Americans, do you need ‘protection’ in Thailand? (Other than a night in Soi Cowboy!)

After all, Thais' weapons of choice are rarely a gun, more often a hoe, sharp machete, dull knife, wooden club or a rock. All can do the job.

Don’t you feel unsafe here, Bunky?

If you don’t feel unsafe here in Thailand, why would you feel unsafe in the US? I’ve got an answer for that. Because everybody, from business execs to gangbangers, own guns.

So, in America, who are you protecting yourself from? Why, your fellow Americans, of course. Don't you think that's pitiful?

If you live in a paranoid world, you think you need a gun to ‘defend’ yourself. Every street where the streetlights are out, every alleyway, every abandoned house, every homeless veteran (trained to kill), every scruffy person, all of them, put you in danger, in harm’s way. Right?

US politicians are bought and paid for. The gun lobby, the pharma lobby, the oil lobby, control our elected officials. They dare not grow a spine to oppose them. If they do, their find that those lobbyists with deep pockets have smeared them in their constituencies, and the voters will vote in a more ‘malleable’ pol.

That means there is never a significant block of legislators who are capable of even the most minimal gun control. There are arms manufacturers in almost every Congressional district. Weapons are certainly one of America’s biggest industries, from war weapons to handguns.

Google AI: The United States is the world's #1 ranked weapons exporter, dominating the global market with a 43% share of international arms transfers between 2020 and 2024. It holds a significant lead over other major exporters like France, Russia, and China, supplying major weapons to over 100 nations, including key sales to Saudi Arabia, Ukraine, and Asia Pacific allies. The U.S. share of global arms exports has increased from 35% in 2015-2019 to 43% in 2020-2024.

Visual Capitalist

Eisenhower only warned the American public about the ‘military industrial complex’ in his last speech before his second term was over in 1958. As a US Army general, of course, he was well aware of this danger from 1939 when American capitalists went whole hog into munitions..

You may think the Second Amendment guarantees your right to bear arms. But, in fact, the Constitution was talking about forming militias to defend themselves against an out-of-control government! Not to shoot each other, not to shoot up schools and houses of worship. Not to use in road rage, not to use in a taproom argument. Not even to use when somebody knocks at your door or in an argument with your wife (or husband!)

Yeah, gun control. Only criminals would have guns. At least criminals are more responsible than the public: they only shoot each other in wars for territory or money.

Right, war against the cartels. Who arms the cartels? If you guessed Americans, you’d be spot on. US gun fairs, auctions, private sales.

Google AI: Straw Purchases are a primary method where individuals legally allowed to purchase firearms in the U.S. buy guns on behalf of someone who cannot legally do so, such as a cartel associate.

• High Volume and Lenient Laws: The vast U.S. commercial gun market and, in some border states, more lenient gun laws make it easier to acquire high-caliber rifles, high-capacity magazines, and .50 caliber sniper rifles that are in high demand by cartels.

• Smugglers use hiding disassembled gun parts in hidden compartments within vehicles and as part of a commercial shipment or concealed among goods in a truck to transport firearms across the border to Mexico.

• Research has found that independent gun dealers are a disproportionately large source of trafficked assault-style weapons and sniper rifles compared to large chain stores.

• Some weapons legally sold by US companies to Mexican police and military forces are later diverted into cartel hands through theft or corruption within Mexican security forces.

• Even U.S. Army-manufactured ammunition has been traced to cartel seizures, often acquired through commercial sales from military production plants.

It would take a fascist govt in the United States to make any dent in private ownership of weapons, via ICE-style raids on private homes. We probably aren’t quite ready for that.

Meanwhile, our only ‘militias’ are right-wing insurrectionists willing to disrupt the Federal govt whenever they feel intimidated by it.

The bottom line is: America sells death everywhere in the world.

Another bash USA thread. Great, except you really should Google before posting ...

... "After all, Thais' weapons of choice are rarely a gun, more often a hoe, sharp machete, dull knife, wooden club or a rock." ...

28 minutes ago, unblocktheplanet said:

Americans, do you need ‘protection’ in Thailand? (Other than a night in Soi Cowboy!)

After all, Thais' weapons of choice are rarely a gun, more often a hoe, sharp machete, dull knife, wooden club or a rock. All can do the job.

Don’t you feel unsafe here, Bunky?

If you don’t feel unsafe here in Thailand, why would you feel unsafe in the US? I’ve got an answer for that. Because everybody, from business execs to gangbangers, own guns.

So, in America, who are you protecting yourself from? Why, your fellow Americans, of course. Don't you think that's pitiful?

If you live in a paranoid world, you think you need a gun to ‘defend’ yourself. Every street where the streetlights are out, every alleyway, every abandoned house, every homeless veteran (trained to kill), every scruffy person, all of them, put you in danger, in harm’s way. Right?

US politicians are bought and paid for. The gun lobby, the pharma lobby, the oil lobby, control our elected officials. They dare not grow a spine to oppose them. If they do, their find that those lobbyists with deep pockets have smeared them in their constituencies, and the voters will vote in a more ‘malleable’ pol.

