Why this cynicism against Thailand?

[thaibeachlovers]

More to the point, is it a good thing to be paying people to have children in an overpopulated world?

It's only the India and China bits that are overpopulated.

Are you suggesting that white and black people all commit racial suicide by not reproducing?

Rubbish. Africa is totally overpopulated, which is why they are trying to move to the west. Overpopulation isn't just the numbers, it's the ability of the country to sustain the population and have jobs, heath care etc for everyone.

Are you suggesting that white and black people all commit racial suicide by not reproducing?

Fat chance of that happening voluntarily. The world has at least 50% too many people to be sustained in a decent lifestyle. If the human race continues to overbreed itself, it will be like the lemmings and many millions will die, one way or another.

You've never been to Africa then?

A place where you can drive all day without seeing anyone.

Happy for you to enter the Darwin awards though, good luck winning.

So why are millions trying to move to Europe?

[thaibeachlovers]

We currently raise nearly 30% of all income tax from the richest 1%, and the 50% tax band either cost money or raised less than a billion - we've pushed the rich as far as we can.

Since the richest 1% possess over 50% of the wealth, it doesn't seem fair that they only pay 30% of the taxes.

As far as pushing them as far as we can? Not even close. That's what they want you to think.

Bill Gates is very rich- he made lots of money by not supporting his perfectly acceptable OS, forcing people to buy new ones. I'd tax him, and others exploiters like him, at 90%. Anyone that makes money by moving money around and not actually doing anything useful should be taxed at 99% on everything over one million $. I say tax them till they bleed.

[Craig krup]

We currently raise nearly 30% of all income tax from the richest 1%, and the 50% tax band either cost money or raised less than a billion - we've pushed the rich as far as we can.

Since the richest 1% possess over 50% of the wealth, it doesn't seem fair that they only pay 30% of the taxes.

As far as pushing them as far as we can? Not even close. That's what they want you to think.

Well, you have to - and I should have - draw a clear distinction between income and wealth. Most tax isn't paid out of wealth, and if it was we'd run out of money very quickly and set up a whole load of bad incentives.

If I own wealth - a house, shares, bank deposits - I get a return. The return on cash is 0.8%, on bonds 1.2% and shares 5.1%, in the long run. So if you want to take all of the benefit - all of the advantage - of owning one trillion pounds you'd get 8bn, or about a fourteen of the in-work benefits bill. Taking a trillion pounds worth of shares is more problematic - if people know you will just take things they won't buy your companies, will they?

Now we can have wealth taxes, but most people think that we should encourage people to save and invest. We have a productivity crisis caused by under-investment. The high-earners and the wealthy are often the same people, so if we start hitting wealth hard we might lose high-earners. When you lose a high-earner you lose all the tax they pay. So if you raise the tax rate from 45% to 50%, you only need one high earner in nine or ten to leave to take away all the benefit: you gain nothing.

But, as I say, most people don't want to think, don't understand the importance of the long-run, don't think that behaviour changes depending on the rules, don't think much about why apparently similar nations can be in very different economic circumstances.....

Which takes me back to my first point. In terms of economic resources and human capital there's no good reason why the Japanese should be four times wealthier than the Thais. It's the rules that make the difference. Most people will never understand what makes some rules good one, but that doesn't matter as long as they obey them. If they don't then they'll elect Jeremy Corbyn, because he has all the answers, doesn't he?

[tartempion]

When you are fed up with Western world dogmas and you discover the anathema Thailand you think you found the real place to live your life, until 10 years later you realise Thailand is a lie.

Then cynicism comes in at hand.

I hear where you're coming from. But Thailand didn't lie to you. Thailand let you lie to yourself. There's a difference.

It's when you peel the onion that you uncover lie upon lie.

[Cypress Hill]

When you are fed up with Western world dogmas and you discover the anathema Thailand you think you found the real place to live your life, until 10 years later you realise Thailand is a lie.

Then cynicism comes in at hand.

I hear where you're coming from. But Thailand didn't lie to you. Thailand let you lie to yourself. There's a difference.

It's when you peel the onion that you uncover lie upon lie.

It's whinging time

[mmh8]

cynicism is necessary. you don't beleive everything you're told by your masters do you. my country tells me I must pay tax for, admin staff, upkeep of the town, refuse collection, water and road upkeep etc. etc.. I write back tell them <deleted> , I don't pay tax at all. they tell me I must pay tax, I tell them if they find any money to let me know cos I could do with a drink etc.

just imagine if every <deleted> that arrives here beleives the thai are good people thing.

