spidermike007

In terms of nasty and reckless moves, one that stands out for me is the gutting of U.S.A.I.D., because it’s illegal and because it’s so flagrantly immoral and utterly self-destructive. During the first Trump term, I would sometimes have to catch myself because even though I thought and think that Trump is uniquely despicable and dangerous, the fact remains that if you just want to look at the number of lives lost and global damage done, George W. Bush really outstripped him. Trump is maybe a worse person, but the damage that he did in his first term was much more contained. I think that in the second Trump term he’s changed that very quickly. Not just by taking America’s soft power and setting it on fire in all sorts of ways, but really making these abrupt decisions that are going to kill hundreds of thousands and maybe more than a million people and he’s doing it in this incredibly arbitrary, careless way. I don’t think he has a coherent value structure as most of us understand it. I think we’re seeing a president who’s operating without anything any of us would recognize as a conscience. Truly. It is about showing what he can get away with. It’s about showing his enemies that what they support, he can tear down. It is all about displays of brute strength. He gets off on that, and in that sense, it seems not so much an autocracy but a flexocracy. Let me show you how I can flex my bicep as I use it to power my fist coming into your face. It’s not about any coherent values. It’s not about any North Star. It’s about showing that you can turn the boat 180 degrees around and that you can do whatever you want and you can bring the people who opposed you to their knees.

The US wine industry is already suffering on multiple fronts, and now this guy suggests just another way to destabilize the economy and create more unemployment. The US is one of the world centers for wine sales, and with this proposal he will make London the world center of wine, in just one stroke of the pen. That is light years beyond dumb. Many of us thought that Trump was unhinged, unstable and at least partially insane, but the last two months have proven that theory to a startling degree. His latest threats to put a 200% tariff on imported wine from Europe is so spectacularly dumb, so phenomenally ignorant, and so devoid of reason and common sense. It could cost the US tens of billions of dollars in lost revenue, the wine industry in the US is very dynamic and the domestic industry is just a small part of it. The entire industry is intertwined, a concept that Trump's tiny brain could never comprehend. Holly Seidewand, owner of First Fill Spirits, a shop in Saratoga Springs, New York, said before Trump threatened the tariffs on European alcohol, the spirits industry was already reeling from layoff announcements in the Kentucky Bourbon sector and the tariffs planned by the EU on American spirits. “This ongoing tariff war doesn’t just harm importers — it weakens domestic brands, disrupts distributors, and squeezes retailers who rely on global selections,” she said. “In the end, consumers will bear the brunt of it all.” Gabriel Picard, who heads the French Federation of Exporters of Wines and Spirits, said 200% tariffs would be “a hammer blow” for the sector. He said the U.S. market is worth 4 billion euros ($4.3 billion) annually for French exporters of wines and spirits. “Not a single bottle will continue to be expedited if 200% tariffs are applied to our products. All exports to the United States will come to a total, total, halt,” Picard said in an interview with The Associated Press. “With 200% duties, there is no more market.” As of now, Europe seems unwilling to back down. “Trump is escalating the trade war he has chosen,” Laurent Saint-Martin, the French delegate minister for foreign trade, said on X. “France, together with the European Commission and our partners, is determined to fight back. We will not give in to threats and will always protect our industries.” Trump’s latest tariff threats suggested that even companies that have publicly stood by him could be collateral damage, raising questions about whether the wider business community would be willing to openly challenge a series of trade wars that have hurt the stock market and scared consumers who worry about inflation worsening. https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-eu-whiskey-cb259623a25ca1bfdb4673262ceef85b

Many of us thought that Trump was unhinged, unstable and at least partially insane, but the last two months have proven that theory to a startling degree. His latest threats to put a 200% tariff on imported wine from Europe is so spectacularly dumb, so phenomenally ignorant, and so devoid of reason and common sense.

