Impending World Wide Economic Depression,

[Spee]

So, what is KING??? gold? and if gold....for how long?? it keeps going up and the wife still says buy it....wish I had listened to her 5 yrs back.

Many different commodities are at or near all time highs, whether gold or other precious metals, oil, corn, wheat, etc. The commodity market, like the stock market is a speculative "bet" on what the future levels might be, but only a fool invests in something that they believe to be at or near an all time high. You can only logically make these "bets" if you are relatively certain that the given commodity will continue to increase at a level that will outpace most other type of available investments. The bottom can fall out of the commodity markets just as quickly as it can fall out of the stock markets. As has been discussed often in this forum, some Thai people want to put their money in gold because it is something that can always be easily bartered or liquidated, not because on paper it a better investment over the long term that a stock or another commodity.

[PaddyThai]

In response to the original Post, I would say that Farangs who are living here on retirement or marriage visas, with modest pensions, with some savings overseas and most importantly of all with large amounts of farmland will survive.

With commodity prices rising and Thailand's proximity to China, you can't go far wrong growing most anything - bio-fuels, corn, cassava even rice. You'll produce sufficient food to feed yourself and if you have your own house your needs should not ne so great. Notice I say needs not wants.

[Pepe']

Not to sound too presumptuous but if the US crashes everyone goes down...

I think thats whats pissing everyone off.

-----------------

I think now would be a good time for countries to forgive US debt as the US has forgiven and given away billions in the past...

[LaoPo]

Not to sound too presumptuous but if the US crashes everyone goes down...

I think thats whats pissing everyone off.

-----------------

I think now would be a good time for countries to forgive US debt as the US has forgiven and given away billions in the past...

I think it's about time the US (and the rest of the world) stop creating wars....

Source: NY Times

LaoPo

[Pepe']

Off point and if you consider all the wars that have been started by mankind in just the last century the US started far less than the other players.

By the way I am anti war and a combat vet...

[LaoPo]

Off point and if you consider all the wars that have been started by mankind in just the last century the US started far less than the other players.

By the way I am anti war and a combat vet...

Pepe, I don't think it's off topic. If the US wouldn't have started the Iraq war, the country would have been in a lot better shape, financially, and would also have been a lot more respected by the rest of the world; and the topic is about WW Economic Depression and the financial <deleted> started in the US, spreading like a disease...

A lot of people forget that the US NEVER had an international war on their own soil...it always happened elsewhere. It's also sad and dramatic that a high amount of fine young US soldiers have died now already in Iraq...4.000. Spoiled lives..and for WHAT ?

Don't forget: the whole world was lied upon by the Administration...

OK, rant over; not your fault.

LaoPo

[Pepe']

I did my time during the Vietnam war. Another total cluster fck on the part of the US.

Hatred of the US is nothing new. Most of it well deserved. But it's the polititions and the corporate raiders who are leading the assault.

The citizens are just cattle/consumers. When we stop eating so does everybody else, "the depression thing."

It's all we're good for anymore is consumerism and fighting. The powers that be have given the US away.

If I could wave a magic wand and make the war in Iraq stop, I would do it right now.

The war in Iraq is a small part of a large equation. We are suffering from cumulative karma as a species IMHO.

The old Chinese curse, "May you be born in interesting times", well brother we are there.

Sad to say the war in Iraq, "Kid's stuff", you ain't seen nothin' yet...

[pampal]

So much doom and gloom, yes it's definitely intersting times we are living in

[LaoPo]

I did my time during the Vietnam war. Another total cluster fck on the part of the US.

Hatred of the US is nothing new. Most of it well deserved. But it's the polititions and the corporate raiders who are leading the assault.

The citizens are just cattle/consumers. When we stop eating so does everybody else, "the depression thing."

It's all we're good for anymore is consumerism and fighting. The powers that be have given the US away.

If I could wave a magic wand and make the war in Iraq stop, I would do it right now.

The war in Iraq is a small part of a large equation. We are suffering from cumulative karma as a species IMHO.

The old Chinese curse, "May you be born in interesting times", well brother we are there.

Sad to say the war in Iraq, "Kid's stuff", you ain't seen nothin' yet...

Well said. I can almost sense your pain....

Personally I have no hate against/to/for the US. I built a business there, made a lot of friends and enjoyed it for most part.

However, since GWB I got the 'creeps', not against the Americans themselves but the administration in Washington/DC. What they have done to mankind is horrible and will be felt many decades to come but also mostly with their own people.

Its all about power, money and greed.

I feel deeply ashamed for my own government who 'walked hand-in-hand' with GWB and approved the war to Iraq/Saddam, whilst at the same time GWB and Tony Blair knew they were lying.....and got away with it.

Unbelievable.

Coming back on topic:

Can anyone imagine if all the war-money would have gone into the normal economy, health care...victims of Katrina in New Orleans for instance....?

The WW Economic Depression, this topic is all about, would NOT have been in sight or talked about at all.

