U.S. sticks it to americans and all in Thailand

[Andy from Kent]

On 6/20/2021 at 5:27 PM, chainarong said:

You'll probably find that the US has obligations towards Taiwan , were as Thailand has obligations to China,  it ain't rocket science.

 

 

There are some who fail to grasp that simple concept.

 

 

[kurtmartens]

7 minutes ago, Thomas J said:

The fact that France is doing it and China is hardly a justification for the remainder of the world to do that.  You seem to miss the point that if countries such as Thailand accommodate the USA with the logistic support to give vaccine to U.S. expatriates they can hardly deny doing the same when other countries also say, we are going to send vaccines please do the same for us.  Only give the vaccines we provide to our citizens.  A nightmare scenario.  Are the hospitals suppose to have storage with the vials marked " for U.S. expatriate only"  

The reality is that the U.S. government does not send a taxi to the home of every U.S. citizen to transport the vaccine to them or conversely them to the vaccine to make it more convenient.  What makes you so privileged that they should make special arrangements to meet your decision to live here. 

No you didn't forego your rights when you chose to move here.  You also didn't inherit any new ones.  As said, you have the same right as any U.S. citizen to get vaccine where it is being provided. Not where you are anyone else wants it to be provided to be "convenient"   Instead of grousing about what the U.S.A. should do perhaps you should take it upon yourself to solve the issue.  Hope on a plane and go to Guam or the mainland.  

In terms of being a bitter expatriate, I am the one saying that all I expected from the U.S. government is what the constitution says I am entitled to, Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.  I certainly don't expect nor never did for free vaccine at my doorstep, free college, free universal health care, or free anything else for that matter.  If you don't like the "inconveniences" of living abroad perhaps you should rethink your decision to reside here. 

Well you continue to miss the overall point, so this is just going to go around and around.  Firstly though, you are the one who made the argument about no other country was taking care of its citizens when clearly you weren't aware of at least 2 major countries that are.  France and China.   And they are doing this successfully IN THAILAND.   And its not a nightmare scenario.  So I am failing so see, how it would be a nightmare scenario if the US did the same?  

 

Its not a matter of sending a tax to the home of every US citizen to transport a vaccine to them or conversely them to the vaccine.  And you know this is not the argument that anyone is making.  People like you who take an argument to these extremes to try to prove a point, really are just proving nothing other than looking foolish IMO.  All the embassy needs to do is make the vaccine available either at the hospital (as I have discussed already) or at the embassy to any US citizen who wants it on X day(s).  

 

I live here, as I already said, because I WORK overseas.  I never said anything about any "inconveniences".  You need to stop with the silly BS about any argument I have made or anyone else has made about free vaccines delivered to doorsteps, fee college, fee health care or free anything else.  You have no idea about my political beliefs.  Cleary you can't have an educated debate on ONE topic.   I made a statement about the fact that the US Government is sending 3 million vaccine doses to a failed government as apart of an aid package when those doses would be better put to use towards our own expat community.  Period.   The Afghan Government will be unable to deliver the 3 million doses to the people of Kabul in any orderly fashion and they are likely either going to go to waste or end up sold on the blackmarket.  

 

(And then for the US Embassy in Thailand to send out a poorly worded email and poorly timed stating that they cannot manage distribution of vaccines to the expat community in Thailand and that people should travel home if they want to receive the vaccine was just in bad taste and showed a lack of logistical understanding by a career diplomat.)  

 

 

 

 

[Thomas J]

16 minutes ago, kurtmartens said:

Well you continue to miss the overall point,

No you are the one who misses the point.  If each and every country in the world took the approach you are suggesting and that is to send vaccines to service their expatriates you would have a nightmare.   I also never there were no countries that were not doing it.  I did say the fact that two countries France and China chose to do so does not mandate that the rest of the countries in the world do the same. 

