Why China will prevail over the US in this crazy world of Trump 2.0

[Gottfrid]

30 minutes ago, Harrisfan said:

Big boy on the internet. Sounds a bit suss.

As usual, you misunderstand. I was referring to intellectually and knowledge. But. you know, why don´t you post something about liberal again. That´s approx how high you will come. 😂

[Harrisfan]

5 minutes ago, Gottfrid said:

As usual, you misunderstand. I was referring to intellectually and knowledge. But. you know, why don´t you post something about liberal again. That´s approx how high you will come. 😂

You get offended by caps. Enough said Abba man.

[EVENKEEL]

23 hours ago, hotsun said:

OP loves his posts so much he keeps them all in a database on his computer. 50% of his posts are not original content

What kind of retard files posts

[Harrisfan]

Did noodles double in price due to Trump? What goes through the heads of lefties each day?

[BritManToo]

On 2/12/2025 at 12:25 PM, Briggsy said:

In other words he will leverage the Office of the President for personal gain.

Which president didn't?

[theblether]

10 hours ago, Gweiloman said:

What does it matter what the comparative income levels are when the average American has to work 2-3 jobs just to pay the rent, borrow money to buy groceries and have to continue paying property taxes if they are fortunate enough to pay off their mortgage whilst the overwhelming majority of Chinese own their own homes, have plenty of food to ear and can live in comfort and safety without having to send their kids off to school wearing bulletproof knapsacks?

 

It matters because the average income is a primary deciding factor as to whether a country had the advantages allocated of being categorised as a developing country. 

 

So, it matters. And you will never see Chinese average income match the USA. Never. 

[Gottfrid]

8 hours ago, Harrisfan said:

You get offended by caps. Enough said Abba man.

What a ridiculous comment! I bet you refuse to eat tuna as well, just to save Flipper, right?😂

[John Drake]

14 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

I expected this. And we will see alot more of this. Trumps policies are not only playing into China's hands, they are a wet dream for the CCP. And they will weaken the US even more. The US decline is in full swing now. 

 

I can't figure out Nepal. Correct me if I'm wrong. But isn't it already ruled by a coalition of the Maoist-Marxists and Maoists Center Party?

[Gweiloman]

14 hours ago, theblether said:

 

It matters because the average income is a primary deciding factor as to whether a country had the advantages allocated of being categorised as a developing country. 

 

So, it matters. And you will never see Chinese average income match the USA. Never. 

It seems like you live under a rock. Average income means nothing. When I was living in the UK, over 50% of my income was gone due to taxes, NI contributions etc. In HKG, only 15% of my income was taxed. I enjoyed more disposable income. Also it’s what a unit of your disposable income can buy you that matters. I don’t mind having half your average income if I can buy twice as much as you.

[spidermike007]

8 minutes ago, Gweiloman said:

It seems like you live under a rock. Average income means nothing. When I was living in the UK, over 50% of my income was gone due to taxes, NI contributions etc. In HKG, only 15% of my income was taxed. I enjoyed more disposable income. Also it’s what a unit of your disposable income can buy you that matters. I don’t mind having half your average income if I can buy twice as much as you.

This is a very good point as incomes are rising slowly in the US, but the cost of living has been rising dramatically, inflation is still out of control, and the quality of life has diminished dramatically for the average person. Unless you own a home free and clear, it's a very difficult life in America these days, financially. 

[Gweiloman]

26 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

This is a very good point as incomes are rising slowly in the US, but the cost of living has been rising dramatically, inflation is still out of control, and the quality of life has diminished dramatically for the average person. Unless you own a home free and clear, it's a very difficult life in America these days, financially. 

I didn’t realise it until recently but even after paying off your mortgage, there are apparently property taxes that still has to be paid in order to continue living in your own property. If true, it’s an even worse country that I thought.

[KhunLA]

1 hour ago, Gweiloman said:

I didn’t realise it until recently but even after paying off your mortgage, there are apparently property taxes that still has to be paid in order to continue living in your own property. If true, it’s an even worse country that I thought.

Yep, about $4,000 a year, for my one house.  25+ years ago.  Most of it school tax, for a crappy school, and I never had kids 

 

That's ฿11k+ a  month, to live in house, I owned (25 yrs ago).  Last year, my total monthly living expense (TH) averaged <฿16k a month. 

 

Yea ... something ain't right back in the mother land.  And eggs don't cost $8.50 / ฿285 a dozen here.  ฿143 for 30 (0 size) eggs, at Makro the other day.