[thaibeachlovers]

We currently raise nearly 30% of all income tax from the richest 1%, and the 50% tax band either cost money or raised less than a billion - we've pushed the rich as far as we can.

Since the richest 1% possess over 50% of the wealth, it doesn't seem fair that they only pay 30% of the taxes.

As far as pushing them as far as we can? Not even close. That's what they want you to think.

Well, you have to - and I should have - draw a clear distinction between income and wealth. Most tax isn't paid out of wealth, and if it was we'd run out of money very quickly and set up a whole load of bad incentives.

If I own wealth - a house, shares, bank deposits - I get a return. The return on cash is 0.8%, on bonds 1.2% and shares 5.1%, in the long run. So if you want to take all of the benefit - all of the advantage - of owning one trillion pounds you'd get 8bn, or about a fourteen of the in-work benefits bill. Taking a trillion pounds worth of shares is more problematic - if people know you will just take things they won't buy your companies, will they?

Now we can have wealth taxes, but most people think that we should encourage people to save and invest. We have a productivity crisis caused by under-investment. The high-earners and the wealthy are often the same people, so if we start hitting wealth hard we might lose high-earners. When you lose a high-earner you lose all the tax they pay. So if you raise the tax rate from 45% to 50%, you only need one high earner in nine or ten to leave to take away all the benefit: you gain nothing.

But, as I say, most people don't want to think, don't understand the importance of the long-run, don't think that behaviour changes depending on the rules, don't think much about why apparently similar nations can be in very different economic circumstances.....

Which takes me back to my first point. In terms of economic resources and human capital there's no good reason why the Japanese should be four times wealthier than the Thais. It's the rules that make the difference. Most people will never understand what makes some rules good one, but that doesn't matter as long as they obey them. If they don't then they'll elect Jeremy Corbyn, because he has all the answers, doesn't he?

To have good rules, you need good politicians and there aren't any. Subprime look good to you now?

IMO the reason people don't save anymore is a/ because they are ignorant and want everything NOW, b/ because there is such a low interest rate on savings ( almost 0% in some countries ) and c/ because the political obsession with inflation is eroding the value of money too fast, so you might as well spend it. Had I saved every penny of my 8 pounds 10 shillings wages back in 1967 what could I buy with it today?

[impulse]

We currently raise nearly 30% of all income tax from the richest 1%, and the 50% tax band either cost money or raised less than a billion - we've pushed the rich as far as we can.

Since the richest 1% possess over 50% of the wealth, it doesn't seem fair that they only pay 30% of the taxes.

As far as pushing them as far as we can? Not even close. That's what they want you to think.

Well, you have to - and I should have - draw a clear distinction between income and wealth. Most tax isn't paid out of wealth, and if it was we'd run out of money very quickly and set up a whole load of bad incentives.

Exactly my point. The 99% of us who work for a living get taxed on every sheckel we make. The 1% who can live off their investments (or rather, their inheritance) can amass a huge fortune without paying a dime of taxes until they actually cash in.

We pay taxes based on income instead of wealth, because that's the way the wealthy want it. Period.

And as a consequence, we have uber wealthy families who haven't worked a day in the last 10 generations, or contributed anything useful to society since their great-great-great grandfather invented a new way to make carriages more comfortable.

As for investment, that's out the window since 95% of the "investment" made today is simply betting money on movements in the market, and not about adding liquidity to the system.

[Ace of Pop]

So you bleeding hearts pop outside. Not hard to find someone poor. How much did you give them....

[dageurreotype]

It's whinging time

God I hate these kinds of posts. This is an expat forum where people from a diametrically opposed cultures can vent their frustrations in anonymity, if it displeases you there are a plethora of fora from quantum mechanics to philately elsewhere. Perhaps you would prefer one of those?

Edited August 9, 2015 by dageurreotype

[Cypress Hill]

It's whinging time

God I hate these kinds of posts. This is an expat forum where people from a diametrically opposed cultures can vent their frustrations in anonymity, if it displeases you there are a plethora of fora from quantum mechanics to philately elsewhere. Perhaps you would prefer one of those?

There's nothing wrong with venting but he's not venting about anything in particular

He's bitching because he's evidently made a poor life decision moving here and somehow, at least to some degree, he feels the country had a hand in his duping.

