U.S. Election Morning Anywhere in Bangkok?

[1FinickyOne]

1 hour ago, Strange said:

 

You still have a vested interest, regardless of weather or not you live in the USA. That passport and wealth you acquired still means something. 

 

Still means something if you need to go back too. Its still your homeland. Still will allow you back. Still will allow you healthcare. Still many reasons not to 'burn that bridge' so-to-speak.

 

Yo Strange - he is not burning his passport, just choosing not to vote - we can do that and still be upstanding citizens. I pay my taxes without complaint... 

[Strange]

22 minutes ago, kenk24 said:

Hiding from it? This does not make any sense... I am merely exercising a right not to vote... and I am in no way being critical of whoever you care to vote for... and of ocurse, both you and I and everyone else on the forum will believe what we want... what else is new? Are you having a nice Sunday? I am about to go out and walk around a market, pick up a few things, enjoy my day... hope you enjoy too..

 

Its a great Sunday. Im a bit bored, but no complaints. Anticipating Nov 9 though and a fresh interpretation of the us populations feelings. 

 

You say that your life is being better spent outside the pig-sty of US politics, but your life can be easily effected by the same. 

 

No hate, no attack, just don't agree. Its your right, but I wish that you would exercise that right, regardless of who you vote for, instead of walking away from it. 

 

Thats all. I feel its important and I don't care about who you would potentially vote for or why. 

[OMGImInPattaya]

7 hours ago, The Dancer said:

I am ashamed and embarrassed by fellow citizens who claim to be ashamed and embarrassed by what's going on in the US and yet are too lazy to get off their backsides and do something about the situation. Like exercise their right to vote.

Many members don't like democracy...witness the many pro-junta posts on the Forum.

[Strange]

29 minutes ago, kenk24 said:

Yo Strange - he is not burning his passport, just choosing not to vote - we can do that and still be upstanding citizens. I pay my taxes without complaint... 

 

I never said he was burning his passport. I was speaking metaphorically. 

 

I was commenting on the mentality that drives his decision of not voting. Its his decision, I was just commenting. 

 

You are not worried about the potential effect on your tax rate by suggested presidential policy?

[The Dancer]

6 hours ago, JAFO said:

 

 

While I know this is a charged discussion, I disagree. I am exercising my democratic right by saying I do not believe either candidate is worthy of my vote.  I refuse to buy that I have to pick the lesser of two inept candidates or randomly pick someone other than them to show my sentiment.

 

I know many that feel the same and are not voting either. 

 

 

 

Total cop out. Inept they may or may not be but there are substantive differences in issues between them that will affect our lives (even expat) and the future of the country you and I are (hopefully) proud to be citizens off.

 

Get off your butt, get on a plane and get in line Tues. morning. And read up on the way.

[impulse]

2 hours ago, OMGImInPattaya said:

Many members don't like democracy...witness the many pro-junta posts on the Forum.

 

Democracy in the west required centuries of building a foundation of the legal system and the relationship between the citizens and the rulers.  Even so, it's a very inefficient way to govern- which is marginally okay if you have money to burn.

 

Some cultures haven't built that foundation yet.  They're more accurately referred to as kleptocracies.  And they don't have the money to burn.

 

[Jingthing]

No vote or a vote for Johnson or Stein is actually a vote for trump.

[rak sa_ngop]

The Roadhouse on the corner of Surawong and Rama IV might be the place to go. Check with them.

[OMGImInPattaya]

1 hour ago, impulse said:

 

Democracy in the west required centuries of building a foundation of the legal system and the relationship between the citizens and the rulers.  Even so, it's a very inefficient way to govern- which is marginally okay if you have money to burn.

 

Some cultures haven't built that foundation yet.  They're more accurately referred to as kleptocracies.  And they don't have the money to burn.

 

I would say the standard of living and purchasing power parity is much higher in today's Thailand, and has been for decades, than what was prevailing in the US at the time of the revolution...and certainly in England at the time of Magna Carta...so I don't you can waive around the "democracy is un-affordable" flag.

[JAFO]

1 hour ago, The Dancer said:

Total cop out. Inept they may or may not be but there are substantive differences in issues between them that will affect our lives (even expat) and the future of the country you and I are (hopefully) proud to be citizens off.

 

Get off your butt, get on a plane and get in line Tues. morning. And read up on the way.

 

Laughable but OK, I respect your conviction.

 

I live and work in Thailand and I can say with a high level of confidence, I wont be boarding any plane to vote for either of the those two knuckleheads.

 

As for issues between them. Trump is an out of control bored billionaire and as for Hillary, nobody really thinks she can do the job, they all expect her husband to do the job behind the scene. Its the only reason people even considered her.  Neither have the right stuff. 

 

As for being  a proud citizen, not sure what that patriotic comment is supposed to mean. What are you proud of?

 

 

[JAFO]

4 hours ago, Strange said:

 

Its a great Sunday. Im a bit bored, but no complaints. Anticipating Nov 9 though and a fresh interpretation of the us populations feelings. 

 

You say that your life is being better spent outside the pig-sty of US politics, but your life can be easily effected by the same. 

 

No hate, no attack, just don't agree. Its your right, but I wish that you would exercise that right, regardless of who you vote for, instead of walking away from it. 

 

Thats all. I feel its important and I don't care about who you would potentially vote for or why. 

 

Yes today is a very good Sunday. I just got back from a 150km motorcycle ride through the mountains on my Yamaha R3. Fun little canyon carver.  Stopped and had a late lunch early dinner at this nice restaurant about 35kms outside Korat. US politics not even part of my thoughts until I logged back into TV.

