PeterRS

WIth all respect, I think asking any individual barboy about the politics in his country is a really bad idea, especially re Myanmar where the civil war which many commentators talk about as having started after the 2021 coup, actually started with the 1962 coup. Myanmar is a hugely complex country with a hugely complex history. First there are 14 States - not 7. Second, in general terms, they are not fighting each other. The primary objective of all the State militias is to get rid of the ruling junta. Can you imagine any ruling government which continued its air offensive against the militias in the immediate aftermath of the dreadful earthquake last month? Is it any wonder most in that very large country loathe the national government and want change? Third, as I have ponted out before in these forums, Myanmar is made up of 135 different ethnic groups. In terms of population China is 26 times larger but has only 56 different ethnic groups. Each ethnic group in Myanmar has its own objectives, even those belonging to just one State. Fourth, the four States you list are all very different. Shan State is the largest, the closest to the longest part of the border with China and therefore has been historically open to a great deal of Chinese influence. The Shan are a fiercely proud people. The Karens in Kayin State, however, are probably the most western oriented of the States, despite being geographically one of the closest to the east. This is a result of extensive British influence in the colonial period when many British settled there and there remains a higher proportion of Christians than elsewhere. Fifth, in general one reason for the country's problems is the result of the utterly disastrous rule by the British. Colonialism created all manner of problems for many countries during the colonial era. Almost nowhere on the planet did it destroy a country as completely as it did Burma. It never even considered Burma a separate country until 1937. Before then it called Burma a division of India and its capital Rangoon as "a suburb of Madras". Sixth, despite their differences, all Burmese are extremely proud of the country's long history. How many in the west are aware that for a century during the Taungoo Dynasty its Empire was the largest ever in South East Asia, greater even than the much earlier Angkor Empire? Lastly, do you think any of them actually realised the significance of Yugoslavia, a 'country' born out of world War I and kept in place largely as a result of the Cold War before collapsing before any of them were born? Sorry again, but no one from Myanmar can tell you why "this eternal conflict cannot end". That is typical western thinking and I'm certain we'd all love to know. Other than saying everyone wants to get rid of the junta, four guys from four States certainly cannot tell you, so complicated are the reasons for the conflict, the history and the international pieces on that particular chess board. Even once the junta is despatched - if ever Russia, China and other players allow that to happen - there is absolutely no one presently in the country who could unify it. In an earlier thread about the history of the country, I have tried to explain why this is.

Nice one! Thanks for pointing it out.

I have noticed a number of fare reductions out of Bangkok over the last few months. Some airlines used to offer discounts on tickets to Europe (and maybe elsewhere but my destination was always Europe) in October for travel up to the following summer. For quite a few years I have got Qatar tickets for the following March at a basic discount of at least 20% - sometimes 25%. I have even got mileage tickets almost always in or near the days I wished. With enough miles left for one more European biz class ticket, I called Qatar last October to find out which dates were available in March 2025. None! A week later I called, extended the search to 4 months and was told there was only one seat available back from Europe. None going to Europe. I found this ridiculous, the more so given that Qatar had resumed its 5 daily flights to Doha, including one A380, and had 2 onward daily connections to my European destintation. Finally I had to accept a mileage ticket on Cathay Pacific via HKG which meant a 14-hour HKG/Europe flight plus a purchased short haul ticket at the European end. But then I was quite surprised to find that all six flights on that trip were 100% full! Now, though, something is clearly happening. Qatar and Emirates have sent out several emails recently with special biz class discount offers through to November. Given that this covers the summer holiday period in Europe and the USA, I find this both surprising and unusual. Hopefully the post-covid hike in fares last year may now be coming to an end and airlines are keen to keep planes relatively full, even at a discount. Although we should be aware that often such discounts in biz class are only for the tickets. If you want lounge access and advance seat selection, you are often screwed for a considerable premium!

I have never seen Nespresso capsules in Starbucks, but will check, thanks. On the other hand, I tried out many Nespresso flavours before I finally found one I really like. That is the only one I purchase.

