spidermike007

The Republican Party is all too often effective at campaigning and winning elections, but there’s another fact about it that a lot of Americans forget: The Republican Party flat out sucks at governing. Even Tucker Carlson agrees with this. For all the huffing and puffing on the campaign trail in 2016, the first Trump administration largely amounted to tax cuts for the wealthy, 500 miles of a border wall and a destructive pandemic gone viral. George W. Bush got us into a harebrained war in Iraq and then tried to privatize Social Security while letting our financial system drive smack into the Great Recession. And George H.W. Bush governed his way into a one-term presidency because of the economy. For round two in office, instead of prioritizing the problems he campaigned on — public safety, immigration and the border, and most of all the economy — President Trump is hellbent on dismantling the federal government. To accomplish this, he has put his faith in the most incompetent cabinet in modern history: a health and human services secretary who is already targeting federal vaccination efforts and dumped a bear carcass in Central Park as a fun prank at age 60; a director of national intelligence who was devoted to an allegedly abusive yoga-centered cult; a former WWE tycoon turned head of Department of Education; and a former cable news talking head as defense secretary. Which will result in one clear thing: disorder. There will probably be more enormous tax cuts for the wealthy and Medicaid cuts hitting a lot of other people, but there is nothing the American public despises more than disorder and a broken economy.

What Biden should admit is that he should have stepped aside after the first term and allowed the Dems to pick a highly qualified candidate who would have had a chance of beating Trump. The secondary aspect of this is that the Democratic party is very broken, they have leaned way too far to the left, they've aligned themselves with the progressives and the extreme left, and the ridiculous woke movement, and that turned off millions of centrist voters. As James Carville said we should just wait, allow the Republicans to implode on their own which they will, as a result of so much inane and ridiculous policy from Trump and then go on the attack. Sometimes the most powerful thing we can do is retreat on the immediate battlefield — and advance in another direction. It won’t take long: public support for this administration will fall through the floorboard. It’s already happening: Just over a month in, the president’s approval has already sunk underwater in two new polls. The people did not vote for the Department of Education to be obliterated — they voted for lower prices for eggs and milk. Democrats, let the Republicans’ own undertow drag them away. At this rate, the Trump honeymoon will be over best case by Memorial Day but more likely in the next 30 days. I don't like Trump, nor do I have a nanogram of respect for the man, but I understand why people voted for him. However, they are in for a major wake up call. He is most definitely not the man that they thought he was.

Security guards have long been a problem and a nuisance in Thailand, and it's very likely that there was a dispute over a bill resulting in an assault by the Goon Squad. This is a fairly frequent occurrence although it doesn't make the news that often.

When you have an open arms visa policy and lower the requirements for any nation, in a desperate bid to keep arrival numbers high, during a wartime period in Russia, you are going to invite in the dregs along with vast numbers of other Russians, including the Bratva. Woe is Thailand.

I think first of all you have to qualify what you describe as a leftist. Do you consider every Democratic voter to be a leftist? Are you one of those people who labels a Democrat as a Socialist, Marxist or a Communist too? I certainly don't. Those are just ignorant and hateful slogans, from my point of view. I've been a democratic voter my whole life and I'm very Centrist. I do not like the extreme left, I do not align myself with the progressives, I despise woke and PC, I approve of the death penalty, I do not approve of abortion past the first trimester and I have a myriad of other positions that would make me a conservative by the standards of most of my Democratic friends. So please elaborate with more clarity, if you care to.

That which you consider obsession I consider to be pushback. I think for those of us with rational minds it is reasonable to expect that there will be more and more pushback against his extreme policies and poor decision making. You consider him to be a good president. I consider him to be an extremely divisive, hateful, stingy, and dangerous one.

You are avoiding the point of my argument by quoting or should I say parroting Trump. The vast majority of USAID goes to alleviating poverty and fighting disease in the poorest countries of the world. If you are interested in engaging in an informed debate, prove to me otherwise. Granted, the public doesn't have that luxury since Musk dismantled their website which disseminated that information. I guess they subscribe to the philosophy that information can be a terrible thing.

