Get off your high horse, America, we do not need a ride: Thai opinion

[cardinalblue]

I am "an average joe" of the halve side of American society.. My lportfollio has never been as high as it is now. Corporations rule the west and am willing to play the game...

Pretty simple answer...go Apple, IBM Microsoft Wells Fargo Merck BP Phillip Morris McDonald's Coke Cola, etc...

My share-holder approved ethics are just fine...

[ClutchClark]

I am "an average joe" of the halve side of American society.. My lportfollio has never been as high as it is now. Corporations rule the west and am willing to play the game...

Pretty simple answer...go Apple, IBM Microsoft Wells Fargo Merck BP Phillip Morris McDonald's Coke Cola, etc...

My share-holder approved ethics are just fine...

Well this fits into the OP.

What is your opinion of corporate ethics? Your post seems to suggest as long as your portfolio is increasing then you really don't care how that is achieved. Human rights violations, gutting workplace safety, environmental degradation, not providing healthcare for employees--each of these practices will bring up your net worth.

Am I correct to guess you are non-degreed skilled labor?

Cheers

Edited June 29, 2014 by ClutchClark

[cardinalblue]

I was responding to connda as to why things don't change politically towards some idealistic model and independent canidates. Americans with wealth are much more economically motivated than by politics. Those who don't have wealth sure would like to have it...

As an investor, times are good currently and we pay much more attention to picking good companies and following economics/financials; much less so how who will be in the white house. Americans who are ivested in America don't want drastic idealistic BS that upsets the apple cart. That is why so little change whether republican or democrat in office. Sure, Americans bitch about politics but that is what we Americans famously do. At the end of the day, did the DOW go up or down to those with a vested interest...

All I will say about corporate ethics is there is a strong correlation between great long-standing companies (like IBM or GE) and having high ethical standards. Companies that do not, eventually disappear, bought out or go out of business. Easy to check public watchlists of companies who are from best to worse.

As to your wild guess, last year's US and World report lsited my three universities in the top 30 in the world. If you have a Harvard and another Ivy or combined with Cambridge/Oxford degree(s)_, you have me beat then...

Your comments about safety, employee health care benefits, human rights violations, env degradation, etc are pretty silly. Fortune 500 companies are the ones who are regulated the most and under constant pressure to comply with laws and standards. If not, investors and the consumer are not kind. But that is a topic for another day....

CB

[iphad]

a good article by Dr. Paul Craig Roberts who is an American that served in Ronald Reagon's government.

http://www.paulcraigroberts.org/2014/06/25/new-recession-new-world-devoid-washingtons-arrogance-paul-craig-roberts/

Good to read the whole article but Dr. Paul Craig Roberts ends it as.....................

""On top of US political troubles, the US dollar is in trouble.

The dollar is kept afloat by rigged financial markets and Washington’s pressure on its vassal states to support the dollar’s value by printing their own currencies and purchasing dollars.

In order to keep the dollar afloat, much of the world will be inflated.

When people finally catch on and rush into gold, the Chinese will have it all.

Sergey Glazyev, an adviser to President Putin, has told the Russian president than only an anti-dollar alliance that crashes the US dollar can halt Washington’s aggression. That has long been my opinion.

There can be no peace as long as Washington can print more money with which to finance more wars.

As the Chinese government stated, it is time to “de-Americanize the world.”

Washington’s leadership has totally failed the world, producing nothing but lies, violence, death, and the promise of more violence.

America is exceptional only in the fact that Washington has, without remorse, destroyed in whole or part seven countries in the new 21st century.

Unless Washington is replaced with more humane leadership, life on earth has no future.""

[thailiketoo]

a good article by Dr. Paul Craig Roberts who is an American that served in Ronald Reagon's government.

http://www.paulcraigroberts.org/2014/06/25/new-recession-new-world-devoid-washingtons-arrogance-paul-craig-roberts/

Good to read the whole article but Dr. Paul Craig Roberts ends it as.....................

""On top of US political troubles, the US dollar is in trouble.

The dollar is kept afloat by rigged financial markets and Washington’s pressure on its vassal states to support the dollar’s value by printing their own currencies and purchasing dollars.

In order to keep the dollar afloat, much of the world will be inflated.

When people finally catch on and rush into gold, the Chinese will have it all.

Sergey Glazyev, an adviser to President Putin, has told the Russian president than only an anti-dollar alliance that crashes the US dollar can halt Washington’s aggression. That has long been my opinion.

There can be no peace as long as Washington can print more money with which to finance more wars.

As the Chinese government stated, it is time to “de-Americanize the world.”

Washington’s leadership has totally failed the world, producing nothing but lies, violence, death, and the promise of more violence.

America is exceptional only in the fact that Washington has, without remorse, destroyed in whole or part seven countries in the new 21st century.

Unless Washington is replaced with more humane leadership, life on earth has no future.""

You quoted, "Washington has, without remorse, destroyed in whole or part seven countries in the new 21st century." I know the UK and Germany but who are the other 5?