LaoPo

[Pepe']

Maybe but like I said IMHO we've all got dues to pay...

[LaoPo]

Maybe but like I said IMHO we've all got dues to pay...

Yes....but the poor (countries) always pay more than the rich...

US: 4.000 killed in Iraq; imagine....all those families, brothers, sisters, grandparents, uncles, aunts full of distress about their loved ones

&

Iraq: 85.000 killed, same period...

What a waste, what sorrow.

Sorry, off topic

LaoPo

[Heng]

I like the old Chinese proverb... "pay your dues, but don't forget you owe me interest. Nevermind, I'll remind you anyway."

[Pepe']

Maybe but like I said IMHO we've all got dues to pay...

Yes....but the poor (countries) always pay more than the rich...

US: 4.000 killed in Iraq; imagine....all those families, brothers, sisters, grandparents, uncles, aunts full of distress about their loved ones

&

Iraq: 85.000 killed, same period...

What a waste, what sorrow.

Sorry, off topic

LaoPo

------------------

I was watching a show on the History channel here yesterday. I Forget the dates but it was described in the Bible The Jews fighting the Philistines. The The Jews fighting the Cananites and on and on.

What struck me was that standard operating procedure was to kill every man woman child and animal. Surrender and leaving was not even an option.

Mankind's natural state is war. Rome had their day, the Turks had theirs the Greeks again on and on.

Now the fcking Chinese are slaughtering innocent and defenseless people in Tibet, AGAIN! Most people I talk with here don't even know it's happening!

I want peace, really, I think most, if not all of us do. Unfortunately it just ain't gonna fckin happen.

No way. No how.

When I would express my ditain with war,my darling ex from Samut Sakorn used to say, "That's what humans are good at, Killing each other."

[LaoPo]

Maybe but like I said IMHO we've all got dues to pay...

Yes....but the poor (countries) always pay more than the rich...

US: 4.000 killed in Iraq; imagine....all those families, brothers, sisters, grandparents, uncles, aunts full of distress about their loved ones

&

Iraq: 85.000 killed, same period...

What a waste, what sorrow.

Sorry, off topic

LaoPo

------------------

I was watching a show on the History channel here yesterday. I Forget the dates but it was described in the Bible The Jews fighting the Philistines. The The Jews fighting the Cananites and on and on.

What struck me was that standard operating procedure was to kill every man woman child and animal. Surrender and leaving was not even an option.

Mankind's natural state is war. Rome had their day, the Turks had theirs the Greeks again on and on.

Now the fcking Chinese are slaughtering innocent and defenseless people in Tibet, AGAIN! Most people I talk with here don't even know it's happening!

I want peace, really, I think most, if not all of us do. Unfortunately it just ain't gonna fckin happen.

No way. No how.

When I would express my ditain with war,my darling ex from Samut Sakorn used to say, "That's what humans are good at, Killing each other."

I know what you mean....and I don't feel offended since my wife is Chinese.

I have been coming into China already since about 30 years. The problem with Tibet (but we go way off topic here) is that there is a 2-way propaganda here, the Western version versus the Chinese.

Impossible to solve this problem without a dialogue between the Tibetans/Dalai Lama and Chinese. The problem is also that the view of the Chinese goes back thousands of years into the history of both Tibet and China whilst the West is talking about the past 50+ years.

But, let me stop here since politics are not allowed on TV according to the forum rules.

LaoPo

[mellow1]

As soon as the US pulls out of Iraq, and Afghanistan, that's when the killing will really start. They have been killing each other for thousands of years no sense in the US getting involved. hel_l they have killed 2500 people here recently and are planning to kill 4000 more as soon as possible in the war on drugs, and you all moved here. Of course you feel this is justified. As far as the rest of the world feeling a pinch cause of the US economy, well screw them. Take care of your own shit and quit worrying about the US. Maybe if your own financial institutions didn't speculate on US mortgages the pinch wouldn't be so bad. As far as your exports, we only care about ours same as you do. Your worried about people being killed get off your ass and defend the women and children in Darfur, or are you scared your gonna get hurt and wont have nothing to bitch about, when you can't do nothing yourself. Always blame someone else or find a scapegoat, and close your eyes to the truly horrible shit out there. What has your country or even yourself done for anyone else?

[Heng]

Where's the "Coalition to Free Tibet" and operation "Tibetan Freedom?"

[mellow1]

Where's the "Coalition to Free Tibet" and operation "Tibetan Freedom?"

Yea let them bitch and fight for that. Can't do shit, only complain about the US. Go save the world from all the injustice guys.

[Colonel_Mustard]

Where's the "Coalition to Free Tibet" and operation "Tibetan Freedom?"

Does Tibet have oil then?

[mellow1]

Where's the "Coalition to Free Tibet" and operation "Tibetan Freedom?"

Does Tibet have oil then?