And it's not just pure medical costs. A friend of mine from Holland just recently put his mother in a rather luxurious nursing home, he said it's the equivalent of many five-star hotels that he's been to. She has a large, luxurious room with a private balcony overlooking the river. His total outlay per month is 900 euros month. A trashy facility in the US is $9,000 a month and a nice facility is $15,000 a month and up. I know couples who spend $2000 to $3,000 a month on health insurance alone, in the US. It is an unregulated mafia. Just another reason why Greenland and Canada would never choose to be a part of the US. In the process their quality of life would diminished dramatically.

I certainly think so, the whole purpose of USAID when it was first created, was to increase American influence and goodwill around the world. Now he is distorting the truth by making this into a sort of fake woke issue, an issue about support for transgenders, and a myriad of others issues, that represent a tiny minority of the aid the US provides around the world. And it seems to me that in the process he is giving a huge gift to China, by allowing them to step in, where the US left off, if they wisely choose to do so. So is he truly making America great again, or is he diminishing America by the day, and vastly reducing American influence around the world? USAID funds an array of humanitarian projects around the world, including those related to providing clean water, infrastructure, and health care. The State Department provides broad foreign policy goals to USAID, but the agency decides on the specific projects to achieve those goals. Generally, independent private contracting companies bid on the projects that USAID funds. Congress appropriated $66.1 billion for foreign aid in fiscal year 2023. That works out to 1.2 percent of that year’s total federal expenditure, which was more than $6.1 trillion. USAID administers around 60 percent of foreign aid. Why Does the United States provide assistance to other countries? There are many reasons countries provide foreign aid to other nations beyond simply helping people living in poverty or conflict. Fostering positive relations with other countries. A country can leverage the foreign aid it gives, and that resulting relationship, to get preferential treatment later. For example, China has spent nearly $680 billion since 2013 on its Belt and Road Initiative, funding infrastructure projects in 150 different countries. The project is meant to increase Chinese trade and influence around the world. Promote global stability. This was the primary goal of the Marshall Plan, when the United States gave Europe $13.3 billion to rebuild after World War II. A stable Europe was economically beneficial to the United States, and there was fear that the Soviet Union could further expand its sphere of influence from Eastern Europe if Western Europe remained fragile. The aid also helps to prevent the global spread of disease. Treating and preventing diseases from spreading is another way to promote global stability, as diseases such as COVID-19, smallpox, ebola, among others can be destabilizing. The United States funds several initiatives to curb infectious diseases; one of the most successful has been the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). The United States has invested over $100 billion in PEPFAR since 2003, providing developing countries facing HIV epidemics with medicine, medical care, and preventative resources. https://www.closeup.org/usaid-and-cutting-international-aid/

That is who Trump is and what he does. He shuns our allies, he shuns nations with Democratic rule, and he coddles and supports dictators, despots and those who suppress, kill and oppress their own people. In addition he's showing an extreme level of heartlessness and a total lack of sympathy for the poor people of the world by shutting down hundreds of USAID programs that benefited the poorest of the poor, at a relatively low cost to the US, and in the process this extremist Grinch has raised the influence of Russia and China significantly around the world.

It seems like people are finally starting to rise up against the absolute nonsense and insanity of this new Trump regime. They are just saying no to the "wannabe king" and exercising a bit of common sense in regard to geopolitics. Hopefully this trend will continue and it will soon include a significant percentage of the people who voted for Trump. They are now just beginning to realize just who they voted for, and what he is and wants to be.

Whether or not you believe anything I say will likely have a lot to do with your positions on American politics, and whether or not you support both robber barons.

For certain both! But, first the clock.