[iphad]

a good article by Dr. Paul Craig Roberts who is an American that served in Ronald Reagon's government.

http://www.paulcraigroberts.org/2014/06/25/new-recession-new-world-devoid-washingtons-arrogance-paul-craig-roberts/

Good to read the whole article but Dr. Paul Craig Roberts ends it as.....................

""On top of US political troubles, the US dollar is in trouble.

The dollar is kept afloat by rigged financial markets and Washington’s pressure on its vassal states to support the dollar’s value by printing their own currencies and purchasing dollars.

In order to keep the dollar afloat, much of the world will be inflated.

When people finally catch on and rush into gold, the Chinese will have it all.

Sergey Glazyev, an adviser to President Putin, has told the Russian president than only an anti-dollar alliance that crashes the US dollar can halt Washington’s aggression. That has long been my opinion.

There can be no peace as long as Washington can print more money with which to finance more wars.

As the Chinese government stated, it is time to “de-Americanize the world.”

Washington’s leadership has totally failed the world, producing nothing but lies, violence, death, and the promise of more violence.

America is exceptional only in the fact that Washington has, without remorse, destroyed in whole or part seven countries in the new 21st century.

Unless Washington is replaced with more humane leadership, life on earth has no future.""

You quoted, "Washington has, without remorse, destroyed in whole or part seven countries in the new 21st century." I know the UK and Germany but who are the other 5?

DR. Paul Craig Roberts stated it...Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Ukraine, Syria, Georgia,and I think Venezuela

[thailiketoo]

a good article by Dr. Paul Craig Roberts who is an American that served in Ronald Reagon's government.

http://www.paulcraigroberts.org/2014/06/25/new-recession-new-world-devoid-washingtons-arrogance-paul-craig-roberts/

Good to read the whole article but Dr. Paul Craig Roberts ends it as.....................

""On top of US political troubles, the US dollar is in trouble.

The dollar is kept afloat by rigged financial markets and Washington’s pressure on its vassal states to support the dollar’s value by printing their own currencies and purchasing dollars.

In order to keep the dollar afloat, much of the world will be inflated.

When people finally catch on and rush into gold, the Chinese will have it all.

Sergey Glazyev, an adviser to President Putin, has told the Russian president than only an anti-dollar alliance that crashes the US dollar can halt Washington’s aggression. That has long been my opinion.

There can be no peace as long as Washington can print more money with which to finance more wars.

As the Chinese government stated, it is time to “de-Americanize the world.”

Washington’s leadership has totally failed the world, producing nothing but lies, violence, death, and the promise of more violence.

America is exceptional only in the fact that Washington has, without remorse, destroyed in whole or part seven countries in the new 21st century.

Unless Washington is replaced with more humane leadership, life on earth has no future.""

You quoted, "Washington has, without remorse, destroyed in whole or part seven countries in the new 21st century." I know the UK and Germany but who are the other 5?

DR. Paul Craig Roberts stated it...Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Ukraine, Syria, Georgia,and I think Venezuela

Thanks I missed it.

[NeverSure]

-snip- if you will recall the economic "depression" (according to VP hopeful Sarah Palin) that had just halved most working Americans retirement accounts.

Dude, I made more money off that than at any time during my life. The price of stocks fell to about 1/2 what they were just months before.

Smart money knew the companies were still good if they had good companies in their portfolios. With their stocks at 1/2 price it was like a fire sale. I've never seen so many bargains based on assets including patents and copyrights, or PE ratios.

I bought and bought at the bottom and on the way back up. Some might call it dollar cost averaging, but I called it pigging out at the trough. The same with housing. I'll probably never see such a great opportunity to buy so much cheaply in my lifetime.

The Dow has since fully recovered and even set new highs.

Lost half your retirement, did you? Panic and go to cash like so many other lemmings, did you?

Edited June 29, 2014 by NeverSure

[thailiketoo]

-snip- if you will recall the economic "depression" (according to VP hopeful Sarah Palin) that had just halved most working Americans retirement accounts.

Dude, I made more money off that than at any time during my life. The price of stocks fell to about 1/2 what they were just months before.

Smart money knew the companies were still good if they had good companies in their portfolios. With their stocks at 1/2 price it was like a fire sale. I've never seen so many bargains based on assets including patents and copyrights, or PE ratios.

I bought and bought at the bottom and on the way back up. Some might call it dollar cost averaging, but I called it pigging out at the trough. The same with housing. I'll probably never see such a great opportunity to buy so much cheaply in my lifetime.

The Dow has since fully recovered and even set new highs.

Lost half your retirement, did you? Panic and go to cash, did you?

That's why you can afford to live in Thailand right?

[ClutchClark]

I was responding to connda as to why things don't change politically towards some idealistic model and independent canidates. Americans with wealth are much more economically motivated than by politics. Those who don't have wealth sure would like to have it...

As an investor, times are good currently and we pay much more attention to picking good companies and following economics/financials; much less so how who will be in the white house. Americans who are ivested in America don't want drastic idealistic BS that upsets the apple cart. That is why so little change whether republican or democrat in office. Sure, Americans bitch about politics but that is what we Americans famously do. At the end of the day, did the DOW go up or down to those with a vested interest...