[NoMoonLogistics]

On 2/12/2025 at 8:27 PM, theblether said:

An interesting thing about China is that the wealth is gathered on the Eastern Seaboard and the Interior is poverty stricken. Average Chinese income is around $14,000 a year - US is around $85,000. For China to match the US income level it would need to effectively control all world trade - never going to happen. 

 

So they dance around with preferential treatment under developing country status that they don't deserve because fundamentally the power brokers don't give a flying frog about those that live in the Interior. 

 

But here we have the usual world experts on everything that haven't spent a single second of their life in China pontificating a lot of utter drivel about China winning a trade war. Very good - your off your nut if you think China can genuinely take on the USA and the West without causing severe economic hardship and potential unrest. 

 

No doubt many of you will be of the opinion that the CCP has an iron grip. All it took was a few video images of the last world cup to start street protests and the CCP dropped their knickers. The Chinese were enraged when they saw the rest of the world enjoying freedom post-covid. But of course, you all knew that. 

 

The primary reason ( I should really ask this as a question and have a laugh at the Dems replies ) why China hasn't attempted to take Taiwan is fear of defeat. The CCP would not survive a failed invasion. It's a legacy of the Opium Wars, the national psyche is shattered and another white man defeat would blow Chinese society apart.  

 

What made it even worse was that the Japanese adopted white man technology at a rapid rate and completely ragdolled the Chinese in the 30's, the Rape of Nanjing being a prime example of Chinese humiliation. Never underestimate the Chinese fear of defeat. 

 

 

 

"Never underestimate the Chinese fear of defeat"

Never underestimate USA's boasting when they havn't won a war in 75 years.

 

Cuba, Vietnam, Laos, Afghanistan, Somalia - ffs, Cambodia - name a 3rd world 2 bit country that hasn't sent America into a shameful retreat.

lol ...and now they boast about beating China.

 

The Emperor Has No Clothes - look it up.

 

[Hawaiian]

3 hours ago, Gweiloman said:

I didn’t realise it until recently but even after paying off your mortgage, there are apparently property taxes that still has to be paid in order to continue living in your own property. If true, it’s an even worse country that I thought.

How many non-Chinese realize that property developers in China typically demand partial, or in some cases, full payment, before construction even begins on your new home.  And if the developer goes belly up, forget it.  It's even a worse country than many thought.

[Hawaiian]

1 hour ago, KhunLA said:

Yep, about $4,000 a year, for my one house.  25+ years ago.  Most of it school tax, for a crappy school, and I never had kids 

 

That's ฿11k+ a  month, to live in house, I owned (25 yrs ago).  Last year, my total monthly living expense (TH) averaged <฿16k a month. 

 

Yea ... something ain't right back in the mother land.  And eggs don't cost $8.50 / ฿285 a dozen here.  ฿143 for 30 (0 size) eggs, at Makro the other day.

With my age exemption, I pay $200 a year in property taxes on a home conservatively appraised at $400,000. 

When it comes to egg prices, everything is relative.  How many Thais make as much as you?  This past November we paid 150 baht for 30 duck eggs while the daily minimum income is around 350 to 400 baht.  I think you get the point.

[Hawaiian]

23 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Which president didn't?

The closest was Jimmy Carter.

[KhunLA]

23 minutes ago, Hawaiian said:

With my age exemption, I pay $200 a year in property taxes on a home conservatively appraised at $400,000. 

When it comes to egg prices, everything is relative.  How many Thais make as much as you?  This past November we paid 150 baht for 30 duck eggs while the daily minimum income is around 350 to 400 baht.  I think you get the point.

Where's that house located ?

 

Egg prices haven't doubled here / TH in 2 years either.  Matter of fact, they've come down a bit, as was surprised they were only ฿143, since last noted memory of paying ฿163, just a couple months ago.

 

USA egg price ... "In 2022, the average price of a dozen eggs in the United States increased from $1.79 in December 2021 to $4.25 in December 2022." 

 

Now $8.50, for only 12 eggs, and that's at Walmart 

 

Our incomes are irrelevant, as many Thais actually live on what I lived on last year. ฿16k a  month

 

My daughter just started a new job, and now makes more money a month than I do, 👍 and that's just her salary + perks (฿100k), not counting her online business and rental property.

[Purdey]

China has surprised many with its technical advances, whether stolen or not, and the falling demographic will be important for labor but not for technology.

[Hawaiian]

On 2/12/2025 at 2:52 PM, Gweiloman said:

What does it matter what the comparative income levels are when the average American has to work 2-3 jobs just to pay the rent, borrow money to buy groceries and have to continue paying property taxes if they are fortunate enough to pay off their mortgage whilst the overwhelming majority of Chinese own their own homes, have plenty of food to ear and can live in comfort and safety without having to send their kids off to school wearing bulletproof knapsacks?