Just another reason why all nations should have higher standards when it comes to Muslim immigrants. They are the exception. There must be a burden of proof placed upon them to establish the fact that they don't have extremist beliefs, or 14th century beliefs. There has to be some level of assimilation to prevent these kind of atrocities from occurring on our soil. I also believe that families with Muslim daughters who are teenagers can start by proving that they have participated in a bikini contest, and for teenage boys they must show a burden of proof that they're not affiliated with any of the local madrasas. Something must be done to keep out the extremist super freaks. Their religion may work for them in Saudi, Kuwait, Yemen, Sudan or Somalia. That same ultra conservative fanatislcism, is not wanted, needed, nor desirable in Western nations. Only moderates need apply should be the policy.

The only way to survive here on the road, is to be patient, have eyes in the back of your head, drive with caution, and always, and I mean always watch out of the other guy. Chances are, he does not have much driving skill, nor patience, nor reason, nor common sense. You cannot be too careful on the road here. Especially considering that the toy police offer no traffic safety, prevention, enforcement of the law, or concern toward the prosecution of very reckless drivers. Those of us with driving skill, and a strong desire for not only survival, but the avoidance of terrible injury, are constantly scanning the road, in front of us, beside us, and behind us. There are an exceptionally high number of reckless fools on these roads, and it is the only way to preserve our lives, and those of our families, and friends, who may be driving with us, and depending on us. When I was growing up, we took drivers education courses. They showed us horrendous films, of semi trucks plowing into cars, and literally obliterating everything in their path. They also showed us graphic images of head on collisions. 120mph impacts. Even as a young kid, it made quite an impression. It was horrific, and it was hard to get those images out of your head afterwards. But, it left a lasting impression, and when I started driving, I understood it was serious business, and that it was a very dangerous thing to do. Also, I had the benefit of my lovely Mom, as my instructor. She spent countless hours in the car with me giving me tips, advice, and teaching me driving etiquette, courtesy and respect toward other drivers. That was priceless, and I doubt many Thai kids benefit from that kind of guidance. I see people driving here, with their families in the car, and doing things, and taking the kinds of risks no rational or sane person with common sense would do. What for? To gain one minute? Why take those risks? What is the logic? Often, when I am cruising along at 100kph, someone cuts right in front of me. Or someone comes out from the side road, right in front of me. I have to slam on my brakes, or change lanes to avoid him. I look in my rearview mirror, and there is nobody behind me. So, if he had waited two seconds, he would have had completely safe passage onto the highway. What gives? Where is the intelligence, caution, and prudence? Where is the common sense? What about just the survival instinct?

Is this intended as a serious question? It is fairly hard for me to relate to this post. I am not a rich man. But, I find the public hospitals here to be extremely fair, with their pricing. Even a visit to Bangkok Hospital, to see an orthopedic specialist, get some x-rays, and an exam costs me $60. At a private clinic in the US, probably $300-400. A visit to the emergency room of a hospital in the US, costs $2,000 and up. For an hour visit. In a public hospital here, that same visit is about 600 baht. They are charging so little to the Thai people, due to universal health care. And that is a very good thing for the people. They have to make up for it, to some extent with us. What is the issue with that? I am quite happy with the medical care here, and the associated costs. No complaints from me. A good friend of mine got in a bad motorcycle accident some time ago. He almost lost his leg. He got his first of 11 operations at Bangkok Hospital Samui. It costs him over a million baht. They wanted to do a second procedure. They quoted him 1.4 million baht. He decided to transfer to Bangkok. He was quoted 460,000 baht for the same procedure, at a top private hospital there. The surgeon told him that he worked at a public hospital too, and could do the same operation there, for alot less money. He told him he would get him a quote. In the interim, my friend called a buddy in San Diego, who is an orthopedic surgeon. Since my friend is a retired chiropractor, who knew all the terminology, and explained what he needed, and asked for the best price. His friend called him back, and quoted him $960,000, with cash discounts! The local surgeon got back to him, and told him he could do it for 46,000 baht. He transferred, and they did all the rest of his procedures. So, 1.4 million at Bangkok Hospital, 460,000 at the other private hospital in Bangkok (I think it was Vejthani Hospital), and 46,000 at the public hospital, with an excellent surgeon. VS. 33,000,000 baht in the US. Again, no complaints from this peanut gallery. Yes, medical care is a lot less expensive here then in the US.