All I will say about corporate ethics is there is a strong correlation between great long-standing companies (like IBM or GE) and having high ethical standards. Companies that do not, eventually disappear, bought out or go out of business. Easy to check public watchlists of companies who are from best to worse.

As to your wild guess, last year's US and World report lsited my three universities in the top 30 in the world. If you have a Harvard and another Ivy or combined with Cambridge/Oxford degree(s)_, you have me beat then...

Your comments about safety, employee health care benefits, human rights violations, env degradation, etc are pretty silly. Fortune 500 companies are the ones who are regulated the most and under constant pressure to comply with laws and standards. If not, investors and the consumer are not kind. But that is a topic for another day....

CB

CB,

Thanks for clarifying. Hadn't realized you were in a discussion with a poster...quotes are helpful for that.

Your educational credentials have me beat, thats for sure, although not overly surprising as TV members appear to have a much larger percentage of Doctorates, billionaires and Special Forces than even the daytime Soaps.

Cheers

[ClutchClark]

-snip- if you will recall the economic "depression" (according to VP hopeful Sarah Palin) that had just halved most working Americans retirement accounts.

Dude, I made more money off that than at any time during my life. The price of stocks fell to about 1/2 what they were just months before.

Smart money knew the companies were still good if they had good companies in their portfolios. With their stocks at 1/2 price it was like a fire sale. I've never seen so many bargains based on assets including patents and copyrights, or PE ratios.

I bought and bought at the bottom and on the way back up. Some might call it dollar cost averaging, but I called it pigging out at the trough. The same with housing. I'll probably never see such a great opportunity to buy so much cheaply in my lifetime.

The Dow has since fully recovered and even set new highs.

Lost half your retirement, did you? Panic and go to cash like so many other lemmings, did you?

Dude? I think thats an expression best left to guys half your TV age.

To play along, I had moved largely to cash prior to the economic crisis because I am fiscally conservative.

Your post is ridiculous for several reasons, not the least of which is that you appear to be denying a crisis occurred and Americans suffered.

Secondly, where exactly was your investment money located for this mass purchasing immediately prior to the crash? If it was already in investments, then its value was likely halved along with many other Americans.

Ofcourse, the last few years have been great for investors...Obama and Geitner really got that right, didn't they.

[djjamie]

Tsunami in Thailand, USA is expected to and does give aid. Hurricane in New Orleans, what did Thailand give? Take the US money, but do not allow them any opinion?

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_response_to_Hurricane_Katrina

Thailand: Sent at least 60 doctors and nurses along with rice.

Thanks. I did not know that. But my point is that the majority of the world looks to the USA to help, even expects the USA to help, in times of crisis, whether caused by political unrest or by Mother Nature. Then the USA is criticized when it voices it's opinion. I just think that although the USA can be overbearing and arrogant at times, it still should be given credit for the assistance provided to other nations. It really seems to me that a lot of the USA bashing is done out of jealousy. Jealousy of the fact that the USA is in fact a super power both economically and militarily.

I am not American, nor do I have any desire to be. But I think credit should also be given where credit is due.

Russia takes Crimea. China is encroaching on disputed areas of the South China Sea. USA takes Puerto Rico. No difference, but I know which system I would prefer to live under.

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

I am not American..although I have been accused of US bashing I can say I am anti the people that control Washington...

I have never been anti American..I have lived in the states for roughly 10 years at different times...

I know American history,I follow US politics, I try to have an open mind & try to use facts...sometimes conjecture connecting what I perceive as dots

because it is not always possible to believe what is fact & what is propaganda.

I think I can ..(which is probably a wrong assumption.)..that anyone that is bashing the US...is not doing it out of jealousy...and not attacking the american people..

it's the government that needs attacking.

Yeah there are some Americans that are idiots..but that's in every country

I have many American friends so it's not like I don't want them in my life.

But I do disagree with you...

Ukraine was supported by the US to topple a democratically elected government..maybe not a good one...and then installed neo Nazis as it's puppet...to challenge Russia.

of course in the western media Russia is the bad guy..that they invaded Crimea..but really..Russia had their Black Sea fleet there & the US wanted it..so that was never going to happen.

Re. China...yeah we hate them too..but it's the US challenging China in the South China Sea.

Remember Iraq...?..the lies? that wasn't the only time the US has lied...ask the people living in central & south america how good the US treats them.

How many countries has the US had their democratically elected governments removed through violence,supporting the ruling rich elite to suppress their people * allow the big corporations in to take control.

Any aid given by the US usually has a price..don't kid yourself.

If that's the system you want to live under..that's your choice...

but then I live in Thailand..I don't want to move to the US,Russia or China

The pictures below translate to "Hear, Hear. I agree"

Edited June 29, 2014 by djjamie

[ClutchClark]

-snip- if you will recall the economic "depression" (according to VP hopeful Sarah Palin) that had just halved most working Americans retirement accounts.

Dude, I made more money off that than at any time during my life. The price of stocks fell to about 1/2 what they were just months before.

Smart money knew the companies were still good if they had good companies in their portfolios. With their stocks at 1/2 price it was like a fire sale. I've never seen so many bargains based on assets including patents and copyrights, or PE ratios.