Again, you are the one who sounds like a bitter expatriate because the USA does not chose to treat you with special accommodation for the fact you live overseas.  When I chose to come to Thailand I knew that there were certain amenities including U.S. healthcare that I was going to lose.   The fact that you are here is of your choosing and if getting the vaccine is an overriding concern of yours, hop on a plane and go back to the U.S. mainland and demand you get exactly what every other citizen in the USA has been provided.  Vaccine in the locations that the U.S.A. government chose to distribute to, not to the locations demanded by expatriates flung around the four corners of the world. 

Perhaps I am older and I remember the words of JFK



 

Edited June 27, 2021 by Thomas J

[kurtmartens]

6 minutes ago, Thomas J said:

No you are the one who misses the point.  If each and every country in the world took the approach you are suggesting and that is to send vaccines to service their expatriates you would have a nightmare.   I also never there were no countries that were not doing it.  I did say the fact that two countries France and China chose to do so does not mandate that the rest of the countries in the world do the same. 

Again, you are the one who sounds like a bitter expatriate because the USA does not chose to treat you with special accommodation for the fact you live overseas.  When I chose to come to Thailand I knew that there were certain amenities including U.S. healthcare that I was going to lose.   The fact that you are here is of your choosing and if getting the vaccine is an overriding concern of yours, hop on a plane and go back to the U.S. mainland and demand you get exactly what every other citizen in the USA has been provided.  Vaccine in the locations that the U.S.A. government chose to distribute to, not to the locations demanded by expatriates flung around the four corners of the world. 

Perhaps I am older and I remember the words of JFK



 

I don't choose to live overseas.  I live overseas, because that is where the GOVERNMENT has hired me to work.  I choose Thailand because I married a Thai and we didn't want to live in Dubai anymore and I can work remote.  

 

So I am doing exactly what JFK said, I am doing for my country.  However, the country needs to take care of its citizens regardless of where they live.  And stop taking care of citizens of other (failed) countries.   Which is an argument you keep missing and or avoiding.  Which was the whole point of my posting.  So.  I am done with the circle jerk discussion.  

[Thomas J]

Just now, kurtmartens said:

I choose Thailand because I married a Thai and we didn't want to live in Dubai anymore and I can work remote. 

Notice your words " I choose"  When that occurs there are consequences and no you are doing the opposite. You are "asking what your country can do for you"  

As repeatedly said, you are free to make more choices.  You can choose to continue to complain about what the U.S. government should do or you can get on a plane fly back to the mainland or Guam and get exactly what every other U.S. citizen is getting.  

If the U.S. government stationed personnel in foreign countries than I agree with you that they owe it to those people to make special accommodation to get them the vaccine. However if it strictly the choice of the expatriate to leave the USA and live abroad, then they should be willing to accept both the positives and negatives that come with that decision. 

[kurtmartens]

3 minutes ago, Thomas J said:

Notice your words " I choose"  When that occurs there are consequences and no you are doing the opposite. You are "asking what your country can do for you"  

As repeatedly said, you are free to make more choices.  You can choose to continue to complain about what the U.S. government should do or you can get on a plane fly back to the mainland or Guam and get exactly what every other U.S. citizen is getting.  

If the U.S. government stationed personnel in foreign countries than I agree with you that they owe it to those people to make special accommodation to get them the vaccine. However if it strictly the choice of the expatriate to leave the USA and live abroad, then they should be willing to accept both the positives and negatives that come with that decision. 

You missed the first set.  I don't choose to live overseas, I live overseas because I work overseas.  I choose to not have this discussion with you though anymore ... 

[Thomas J]

10 minutes ago, kurtmartens said:

You missed the first set.  I don't choose to live overseas, I live overseas because I work overseas.  I choose to not have this discussion with you though anymore ..

Now that makes no sense at all.  You didn't "choose" to live overseas but you work overseas.  Did someone force that job on you or did you voluntarily accept it.   Did they hide the fact that you would be located outside the USA?   Again, if you don't like that, you can always make another choice. Get a job back in the USA and that solves everything.  

[bwpage3]

17 hours ago, kurtmartens said:

No one on here has said its a "cure-all".  And no government has said it 100% effective either.  