Though I do expect the baht to dip, trade tensions are just a small part of the equation. The economy here is in tatters, and it is still suffering from 10 years of the Prayuth Decimation. The debt is higher than it's ever been, the banks are being very stingy with loans at this point because the default rates are so high, the new car market has stalled, property sales are very slow, and exports are dropping, so the problems are numerous. As if those problems weren't enough, though the tourist arrival numbers are high, the quality of tourists continues to drop, and the amount that the average tourist is spending continues to drop, so the total revenue being brought in from tourism is significantly less than it was pre-covid. I could go on. A message to the young PM. You might as well stop with the lies because nobody believes you anymore.

Kind of a silly question. Since the beginning of modern history men have been paying for sex. You always pay. One way or another. It is always either a front end deal, or a back end deal. Always. And many pay for discretion. The last thing in the world we need is all the problems that come with a mistress or an occasional lover. Even when a relationship is long term and one is deeply in love, the sex still gets old and boring. And many women just do not have an interest past a certain point in their lives. So, discretion is needed, and by paying you get thay. There are at least a dozen more valid reasons.

I suspect the same applies to his outrageous policies, the more he puts them out there, the more resistance he will get, hopefully from a significant majority of free thinking Republicans who voted for him.

I agree. But how much of that is due to Thaksin and how much of that is due to the changing world? In general I do feel that Thailand has been moving backwards for at least 20 years.

I have heard of guys getting into major trouble here, for being found with underage gals. As an American, the laws in the US apply to all US passport holders, worldwide. Often the Thai cop will demand 100,000 baht, if she is 17, or one million baht, if 16 or under. You do not have it? You are turned over. Many guys end up on planes with an assistant DA dispatched from DC, in handcuffs, facing federal statutory rape charges. Unless you have millions to throw at a lawyer, you are looking at 10 years in a federal pen. And you will be on the sex offender list the rest of your life. Many will dispute this. I have spoken to lawyers about it, and it is correct info. And the US government is over zealous about the underage thing. Not worth it. Always best to check if she looks really young. If she does not have ID, that is real trouble. Do not proceed. The law changed in 2003, when the PROTECT Act was enacted. Prior to that, sex with minors abroad was covered by Customs statutes, which required proof that the US citizen left the US with the intent of having sex with persons under the age of 18 - something that was very difficult to prove. (It's also worth noting that both Jerry Lee and Elvis married teenagers. Laws in the US are peculiar in that many states allow marriage to someone below the age of consent, as long as their parents agree.) Under the PROTECT Act, there is no need for the government to prove intent. If an American has sex with someone under age 18 while in a foreign country, that's a crime, period, even if that sex isn't against the law in the country where it took place.

I do have some friends that will come right out and say Trump is a butthead, he's an idiot, and he's an absolute clown, but I like his policies. Those are the Republicans I admire. Those who embrace truth over disinformation. With many people, once they got attached to a theory, it was hard to get them detached. They’d screen out unhelpful facts, invent favorable ones, and ignore contradictions in their own claims. Look at those Sandy Hook, multiple fraud convictions, and Jan. 6th truthers, babbling about false flags and crisis actors and all the rest. When people were motivated enough to believe something, they were going to believe it no matter what. There was no such thing as a bridge too far.

They won't be missed by most of us. Now, if only the same would happen with the Russians. They don't cower quite as easily. In terms of the government, it is safe to say the young PM has failed utterly. Is she doing anything at all, besides sipping vintage champagne at dinner parties?

That was satire. And I was referring to someone hauling a pickup truck or small truck full of goods.

She would not. But, we love traveling together and the government may just force us into a very fun lifestyle.