There is no question that Thailand has had morally bankrupt leaders for a very long time now. Abhisit was probably the last one who had a modest level of integrity and they got rid of him, Pita has a lot of integrity and they wouldn't let him rule, even though he was democratically elected. The power base here is simply way too toxic for a man with honor, like him. Anything any nation can do to embarrass the Thai government, humiliate them, and expose them for what they are is a good thing. The deportation of these people to China was an abomination and left a huge amount of egg on the face of Thailand. Shame on you little Thaksin Jr.

This construction project is nothing short of an Abomination, and a boil on the face of the nation. The company that is managing this project should be terminated and the chief executives should be jailed or worse. How far behind is this project, a decade or more? And they're still at kilometer 36. How far do they have to go, 15 years, 25 years? Just go ahead and hire a Chinese company, and the project will be finished in two years, suck up the debt and then default, no big deal. Just like every other nation on the Belt and Road initiative.

The stock market likes stability, the economy in general likes stability, Wall Street likes stability, bankers like stability, consumers like stability, all of which fly in the face of one of the most highly unstable men in the world currently leading the United States. Not only is he unstable he's a an idiotic maniac with a terrible plan that could very likely destroy the world economy. The man is extremely dangerous and needs to be stopped.

It's actually a very subjective subject and it's rather condescending. Kind of a typical "we white people are so vastly superior" type meme. My Thai woman for example has a high school education but is absolutely brilliant, she has an incredible memory she's taught herself fluent reading and writing of Elglish, she has the mind of a structural or mechanical engineer, she can just look at something and she knows how to take it apart and put it back together, her mind works like a high-speed computer and after nearly 20 years together she continues to astonish me with her intelligence. But it's a very practical form of intelligence, she's not a philosopher, she's not into the higher sciences, but she's very curious and she's constantly teaching herself about the world and it's quite fascinating to watch the way she processes stuff. Her mind is lightning quick. Thais have a completely different way of looking at the world, and a completely different way of relating to the world, and it makes it very difficult for us to truly evaluate their intelligence, but I think we consistently underestimate them.

He is dumb. Really, really dumb. Republicans are getting so much push back and so much flack from their constituents at the Town Halls that they've decided to just stop having them all together. Better not to face the people who voted for your candidate. Democrats to Hold “People’s Town Halls” in GOP-Held Target Districts Where Republicans Are Hiding From Their Voters & Constituents Earlier this month, House Republicans’ leadership told their members to avoid hosting town halls with their constituents. That’s because Republican members of Congress know they sold out their voters by backing Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s agenda — and they’re terrified to be in the same room as the people who sent them to Washington. So Democrats are showing up instead. During this congressional recess, Democrats are launching “People’s Town Halls,” a series of in-person public events in all 50 states across the country featuring local and national Democratic leaders. This is a chance for people to make their voices heard — regardless of where they live or who they voted for last year. Upcoming People’s Town Halls include: Arizona’s 6th Congressional District, represented by Republican Rep. Juan Ciscomani Colorado’s 8th Congressional District, represented by Republican Rep. Gabe Evans Florida’s 13th Congressional District, represented by Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District, represented by Republican Rep. Zach Nunn Michigan’s 10th Congressional District, represented by Republican Rep. John James Missouri’s 2nd Congressional District, represented by Republican Rep. Ann Wagner Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District, represented by Republican Rep. Don Bacon Pennsylvania’s 7th Congressional District, represented by Republican Rep. Ryan Mackenzie Pennsylvania’s 8th Congressional District, represented by Republican Rep. Rob Bresnahan.

