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Belligerent Zelensky slapped down by American president in Oval Office
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49
Anutin: Investigation into Bangkok Building Collapse to Take Months
Investigate Anutin cement and Chinese Steele by construction engineers from Europe or the West, problem solved.....😉 -
84
Drunken foreign trouble making thug gets bottle smashed over his head.
It sounds like despite the video evidence of the farang starting it you are trying to blame the Thais? You are consistent. Underlying issues. -
300
Wall Street plummets ,trillions lost
Unless you are really old I doubt you remember much more than I. I'm not going by my memory but by the quality of life as reported by history. With only 3 billion people the world was a far, far better planet to live on than now ( as stated, only for us fortunate enough to be born in the west ). Without even an electronic calculator, people had to develop a working brain and reading books is far better than the mindless garbage they put on tv these sad days. -
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Thailand Eyes US Arms Deals to Slash Trade Surplus Amid Tariffs
You forget Australia puts a 10 percent gst on maybe that's why -
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Trump Bets the White House — and GOP Control of Congress — on Tariffs
Trump Bets the White House — and GOP Control of Congress — on Tariffs In a dramatic and risky move, President Trump has thrown his political future — and that of the Republican Party — behind a sweeping new global tariff regime that has already sent shockwaves through the economy. Dubbed “Liberation Day” by the administration, the rollout of massive new tariffs has triggered a market meltdown, wiped out trillions in value, and rattled both allies and adversaries. The numbers are stark. Last Thursday and Friday alone, $6.4 trillion in stock market value evaporated, with many Americans watching helplessly as their retirement accounts and investment portfolios took a 10% hit. The economic pain is compounded by a sense of confusion. Many wonder why, at a moment when Trump was riding high on a string of policy wins and enjoying record approval ratings, he would take such a bold gamble. Indeed, Trump’s second term had been coasting on notable victories: a crackdown on illegal immigration, a government waste audit that vindicated long-standing claims of bureaucratic fraud, and a high-profile campaign to penalize universities accused of tolerating antisemitic behavior. His firm grip on swing states and a strong economy had given Republicans a solid majority in Congress. That momentum has now been put at risk. According to a Wall Street Journal poll conducted before the market crash, voters disapproved of Trump’s economic leadership by 8 points. His handling of inflation was underwater by 15. And as prices begin to climb due to import taxes, and growth forecasts dim, the situation could worsen. JPMorgan now predicts a sharp slowdown in U.S. GDP, warning of a 60% chance of a global recession if tariffs persist. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell added fuel to the fire, cautioning that tariffs could trigger both higher inflation and reduced growth. Senator Ted Cruz didn’t mince words: “If the tariff war pushes the US into a recession, particularly a bad recession, 2026 in all likelihood politically would be a bloodbath. You would face a Democrat House, and you might even face a Democrat Senate.” Yet despite the backlash, Trump remains undeterred. For him, tariffs are not a detour but the destination — a cornerstone of his America First doctrine. The goal is to revive U.S. manufacturing, shrink the trade deficit, and force global competitors to open their markets to American goods. At a post-election celebration at Mar-a-Lago, Trump hosted CEOs, including SoftBank’s chief, who pledged a $100 billion investment in the U.S. The administration claims the tariffs will generate as much as $700 billion in federal revenue this year — enough, it argues, to help fund tax cuts and other domestic priorities. More importantly, Trump insists the tariffs are about fairness. “Why is that if you go to Tokyo, there’s no American cars, if you go to Berlin, there’s no American cars, but on our streets, we have every foreign car there is?” said White House adviser Stephen Miller. “They’ve blocked their markets from our cars. President Trump is saying that has to end.” Critics accuse the White House of weaponizing tariffs too aggressively and too quickly. Rather than a phased, targeted approach, Trump has opted for a full-scale blitz across virtually all sectors and countries. Some argue this leaves no room for adjustment and threatens to alienate not just adversaries like China but allies in Europe as well. Still, there are signs the strategy might be working. Trump revealed that Vietnam’s leadership, in a call with him Friday, expressed interest in cutting their tariffs to zero in exchange for a broader trade deal. That statement appeared to confirm what many suspected: the tariffs are a bargaining tool as much as a policy in themselves. The reaction from China was swift and furious. Beijing retaliated with its own 34% levy on U.S. goods and accused Washington of “bullying.” But even Trump’s critics admit China’s trade practices — including IP theft, forced tech transfers, and state subsidies — are longstanding and egregious. Europe, while less openly abusive, has its own trade barriers, including agricultural subsidies and high VAT taxes that hit American imports hard. In other words, Trump’s argument about unfair global trade has merit. But whether his methods will achieve the desired outcome — and whether the American economy and political system can withstand the initial blow — is another question entirely. With 19 months until the midterm elections, Trump is betting big. If the gamble pays off, he could solidify his legacy as a transformational economic nationalist. If not, the political and economic fallout could be immense — and swift. Based on a report by The NYP 2025-04-07 -