What's your point?

[club]

17 hours ago, kurtmartens said:

Why shouldn't you expect your country to look after you wherever you are in the world?  Are you willing to give up your passport then for a less acceptable one?  And if the USG was smart, Medicare would cover you here.  It would certainly cost less.  The VA covers folks here.  

 

It would take very little effort to provide the vaccine to expats would want it outside the US.  I still pay my taxes, why shouldn't I receive the benefits that folks living within the US receive?

Same here, Still pay taxes when only about half the population of USA pays taxes. I could see if Thailand was having no problem with their vaccination rollout., but that's not the case. This rollout is a bad joke. All countries with citizens here should help

[BobinBKK]

Coming from this American citizen "Oh America how I hate thee"!!!

[thaibeachlovers]

19 hours ago, kurtmartens said:

I don't choose to live overseas.  I live overseas, because that is where the GOVERNMENT has hired me to work.  I choose Thailand because I married a Thai and we didn't want to live in Dubai anymore and I can work remote.  

 

So I am doing exactly what JFK said, I am doing for my country.  However, the country needs to take care of its citizens regardless of where they live.  And stop taking care of citizens of other (failed) countries.   Which is an argument you keep missing and or avoiding.  Which was the whole point of my posting.  So.  I am done with the circle jerk discussion.  

None of us know what is decided in the rooms of power. There may be strategic reasons for what they are doing that none of us will ever know about.

[club]

1 minute ago, thaibeachlovers said:

None of us know what is decided in the rooms of power. There may be strategic reasons for what they are doing that none of us will ever know about.

Could not have said it any better then you. Have lived here for 10 years and still pay taxes to USA. When only half of Americans pay taxes. You would think Biden could do something for us since we voted for him. 

[thaibeachlovers]

18 hours ago, Thomas J said:

Now that makes no sense at all.  You didn't "choose" to live overseas but you work overseas.  Did someone force that job on you or did you voluntarily accept it.   Did they hide the fact that you would be located outside the USA?   Again, if you don't like that, you can always make another choice. Get a job back in the USA and that solves everything.  

I agree with you. When I went to work in Antarctica despite working for the "government" it was understood that in winter had any of us  become so sick we needed treatment not available there we would NOT be airlifted out, and would die there. It went with the job.

It was years later that the first mid winter evacuation took place.

 

I blame the nanny state for making people think their country should make extraordinary efforts to assist them if their CHOICE goes wrong.

Leave home for exotic climes, accept the consequences, or go back home while one can.

 

Time to man up and live with the consequences of one's decisions, IMO.

[thaibeachlovers]

Just now, club said:

You would think Biden could do something for us since we voted for him. 

You can't be serious? Surely?

[kurtmartens]

25 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I agree with you. When I went to work in Antarctica despite working for the "government" it was understood that in winter had any of us  become so sick we needed treatment not available there we would NOT be airlifted out, and would die there. It went with the job.

It was years later that the first mid winter evacuation took place.

 

I blame the nanny state for making people think their country should make extraordinary efforts to assist them if their CHOICE goes wrong.

Leave home for exotic climes, accept the consequences, or go back home while one can.

 

Time to man up and live with the consequences of one's decisions, IMO.

That is a totally different situation.  I have worked in Antartica as well, and that requires a full medical clearance.  Apples and oranges.  This whole argument about the nanny state is BS as well, as it has nothing to do with my original issue / posting.  I am happy to have an intelligent debate about foreign policy and what expats should and should't expect from their home countries, but its unlikely since I clearly just want Uncle Joe to come take care of me and hold my hand ....

 

(And ref Antartica, I guarantee you if you appendix was about to burst you'd be begging for an airlift.  Always amazes me how brave folks talk until TSHTF then they are asking why isn't someone coming to help them.  Seen it time and again.)

[frantick]

7 hours ago, club said:

You would think Biden could do something for us since we voted for him. 

Maybe Kamala would, but you'd have to meet her at LAX.