I bought and bought at the bottom and on the way back up. Some might call it dollar cost averaging, but I called it pigging out at the trough. The same with housing. I'll probably never see such a great opportunity to buy so much cheaply in my lifetime.

The Dow has since fully recovered and even set new highs.

Lost half your retirement, did you? Panic and go to cash, did you?

That's why you can afford to live in Thailand right?

He doesn't live in thailand, he just came on vacation a few times. If you have read his posts, he resides in Oregon where he spends his days in the back yard riding horses and shooting guns.

Seems he also takes great pleasure in laughing at all his fellow hard-working Americans who lost money in the economic crisis.

[djjamie]

Tsunami in Thailand, USA is expected to and does give aid. Hurricane in New Orleans, what did Thailand give? Take the US money, but do not allow them any opinion?

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_response_to_Hurricane_Katrina

Thailand: Sent at least 60 doctors and nurses along with rice.

Thanks. I did not know that. But my point is that the majority of the world looks to the USA to help, even expects the USA to help, in times of crisis, whether caused by political unrest or by Mother Nature. Then the USA is criticized when it voices it's opinion. I just think that although the USA can be overbearing and arrogant at times, it still should be given credit for the assistance provided to other nations. It really seems to me that a lot of the USA bashing is done out of jealousy. Jealousy of the fact that the USA is in fact a super power both economically and militarily.

I am not American, nor do I have any desire to be. But I think credit should also be given where credit is due.

Russia takes Crimea. China is encroaching on disputed areas of the South China Sea. USA takes Puerto Rico. No difference, but I know which system I would prefer to live under.

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

I am not American..although I have been accused of US bashing I can say I am anti the people that control Washington...

I have never been anti American..I have lived in the states for roughly 10 years at different times...

I know American history,I follow US politics, I try to have an open mind & try to use facts...sometimes conjecture connecting what I perceive as dots

because it is not always possible to believe what is fact & what is propaganda.

I think I can ..(which is probably a wrong assumption.)..that anyone that is bashing the US...is not doing it out of jealousy...and not attacking the american people..

it's the government that needs attacking.

Yeah there are some Americans that are idiots..but that's in every country

I have many American friends so it's not like I don't want them in my life.

But I do disagree with you...

Ukraine was supported by the US to topple a democratically elected government..maybe not a good one...and then installed neo Nazis as it's puppet...to challenge Russia.

of course in the western media Russia is the bad guy..that they invaded Crimea..but really..Russia had their Black Sea fleet there & the US wanted it..so that was never going to happen.

Re. China...yeah we hate them too..but it's the US challenging China in the South China Sea.

Remember Iraq...?..the lies? that wasn't the only time the US has lied...ask the people living in central & south america how good the US treats them.

How many countries has the US had their democratically elected governments removed through violence,supporting the ruling rich elite to suppress their people * allow the big corporations in to take control.

Any aid given by the US usually has a price..don't kid yourself.

If that's the system you want to live under..that's your choice...

but then I live in Thailand..I don't want to move to the US,Russia or China

Since 1945, the USA has been responsible of helping remove 36 governments, most being democratically elected. Usually the events are kept secret for years and only come out as the limitations of the information act allow the information to be released.

36 my friend. 36. When some say "If America says the Thai coup is bad, it is" I shake my head. Not because of I am watching a bird fly back and forth in my field of view, but because I pity the gullible.

I suspect some will say where is the evidence of these US backed coups? No problem. If they ask I will provide, though it is easily accessible and common knowledge. Well not common knowledge for people that think the rice scheme is not corrupt!

[Enid]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_response_to_Hurricane_Katrina

Thailand: Sent at least 60 doctors and nurses along with rice.

Thanks. I did not know that. But my point is that the majority of the world looks to the USA to help, even expects the USA to help, in times of crisis, whether caused by political unrest or by Mother Nature. Then the USA is criticized when it voices it's opinion. I just think that although the USA can be overbearing and arrogant at times, it still should be given credit for the assistance provided to other nations. It really seems to me that a lot of the USA bashing is done out of jealousy. Jealousy of the fact that the USA is in fact a super power both economically and militarily.

I am not American, nor do I have any desire to be. But I think credit should also be given where credit is due.

Russia takes Crimea. China is encroaching on disputed areas of the South China Sea. USA takes Puerto Rico. No difference, but I know which system I would prefer to live under.

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

I am not American..although I have been accused of US bashing I can say I am anti the people that control Washington...

I have never been anti American..I have lived in the states for roughly 10 years at different times...

I know American history,I follow US politics, I try to have an open mind & try to use facts...sometimes conjecture connecting what I perceive as dots

because it is not always possible to believe what is fact & what is propaganda.

I think I can ..(which is probably a wrong assumption.)..that anyone that is bashing the US...is not doing it out of jealousy...and not attacking the american people..

it's the government that needs attacking.

Yeah there are some Americans that are idiots..but that's in every country

I have many American friends so it's not like I don't want them in my life.

But I do disagree with you...

Ukraine was supported by the US to topple a democratically elected government..maybe not a good one...and then installed neo Nazis as it's puppet...to challenge Russia.

of course in the western media Russia is the bad guy..that they invaded Crimea..but really..Russia had their Black Sea fleet there & the US wanted it..so that was never going to happen.