I read recently that a number of factors have negatively affected the price of coffee - meaning your morning cuppa is going to cost more, perhaps even considerably more. As a convert to Nespresso machines (yes, I know: the coffee is not quite as tasty as that freshly ground but it is much more convenient for me), I noticed in January that my favourite flavour had risen by around 12%. Seeing thereafter that the price of wholesale arabica beans has doubled in a year and that ground roast coffee in the USA was at an all-time high, I decided to buy more now. Droughts and weather-related factors in Brazil have seen a drop in exports of 11.3%. In Vietnam a drop of 39.5%. Added to the effects of climate change, here in Asia there has been a substantial increase in drinking coffee in China. As I result, I recently was back at Nespresso buying 300 more capsules. https://caffeinespots.com/news/why-coffee-prices-in-thailand-just-got-more-expensive/

I used to love visiting Singapore. Just walking down Orchard Road or cruising shopping malls you can see some of the most gorgeous young Chinese guys on the planet. There is a lot of sex available for free if a guy likes you. No idea about paid sex, though. There are gay saunas, gay bars and gay clubs. One part of the beach off Beach Road used to be very cruisy but it was always AYOR as cops would use entrapment. But now that the dreaded colonial law (Section 377A) was repealed in 2023, I suspect it may be more cruisy again. As younger Singaporeans are mostly well-educated, well-dressed, well-mannered and financially at least reasonably well-off, I suspect older, overweight, T-shirt, shorts and flip-flop visitors are unlikely to have much success - unless they can find some gay for play on the apps. Just my thoughts.

You should note that the original Thailand Elite programme was changed two years ago and is now Thailand Privilege. In typical Thai fashion, it has also become a great deal more expensive. Whereas before the basic 5-year visa cost 500,000 Bt but gave you the option at the end to convert for another 15 years for the same amount of 500,000, the option of extension has now disappeared. Apart from a 650,000 version which expires on June 30 this year, the new basic is 900,000 for five years - no option to extend other than purchasing a new basic visa. 1,500,000 baht buys you a 10 years Privilege Visa. 2,500,000 gets you 15 years. So whereas before you could get 20 years for 1 million, now 20 years would cost 3,400,000! Although these expensive options provide some additional perks, you'd be far better on a plain retirement visa avaiable after you are 50 and plonking 800,000 in a savings account. At present this permits annual renewals ad infinitum. Incidentally I recently asked a Thailand Privilege assistant at BKK if the new visa charges had proved popular. She said they can not satisfy demand - so far mostly from Chinese and Russians.

The Portuguese Embassy, the oldest in the Kingom, is situated on the river and easily seen as it is next door to the large Royal Orchid Sheraton Hotel. It was a gift from Thailand in return for assistance the Portuguese had given the country during the late 1700s war against the invading Burmese who had sacked the capital at Ayutthaya. Only a couple of decades or so ago, it leased part of its extensive land down to the river to the hotel so that it could expand what had earlier been the hotel's much smaller pool area. Photo: Chaiyawat Chaiyachote, TIme Out Bangkok The Portuguese were the first traders to make serious inroads culturally in Asia. They had captured their first Asian base in Goa only the year before they appeared in Thailand. In this same year they took over Malacca which quickly became their primary base for further exploration and expansion in the continent. In 1517 they made their first commerical contacts with China, eventually leasing from the Ming Dynasty the tiny enclave of Macao on the western side of the mouth of the southern Pearl River in 1557. The terms of the lease meant an annual payment to the Emperor of 19 kgs of gold. Before that agreement with China, they had ventured north-east and started a small trading base at Nagasaki in 1543. The triangular trade in Chinese silk, porcelain and gold with Japanese silver was remakably successful for the time and soon became a monopoly. The Portuguese also brought guns which were of particular interest to the Japanese. As in all western expansion, it only took a few years for Catholic Church missionaries to follow, in this case those from the Jesuit order. To a certain extent this was tolerated by China but not in Japan. Within only a few decades, the Japanese kicked out the missionaries and very soon thereafter the traders. The arrival of the Shoguns as the absolute rulers of Japan meant the end of Japanese influence. China was different. It recognised the value of an association with the Portuguese who soon gained access to Chinese markets, especially silk, tea and porcelain. The Chinese valued the knowledge of science, mathematics and astronomy the Portuguese brought with them. As importantly, the Jesuits gained a foothold in the Chinese court. Perhaps surprisingly, the Jesuits efforts to integrate Christianity with strongly held Confucian values also gained a degree of acceptance. One Jesuit in particular gained the trust of the Emperor. Matteo Ricci was a Jesuit priest who had landed in Macao around 1580. Unlike most, he learned both to speak and write Chinese. He became the first European to enter Beijing's Forbidden City in 1601. He died in Beijing a few years later. Although he never met the Emperor, he did have the Emperor's patronage and was to meet and associate with a large number of his officials, also establishing the first Catholic Church in the city which remains today. Ironically this burgeoning relationship between an Empire and the Catholic Church was ended not by China, but by the Pope in Rome. In the early 18th century Pope Clement XI considered millennia-old Chinese socio-cultural rituals to be dangerous idol worship. He ordered all priests out of the heathen kingdom. The Portuguese then departed, but many of their ideas remained. The influence of Portugal within Asia as a whole in so many ways cannot be underestimated.

