Rejoice elderly Farangs.

[thaibeachlovers]

1 hour ago, seedy said:

Coincidence that all those conflicts had America as the protagonist ?

Don't think so ...

You overlook those from many other countries that fought and died on the allied side in those conflicts. Saying America was the MAIN protagonist would be acceptable, IMO.

[DaLa]

13 minutes ago, Gecko123 said:

A time for rejoicing? I think not.

 

The golden age the OP describes has been built upon recklessly accumulated sovereign debt, exploitation of black, brown, and yellow labor, the pillaging of the environment at the expense of future generations, and, as others have pointed out, conflicts having been fought in distant lands.

 

When you consider the enormous debts our generation will leave behind, the global inequities in income and wealth, not to mention the shameful condition we are leaving the planet in, it's scarcely a time for rejoicing. What's called for isn't complacency and self-congratulation, but redoubled efforts to be charitable, to reduce our environmental impact, and to make the world a more equitable place for those who have suffered because of exploitation, disadvantage, and environmental degradation.

I consider myself a 'cup half full' type. I keep reading this to see if there's any good news and I'm struggling.

[Oxx]

23 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I think he was only referring to western people dying in large numbers in pointless wars like WW1.

So a "major war" is only "major" if it kills (I presume white) Americans and western Europeans?

 

And if a war doesn't do so it's a "pointless war"? Personally, I think all wars are pointless.

Anyway, interesting perspective.

[BritManToo]

44 minutes ago, Fat is a type of crazy said:

You could buy houses cheaply. Good economies. Fun decades 50's onwards. Types of freedoms unheard of previously. 

But for the first time in history our wives could take all that from us.

[GammaGlobulin]

16 minutes ago, DaLa said:

I consider myself a 'cup half full' type. I keep reading this to see if there's any good news and I'm struggling.

The battle against Smallpox has been faught and one. 

 

The discovery of anesthia means that complicated surgery is now possible. 

 

World starvation levels are low. 

 

Each year, we are increasing the number of percapita toilets around the world. 

 

Biitech is proceeding at amazing speed. 

 

So much more. 

 

 

[seedy]

45 minutes ago, Gecko123 said:

A time for rejoicing? I think not.

 

The golden age the OP describes has been built upon recklessly accumulated sovereign debt, exploitation of black, brown, and yellow labor, the pillaging of the environment at the expense of future generations, and, as others have pointed out, conflicts having been fought in distant lands.

 

When you consider the enormous debts our generation will leave behind, the global inequities in income and wealth, not to mention the shameful condition we are leaving the planet in, it's scarcely a time for rejoicing. What's called for isn't complacency and self-congratulation, but redoubled efforts to be charitable, to reduce our environmental impact, and to make the world a more equitable place for those who have suffered because of exploitation, disadvantage, and environmental degradation.

Hear Hear

I am a Baby Boomer and IM not so HO we have not much to be proud of.

Inequality at record levels. Take Take Take More More More

 

[The Cipher]

3 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

Thailand will be due for some big inflation.  Just wait it is coming when the demand increases.  Those 30,000 b a month UK pensions could well end up being a semi-poverty lifestyle.

Some will no longer be able to afford it here, unless they decide to live in total obscurity.

I see that you're catching some heat for this, but you're probably right.

 

There are some strong reasons to believe that inflation will really erode purchasing power in the coming years. This will affect Thailand, as well as many of our home countries. There's no certainty on how much inflation we'll see, but I wouldn't be surprised at all if some people on fixed non-inflation-linked pensions found themselves unexpectedly squeezed.

[thaibeachlovers]

15 minutes ago, Oxx said:

So a "major war" is only "major" if it kills (I presume white) Americans and western Europeans?

 

And if a war doesn't do so it's a "pointless war"? Personally, I think all wars are pointless.

Anyway, interesting perspective.

I'm very happy that our side won WW2. WW1 was IMO the epitome of a pointless war, but I'm really happy I'm not living under Nazi rule.

[BritManToo]

8 minutes ago, The Cipher said:

I see that you're catching some heat for this, but you're probably right.

 

There are some strong reasons to believe that inflation will really erode purchasing power in the coming years. This will affect Thailand, as well as many of our home countries. There's no certainty on how much inflation we'll see, but I wouldn't be surprised at all if some people on fixed non-inflation-linked pensions found themselves unexpectedly squeezed.

Outside the west, I'm not seeing much inflation.

Certainly nothing worth mentioning in the past 12 years of my living in Thailand.