Re. China...yeah we hate them too..but it's the US challenging China in the South China Sea.

Remember Iraq...?..the lies? that wasn't the only time the US has lied...ask the people living in central & south america how good the US treats them.

How many countries has the US had their democratically elected governments removed through violence,supporting the ruling rich elite to suppress their people * allow the big corporations in to take control.

Any aid given by the US usually has a price..don't kid yourself.

If that's the system you want to live under..that's your choice...

but then I live in Thailand..I don't want to move to the US,Russia or China

Since 1945, the USA has been responsible of helping remove 36 governments, most being democratically elected. Usually the events are kept secret for years and only come out as the limitations of the information act allow the information to be released.

36 my friend. 36. When some say "If America says the Thai coup is bad, it is" I shake my head. Not because of I am watching a bird fly back and forth in my field of view, but because I pity the gullible.

I suspect some will say where is the evidence of these US backed coups? No problem. If they ask I will provide, though it is easily accessible and common knowledge. Well not common knowledge for people that think the rice scheme is not corrupt!

"Not because of I am watching a bird fly back and forth in my field of view"

My husband had a good chuckle at that one.

I would like to see evidence though. I have lived through one world war (only just) and am aware of many American sanctioned coups to overthrow elected governments, but I was not aware of 36 since 1945...

[connda]

I was responding to connda as to why things don't change politically towards some idealistic model and independent canidates. Americans with wealth are much more economically motivated than by politics. Those who don't have wealth sure would like to have it...

As an investor, times are good currently and we pay much more attention to picking good companies and following economics/financials; much less so how who will be in the white house. Americans who are ivested in America don't want drastic idealistic BS that upsets the apple cart. That is why so little change whether republican or democrat in office. Sure, Americans bitch about politics but that is what we Americans famously do. At the end of the day, did the DOW go up or down to those with a vested interest...

All I will say about corporate ethics is there is a strong correlation between great long-standing companies (like IBM or GE) and having high ethical standards. Companies that do not, eventually disappear, bought out or go out of business. Easy to check public watchlists of companies who are from best to worse.

As to your wild guess, last year's US and World report lsited my three universities in the top 30 in the world. If you have a Harvard and another Ivy or combined with Cambridge/Oxford degree(s)_, you have me beat then...

Your comments about safety, employee health care benefits, human rights violations, env degradation, etc are pretty silly. Fortune 500 companies are the ones who are regulated the most and under constant pressure to comply with laws and standards. If not, investors and the consumer are not kind. But that is a topic for another day....

CB

CB.

I'll agree with you on this. "The Trend's Your Friend." Well, until it isn't. I expect we're gonna see the S&P over 2000 and add another zero to the Dow. And if you invested after the Fed started moving the market, yeah dude, you're making money. Congratulations. I'm not dissing you. I just assume you are managing your risk. Personally, I don't think there's anything resembling a 'free market' anymore. But that's my opinion and it's tied to what I said in my post it you can sort of read between the lines. This is a subject I'd bat around over a beer with friends. I wish the the best of luck an massive prosperity by investing in the American free market system. If you're right, well my retire years should be stress free. I hope you're right. Honestly. You don't happen to work for JP Morgan? <grin>

[connda]

I was responding to connda as to why things don't change politically towards some idealistic model and independent canidates. Americans with wealth are much more economically motivated than by politics. Those who don't have wealth sure would like to have it...

As an investor, times are good currently and we pay much more attention to picking good companies and following economics/financials; much less so how who will be in the white house. Americans who are ivested in America don't want drastic idealistic BS that upsets the apple cart. That is why so little change whether republican or democrat in office. Sure, Americans bitch about politics but that is what we Americans famously do. At the end of the day, did the DOW go up or down to those with a vested interest...

All I will say about corporate ethics is there is a strong correlation between great long-standing companies (like IBM or GE) and having high ethical standards. Companies that do not, eventually disappear, bought out or go out of business. Easy to check public watchlists of companies who are from best to worse.

As to your wild guess, last year's US and World report lsited my three universities in the top 30 in the world. If you have a Harvard and another Ivy or combined with Cambridge/Oxford degree(s)_, you have me beat then...

Your comments about safety, employee health care benefits, human rights violations, env degradation, etc are pretty silly. Fortune 500 companies are the ones who are regulated the most and under constant pressure to comply with laws and standards. If not, investors and the consumer are not kind. But that is a topic for another day....

CB

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-06-27/are-you-short

[cardinalblue]

Connda,

The stock market is so regulated that the '29 crash, the '89 black monday, or even in 2001 (I beleive) those days have been minimized going forward. Don't believe in timing of the market and not huge % of one's portfolio....If you can't lose the money, then one should not be in the stock market. You play with only what you can lose and your lifestyle would not be affrected. Rule of thumb - outstanding companies with good track records and better yet dividend-paying to take some of the edge off when prices periodically go south. Day-traders, IPAs, market timers, etc were just fads in their time that should not be allowed...