That means there is never a significant block of legislators who are capable of even the most minimal gun control. There are arms manufacturers in almost every Congressional district. Weapons are certainly one of America’s biggest industries, from war weapons to handguns.

Google AI: The United States is the world's #1 ranked weapons exporter, dominating the global market with a 43% share of international arms transfers between 2020 and 2024. It holds a significant lead over other major exporters like France, Russia, and China, supplying major weapons to over 100 nations, including key sales to Saudi Arabia, Ukraine, and Asia Pacific allies. The U.S. share of global arms exports has increased from 35% in 2015-2019 to 43% in 2020-2024.

Visual Capitalist

Eisenhower only warned the American public about the ‘military industrial complex’ in his last speech before his second term was over in 1958. As a US Army general, of course, he was well aware of this danger from 1939 when American capitalists went whole hog into munitions..

You may think the Second Amendment guarantees your right to bear arms. But, in fact, the Constitution was talking about forming militias to defend themselves against an out-of-control government! Not to shoot each other, not to shoot up schools and houses of worship. Not to use in road rage, not to use in a taproom argument. Not even to use when somebody knocks at your door or in an argument with your wife (or husband!)

Yeah, gun control. Only criminals would have guns. At least criminals are more responsible than the public: they only shoot each other in wars for territory or money.

Right, war against the cartels. Who arms the cartels? If you guessed Americans, you’d be spot on. US gun fairs, auctions, private sales.

Google AI: Straw Purchases are a primary method where individuals legally allowed to purchase firearms in the U.S. buy guns on behalf of someone who cannot legally do so, such as a cartel associate.

• High Volume and Lenient Laws: The vast U.S. commercial gun market and, in some border states, more lenient gun laws make it easier to acquire high-caliber rifles, high-capacity magazines, and .50 caliber sniper rifles that are in high demand by cartels.

• Smugglers use hiding disassembled gun parts in hidden compartments within vehicles and as part of a commercial shipment or concealed among goods in a truck to transport firearms across the border to Mexico.

• Research has found that independent gun dealers are a disproportionately large source of trafficked assault-style weapons and sniper rifles compared to large chain stores.

• Some weapons legally sold by US companies to Mexican police and military forces are later diverted into cartel hands through theft or corruption within Mexican security forces.

• Even U.S. Army-manufactured ammunition has been traced to cartel seizures, often acquired through commercial sales from military production plants.

It would take a fascist govt in the United States to make any dent in private ownership of weapons, via ICE-style raids on private homes. We probably aren’t quite ready for that.

Meanwhile, our only ‘militias’ are right-wing insurrectionists willing to disrupt the Federal govt whenever they feel intimidated by it.

The bottom line is: America sells death everywhere in the world.

I thought you were planning on moving your stupid rants to the Off the Beaten Track section of this site?

If we could own guns here, I'm sure many foreigners would, especially in the cities, as that's where most of the violence occurs. Those like me that live in the country really have no need, as the people in the country aren't out looking for trouble with foreigners, and most of the crime is domestic within families.

I sold guns for years in the US, just before I moved here, and "everybody" doesn't own a gun, although many do, and most are for hunting and target shooting. The same here. Most crime is city oriented, and most gun violence is gang related and suicides.

Criminals don't only shoot each other, and legal gun ownership has stopped many crimes from happening. The rest we've all heard before.

Illegal weapons are the problem, as the majority of legal gun owners aren't the ones committing the crimes. Stolen or "borrowed" guns have been a problem, and that's partly on the gun owners, who all should have gun safes. Murders here are committed many times by guns, and intentional homicides mirror the US.

46 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

Another bash USA thread. Great, except you really should Google before posting ...

... "After all, Thais' weapons of choice are rarely a gun, more often a hoe, sharp machete, dull knife, wooden club or a rock." ...

Pretty much BS. Guns are used here by criminals and the so-called godfathers and Thai Mafia. They're used against other criminals not ordinary blokes like you! Shucks, eh!

In terms of personal violence, resorting to the weapons I listed are regularly reported in the Thai media.

As an ex-American, I feel free to bash away. But this is not just an anti-US govt post. It's an anti-gun post.

47 minutes ago, TedG said:

I thought you were planning on moving your stupid rants to the Off the Beaten Track section of this site?

Only my more controversial posts. There's nothing controversial about US gun control. And it's not a rant but a statement of fact.

Thank you for your validation.

Just now, unblocktheplanet said:

Only my more controversial posts. There's nothing controversial about US gun control. And it's not a rant but a statement of fact.

Thank you for your validation.

I'm not validating you one iota. You should only be allowed to post in the Off Beaten path.

4 minutes ago, unblocktheplanet said:

As an ex-American

Good, we want nothing to do with you.

3 minutes ago, unblocktheplanet said:

Pretty much BS. Guns are used here by criminals and the so-called godfathers and Thai Mafia. They're used against other criminals not ordinary blokes like you! Shucks, eh!

