1 hour ago, fredwiggy said:

Birth control is a major problem in Africa, along with diseases, so it's something that needs to be constantly addressed. I was a Catholic, but just a Christian now, as some of the things the Catholic religion does aren't necessary, along with some mistakes they've made.

The main problem worldwide is the population, and being in decline anywhere is not a bad thing, as the food in this world will eventually run out if it keeps increasing.

Young marriage ages in Africa along with better health care , vaccinations and better insect netting is also increasing the population there, and not just because there are many Catholics there. The more children that survive their younger years, the higher the population. Because of this, more younger people are having babies as the population is a younger one by percentages.

There was a study many years ago in The Economist which clearly illustrated the inverse correlation of the education level of women, and the number of children they had.

IMO climate change is also going to be limiting food availability. Conservative modelling predicts the flows of water from the Himalayan Plateau to the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Mekong will be halved by 2050, and that's without the Chinese building more dams there. The current count is more than 2000.

One billion people depend on those waters.

6 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

There was a study many years ago in The Economist which clearly illustrated the inverse correlation of the education level of women, and the number of children they had.

IMO climate change is also going to be limiting food availability. Conservative modelling predicts the flows of water from the Himalayan Plateau to the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Mekong will be halved by 2050, and that's without the Chinese building more dams there. The current count is more than 2000.

One billion people depend on those waters.

Damning rivers is a blessing and a curse, and the poor are the ones who suffer from it the most. Reservoirs have stored water and hydroelectricity benefits those larger cities around them, but farms are flooded downstream and certain species of fish migrations are curtailed unless ladders are built, and the higher the dam makes this impossible. People are bought out for a small amount of cash and their lives are changed forever.

Edited Thursday at 12:34 AM2 days by fredwiggy

18 hours ago, ronnie50 said:

@harvardgrad Im wondering why this forum only talks about USA

Have a look at the news in your own country and notice how all the foreign news relates in some way or another to the USA. A ferry sinks crossing a river in southern Africa and 150 people drown. None American. Think that would make Fox News? A local newspaper? The president of Tajikistan is re-elected by a narrow margin. CNN? ABC? Maybe the back pages of the NYT.

Why don't the US media report thesse things? They know their populace is globally ignorant, wouldn't know where most of these place are - and wouldn't care anyway - because there is no US connection.

Did you know that every major newspaper in the USA has an international section? I look forward to receiving your heartfelt apology.

1 minute ago, temuFarang said:

The president of Tajikistan is re-elected by a narrow margin. CNN? ABC? Maybe the back pages of the NYT.

President Emomali Rahmon has ruled Tajikistan since 1992 as a consolidated authoritarian leader. In reality, his elections are heavily engineered and he has historically won by massive, near-unanimous majorities, not narrow margins

On 8/26/2026 at 6:11 AM, blaze master said:

Nice ethnic racial slur. Well done.

Nice pearls.

Joke n woke. Fast food

18 hours ago, Sir Dude said:

Bashing the US huh, that's mostly Trump hate as it triggers so many on here, but certainly a bit of a change of pace from bashing the bad old Brits at any opportunity... haha.

Dunno. Lots of (rightful) bashing of Israel on here and Russia/Putin. I agree with you that the bashing - at least that you think is of America - is actually aimed at Trump. His lashing out at everyone is a symbol of societal decline in America. He's maybe not responsible for the decline - that happened due to globalization and the offshoring of working class jobs and the disappearance of union-backed salaries that fueled consumption at all levels. Both Rep and Dem embraced globalization (offshoring of jobs), starting with Reagan and Bush 1 (thousand points of light - insulting as the middle class ended up under threat after the unionized lower middle class disappeared due to offshoring). It continued through Clinton (China signing the WTO). I don't hate America, I have many American friends and grew up admiring the American spirit. As for the Brit bashing on here, they do a pretty good job beating up each other. They don't need outside help. 🤣

I think you're imagining things OP.

I haven't done a count of threads by national theme but there are lots of threads that I pass by because they are about the UK/Great Britain/England.

It seems that a lot of Brits have opinions about the US and jump into the threads about the US.

If it seems to you there are too many threads about the US maybe it just seems like that because you don't like threads about the US.

Have you actually done a count ?

Lots of UK special interest threads:

An endless stream of young people from the UK who have done themselves harm in some way in Thailand and are now starting a GOFunDME.

An endless stream of drunken louts from the UK misbehaving in some way.

Lots of thread about UK pension benefits and taxation issues.

I think this thread is really about somebody who has resentments towards the US.

Really seems like the level of hate towards the US is rising on AN.

38 minutes ago, temuFarang said:

Did you know that every major newspaper in the USA has an international section? I look forward to receiving your heartfelt apology.