They may own their own homes, but not the land they sit on with the government often demolishing homes for pet projects.  There have been numerous complaints of these demolitions taking place with very little warning and more complaints of ridiculous compensation and resettlements in substandard structures.

[Hawaiian]

47 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

Where's that house located ?

 

Egg prices haven't doubled here / TH in 2 years either.  Matter of fact, they've come down a bit, as was surprised they were only ฿143, since last noted memory of paying ฿163, just a couple months ago.

 

USA egg price ... "In 2022, the average price of a dozen eggs in the United States increased from $1.79 in December 2021 to $4.25 in December 2022." 

 

Now $8.50, for only 12 eggs, and that's at Walmart 

 

Our incomes are irrelevant, as many Thais actually live on what I lived on last year. ฿16k a  month

 

My daughter just started a new job, and now makes more money a month than I do, 👍 and that's just her salary + perks (฿100k), not counting her online business and rental property.

I live on the island of Hawaii and the house is located in a residential subdivision bordering the national park. The main city on the island is 30 minutes away.  There is no municipal water system and because of sufficient rainfall I have never had to buy water for my catchment tanks.  Other than that we are served by the local utilities.

My girlfriend's 30 year old niece lives in Bangkok and has established herself as a budding entrepreneur with several flourishing businesses catering mostly to wealthier Thais.  She has managed to buy a townhouse and a nice condo apartment which she rents out.  I'm not at liberty to mention her net worth, but I would venture to say she is a multimillionaire.

In reference to egg prices, the recent price hike is due to bird flu.  Millions of chickens have been culled.  Supply cannot meet demand.

[KhunLA]

18 minutes ago, Hawaiian said:

I live on the island of Hawaii and the house is located in a residential subdivision bordering the national park. The main city on the island is 30 minutes away.  There is no municipal water system and because of sufficient rainfall I have never had to buy water for my catchment tanks.  Other than that we are served by the local utilities.

My girlfriend's 30 year old niece lives in Bangkok and has established herself as a budding entrepreneur with several flourishing businesses catering mostly to wealthier Thais.  She has managed to buy a townhouse and a nice condo apartment which she rents out.  I'm not at liberty to mention her net worth, but I would venture to say she is a multimillionaire.

Nice.  Would think the opposite for RE taxes at Hi, 

 

We only have about 18k liters of water tanks, so due to the garden & greenhouse, wouldn't last long if we used straight away at dry season.   We don't bother using till just prior to rainy season, as that's when local water can be a bit iffy, if reservoirs are down, as they were last year, April & May, as rains don't kick in till mid May or beyond of late.

 

Top up tanks Sept / Oct, don't use till April.  Be nice if it rained a wee bit all year, instead of too much half the year, and almost not at all the other half.

 

Just got water bill today, 600 baht      vs usual 50-75-150 baht.   Damn figs are expensive, but tasty.

 

Solar takes care of the rest of our bills, for house & transport.  I think RE Taxes are about 5 baht a year, per lot, and I might be exaggerating 

[Hawaiian]

42 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

Nice.  Would think the opposite for RE taxes at Hi, 

 

We only have about 18k liters of water tanks, so due to the garden & greenhouse, wouldn't last long if we used straight away at dry season.   We don't bother using till just prior to rainy season, as that's when local water can be a bit iffy, if reservoirs are down, as they were last year, April & May, as rains don't kick in till mid May or beyond of late.

 

Top up tanks Sept / Oct, don't use till April.  Be nice if it rained a wee bit all year, instead of too much half the year, and almost not at all the other half.

 

Just got water bill today, 600 baht      vs usual 50-75-150 baht.   Damn figs are expensive, but tasty.

 

Solar takes care of the rest of our bills, for house & transport.  I think RE Taxes are about 5 baht a year, per lot, and I might be exaggerating 

One reason Hawaii's property taxes are lower than the mainland USA is that education is managed and funded by the state government and not by local school districts.  On Oahu (Honolulu) where the average home is valued at a million dollars or more, taxes and the overall cost of living is much higher.  The latest figures show more Native Hawaiian living out of state than in Hawaii.  They are being priced out of "paradise."

Is it true that property taxes in Thailand are higher for vacant properties?  I was told that when I first visited the country twenty years ago.

[KhunLA]

5 minutes ago, Hawaiian said:

Is it true that property taxes in Thailand are higher for vacant properties?  I was told that when I first visited the country twenty years ago.

Don't know about 'buildings', but land lots yes, if not built on or being used, then tax is higher.

 

Land tax was silly, about 5 or 15 baht per rai, in Udon Thani.  So any difference  would really be minimal, can't imagine it being much.  Even 100 baht would only be $3 a year.