Yes I do.

I am one who has lived in Bangkok for 24 years. But I had visited the city and other parts of Thailand many dozens of times before I took the plunge, as it were. Since I was living in Hong Kong during the 1980s and 1990s, that made it easy for me. By the mid-1990s I realised I wished to remain in Asia for the rest of my life. The only question was: where? Once again I was extremely lucky. The jobs I had been doing took me regularly virtually all over Asia and so I was quickly able to rule out most countries. I had certain criteria - one being it had to be close to Hong Kong for I did not intend to retire in 2001. I planned to continue running my own small company in Hong Kong even after normal retirement age. So proximity and ease of travel were vital. I narrowed the choice down to two cities in two countries and eventually purchased a small Bangkok condo in mid-1999. While I had intended to rent it out for at least 15 or more years, the Asian Economic Crisis which started in Thailand on 1 July 1997 finally reached Hong Kong in 2000. There followed the worst recession there since WWII. With my company's budgeted income for 2001 and 2002 quickly vanishing, it became cheaper for me to base myself in Bangkok and commute to Hong Kong or wherever work took me each month. I had done my research and my sums. The one problem I had not factored in was the worldwide recession of 2008 and the resultant crash in interest rates. As Thailand's economy has grown extensively since 1999, everything is a good bit more expensive than I had expected by this stage. But that would almost certainly also be true of most retirement cities/countries.

Over the last 25 or so years China has developed many more contemporary dance troupes - a few of them near world-class.

Cruising around the internet this morning, I was looking at various vdos commenting on how airlines are all reducing their tier points and increasing their mileage requirements for free flights. Having just spent most of my remaining air miles on the flight to Hong Kong and the UK last month, I’m not sure why I was bothering with this. Purely habit, I guess, because I used to have tons of miles and was always looking for the best way of using them. For some strange reason, I noticed a video about attitudes of gay guys in China. I clicked on it and found it quite fascinating. When this forum has focused on gay life in China, that has generally been life in Beijing and Shanghai. In the recent thread titled "Most Obscure Places You Have Found Someone" in the The Beer Bar, I did mention my experience on a visit to Chengdu when I met several young gay guys from the apps – and could have met many more had I had time, given the number of hits I was getting. This video I found has a Chinese guy who at the end reveals he is actually straight interviewing three Chinese gay guys in their 20s. His interviews are quite probing – and I suggest quite revealing about how the guys came to realise they preferred men and what gay life in China is really like, especially the attitude of ordinary folk to the LGBT community. I think it is even more interesting that two of the guys live in Chengdu and the third in nearby Chongqing, both large cities and both in central China approx. 240 kms apart and both mentioned by @terper. So perhaps they are more representative of better-off young men in the country than a small sample from the main coastal cities. I certainly found their views pretty much the same as guys I know or have met over the last 10 - 15 or so years. You will note that the vdo does not discuss money boys, but it does seek views on the difference between Chinese gay guys and foreign gay guys. I think this is more for relationships for the Chinese I have met have been as eager for sex as most non-Chinese. But perhaps it is a point just worth bearing in mind for those planning to visit China.