Republicans are getting so much push back and so much flack from their constituents at the Town Halls that they've decided to just stop having them all together. Better not to face the people who voted for your candidate. Democrats to Hold “People’s Town Halls” in GOP-Held Target Districts Where Republicans Are Hiding From Their Voters & Constituents Earlier this month, House Republicans’ leadership told their members to avoid hosting town halls with their constituents. That’s because Republican members of Congress know they sold out their voters by backing Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s agenda — and they’re terrified to be in the same room as the people who sent them to Washington. So Democrats are showing up instead. During this congressional recess, Democrats are launching “People’s Town Halls,” a series of in-person public events in all 50 states across the country featuring local and national Democratic leaders. This is a chance for people to make their voices heard — regardless of where they live or who they voted for last year. Upcoming People’s Town Halls include: Arizona’s 6th Congressional District, represented by Republican Rep. Juan Ciscomani Colorado’s 8th Congressional District, represented by Republican Rep. Gabe Evans Florida’s 13th Congressional District, represented by Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District, represented by Republican Rep. Zach Nunn Michigan’s 10th Congressional District, represented by Republican Rep. John James Missouri’s 2nd Congressional District, represented by Republican Rep. Ann Wagner Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District, represented by Republican Rep. Don Bacon Pennsylvania’s 7th Congressional District, represented by Republican Rep. Ryan Mackenzie Pennsylvania’s 8th Congressional District, represented by Republican Rep. Rob Bresnahan.

This is sure far cry from Trump's claims that he would have the war resolved in a day once he became president. “Well, I was being a little bit sarcastic when I said that," Trump said in a clip released ahead of the episode airing Sunday. “What I really mean is I’d like to get it settled and, I’ll, I think, I think I’ll be successful.” It was a rare admission from Trump, who has a long record of making exaggerated claims. Trump said at a CNN town hall in May 2023, “They’re dying, Russians and Ukrainians. I want them to stop dying. And I’ll have that done — I’ll have that done in 24 hours.” “That is a war that’s dying to be settled. I will get it settled before I even become president,” Trump said during his September debate with then-Vice President Kamala Harris. “If I win, when I’m president-elect, and what I’ll do is I’ll speak to one, I’ll speak to the other. I’ll get them together.” The Republican repeated the claim frequently on the campaign trail.

The more egg on the face of an unelected, non-democratic, morally bankrupt government, the better.

At least once a day. There are two of us. Do the math.

Trump would not have the guts to do anything against Putin. Not sure what kind of Kompromat Putin has on him, but he does display an extraordinary sense of loyalty to a filthy, serial killing dictator. Of course, it could just be that Trump adores dictators and despots, that is certainly his nature.

On occasion when I've been questioned about bringing my own bottle of water to a restaurant, I asked them if they served water using glass bottles which can be recycled. When they say no we only have plastic, I tell them that's exactly why I brought my own water. Go away and get my food.

The government here will never do the right thing because it's the right thing to do, but occasionally they can be forced to do the right thing due to shame and humiliation. So this is a good technique to use to compel them to do something that's above and beyond their level of total moral bankruptcy.

At one point a few years back the Chinese were the largest body of tourists around the world, all that has changed, as they have been instructed by their overlords to travel domestically, and obedient they are. Also the Chinese tend to be one of the most timid people on earth, aggressive yes, but also very timid, and they scare very easily.

No, I do not. Just like last time around his tax cuts will benefit the wealthy and multinational corporations, and very little will trickle down to the common person.

This does not come as a surprise, why would this warmongering genocidal super freak voluntarily commit to stop the killing for the next month? He would be absolutely bored without a war. This puts Trump in a difficult position since he always kisses up to King Vlad, and now we get to see whether or not the man has any courage at all .

A lot of airlines are getting stingy with luggage, getting stingy with carry-on, and it just ties into increasingly greedy corporate culture, and it feels like it's a generational opportunity to engage in gouging, since Covid, and these companies are not showing their better nature.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/live/trump-tariffs-live-updates-trump-threatens-200-tariff-on-european-wine-champagne-191201568.html Psst, Trump, the US doesn't have a champagne business, since champagne is produced in France only. At best the US has some mediocre sparkling wine. This is just another way that Trump could damage the American economy. Liquor imports into the US generate billions of dollars in retail sales within the US. The man is blazing idiot and an absolute disaster.

That used to be the definition of a liberal, these days it's the progressive left, the woke agenda, Uber PC, and all kinds of other nonsense.

Considerably better than the $7.1 trillion that Trump added to the national deficit in his first four years in office.