I didn't say there is no international news. I said it must have an American hook. Look at the first four thumbnails they all mention the US. Not sure about Tanzania.

9 minutes ago, ronnie50 said:

I didn't say there is no international news. I said it must have an American hook. Look at the first four thumbnails they all mention the US. Not sure about Tanzania.

Why not choose silence rather than digging yourself into a deeper hole?

Just now, temuFarang said:

Why not choose silence rather than digging yourself into a deeper hole?

Why not look at what you sent?

On 8/25/2026 at 9:02 PM, harvardgrad said:

It's a British owned forum in Thailand right? Can someone explain this to me? There me be interesting things worth talking about in the rest of the world right? You know that since all the news is centered around one country that its filled with more journalists opinions than facts? In reality there's about just as much going on in this country as in any other country, except this one is the only ones where people are free to speak about. I can speak whatever I want about the UK, but only because I'm not there. Is there anywhere other than USA where I can use social media to complain about leadership and not worry about the consequences ?

It doesn't just discuss US matters.

Can we close this thread now?

23 hours ago, Screaming said:

I think allot of it has to do with President Trump and his vision To Make America Great Again. The left wing socialist Democrats in the U.S. hate him for that because they do not want the U.S. great but only socialist excepting illegals that will turn the U.S. into another third world country. So these left wing liberals turn to online forums to vent their hatred.

"...excepting illegals..." aye? (Thanks for the insight.) Why do these left-wing liberals express their hatred on line rather than attacking the US Capital like patriotic Americans?

22 hours ago, FinChin67 said:

Did not take long for Anti-Trump crowd to vent... Europe (soviet union 2.0) needs someone like Trump before mullahs are leading it.

I lived and worked in Japan and thought it was expensive. Seems it's Australia... 500% retail price difference between Japan and nanny state Australia. How come?

Australian taxes.

19 hours ago, ronnie50 said:

@harvardgrad Im wondering why this forum only talks about USA

Have a look at the news in your own country and notice how all the foreign news relates in some way or another to the USA. A ferry sinks crossing a river in southern Africa and 150 people drown. None American. Think that would make Fox News? A local newspaper? The president of Tajikistan is re-elected by a narrow margin. CNN? ABC? Maybe the back pages of the NYT.

Why don't the US media report thesse things? They know their populace is globally ignorant, wouldn't know where most of these place are - and wouldn't care anyway - because there is no US connection.

Actually that is a pretty fair characterization IMHO.

Many Americans don't care about international issues unless a celebrity makes them a flavor of the month.

But there are reasons.

The US is big, if you live in the midwest its a thousand miles to the ocean or a border.

European countries are a few hundred miles across and most have colonial history with Africa and Asia.

It isn't anything to be especially proud of but neither is it really so shameful that Americans aren't interested in the rest of the world.

My opinions, luckily I can't be stoned to death for them as I am sure both Americans and others will have issues with them.

I can only explain why my posts are primarily about the USA - I'm a USA citizen and lived there for over 50 years before moving to Thailand. So, the two reasons most of my posts concern the USA are:
1. Happenings in the USA affect me and my children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren who live in the USA.
2. Happenings elsewhere don't affect me as much, and I don't feel comfortable posting comments about them unless they also affect me - like racism, sexism, genocide, etc.

6 minutes ago, cdemundo said:

Actually that is a pretty fair characterization IMHO.

Many Americans don't care about international issues unless a celebrity makes them a flavor of the month.

But there are reasons.

The US is big, if you live in the midwest its a thousand miles to the ocean or a border.

European countries are a few hundred miles across and most have colonial history with Africa and Asia.

It isn't anything to be especially proud of but neither is it really so shameful that Americans aren't interested in the rest of the world.

My opinions, luckily I can't be stoned to death for them as I am sure both Americans and others will have issues with them.

Sure. I'm not dissing Americans for that. Just responding to the OP.

this topic will be buzzing when the American navy arrive next month

On 8/25/2026 at 9:02 PM, harvardgrad said:

It's a British owned forum in Thailand right? Can someone explain this to me? There me be interesting things worth talking about in the rest of the world right? You know that since all the news is centered around one country that its filled with more journalists opinions than facts? In reality there's about just as much going on in this country as in any other country, except this one is the only ones where people are free to speak about. I can speak whatever I want about the UK, but only because I'm not there. Is there anywhere other than USA where I can use social media to complain about leadership and not worry about the consequences ?

In many Democratic countries. Most are not belonging to native English speaking ones

13 hours ago, Lacessit said:

Populations in Russia, Ukraine, China and Thailand are in decline. The main increases are in Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America, the places which can probably least afford them.

Those population increases are contributed to by the Roman Catholic Church, which still frowns on contraception. So your concern is a bit weird, coming from a believer.