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The Anglicisation of France: A Language Under Siege by Its Own People
The Anglicisation of France: A Language Under Siege by Its Own People France is witnessing a striking transformation, not at the hands of external forces, but by its own institutions and citizens. The recent renaming of the national lottery from FDJ to FDJ United has stirred controversy, renewing longstanding debates about the increasing dominance of English in French life. While critics decry this anglicisation as grotesque and idiotic, many believe the root cause lies not in foreign influence, but in a French inferiority complex towards Anglo-American culture. Paul Rondin, director of the Cité Internationale de la Langue Française, a center dedicated to celebrating the French language, doesn’t mince words. “My hypothesis is that it’s an inferiority complex. Not so much towards the English language, but towards Anglo-American culture,” he says. Rondin describes this linguistic shift as a form of cultural submission. “I think we need collective group psychotherapy,” he adds. “Why is it that all these French people, who are supposed to be so arrogant, so sure of their culture and their history, are spending their time transforming words into an anglicised name? What does that mean? I don’t have any hypotheses or answers to give you at this time, but there’s something deeply troubling going on here.” Senator Mickaël Vallet echoes the frustration but directs his ire at those within French business and branding circles. “These are people who were paid to come up with a new name, and are lazy and, in general, just idiots,” he states bluntly. “They’re people with no inventiveness whatsoever. They’re paid a lot of money not to think.” For him, FDJ United’s new name is “totally ridiculous.” The rationale behind the rebranding, according to FDJ CEO Stéphane Pallez, was to reflect the lottery group’s growing international footprint, particularly after acquisitions in Ireland and Sweden. “Today, our group is beginning a new chapter in its history, more diversified and more international,” Pallez explained. Despite French being the fifth-most spoken language globally, its influence is shrinking. In Africa, once a bastion of francophone culture, countries like Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso have distanced themselves from the French language amidst political tensions. In Europe, hopes that French might reassert itself post-Brexit were dashed, as English retained its dominance across EU institutions, particularly among officials from the Baltic and Scandinavian regions. What truly alarms French language advocates is not just the presence of English, but the widespread use of "Globish"—a simplified form of English with a narrow vocabulary. “Globish is a code. It’s not a language,” says Vallet. “And when I speak to someone, I want to speak to them with a language, not with a code.” He argues that this creates a chasm between elites and the public, fueling far-Right populism. “The far-Right thrives on rifts between the elites and the people… when those in power no longer speak a language that can be understood by those they represent.” The Académie Française has similarly condemned what it calls the “invasive anglicisation” across French institutions, warning in a 30-page report that such trends risk “a proportional impoverishment of the French lexicon” and could increase societal divisions. Even President Emmanuel Macron isn’t exempt from criticism. Louis Maisonneuve, co-founder of the collective Dare to Speak French, points to Macron’s frequent use of English in his speeches and at major events like “Choose France” and “One Planet Summit.” Maisonneuve sees this not as a benign embrace of internationalism but as a form of cultural surrender. “It’s the French who are bowing down in front of everything that comes from the Americans. We’re rolling out the red carpet for the Anglo-American language.” Maisonneuve’s group has taken action, filing legal complaints to ensure multilingual signage includes languages beyond English, like Spanish. “It’s not a criticism of English expression. It’s a criticism of those who only use English,” he says. Linguist Bernard Cerquiglini goes further, highlighting that many English words are, in fact, derived from French. “My book is part of that reaction. I say to the French, ‘You’re stupid. You want to abandon French in favour of American English, without realising that English comes from French.’” With his book The English Language Doesn’t Exist – It’s Just Badly Pronounced French, Cerquiglini underscores the irony of France abandoning a language that has, in many ways, shaped English itself. “Anglomania has existed for a long time,” Cerquiglini notes, “but at the moment, it’s taking on an astonishing aspect. With [Donald] Trump right now, I don’t feel like being American.” Based on a report by The Telegraph 2025-04-07
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