Historically, the market goes in cycles so one invests not for themselves but their children or for their favorite charities. Ubfortuantely, Since the 80s, the common worker got exposed to the market as companies put at riak people's 401Ks, matching retirement funds, etc and people least afford to lose that money suffered the most. Don't know what companies are doing with people's retirement monies these days...

It's a two-party sytem that is here to stay. One is an american first then a democrat or a republican second. Some say there is little or no difference between the parties' core beliefs or values. I wouldn't disagree with that. Topics like abortion, gun control, size of military budget, welfare programs, immigration, taxes, etc are more cosmetic in nature. Case in point as to why the amercican public doesn't get behind independent candidates - it's unamerican!

Impress me if you can answer this question...There was a very popular american president who broke from his party ranks to run as an independent and could not beat his inferior vice-president (whom he personally selected and groomed) of his previous party. The american people will always choose within the two-party system b/c the party is always more important than the person running. Can you name that great american president? While one can argue there is no difference between the two parties, that is also why america has fantastic political stability as a country. It really doesn't matter who the president is. They come and they go. They get assasinated, die in office or impeached but has that really ever created political instability in our history? What drives america to be the current leader in the modern world is business, technology and innovation. Unlike other countries where one removes a person that whole country collapses or dramatically improves. Those countries have no fundamental belief system (by the people collectively) in place just a great or evil person/family running the show. Hence coups, revolutions, military dictatorships, fledging democracies, etc soon follow...A lot of foreigners don't understand america b/c they try to compare her to their own country (as what the lady was trying to do in her misguided article). Good or bad, america stands alone.....as a comparative country.

CB

Edited June 29, 2014 by cardinalblue

[Thai at Heart]

Then why ever morning at the American Embassy their are long lines of people who want to come to this country. Answer that. We must be doing something right.

That's easy, Bob .....

They want to come to America to get a whiff of the people where 85% voted for George Bush - TWICE.

.... Thailand too had the worst possible candidate allegedly voted into power TWICE. Just to compare notes - did Bush rig both elections through bribery and corruption and not allowing other candidates to stand??

Bush set the country back a billion years in terms of BENEVOLENCE. As a superpower America had this sublime quality in spades. By going to war against people who cannot defend themselves its worse than a bad thing. How about they go face to face with the Chinks? That would be the first time they would NOT be bullying and it would be a fairer than fair fight.

His munificence knew not bounds. Not only did he embark on this escapade but he did it while merrily cutting taxes here and there, happily passing a huge buck onto the next generation.

The problem started with bush, and Obama hasn't fixed it. Bush wrote Americans a bloody cheque for god sake, and squandered what would have been a balanced deficit in 7years.

Idiotic fiscal policy.

Maybe the USA will get out of debt in 70 years. Saying Obama was dumb for bailing anything out , is ridiculous. The consequences would have bee massive.

[simple1]

re.....Since 1945, the USA has been responsible of helping remove 36 governments, most being democratically elected

it's probably around 40 now I know I have lost count but here is a link to check to 2009 http://www.krysstal.com/democracy_whyusa01.html

list is if only successful changes of government are listed. Many attempts have failed..Cuba being one that failed & still has a US embargo going on over 50 years now.

One of the governments the USA overthrew in your article is Australia. You want to tell me how that worked? I'm just asking but the USA really overthrow Australia?

Not directly, but at the time the US, for a number of reasons, was endeavouring to influence the removal of the Whitlam government. There are a number of articles on this issue (Google search "Kerr, Whitlam, CIA". An example well written article, that doesn't come across as conspiracy theory:

http://tasmantimes.com.au/275/kerr-briefed-on-cia-threat-to-whitlam/

[Skywalker69]

The US is not my father ... again.... but dont mind still taking the pocket money in trade and aid.

Sorry to correct you but it was "The UN is not My father"

[metisdead]

This topic has been off topic since the beginning, some way off topic posts have now been removed.

[Oziex1]

Obama spent $1,000,000,000.00 Dollars (31,000,000,000 baht) on his re-election campaign. How does a man get that much money?

Big corporations have owned our politicians for decades, our Politicians are merely puppets to distract us and keep us from having to deal with the horrible truth.

6 companies own/control %90 of all Television/new/radio/cable networks owned by the ultra Rich. They are propaganda machines that set to keep people of average or lower intelligence from thinking about the important things. In America we have "the right to privacy", recently it was exposed that the National Security Agency has been recording every phone call made in the ENTIRE nation for years. The news stations were very careful in their thought control to keep people thinking about who to blame for this.... Not one station once mention demanded that they stop.... The average intelligence American gobbled it up like their favorite dinner.

American people don't like war but you know who does? The companies that manufacture weapons for our military donate unbelievable amounts of money to our politicians in order to make sure they stay in business. We are going trillions of dollars into debt because our Politicians are literally giving it away....

Not all American are riding their high horse....

Thanks TYTR, bashing the yank is an easy pastime in many countries. America is big and it's hypocrisies are easy to spot and comment on. As an Australian it disappoints me that we have mimicked the US as many if not all western nations have, more and more of our wealth is being grabbed by the corporations and they give so little back to the communities they operate in. One could go on, greed is such a curse. For sure Thailand has too much corruption it's in your face, unlike the west where it is hidden, sanitised, legalised.