 

We had 6 rai, house on 2, and simply said the other 4 were planted.  Nobody cared or checked.

 

Here now, we only have four 1/4 rais, house on 1, 1 is the garden/greenhouse, and the other 2 vacant.   Though the wife did plant some things on the vacant ones, so now, used for 'farming'. 

 

RE Taxes really are silly low, and a big advantage over RE Taxes in PA, USA, where I had 3 houses 25+ yrs a go.  3 houses @ $4000, $1000 & $1000 a year.  Brother said one of the $1000 taxed house, tripled the tax in that time to 3k+.  

 

 

As you say, people's housing appreciating, nicely, but so have the taxes and they are having a hard time keeping.  So you sell, make a nice profit, but downsize somewhere else, and then get hit with another tax.

 

Soon BlackRock will own all the RE in USA.  Back to a feudal serfdom existence 

[John Drake]

Trump is going to fold on China. Is he now working a deal that will remove US naval forces from around China in return for a reduction in Chinese "coast guard" activity in the SCS? If he does, that means the Philippines will be lost to China accommodationists. Does he want to run up the white flag everywhere?

[Hawaiian]

2 minutes ago, John Drake said:

Trump is going to fold on China. Is he now working a deal that will remove US naval forces from around China in return for a reduction in Chinese "coast guard" activity in the SCS? If he does, that means the Philippines will be lost to China accommodationists. Does he want to run up the white flag everywhere?

The U.S. is downsizing its forces on Okinawa and relocating much of them to Guam.  This is mainly in response to Okinawa's complaints of well publicized incidents involving U.S. servicemen.

Abandoning Taiwan and the Philippines will be a tragic mistake.  Hopefully, you got it wrong.

[John Drake]

13 minutes ago, Hawaiian said:

The U.S. is downsizing its forces on Okinawa and relocating much of them to Guam.  This is mainly in response to Okinawa's complaints of well publicized incidents involving U.S. servicemen.

Abandoning Taiwan and the Philippines will be a tragic mistake.  Hopefully, you got it wrong.

 

The Philippines is central. Without it, the US might as well retreat to Hawaii. Taiwan I'm not so sure about, because the opposition KMT wants a Hong Kong-style deal with China. I would hate to see a vast amount of advanced American weaponry given to the Taiwanese only for them to hand it over to the PRC.

[placeholder]

On 2/12/2025 at 12:34 PM, novacova said:

Good grief, not even close. China is so far behind that their economy depends on trading with the US. Stop watching so much media garbage and go read a book.

15% of China's exports go to the US. And they control the supply of several critical materials. So it's not only China that would suffer. 

[cjinchiangrai]

18 minutes ago, placeholder said:

15% of China's exports go to the US. And they control the supply of several critical materials. So it's not only China that would suffer. 

The US will suffer a lot more. His highness found that out the last time when China financed South America to supply their soy beans and walked away from the US farmers.

[spidermike007]

7 hours ago, Gweiloman said:

I didn’t realise it until recently but even after paying off your mortgage, there are apparently property taxes that still has to be paid in order to continue living in your own property. If true, it’s an even worse country that I thought.

Not only can property taxes be a significant amount of money but if you are unfortunate enough to have bought a condo in an area like South Florida the homeowners fees have skyrocketed due to the increasing costs caused by hurricanes and weather related issues, as insurance premiums have gone through the roof and there are no controls on the insurance mafia industry. So there are a lot of retired folks who have their condos paid for and are now wrestling with HOA fees that have skyrocketed to the point where they cannot afford their condo anymore. This is part of life in America, a dwindling empire, lower quality of life by the year, higher expenses, and diminishing services. 

 

Make America great again? That's never going to happen. 

[Hawaiian]

11 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

Not only can property taxes be a significant amount of money but if you are unfortunate enough to have bought a condo in an area like South Florida the homeowners fees have skyrocketed due to the increasing costs caused by hurricanes and weather related issues, as insurance premiums have gone through the roof and there are no controls on the insurance mafia industry. So there are a lot of retired folks who have their condos paid for and are now wrestling with HOA fees that have skyrocketed to the point where they cannot afford their condo anymore. This is part of life in America, a dwindling empire, lower quality of life by the year, higher expenses, and diminishing services. 

 

Make America great again? That's never going to happen. 

This is what many thought while struggling through the Great Depression.  My mother never got over it, but my Dad did.  Although conservative he was a very positive person.  I've learned from him and have endured through some tough times and ugly divorces.  Today, I have a comfortable lifestyle with my girlfriend who frequently comments about our good relationship.