Before bitching, one should always look in the mirror

[SoiBiker]

It's whinging time

God I hate these kinds of posts. This is an expat forum where people from a diametrically opposed cultures can vent their frustrations in anonymity, if it displeases you there are a plethora of fora from quantum mechanics to philately elsewhere. Perhaps you would prefer one of those?

There's nothing wrong with venting but he's not venting about anything in particular

He's bitching because he's evidently made a poor life decision moving here and somehow, at least to some degree, he feels the country had a hand in his duping.

Before bitching, one should always look in the mirror

You raise an interesting point.

I think for many, moving to Thailand was a poor choice. However, some people find it hard to admit to getting things wrong - even to themselves - and so they look to direct the blame outwards instead.

[MaeJoMTB]

There's nothing wrong with venting but he's not venting about anything in particular

He's bitching because he's evidently made a poor life decision moving here and somehow, at least to some degree, he feels the country had a hand in his duping.

Before bitching, one should always look in the mirror

You raise an interesting point.

I think for many, moving to Thailand was a poor choice. However, some people find it hard to admit to getting things wrong - even to themselves - and so they look to direct the blame outwards instead.

One man's poor life decision is another man's success.

If I were to look in a mirror and see a guy, age 46, no children, no partner, no pension .... I would be thinking, where did I go wrong?

Edited August 9, 2015 by MaeJoMTB

[SoiBiker]

There's nothing wrong with venting but he's not venting about anything in particular

He's bitching because he's evidently made a poor life decision moving here and somehow, at least to some degree, he feels the country had a hand in his duping.

Before bitching, one should always look in the mirror

You raise an interesting point.

I think for many, moving to Thailand was a poor choice. However, some people find it hard to admit to getting things wrong - even to themselves - and so they look to direct the blame outwards instead.

One man's poor life decision is another man's success.

If I were to look in a mirror and see a guy, age 46, no children, no partner, no pension .... I would be thinking, where did I go wrong?

Indeed. What might be a good choice for some could be a poor one for another.

Thailand is not for everyone. Some people would be more honest if they admitted it just wasn't for them rather than trying to portray it as some uninhabitable place that nobody should live in. After all, plenty of us like it here.

[SoiBiker]

I've no idea what you're talking about - I love it here, and have said as much on a number of occasions.

[tartempion]

When you are fed up with Western world dogmas and you discover the anathema Thailand you think you found the real place to live your life, until 10 years later you realise Thailand is a lie.

Then cynicism comes in at hand.

I hear where you're coming from. But Thailand didn't lie to you. Thailand let you lie to yourself. There's a difference.

It's when you peel the onion that you uncover lie upon lie.

It's whinging time

Cynicism is healthy.

[SoiBiker]

http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/5578930

[impulse]

It's whinging time

Cynicism is healthy.

Whining, not so much...

[SoiBiker]

Stuff you would NOT accept in your home country you accept here.......yes/no..?

Of course. For example, I accept that the overwhelming majority of the population do not speak English as a first language, and therefore I cannot automatically expect to be understood in English wherever I go.

I accept that the weather is going to be a lot hotter.

Odd question. I'm not sure how anyone could answer 'no'.

[impulse]

Stuff you would NOT accept in your home country you accept here.......yes/no..?

Absolutely. But that goes both ways.

I'd never accept a $150 meal here...but back home?

[impulse]

I believe you made it very obvious in the thread where you referred to my wife as a, buck toothed uneducated Issan bar girl. Remember that one?

Jeez. You're not going to hold that against him, are you?

[impulse]

http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/5578930

According to the Huntington Post, the only healthy lifestyle is living on the beach in Malibu, dahling.

Even the disappointment of living on the cliffs overlooking the beach at Malibu takes precious hours off your life.

Edited August 9, 2015 by impulse

[Thai at Heart]

We currently raise nearly 30% of all income tax from the richest 1%, and the 50% tax band either cost money or raised less than a billion - we've pushed the rich as far as we can.

Since the richest 1% possess over 50% of the wealth, it doesn't seem fair that they only pay 30% of the taxes.

As far as pushing them as far as we can? Not even close. That's what they want you to think.

Well, you have to - and I should have - draw a clear distinction between income and wealth. Most tax isn't paid out of wealth, and if it was we'd run out of money very quickly and set up a whole load of bad incentives.