In terms of nasty and reckless moves, one that stands out for me is the gutting of U.S.A.I.D., because it’s illegal and because it’s so flagrantly immoral and utterly self-destructive. During the first Trump term, I would sometimes have to catch myself because even though I thought and think that Trump is uniquely despicable and dangerous, the fact remains that if you just want to look at the number of lives lost and global damage done, George W. Bush really outstripped him. Trump is maybe a worse person, but the damage that he did in his first term was much more contained. I think that in the second Trump term he’s changed that very quickly. Not just by taking America’s soft power and setting it on fire in all sorts of ways, but really making these abrupt decisions that are going to kill hundreds of thousands and maybe more than a million people and he’s doing it in this incredibly arbitrary, careless way. I don’t think he has a coherent value structure as most of us understand it. I think we’re seeing a president who’s operating without anything any of us would recognize as a conscience. Truly. It is about showing what he can get away with. It’s about showing his enemies that what they support, he can tear down. It is all about displays of brute strength. He gets off on that, and in that sense, it seems not so much an autocracy but a flexocracy. Let me show you how I can flex my bicep as I use it to power my fist coming into your face. It’s not about any coherent values. It’s not about any North Star. It’s about showing that you can turn the boat 180 degrees around and that you can do whatever you want and you can bring the people who opposed you to their knees. You see Trump’s approval rating, which was positive for the first couple of weeks of his administration, is already underwater, although only slightly. His numbers in polls on the economy are pretty bad. But the information environment is so bad that it’s not clear to me how much people are making the connection between, say, Trump saying that he can’t rule out a recession and the value of their retirement portfolio crashing. I thought it was a remarkable moment when Trump retweeted — or retruthed —— Trump’s idea of power. If I can destroy, if I can defile and march on relatively unscathed and unpunished, that makes me powerful. Other people can’t get away with it, but that’s how dominant and superior I am.

Every single one of my friends who's making money in the markets is doing short-term trading. I don't think long-term trading applies anymore in this day and age, in and out, in and out. 6 months, a year, or 2 years max. And of course nobody could have anticipated a blazing idiot sabotaging the market deliberately.

A change in consciousness must start at the most basic level. Most Thais think plastic is the best thing ever invented, and the percentage of Thais that even consider the negative ramifications of plastic is incredibly small. This requires some education. I always do two things to avoid the consumption of plastic. 1. I bring re-usable bags with me every time I go shopping. I use the larger shopping bags I buy in the US, which are made of recycled materials. Most of the clerks have to be dealt with. Even when they see my bag, they still start putting the stuff in plastic. I always mai sai toom. No plastic! Then they start loading up my bag. Most look at me like I am from Mars. Do I care? Not one iota. About 1% thank me, and get it. Not many do. My Thai wife never used to like bringing the bags to the store. By now, she expects it, and sometimes even asks if I have any bags in the car, or on the motorbike. Same with the water bottles. It used to embarrass her. Now, it is second nature, as I have been doing this for so long, she expects it. So, if a Thai can be conditioned to follow these simple principals, then anyone can. 2. I bring a bottle of water with me, every time I go to a restaurant. I refill my plastic bottles from the 20 liter bottles at home. It is easy. I never buy bottled water at a restaurant. This saves 300-600 bottles a year. I use a plastic bottle dozens of times. I never get any flack from the restaurants. Only once did someone say something to me. She said you cannot bring you own water. My response was if you serve the water in a glass bottle, and I do not have to consume a plastic bottle, I am happy to pay for that. She was lost. I told her to leave and get me my food. She went away. We simply cannot say we are concerned about the environment, and then do nothing about it. Action demonstrates commitment. Lack of action demonstrates nothing. Lastly, restaurants can demonstrate their commitment, by serving drinking water from the 20 liter bottles. It saves alot of plastic. They lose a small amount of revenue, by not selling thousands of bottles of water. But, their operation is still profitable, and they are making a real difference. There really is not need to be consuming water in plastic bottles. At least not often. There are alternatives. Those damn bottles are a real culprit, when it comes to fouling the environment. What can we do, if we say we care?