A couple of interesting points from the discussion in the link. 1. As Dr. Morgentaler points out: "When testosterone is low, it means the testicles aren’t producing an adequate amount. That can lead to all kinds of signs and symptoms including: lower sex drive, erectile dysfunction, fatigue, brain fog, loss of muscle mass and strength, more body fat, weight gain, breast growth, sleep problems, mood swings, weak bones, and fertility problems." 2. I am really srprised that at no point is another possible reason for low testosterone levels mentioned. It has been thought by many in the medical research profession for years that constantly wearing tight underwear or tight jeans could have a considerable negative effect on testosterone levels. As one journal reported - " . . . it is thought that excessive heat and pressure caused by tight underwear may contribute to reduced testosterone production. The testicles, where testosterone is primarily produced, are more sensitive to temperature changes. When the temperature in the testicular region increases due to tight clothing, it may disrupt the normal functioning of Leydig cells, which are responsible for testosterone production." Although nothing has yet been proved conclusively and more controlled studies are necessary, many now believe the above may well be true. https://medshun.com/article/does-tight-underwear-affect-testosterone

@Olddaddy - what happened to the idea of your owning a bar in Pattaya?

I suspect that is merely wishful thinking. Isn't the Thai way of coping with reduced income to raise prices, not reduce them to encourage more business? Around 12 years ago on this forum, I extolled the virtues and products of the British Pie Shop not far from Sathorn. It even made Green Curry pies (very tasty) and a host of sinful dessert pies. A year or so later it had to close in that location when the landlord upped the rent. I frequently pass that area and noticed yesterday that in all the time since the Pie Shop had to leave, it has remained completely vacant! It is not in a section of the soi that would be redeveloped for condos or whatever. So the property owner has lost roughly 11 years of rent when the Pie Shop could have remained at least for a few years more. That's the Thai way! There are still various pie shops around when searching the internet. But all different from the one I used to patronise. I assume it must have gone out of business.

To enlighten @Ken76, the PFC stands for the Pattaya Flying Club. No, it does not teach you to fly an aircraft, although some who have participated might have had far too much acohol and assumed they could fly solo. It basically means depression-related suicide by jumping off a balcony. Generally, I suggest it is near madness to consider retiring anywhere unless you have a pretty good knowledge of the country/area. Just because some countries have a reputation for being gay friendly should not make it the reason for investing in retirement there. I suggest @Olddaddy's earlier post has several very pertinent points you have to consider (although I got the impression from your OP that your boyfriend is not in fact Thai - if he is, then that changes things somewhat). There are lots of Americans in Thailand, more than a few are gay and have Thai boyfriends. As a gay couple you will be welcomed, but key to that as @bkkmfj2648 pointed out above is you respecting Thai people, their culture, customs and religion. This is their country - not America. So you have to adapt and respect them rather than the other way around. It would be interesting to know if you have visited Thailand before - or indeed any Asian country.

Remembering the self-combustion problems on the then new 787 Dreamliners resulting from Boeing's use of lithium ion batteries, as well as the UPS cargo 747 which crashed in the UAE when lithium batteries in the hold started a catastrophic fire, I am not surprised. Yet at the same time I remain amazed that airlines still permit the carriage of items like litre bottles of booze. These can cause death if a passenger decided to go on the rampage. Unlikely I know - and I do not think it has yet happened. But with air rage on the increase . . .? I realise airport managers would scream if they were banned. Yet, purchasing on arrival prior to customs checks is quite common at some airports. Although not at BKK any longer. On arrival in mid-March i noticed that the small Duty Free shop had disappeared.