 

I have no thoughts about next weeks election to be honest. It will come and pass like they all do and we wait for 4 years. Some will likely email me or message me with the results and then all the OMG's will start. That too will pass. In the end it doesn't really matter.  If it really did, neither of these 2 would be on the ballot.

 

[amykat]

11 minutes ago, JAFO said:

 as for Hillary, nobody really thinks she can do the job, they all expect her husband to do the job behind the scene. Its the only reason people even considered her. 

 

 

Wow, JAFO, I like you so I don't want to seem to be harshly attacking you.  And I don't want to turn this into a thread about Hillary and Trump.  But this is truly one of the most misinformed comments I have read about the elections, maybe ever ....

[JAFO]

Hiya Amykat. No problem, I respect you too. Sorry Its really not that mis-informed. Ask most and that's the answer people say. I have briefly read enough to know she is hedging on her husbands reputation which isn't bad as I really thought Bill did alright. But she is better then Trump regardless. Most voters do not read about the candidates. They do not have time. They go by what the media says and what the debates discuss and office talk. 

 

As I have said, the US people are not being asked to vote for a competent candidate, they are being asked to vote against the worst of the 2 and hope the other does OK. I found it interesting my Dad at 80 (who has voted his entire life) isn't voting as is my Mom. My 2 daughters are not voting as are many of their friends and I know many many others that are not. Its about time people woke up and made a statement. If I had a ton of money I would have started a campaign of "None of the above" ( I remember a movie like that, it escapes me now). It should be be on the ballot IMHO. I would go vote and pick that without issue. It will tell the truth but as Kenk24 said not voting will show the sentiment of the US people. My only option is "Don't Vote". People who say go vote and pick one are odd. If you were buying a car and you had 2 choices and neither of them you liked would you buy one just to satisfy the salesman or would you walk away?  . We all have choices.

[impulse]

1 hour ago, OMGImInPattaya said:

I would say the standard of living and purchasing power parity is much higher in today's Thailand, and has been for decades, than what was prevailing in the US at the time of the revolution...and certainly in England at the time of Magna Carta...so I don't you can waive around the "democracy is un-affordable" flag.

 

And Thailand's equivalent of the Magna Carte, which started the centuries long change in the rights of citizens and the responsibilities of the rulers is?    They've still got to build a legal system where the rule of law trumps money and connections.  Otherwise, they're just voting for crook de jour, with no checks and balances.  Which is what the USA would have if not for the Judicial Branch.

 

Edit:  And at the time of the Revolution, the colonies had more land and resources to bargain with than they thought at the time they could ever need.  Look at population density and tell me how much Thailand can expand.

[OMGImInPattaya]

1 hour ago, impulse said:

 

And Thailand's equivalent of the Magna Carte, which started the centuries long change in the rights of citizens and the responsibilities of the rulers is?    They've still got to build a legal system where the rule of law trumps money and connections.  Otherwise, they're just voting for crook de jour, with no checks and balances.  Which is what the USA would have if not for the Judicial Branch.

 

Edit:  And at the time of the Revolution, the colonies had more land and resources to bargain with than they thought at the time they could ever need.  Look at population density and tell me how much Thailand can expand.

The country has supposedly been a constitutional monarchy, under a democratic constitution, for almost 100 years...how much time do you think they need?

[impulse]

21 minutes ago, OMGImInPattaya said:

The country has supposedly been a constitutional monarchy, under a democratic constitution, for almost 100 years...how much time do you think they need?

 

Key word: supposedly.

 

Time ain't the issue.  To see what it's going to take, look at Singapore, Taiwan and S Korea.  In each case, their transformation started with a strong man, with enough cajones to put a limit on the free-for-all at the trough.  Thailand's problem is that nobody has been strong enough to do that and stay alive and in power.

 

In Taiwan, S Korea, Singapore, the guy took power and kept order at the trough and forced stability for decades, allowing more money for the country to grow, and left it in strong financial shape with a rule of law (setting his heirs up for multiple generations in the process ).  It was ugly and it was often brutal, but that's what it took in those cultures.  Cultures similar to Thailand.

 

Duterte may be that guy for the Philippines, but thousands of people will die before we know whether he's the guy, or just another thug.  Their citizens seem to think he's the guy and who am I to second guess them?

 

Besides, it's downright arrogant to think we have a lock on the best form of government for every country, everywhere in the world, regardless of culture, customs, history, or state of development.

[OMGImInPattaya]

4 minutes ago, impulse said:

 

Key word: supposedly.

 

Time ain't the issue.  To see what it's going to take, look at Singapore, Taiwan and S Korea.  In each case, their transformation started with a strong man, with enough cajones to put a limit on the free-for-all at the trough.  Thailand's problem is that nobody has been strong enough to do that and stay alive and in power.

 

In Taiwan, S Korea, Singapore, the guy took power and kept order at the trough and forced stability for decades, allowing more money for the country to grow, and left it in strong financial shape with a rule of law (setting his heirs up for multiple generations in the process ).  It was ugly and it was often brutal, but that's what it took in those cultures.  Cultures similar to Thailand.

 

Duterte may be that guy for the Philippines, but thousands of people will die before we know whether he's the guy, or just another thug.  Their citizens seem to think he's the guy and who am I to second guess them?

 

Besides, it's downright arrogant to think we have a lock on the best form of government for every country, everywhere in the world, regardless of culture, customs, history, or state of development.

I take issue with some of your arguments. However, to further develop my points might touch on sensitive topics and issues which I decline to do. Therefore, I'm leaving our discussion as it stands.