[canuckamuck]

It's a two-party sytem that is here to stay. One is an american first then a democrat or a republican second. Some say there is little or no difference between the parties' core beliefs or values. I wouldn't disagree with that. Topics like abortion, gun control, size of military budget, welfare programs, immigration, taxes, etc are more cosmetic in nature. Case in point as to why the amercican public doesn't get behind independent candidates - it's unamerican!

Impress me if you can answer this question...There was a very popular american president who broke from his party ranks to run as an independent and could not beat his inferior vice-president (whom he personally selected and groomed) of his previous party. The american people will always choose within the two-party system b/c the party is always more important than the person running. Can you name that great american president? While one can argue there is no difference between the two parties, that is also why america has fantastic political stability as a country. It really doesn't matter who the president is. They come and they go. They get assasinated, die in office or impeached but has that really ever created political instability in our history? What drives america to be the current leader in the modern world is business, technology and innovation. Unlike other countries where one removes a person that whole country collapses or dramatically improves. Those countries have no fundamental belief system (by the people collectively) in place just a great or evil person/family running the show. Hence coups, revolutions, military dictatorships, fledging democracies, etc soon follow...A lot of foreigners don't understand america b/c they try to compare her to their own country (as what the lady was trying to do in her misguided article). Good or bad, america stands alone.....as a comparative country.

CB

Two parties, two choices to represent 300+million people. And if it turns out they are two haves of the same bun, which is rather obvious by the policies. Then America the great democracy has the same freedom to pick a leader as all the fake democracies like Russia and Venezuela and so on. Leaders that are bankrolled and handpicked by corporate and financial giants to represent their own interests.

And furthermore, having also confined yourselves under the labels of either Democrat or Republican, your freedom of choice is further reduced because you have pressured yourselves into holding the party line. How has Partisan politics been going for you recently? A third option could really be useful eh?

In America you have perhaps the best model of government, combined with the most corrupted selection process in the free world.

In much of the rest of the world people really do consider all the possibilities and change their allegiance to candidates and parties whenever they decide it is prudent to do so, based on weighing the evidence and not holding to useless identities. When I vote I have no self imposed restrictions to my choice.

It is great that your nationalism keeps you united, but I think you unfairly attribute your political stability to your A or B choice political system. There are numerous national leaders coming and going from office all over the world for numerous reasons. Those countries are not thrown into disarray any more than yours has been. Do you think any of the European nations would collapse if a national leader died suddenly?

[Oziex1]

Big words coming from a woman whose country doesn't even have a government.

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

Governments are overrated

[Oziex1]

Then why ever morning at the American Embassy their are long lines of people who want to come to this country. Answer that. We must be doing something right.

Americas and Thais have two things in common, corruption and poor intellect, only Americans are on a grander scale. So we have dumb people who think they can make more money in the states.

Poor intellect. Let's see. Just what type of computer did you post that from? IBM clone PC? Mac? And what operating system are you using? Microsoft, Apple, Unix, Linux/Andoid? Did you post it on the internet via TCP/IP? Wireless, wired?

Do you get any information for the dumb people at Google?

Does your country use any nuclear power plants? Does it have stealth aircraft technology?

America by far leads the world in technology so it can't be all that lacking in "intellect."

Geez.

Much of the brain power in the US is imported, it has the $$ do do so.Nothing wrong with that .

[thailiketoo]

It's a two-party sytem that is here to stay. One is an american first then a democrat or a republican second. Some say there is little or no difference between the parties' core beliefs or values. I wouldn't disagree with that. Topics like abortion, gun control, size of military budget, welfare programs, immigration, taxes, etc are more cosmetic in nature. Case in point as to why the amercican public doesn't get behind independent candidates - it's unamerican!

Impress me if you can answer this question...There was a very popular american president who broke from his party ranks to run as an independent and could not beat his inferior vice-president (whom he personally selected and groomed) of his previous party. The american people will always choose within the two-party system b/c the party is always more important than the person running. Can you name that great american president? While one can argue there is no difference between the two parties, that is also why america has fantastic political stability as a country. It really doesn't matter who the president is. They come and they go. They get assasinated, die in office or impeached but has that really ever created political instability in our history? What drives america to be the current leader in the modern world is business, technology and innovation. Unlike other countries where one removes a person that whole country collapses or dramatically improves. Those countries have no fundamental belief system (by the people collectively) in place just a great or evil person/family running the show. Hence coups, revolutions, military dictatorships, fledging democracies, etc soon follow...A lot of foreigners don't understand america b/c they try to compare her to their own country (as what the lady was trying to do in her misguided article). Good or bad, america stands alone.....as a comparative country.

CB

Two parties, two choices to represent 300+million people. And if it turns out they are two haves of the same bun, which is rather obvious by the policies. Then America the great democracy has the same freedom to pick a leader as all the fake democracies like Russia and Venezuela and so on. Leaders that are bankrolled and handpicked by corporate and financial giants to represent their own interests.

And furthermore, having also confined yourselves under the labels of either Democrat or Republican, your freedom of choice is further reduced because you have pressured yourselves into holding the party line. How has Partisan politics been going for you recently? A third option could really be useful eh?