Digesting @macaroni21's comments, I can see how he comes to the conclusion re the USA maintaining its importance geographically perhaps through the end of this century. The same was to a certain extent true with Britain. It seems to me a fact that the end of previous 'empires' has almost always resulted from a rot starting from within. But whereas China, the Ottoman Turks and to a certain extent Russia, for example, had all collapsed largely because of their inability to adapt to a changing world, Britain had to give up its empire for a variety of reasons with the rot starting 70 - 80 years prior to World War II. And I think from @macaroni21's post it is clear that the rot has surely already started within the USA. How long it can maintain its international status no doubt depends to a large extent on the mass of its own peoples and what other empires might rise as the century progresses. I suspect we all agree that, even though it is presently tackling some pretty horrendous economic problems, China has the ability to become the world's only superpower. Whether under President Xi's successors it will wish to take that role, though, is in my view doubtful. Put as simply as possible, the British ruling elite had for centuries been the land owning aristocracy. Thus parliament was elected from the votes of only a few hundred thousand land owners, all of whom felt they had some divine right to rule and were themselves very rich as a result of their huge land ownership. With the industrial revolution and the wealth derived from colonialism on a grand scale (at one time 25% of the known world was effectively British), the new mercantile class allied to massively increased urbanisation wanted its voice heard in the country's governance. Through a series of laws and taxes introduced over the middle 50 years of the 19th century, the wealth of the aristocracy was seriously diminished. Parliament had reduced the property thresholds required for elections thereby increasing representation from other classes in society. Britain still remained rich but relatively less so. There is a famous quote from the hugely wealthy British mining magnate, Sir Cecil Rhodes, who had moved to South Africa towards the end of the 19th century and after whom Zimbabwe and Zambia were initially named as Rhodesia: "To be born British at the end of the 19th century is to win the first prize in the lottery of life." The times, though, were already changing. By then only 18% of Britons had the right to vote. In the new century, the electoral franchise was extended to cover all males over 21 and soon all women. The First World War soon wiped out a large proportion of the aristocracy's first sons, those who historically inherited the family landed estates. Many of these were subdivided amongst other siblings, thus reducing their wealth. The income from estates fell and the death of so many during the war resulted in a major shortage of servants vital to running their massive country houses. It was a slow nail in the coffin for the aristocracy. Many stately houses were pulled down between the wars, their owners simply unable to earn enough from the land and to pay estate duties when passed from fathers to sons. To cap it all, Britain had to borrow massive amounts to finance its participation in the two World Wars. By 1945 Its debt exceeded 200% of GDP. Throughout the 1950s and 60s Britain had a tiered system of taxation and many paid a top rate of 97.5% on a large portion of their income. Financing an empire was totally impossible, although the wartime Prime Minister Winston Churchill believed part of it could be saved. What might have happened without the two World Wars, we can only take a wild guess. But it's a silly question because the pieces on the international chess board were moving in a way that made those wars inevitable.

One of the most perceptive, hugely intelligent posts ever seen by me on this forum. A great big thank you!

