaya...

Once they are stripped of their citizenship, and in an ideal world the should, they are on the same level.

I agree. And the same applies for the adepts of the Trump cult. In an ideal world, they should all be disqualified from voting and deprived of their citizenship and civil rights. With regards to civil rights, they have no use for them anyway. But we live in the real world and, as the saying goes, 'the idiots' mothers are pregnant all the time'.

One possibility is that the German thugs heard the young Israeli speaking, even in the event he was speaking in English. The Israeli accent is easily recognizable, albeit I prefer not to elaborate out of safety concerns.

Justice is served.

I find interesting how (some) people confuse politics with sports cheering. Supporting someone's favorite team, elevating its players to the status of pure heroes, hoping that they always win against everyone, feeling joy in seeing their opponents defeated and humiliated, is a childish but harmless activity. Maintaining the same attitude in politics is simply stupid. There are no pure and invincible heroes among politicians. Politicians are just like managers, and as manager they should be treated. They should be judged by the tangible results they bring, and they shall be periodically replaced because bringing in a new management, from time to time, has a positive value on its own. There are free people, who think with their own heads, grasp the complexity of reality, and wish to follow their own path in life. And the path chosen changes depending on the circumstances. And then there are people with limited intellect and low self-esteem, who long for a simplified black and white reality, who need a hero to adore and to identify with, a team to cheer for, and a flag to follow with fellow worshippers, so to not feel lonely and marginalized, and as not to get lost along the way. They are the followers of 'sporting', religious or political cults, a form of addiction with causes similar to what causes addiction to alcohol or drugs. But, if we think about it, it is certainly better for our society at large if these individuals fall prey to a cult or sect that disciplines them and gives them a sense of accomplishment, than seeing them homeless, pulling themselves along the streets of Bangkok, after having fallen prey to drugs or alcohol or sexual addiction. To each his own.

That one person who said that Russia is number one in the world [...], was answering to my statement that Russia is first and foremost an exporter of 'oil' or, if you prefer, of hydrocarbons (oil, gas, coal and derivatives). Replying by claiming that my statement is not true, because Russia is the number one exporter of something that is worthless on the scale of global trade (0.0011% of Russia total exports which, by the way, is by far the largest exporter of this nothingness in the world) is more than factually irrelevant. It is plainly laughable. But... I know, I can be sympathetic too, but I can't fix stupid. Move to an easier subject... ...you'll see that, the easier the subject is, the better it gets.

Please, stop embarrassing yourself. I did not take 2021 data ($12.8 million). I just replied @VBer. But you're right. In 2022 Russia exported an impressive $545 million in nuclear reactors. Do you know what was their incidence on Russia's total export? No idea, genius? I help you: 0.11% only. Approximately 1/10 of Russian exports of wheat, or 1/200 of Russia export of oil and 1/100 of gas. Nuclear Reactors in Russia | The Observatory of Economic Complexity

LOL First, BRICS' aim to replace the US dollar is at present just wishful thinking, and not yet reality. And then, before becoming reality, the wishful thinking has to overcome some obstacles 555 https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/wave-goodbye-to-america-trump-threatens-100-tariffs-on-brics-nations-over-plans-to-replace-us-dollar/articleshow/115850920.cms

LOL The one looking foolish is you: Russia is no 1 of nothingness. 1. Wheat: 1.6% of Russian exports. Not even enough to pay for the boots of Putin's soldiers. 2. Fertilizers: produced from petroleum 'coke', which is a by-product of oil refining. Fertilizers account for 2.30% of Russian exports and, yes, you're right, these do pay for the boots Putin's soldiers. But only for the boots... 3. Nuclear reactors: laughable, only $12.8 million in 2021, or 0.0025% of Russian exports. Do you even know what a nuclear reactor is? This doesn't even pay for the boots of Putin's personal guards (Служба безопасности президента).

As I stated before, you must be a deeply disturbed psychiatric subject. Ukraine did not pick a fight with Russia. Ukraine was attacked by Russia. And it was attached after that in the Budapest Memorandum, signed among the other by Russia, Ukraine was promised independence and sovereignty in the existing borders.