Sub Saharan population rise is due to the influence of the Roman Catholic Church? Really?

You've lost the plot old son.

22 minutes ago, emptypockets said:

Sub Saharan population rise is due to the influence of the Roman Catholic Church? Really?

You've lost the plot old son.

In case you have not noticed, Latin America is predominantly Catholic.

HIV/AIDS started in Africa. Two Popes helped its spread by warning against using condoms as a prevention measure.

Your post is only remarkable for its sheer ignorance.

19 hours ago, BarraMarra said:

Yank's mm where to start ? Obesity rampant due to lack of Salads, They think there best at everything , exept shooting kids in Schools there the best at that. Most live in a bubble outside that bubble there lost. There the most hated Country in the free world , thanks to there arrogance. America was built on the backs of Slavery, and if i ever found myself in the trenches with a Yank id be worried for my own life with them at my back.

So why millions of people have only one dream, move to America by any means. Which country has its consular services drowning under applications for permanent residency? Even Europe does not have the birthright citizenship tourism America has..

People will renounce their citizenship for a US passport.

1,32 million green cards issued in 2025. 8,3 million total applications in 2025.

The immigrant population grows at a yearly rate of 5%. One third of the immigrant population comes from Mexico, India and China.

Even the leftist Democrats who made a solemn promise to live the US if Trump was elected have commit perjury and the few ones who went to Canada or the UK did it with a return ticket.

In fact Trump access to the White House increased applications by several millions throughout US Consular services.

4 minutes ago, Patrick Wahle said:

In fact Trump access to the White House increased applications by several millions throughout US Consular services.

ChatGPT: ❌ False

~880,000 decline, not a several-million increase, between Trump's first year and the preceding fiscal year.

It's hard to keep your ignorant lies and conspiracy theories straight 🫡

On 8/26/2026 at 5:16 AM, Furioso said:

The Brits have always been obsessed with what goes on in the U.S./North American Continent. Even way back in the early 1600's.

Yep ,you've only got to look how obsesed the yanks are with the British royal family.

On 8/26/2026 at 6:28 AM, gargamon said:

It's like when there's an accident on the highway, everybody slows down and looks. Well the big accident in the world is now the US and everyone needs to look and talk about the disaster.

Yes, this is it, exactly. The accident on the highway, though, with Trump's out-of-control limousine, is still going on--multiple vehicles involved, thousands so far, and the horrible carnage is happening in excruciating slow-motion, with no end in sight.

1. United States: ~306 million

2. United Kingdom: ~68 million

3. Canada: ~20 million

4. Australia: ~17 million

Number of people with English as first language by country.

33 minutes ago, SiSePuede419 said:

ChatGPT: ❌ False

~880,000 decline, not a several-million increase, between Trump's first year and the preceding fiscal year.

It's hard to keep your ignorant lies and conspiracy theories straight 🫡

I maintain there has been a surge of legal applications in 2016 and 2024 to such an extent the administration had to restrict, delay and pause the demands due to a huge backlog. The State department had to pause immigrant visa processing and cancelled scheduled interviews globally due to a lack of consular officers and the necessity of stricter screening rules.

Many of the declines came from countries which were under security reviews for terrorism or radical Islamism (Somalia, Yemen, etc…). Many of these denied applicants applied for asylum despite coming from these countries.

Those “declined” were the unauthorized immigrants who came illegally despite their unapproved application.

Maybe you don’t know (even by getting false infos from ChatGPT) there are as many lawful permanent residents as unauthorized immigrants among the foreign born population: 49% naturalized, 24% green cards issued holders, 4% lawful temporary residents and 23% unauthorized immigrants.

Next time learn how to ask a question to AI and don’t feel obliged to insult people. Usually it’s a sign of weakness and lack of arguments.

Conclusion: the more applications received the more applications declined. Quod erat demonstrandum.

On 8/25/2026 at 4:02 PM, harvardgrad said:

It's a British owned forum in Thailand right? Can someone explain this to me? There me be interesting things worth talking about in the rest of the world right?

And I seems to see quite a bit of British-related news-stories — more than from US — perhaps it might be depending on how one browse ASEAN NOW? I use the forums to keep up with Thai news and other Thailand related stuff — for which the site is excellent — the international- and my home country news I find elsewhere.

1 hour ago, Lacessit said:

In case you have not noticed, Latin America is predominantly Catholic.

HIV/AIDS started in Africa. Two Popes helped its spread by warning against using condoms as a prevention measure.

Your post is only remarkable for its sheer ignorance.

Of course Islam has nothing to do with it in Africa.

HIV/AIDS was first recognised when a volume of gay men in the USA began presenting with, until then, symptoms of an unknown origin.