In terms of personal violence, resorting to the weapons I listed are regularly reported in the Thai media.

As an ex-American, I feel free to bash away. But this is not just an anti-US govt post. It's an anti-gun post.

It's not BS, https://www.cfr.org/articles/thailands-spiraling-gun-violence-and-need-solutions............as you can find many resources regarding gun violence in Thailand,https://www.reuters.com/article/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/factbox-thailands-gun-culture-and-past-shootings-idUSL4N3BA0TT/ all through the years..............https://tdri.or.th/en/2022/10/lets-talk-about-gun-control-in-thailand/.

Didn't get a chance to finish this post on you other thread, that go deleted. A few tidbits of info you might like, or not ...

And most didn't kill anyone ...

The other 0.006% did, and ...

... and, stay away from gang bangers, and don't piss off friends & relatives, and you'll be pretty safe ...

4 hours ago, fredwiggy said:

It's not BS, https://www.cfr.org/articles/thailands-spiraling-gun-violence-and-need-solutions............as you can find many resources regarding gun violence in Thailand,https://www.reuters.com/article/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/factbox-thailands-gun-culture-and-past-shootings-idUSL4N3BA0TT/ all through the years..............https://tdri.or.th/en/2022/10/lets-talk-about-gun-control-in-thailand/.

Any one of them involving foreigners, except for gangsters? I'm asking if you feel unsafe.

4 hours ago, KhunLA said:

Didn't get a chance to finish this post on you other thread, that go deleted. A few tidbits of info you might like, or not ...

And most didn't kill anyone ...

The other 0.006% did, and ...

... and, stay away from gang bangers, and don't piss off friends & relatives, and you'll be pretty safe ...

EXACTLY my point! So...why should anyone own a gun???

4 hours ago, TedG said:

I'm not validating you one iota. You should only be allowed to post in the Off Beaten path.

Ted, I'd be interested in exploring why you seem to have such a hard-on for me. So you don't agree with some / much / all of what I have to say. So what? I'm feeling your anger. That's validation, man. Dialogue is what makes us human. We don't have to agree.

If I piss you off, well, nobody's forcing you to read me.

15 minutes ago, unblocktheplanet said:

Ted, I'd be interested in exploring why you seem to have such a hard-on for me. So you don't agree with some / much / all of what I have to say. So what? I'm feeling your anger. That's validation, man. Dialogue is what makes us human. We don't have to agree.

If I piss you off, well, nobody's forcing you to read me.

Are you triggered?

18 minutes ago, TedG said:

Are you triggered?

18 minutes ago, TedG said:

Not in the least. But I'm interested in why people think the way they do.

5 hours ago, unblocktheplanet said:

Any one of them involving foreigners, except for gangsters? I'm asking if you feel unsafe.

Safer in the US of course. People here kill for very minor things

8 hours ago, unblocktheplanet said:

Any one of them involving foreigners, except for gangsters? I'm asking if you feel unsafe.

Why would anyone feel unsafe. People usually get murdered because they place themselves in harm's way. Piss someone off they probably thought they could get away with, whether financially or romantically.

Randomly getting murdered just doesn't happen, anywhere. Common sense helps, as suspect those murdered by strangers, fought back while getting mugged. Or beer muscles they thought they had. Some people just don't know when to walk away.

4 hours ago, KhunLA said:

Why would anyone feel unsafe. People usually get murdered because they place themselves in harm's way. Piss someone off they probably thought they could get away with, whether financially or romantically.

Randomly getting murdered just doesn't happen, anywhere. Common sense helps, as suspect those murdered by strangers, fought back while getting mugged. Or beer muscles they thought they had. Some people just don't know when to walk away.

People also get murdered while being robbed, or for trying to defend themself or others from attackers. It happens every day all over the world. Criminals attack those they feel are victims. Going from a restaurant, store or bar to your car isn't putting yourself in harms way but doing normal things. Using common sense would be walking with your head up, observing, and not appearing fearful as they can sense that. Having car keys ready and trying not to be alone while going out. Parking in a well lit area and not staying out so late that you're the only one around. Criminals are cowards, and usually won't go after one on one against someone whom looks assertive. Of course carrying a weapon can help when you're in the wrong place, wrong time. Some times you just can't walk away.

7 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

People also get murdered while being robbed, or for trying to defend themself or others from attackers. It happens every day all over the world. Criminals attack those they feel are victims. Going from a restaurant, store or bar to your car isn't putting yourself in harms way but doing normal things. Using common sense would be walking with your head up, observing, and not appearing fearful as they can sense that. Having car keys ready and trying not to be alone while going out. Parking in a well lit area and not staying out so late that you're the only one around. Criminals are cowards, and usually won't go after one on one against someone whom looks assertive. Of course carrying a weapon can help when you're in the wrong place, wrong time. Some times you just can't walk away.

Yes, I did note that, getting mugged & using common sense. Easy to avoid high crime area.