[BritManToo]

1 minute ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I'm very happy that our side won WW2. WW1 was IMO the epitome of a pointless war, but I'm really happy I'm not living under Nazi rule.

And yet, Europe is still effectively ruled by Germany.

So it was all for nothing, and Germany got what it wanted.

[thaibeachlovers]

12 minutes ago, seedy said:

Hear Hear

I am a Baby Boomer and IM not so HO we have not much to be proud of.

Inequality at record levels. Take Take Take More More More

 

Are not women just as guilty of profiting though producing nothing of worth?

Most rich men have rich wives, or at least wives living a wealthy lifestyle.

[thaibeachlovers]

1 minute ago, BritManToo said:

And yet, Europe is still effectively ruled by Germany.

So it was all for nothing, and Germany got what it wanted.

I don't live in Europe, and I don't really care who rules Europe.

[thaibeachlovers]

23 minutes ago, Oxx said:

So a "major war" is only "major" if it kills (I presume white) Americans and western Europeans?

 

And if a war doesn't do so it's a "pointless war"? Personally, I think all wars are pointless.

Anyway, interesting perspective.

IMO a major war is one in which over 10 million people die.

[meechai]

I actually always said our generation was super lucky

Most of us just missed the Vietnam War & like you said no WW's

 

But as others have said it aint over yet ????

[Moonlover]

6 hours ago, Old Croc said:

Korea, Vietnam, Kuwait, Afghanistan, Iraq.

 

I knew people of my  "golden" generation who didn't come home from these Northern Hemisphere wars.

You said it yourself. The O/P did say major war. And I'm sure that we all know what he is referring to. Whilst all of the above were nasty (you forgot the Balkans and Northern Ireland by the way), they cannot be considered major when compared to the 2 great wars.

 

There were probably more casualties at the Somme alone than there were all of the listed conflicts collectively.

 

As far as warfare goes, the world is a much safer place than it used to be,

[BritManToo]

3 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

IMO a major war is one in which over 10 million people die.

COVID deaths are currently around 5M ........... does that count as half a major war?

(World Vs China)

[thaibeachlovers]

20 minutes ago, GammaGlobulin said:

The battle against Smallpox has been faught and one. 

 

The discovery of anesthia means that complicated surgery is now possible. 

 

World starvation levels are low. 

 

Each year, we are increasing the number of percapita toilets around the world. 

 

Biitech is proceeding at amazing speed. 

 

So much more. 

 

 

Many people in poor countries can't afford complicated surgery.

the increase in world population is sure to exceed the ability to produce enough food, IMO.

Biitech????????? No idea what that is, but it sounds like another internet bubble to me.

 

Keep em coming.

[GammaGlobulin]

2 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Many people in poor countries can't afford complicated surgery.

the increase in world population is sure to exceed the ability to produce enough food, IMO.

Biitech????????? No idea what that is, but it sounds like another internet bubble to me.

 

Keep em coming.

And, your name is..... Malthus? 

[thaibeachlovers]

3 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

COVID deaths are currently around 5M ........... does that count as half a major war?

(World Vs China)

One could surmise that humanity is at war with nature. We are certainly doing our best to ruin the environment.

Nature has a habit of reducing excessively large human population by war, pestilence or starvation. If not covid IMO it would be something else.

 

[thaibeachlovers]

3 minutes ago, GammaGlobulin said:

And, your name is..... Malthus? 

No, but I sympathise with his theory.

[The Cipher]

14 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Outside the west, I'm not seeing much inflation.

Certainly nothing worth mentioning in the past 12 years of my living in Thailand.

It isn't something you would've had to worry about so much in the past (unless you were in the market for assets) as much as you might have to in the future.

 

But we just printed 40% of the money supply to save <1% of the population (seems proportionate lul). We're already seeing multi-decade high inflation and resource scarcity in many economies worldwide, and they're not even fully open yet. When velocity picks up, if supply chains haven't worked themselves out, we could quickly see a sustained inflationary spiral even higher.

 

Thailand participates in a global market for many of these resources (for example semiconductors and copper). It's inevitable that higher cost of inputs on world markets will eventually affect Thailand to some extent.

 

Adding to that, there is a major climate transition that needs to be funded. And we've barely started on all the funding that transition will entail (it's gonna be massive). And maybe we'll find some way to finance that transition besides more money printing, and maybe current inflation will be transitory, but...????