Would you go there to help its people against the Chinese, if it did? It doesn't sound like you'll do it for humanitarian reasons already.

[Colonel_Mustard]

Where's the "Coalition to Free Tibet" and operation "Tibetan Freedom?"

Does Tibet have oil then?

Would you go there to help its people against the Chinese, if it did?

Not for any reason but I think I might know of a former governor of Texas who would.

[mellow1]

^ I hope he goes by himself, and leaves the rest of the boys and girls at home.

[Colonel_Mustard]

^ I hope he goes by himself, and leaves the rest of the boys and girls at home.

Me too.

[ray23]

Anyone know what going on with the dollar?

We seeign a bouce

Will the G-7 step up to the plate next month?

[Heng]

Where's the "Coalition to Free Tibet" and operation "Tibetan Freedom?"

Does Tibet have oil then?

Not a good idea, anyway. It's up there with never going up against a Sicilian when death is on the line.

[egg6447]

Not to sound too presumptuous but if the US crashes everyone goes down...

I think thats whats pissing everyone off.

not me bro, i AM fireproof. have been for 25-30yrs wherever i choose to live. only also rans go down the pan in tight situations, ie men and boys. a recession is a time to make money not dilute your beer with tiers.get a life for christsake

[PeaceBlondie]

The USA still has not finished paying off its war debts from world war one, or Great Depression debts, or world war two, Korea, Vietnam, Grenada, Panama, gulf war one, Afghanistan, gulf war two. They will, by all evidence, never repay more than twelve satang per billion dollars on those debts. But all evidence suggests they will keep raping and pillaging countries outside their borders. As Pepe says, maybe the karma will catch the USA in the end. In the rear end.

Thailand will survive, but what are the odds of this country being under a military or populist dictatorship similar to Burma or Cuba for fifty years?

[LaoPo]

The USA still has not finished paying off its war debts from world war one, or Great Depression debts, or world war two, Korea, Vietnam, Grenada, Panama, gulf war one, Afghanistan, gulf war two. They will, by all evidence, never repay more than twelve satang per billion dollars on those debts. But all evidence suggests they will keep raping and pillaging countries outside their borders. As Pepe says, maybe the karma will catch the USA in the end. In the rear end.

Thailand will survive, but what are the odds of this country being under a military or populist dictatorship similar to Burma or Cuba for fifty years?

...for what you wrote about the debt of those wars....

and: does that mean PeaceBlondie, that you have little faith that Thailand will become a democratic country.....once ?

LaoPo

[altman]

So, what is KING??? gold? and if gold....for how long?? it keeps going up and the wife still says buy it....wish I had listened to her 5 yrs back.

nails. they represent iron in a refined and readily usable form.

or bullets. probably bullets.

maybe water, but you better have bullets to hold onto it.

get yourself a piece of land on which you can build a sustainable lifestyle and let the rest of the world devolve around you.

best of luck and remember, like everything else, gold only has value as long as someone else wants it. and you can't eat (or drink) gold.

[altman]

This is the case precisely because there is too much government intervention. The most recent example I can think of is the "North American Free Trade Agreement" or NAFTA for short. If there is going to be free trade between countries then why do governments need to be involved? Any agreement should be a one-line, i.e., "any business in Mexico is free to trade with any business in the US." Instead NAFTA became 900 pages of government rules and regulations. Hardly free trade at all.

perhaps it might be wise to have governments around so that they can define what a business is. surely you wouldn't want cocaine and heroin trafficking to be classed as a business, would you?

but doesn't that open the doors for classification and regulation?

and doesn't that enlightened view of governments providing 'service and protection to the people' lead to further regulations of corporations and businesses which are fundamentally corrupt and exploitive?

and doesn't that .... oh never mind.

Obvious to everyone except apparently you, my statements were made in the context of the "business" being legitimate in terms of both country's laws. That is not regulation any more than car buying is a legitimate exercise and car stealing is a criminal offense.

As far as providing service and protection, the US constitution (and presumably that of other democracies) makes it a responsibility of the government to provide for the common defense. That would include business and business interests, in addition to individuals.

What point is it that you're really trying to make ... that some level of government is necessary?

If so, I would agree ...

sorry. i took your comments at their face value. as though you meant what you said.

since we agree that some level of government is necessary perhaps further jingoistic statements that complex inter-governmental treaties can be simplified to a single line can be dispensed with...?

and as to whether laws represent regulation... i think they are.

they absolutely regulate our behavior. that's why we have them.

[Pepe']

Not to sound too presumptuous but if the US crashes everyone goes down...

I think thats whats pissing everyone off.

not me bro, i AM fireproof. have been for 25-30yrs wherever i choose to live. only also rans go down the pan in tight situations, ie men and boys. a recession is a time to make money not dilute your beer with tiers.get a life for christsake

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Sunday was the first day I had off in three weeks. Beside full time practice and part time teaching, my self and a partner are picking up properties for a song. Maybe I'll be able to retire after all...