If I own wealth - a house, shares, bank deposits - I get a return. The return on cash is 0.8%, on bonds 1.2% and shares 5.1%, in the long run. So if you want to take all of the benefit - all of the advantage - of owning one trillion pounds you'd get 8bn, or about a fourteen of the in-work benefits bill. Taking a trillion pounds worth of shares is more problematic - if people know you will just take things they won't buy your companies, will they?

Now we can have wealth taxes, but most people think that we should encourage people to save and invest. We have a productivity crisis caused by under-investment. The high-earners and the wealthy are often the same people, so if we start hitting wealth hard we might lose high-earners. When you lose a high-earner you lose all the tax they pay. So if you raise the tax rate from 45% to 50%, you only need one high earner in nine or ten to leave to take away all the benefit: you gain nothing.

But, as I say, most people don't want to think, don't understand the importance of the long-run, don't think that behaviour changes depending on the rules, don't think much about why apparently similar nations can be in very different economic circumstances.....

Which takes me back to my first point. In terms of economic resources and human capital there's no good reason why the Japanese should be four times wealthier than the Thais. It's the rules that make the difference. Most people will never understand what makes some rules good one, but that doesn't matter as long as they obey them. If they don't then they'll elect Jeremy Corbyn, because he has all the answers, doesn't he?

To have good rules, you need good politicians and there aren't any. Subprime look good to you now?

IMO the reason people don't save anymore is a/ because they are ignorant and want everything NOW, b/ because there is such a low interest rate on savings ( almost 0% in some countries ) and c/ because the political obsession with inflation is eroding the value of money too fast, so you might as well spend it. Had I saved every penny of my 8 pounds 10 shillings wages back in 1967 what could I buy with it today?

You don't need good politicians, you need a system that will catch, remove, modify or remove the mistakes.

This needs several layers of checks and balances, not power sitting in the hands of a few.

[CharlieH]

Posts removed, "dont get personal", discuss the subject matter NOT the poster.

7) You will respect fellow members and post in a civil manner. No personal attacks, hateful or insulting towards other members, (flaming) Stalking of members on either the forum or via PM will not be allowed.

[huawei]

It's whinging time

God I hate these kinds of posts. This is an expat forum where people from a diametrically opposed cultures can vent their frustrations in anonymity, if it displeases you there are a plethora of fora from quantum mechanics to philately elsewhere. Perhaps you would prefer one of those?

There's nothing wrong with venting but he's not venting about anything in particular

He's bitching because he's evidently made a poor life decision moving here and somehow, at least to some degree, he feels the country had a hand in his duping.

Before bitching, one should always look in the mirror

Thailand Must be one of the biggest examples of what a big difference there is between first impressions ( which can last a long time) are and what is actual reality.

It's not about making a poor decision about coming here, it's about when you realise that all is not as it seems then you re- evaluate if you want to be here..

Also just to add a lot of foreigners come here with good intentions and with some degree of generosity,but get taken advantage of..not always always their fault..

You are being to harsh..

[CharlieH]

Posts removed, "dont get personal", discuss the subject matter NOT the poster.

7) You will respect fellow members and post in a civil manner. No personal attacks, hateful or insulting towards other members, (flaming) Stalking of members on either the forum or via PM will not be allowed.

[Ace of Pop]

My only cynicism is Thai Food. I enjoyed it worldwide till I came here. It's nice in posh Hotels , even BKK street venders, but venture to the North and its peppery sweet gunge.

[mmh8]

 

Stuff you would NOT accept in your home country you accept here.......yes/no..?

Of course. For example, I accept that the overwhelming majority of the population do not speak English as a first language, and therefore I cannot automatically expect to be understood in English wherever I go.

I accept that the weather is going to be a lot hotter.

Odd question. I'm not sure how anyone could answer 'no'.

 

I agree with you above, except when I am not automatically understood in English whereever I go, I shout louder in the hope of being understood while making patronising actions with my hands.

[mmh8]

also I am all for buck toothed uneducated issan girls. especially if they are fit and think i am handsome

[thaibeachlovers]

So you bleeding hearts pop outside. Not hard to find someone poor. How much did you give them....

Ah, that's the weak spot. Bleeding hearts are only good at giving tax payers money to the poor, not their own.

Ask any of the ones that want more illegal immigration how many they have in their houses, and the answer will be NONE.