[BritManToo]

1 minute ago, The Cipher said:

But we just printed 40% of the money supply to save <1% of the population (seems proportionate lul). We're already seeing multi-decade high inflation and resource scarcity in many economies worldwide, and they're not even fully open yet. When velocity picks up, if supply chains haven't worked themselves out, we could quickly see a sustained inflationary spiral even higher.

I haven't printed any money.

Ever!

[GammaGlobulin]

1 minute ago, The Cipher said:

It isn't something you would've had to worry about so much in the past (unless you were in the market for assets) as much as you might have to in the future.

 

But we just printed 40% of the money supply to save <1% of the population (seems proportionate lul). We're already seeing multi-decade high inflation and resource scarcity in many economies worldwide, and they're not even fully open yet. When velocity picks up, if supply chains haven't worked themselves out, we could quickly see a sustained inflationary spiral even higher.

 

Thailand participates in a global market for many of these resources (for example semiconductors and copper). It's inevitable that higher cost of inputs on world markets will eventually affect Thailand to some extent.

 

Adding to that, there is a major climate transition that needs to be funded. And we've barely started on all the funding that transition will entail (it's gonna be massive). And maybe we'll find some way to finance that transition besides more money printing, and maybe current inflation will be transitory, but...????

But, please don't forget remediation. 

[GammaGlobulin]

7 minutes ago, The Cipher said:

It isn't something you would've had to worry about so much in the past (unless you were in the market for assets) as much as you might have to in the future.

 

But we just printed 40% of the money supply to save <1% of the population (seems proportionate lul). We're already seeing multi-decade high inflation and resource scarcity in many economies worldwide, and they're not even fully open yet. When velocity picks up, if supply chains haven't worked themselves out, we could quickly see a sustained inflationary spiral even higher.

 

Thailand participates in a global market for many of these resources (for example semiconductors and copper). It's inevitable that higher cost of inputs on world markets will eventually affect Thailand to some extent.

 

Adding to that, there is a major climate transition that needs to be funded. And we've barely started on all the funding that transition will entail (it's gonna be massive). And maybe we'll find some way to finance that transition besides more money printing, and maybe current inflation will be transitory, but...????

Do you prefer Monet? 

 

or 

 

Van Gogh? 

 

What is your favorite Monet asset? 

Edited October 22, 2021 by GammaGlobulin

[Havenstreet1940]

I take it that OP' Swissie' is from that very scenic country.    If I am correct I can understand why he has such an insular and fairy tale perspective on life inthe 21st century,

 

When was the last time Switzerland fired a shot in anger?  Ah yes, legend has it that it was on 13 November 1307 and that fella the Swiss patriot William Tell, who shot an Apple off his sons head.

 

Edited October 22, 2021 by Havenstreet1940

[1FinickyOne]

3 hours ago, sirineou said:

LOL,  I like the way your mind works. 

You are right, In the lower east side that would have a totally different meaning. ???? 

West Village, I lived on Carmine Street for a couple of years... amazing experience. I was offered an in but didn't take it... 

 

I remember during the big blackout, was it '76? There were reports of mobs looting. Someone came by my store and told me not to worry. They told the cops to stay away from our street so that the 'boys' will take care of keeping us safe... 

[Chris.B]

You are correct, the next generation will have the burden of extra taxes due to Covid.

 

In the UK, due to rising property prices, young people can no longer afford to buy a home. Especially London and the South. Now rents are rising so young people can't save for a deposit. 

 

The NHS has nearly 6,000,000 people waiting for operations and doctors don't want to see patients face to face!

 

Ongoing witch hunts for anybody who makes a comment or joke which might offend the 'Woke' and left. Anybody who mentions race, gender or immigration gets instantly branded 'far right wing'.

 

Don't need a crystal ball for this one.

 

[Oxx]

1 hour ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I'm really happy I'm not living under Nazi rule.

I don't know your nationality, but if you're British or American there never was any real prospect of being invaded by the Nazis.  Hitler only wanted some living room (lebensraum) for the German people.  He highly respected the British and (until Britain entered the war) no animosity towards the country.  And America was simply too far away.

[The Hammer2021]

War in Europe including concentration camps in The Balkans. Civil War in Northern Ireland

[The Hammer2021]

9 minutes ago, Oxx said:

I don't know your nationality, but if you're British or American there never was any real prospect of being invaded by the Nazis.  Hitler only wanted some living room (lebensraum) for the German people.  He highly respected the British and (until Britain entered the war) no animosity towards the country.  And America was simply too far away.

Nazi Propaganda