Democracy has failed the US,maybe it's time for a King

[candide]

Country-centered explanations are useless.

 

The fact is that even the poor Westerners are better-off than the middle class in developing countries, and even sometimes the highly educated class. An Indian Engineer with 10 years of experience usually barely reaches the salary level of a shop attendant in the U.S.

 

So you have this mass of people ready to work more for less bucks, and often with low or no social protection. Not to mention the level of economies of scale a country like China can achieve. It puts a huge competitive pressure on Western countries. Until they reach a similar level of development and salaries, the pressure is not going to weaken.

 

[Airalee]

Why not a new King and Queen?

 

 

[John Drake]

If we're going to get a monarch, let's give citizenship to Nayib Bukele, currently the president of El Salvador, and make him king.

[SiSePuede419]

26 minutes ago, candide said:

The fact is that even the poor Westerners are better-off than the middle class in developing countries,

Really?

My impression is that middle class Thai people are better off than poor Americans because of the elevated costs of living.

 

Let's take one example...

 

Naam Ngiao 50B $1.44USD

 

Middle Class Thai people earning 500B per day can afford this.

 

What would the equivalent cost in America? 

Probably $8-15 for lunch at Subway or McDonald's.

 

That's expensive for poor Americans.

 

Their budget is a $5 bean and cheese burrito at Safeway or the gas station.

 

And good luck finding a $5 burrito anymore. 

 

Maybe $8 up.

 

Inflation.

 

Some urban middle class individuals in developing countries might have a comparable lifestyle to lower-income Westerners.

Cost of living:

While a "poor" Westerner might have a higher income, the cost of living in Western countries can also be significantly higher, impacting purchasing power. 

 

[Walker88]

7 hours ago, Screaming said:

There are many true statements in this post and I would agree that democracy has failed. I do not agree that democracy is the best form of government. Allowing uneducated and uninformed citizens to vote is not the best way to choose a President. But the will of the people have chosen Trump to lead the United States forward and I am very much looking forward to the next four years, especially after the disaster of the Biden/Harris presidency. Only seven more days until Trump is sworn in, thank God.

What is this "disaster"? MAGAs are always barking about some disaster, but I can't seem to find it.

 

I do know that in December 2020, before Biden-Harris took over, the US was suffering a Recession, 6.8% Unemployment, and was in the midst of a pandemic and a lockdown. 45 was the 1st POTUS since Hoover to leave office with fewer Americans employed than when he entered. To me, that all kind of sounds like a disaster.

 

Today, the US has seen GDP growth since the end of 2020 that runs 3 times the average G7 nation, the US has been best at taming worldwide inflation, unemployment is ~4% and set the longest streak <4% in 64 years during Biden's term, the first new chip plants in 40 years are being built, the infrastructure is being fixed, prescription drug prices are down, and 800,000 new manufacturing jobs have arisen. The stock market---and everyone's 401K---has soared. In a true rarity, both Consumer Spending and Consumer Saving grew in 2024. If all that is a disaster, can we please get more!

 

I understand not all boats have been lifted by the rising tide of the Biden Boom, but that isn't Joe's fault. The modern economy does require that folks bring talents and marketable skills to the table. Apparently, MAGAs are not in the demographic of talented or skilled, save for the billionaires wanting more tax breaks.

 

Sorry you missed out. Maybe it's kind of courageous you admitted that. Maybe you can join the military and be on the front lines in the Battle of Greenland. Just a thought.

 

The last 4 years have been an incredible wealth building opportunity, the best since the Clinton years.

 

Batten down the hatches now, because the champion of American Carnage will be sitting his bloated fanny behind the Resolute Desk in a week. Woe is us.

[Airalee]

3 hours ago, SiSePuede419 said:

 

 

3 hours ago, SiSePuede419 said:

Really?

My impression is that middle class Thai people are better off than poor Americans because of the elevated costs of living.

 

Let's take one example...

 

Naam Ngiao 50B $1.44USD

 

Middle Class Thai people earning 500B per day can afford this.

 

What would the equivalent cost in America? 

Probably $8-15 for lunch at Subway or McDonald's.

 

That's expensive for poor Americans.

 

Their budget is a $5 bean and cheese burrito at Safeway or the gas station.

 

And good luck finding a $5 burrito anymore. 

 

Maybe $8 up.

 

Inflation.

 

Some urban middle class individuals in developing countries might have a comparable lifestyle to lower-income Westerners.

Cost of living:

While a "poor" Westerner might have a higher income, the cost of living in Western countries can also be significantly higher, impacting purchasing power. 

 

Thais like McDonalds too. And Pizza Hut and KFC etc.

 

The only reason they’re eating a 50 baht Thai dish is because they can’t afford a 200 baht Thai seafood dish.

 

In some ways Thais have it easier (an abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables for cheap or even free from the neighbors).  In some ways Americans have it easier.  Have you seen how nice some section 8 apartments are?  I ran across a really nice apartment complex when I was in university but nope….couldn’t rent there.  It was for poor people.

 

Of course, in Appalachia it’s a bit different.  That’s poor.  Not Spike Lees version of the inner city poor. 
 

How many Americans are living like a school teacher in Issan?  I have met some that still bathe from a cistern and just recently had flushing toilets installed.  They cook outside over charcoal.  They don’t even have windows in their homes.  That’s middle class.  Poor live in corrugated metal shacks or bamboo with teak leaf roofs.  

 

Where many poor Americans kill themselves financially is that they

 

1.  Don’t cook at home.  Don’t bring a lunch to work.  It’s all grub hub and door dash for most of the urban poor.  They won’t even walk their fat asses to the McDonald’s or Subway that you talk about.

 

2.  Won’t get a roommate or live at home with their parents. They all have to have their own place.  That one way is how the Asian, Mexican, Central Americans etc. get ahead.

 

3. Eat too damn much. 

 

4. Spend too much on alcohol and drugs (mostly cannabis)

 

5.  Finance cars that they can’t afford and if from the hood…buy rims.  You can even rent rims for your car in the hood.  No shortage of Bimmers, Benz and Lexus in Compton.

 

6. Spend too much on Air Jordans and other BS fashion accessories.  Second hand shops are for the urban hipsters from upper middle class families who find it fashionable to slum it.

 

Poor people in America are living large.  
 

And they still want their student loans forgiven.  

 

I’d love to drop some inner city hood rat in Bannok Thailand and see how he or she (or it) copes.