In America you have perhaps the best model of government, combined with the most corrupted selection process in the free world.

In much of the rest of the world people really do consider all the possibilities and change their allegiance to candidates and parties whenever they decide it is prudent to do so, based on weighing the evidence and not holding to useless identities. When I vote I have no self imposed restrictions to my choice.

It is great that your nationalism keeps you united, but I think you unfairly attribute your political stability to your A or B choice political system. There are numerous national leaders coming and going from office all over the world for numerous reasons. Those countries are not thrown into disarray any more than yours has been. Do you think any of the European nations would collapse if a national leader died suddenly?

And the topic is?

[canuckamuck]

It's a two-party sytem that is here to stay. One is an american first then a democrat or a republican second. Some say there is little or no difference between the parties' core beliefs or values. I wouldn't disagree with that. Topics like abortion, gun control, size of military budget, welfare programs, immigration, taxes, etc are more cosmetic in nature. Case in point as to why the amercican public doesn't get behind independent candidates - it's unamerican!

Impress me if you can answer this question...There was a very popular american president who broke from his party ranks to run as an independent and could not beat his inferior vice-president (whom he personally selected and groomed) of his previous party. The american people will always choose within the two-party system b/c the party is always more important than the person running. Can you name that great american president? While one can argue there is no difference between the two parties, that is also why america has fantastic political stability as a country. It really doesn't matter who the president is. They come and they go. They get assasinated, die in office or impeached but has that really ever created political instability in our history? What drives america to be the current leader in the modern world is business, technology and innovation. Unlike other countries where one removes a person that whole country collapses or dramatically improves. Those countries have no fundamental belief system (by the people collectively) in place just a great or evil person/family running the show. Hence coups, revolutions, military dictatorships, fledging democracies, etc soon follow...A lot of foreigners don't understand america b/c they try to compare her to their own country (as what the lady was trying to do in her misguided article). Good or bad, america stands alone.....as a comparative country.

CB

Two parties, two choices to represent 300+million people. And if it turns out they are two haves of the same bun, which is rather obvious by the policies. Then America the great democracy has the same freedom to pick a leader as all the fake democracies like Russia and Venezuela and so on. Leaders that are bankrolled and handpicked by corporate and financial giants to represent their own interests.

And furthermore, having also confined yourselves under the labels of either Democrat or Republican, your freedom of choice is further reduced because you have pressured yourselves into holding the party line. How has Partisan politics been going for you recently? A third option could really be useful eh?

In America you have perhaps the best model of government, combined with the most corrupted selection process in the free world.

In much of the rest of the world people really do consider all the possibilities and change their allegiance to candidates and parties whenever they decide it is prudent to do so, based on weighing the evidence and not holding to useless identities. When I vote I have no self imposed restrictions to my choice.

It is great that your nationalism keeps you united, but I think you unfairly attribute your political stability to your A or B choice political system. There are numerous national leaders coming and going from office all over the world for numerous reasons. Those countries are not thrown into disarray any more than yours has been. Do you think any of the European nations would collapse if a national leader died suddenly?

And the topic is?

Thailand's perception that America's flawed political system and lofty pretensions, disqualify their opinions on Thailand's flawed political system.

[thailiketoo]

Two parties, two choices to represent 300+million people. And if it turns out they are two haves of the same bun, which is rather obvious by the policies. Then America the great democracy has the same freedom to pick a leader as all the fake democracies like Russia and Venezuela and so on. Leaders that are bankrolled and handpicked by corporate and financial giants to represent their own interests.

And furthermore, having also confined yourselves under the labels of either Democrat or Republican, your freedom of choice is further reduced because you have pressured yourselves into holding the party line. How has Partisan politics been going for you recently? A third option could really be useful eh?

In America you have perhaps the best model of government, combined with the most corrupted selection process in the free world.

In much of the rest of the world people really do consider all the possibilities and change their allegiance to candidates and parties whenever they decide it is prudent to do so, based on weighing the evidence and not holding to useless identities. When I vote I have no self imposed restrictions to my choice.

It is great that your nationalism keeps you united, but I think you unfairly attribute your political stability to your A or B choice political system. There are numerous national leaders coming and going from office all over the world for numerous reasons. Those countries are not thrown into disarray any more than yours has been. Do you think any of the European nations would collapse if a national leader died suddenly?

And the topic is?

Thailand's perception that America's flawed political system and lofty pretensions, disqualify their opinions on Thailand's flawed political system.

Thanks for that. I had it all wrong. I didn't see as you wrote, "America's flawed political system" and the bashing of said system. Thanks for explaining that.

[canuckamuck]

Thanks for that. I had it all wrong. I didn't see as you wrote, "America's flawed political system" and the bashing of said system. Thanks for explaining that.

You do understand that during a discussion not every post will be a direct response to the Op and that it is often necessary to broaden the discussion,

And my post was not totally negative. I said they had the best system of government with the worst selection process. I think you will find many Americans agree that there is too much money involved with the elections and that the return on the investment is undemocratic.

The OP is a total American bash though, so I would say I am right on topic.