It's a lousy time to visit Hong Kong. Hundreds of thousands of Hong Kong Chinese return to their ancestral homes on the mainland for family gatherings. A large number of expats of all ages also leave the city for short holidays around the region, mainly because Hong Kong is pretty dead at that time. I definitely fall into that category! Moved there in 1979 when Hong Kong still had the mid-1800s colonial anti-sodomy law. Every year the government jailed 2 or 3 guys for a couple of years for homosexual offences. All that did was keep everything under the surface. A lot of men near the top of the government and in major businesses still had their Chinese boyfriends. So it remained a very cruisy city. Provided one took a small degree of care, meeting guys was easy. There were a couple of gay bars - Dateline in a small street near Central on the Island and Waltzing Mathilda in Kowloon. But the police anti-gay squad kept a close watch on each. Dateline was accessed by a long staircase to the basement lit by a bright floodlight. At first I thought it was a kind gesture by the bar to ensure no-one slipped and fell. Only later did I realise that the cops had rented the flat opposite and photographed everyone going in and out! Waltzing Mathilda was known as a triad hangout and one of the barmen was a police informer. Soon after my arrival a gayish disco Disco Disco opened in the Lan Kwai Fong area and this became hugely popular. On each side of the harbour was at least one bath house which became known as semi-cruising spots. Earlier, in the mid-1970s, the government had realised it had a problem with gay men in high places. Allied to excessive corruption often involving top government officials, it set up a totally Independent Commission Against Corruption with its own police and judiciary. This ICAC became very popular with the public at large and a number of top officials decided the time had come to disappear. The gay Chief Justice at the time had the nickname 'Brenda'. A top policeman fled to Britain for having wealth beyond his means. He was extradited and jailed. I won't go into the 1980 death of the police inspector John MacLennan 'suspected' of being gay as I already covered this in an earlier series of posts. This caused an almost volcanic eruption both in government circles and with the public. Many were certain MacLennan had been murdered because he had seen too much in police files that would have incriminated many top people. This was Part 2 of the 5 part series I wrote almost 2 years ago about how this ended up changing Hong Kong for gay people for the better. The important thing for gay people is that over the 1980s public opinion on scrapping the anti-sodomy law grew very considerably. When it became time for Britain and China to agree on a Hong Kong Bill of Rights in 1990, this finally swept away the ancient law. I can't say the floodgates opened, but I recall going to the first gay sauna the following year. It was located in Paterson Street near Food Street. Eventually the number increased and covered much of Hong Kong island and Kowloon. But Hong Kong never became like Bangkok or Pattaya. Gogo bars did not exist. Some bars opened, mostly quite small, and a number of saunas on both sides of the harbour. Anyone who visited around that time will remember arguably the most popular bar/dance club on the Island, Propaganda which changed its name after some years to Works. The biggest sauna on the Island was and remains Gateway in Wanchai (I seem to recall that its first name was GB, but am now not 100% sure). The smallest was and remains CE close to the Central Escalator just off Cochrane Street. Although tiny, it was usually a good place for westerners to meet young Chinese. It was my regular for a few years. I particularly recall one time meeting up with two tall, young, aggressively cute Chinese guys who had come to Hong Kong for a weekend of shopping and sex. We had a ball. Another visit I had a great time with a guy who worked for the Immigration Department and we became friends for a while. But weekdays were mostly hit or miss. Late afternoons at the week-end there were more patrons. On Kowloon, Hutong remains THE sauna to visit. Re bars, in addition to FLM, there are a couple of other bars in the Sheung Wan district, but I have generally found these to me more Chinese for Chinese. Fun to visit, but hook-ups unlikely. Like many cities, in Hong Kong the apps have taken over with a lot of young Chinese guys happy to hook up with much older westerners.

Just to add to this point, Chengdu has 14 official universities and a further 7 official colleges of some other disciplines. In other words, a huge number of students. Even though I was living closer to the outskirts of the city than the centre, not one of the guys I had the joy of meeting would accept any money for transport. I did enjoy dinner in the hotel with one which naturally I paid for. I wished I could have stayed for a few more days. Chengdu is also a great cultural centre. This is where the wonderful Panda Breeding Center is located where you can see 50 or so of these wonderful creatures, including the rare brown pandas. 90 minutes away is the famous Giant Buddha at Leshan, often cited as one of the wonders of China. Further away and accessible by bus or a short flight is the stunning Jiuzhaigou National Park. If you arrive by air, make sure you have your camera on your lap because the views in the minutes before you arrive at the airport are breathtaking. Sadly mine was in my backpack n the luggage locker. The runway itself is carved out of the top of a mountain and is in itself amazing. The National Park covers two valleys. Go early in the mornng. From the entrance, minibuses drop you off at the main valley at a level of around 4,000 meters after which it is easy to slowly amble down taking in some gorgeous natural wonders. If you are peckish, the cruising minibuses will take you down to the entrance where there are large restaurants and then back up afterwards. The Park suffered major damage in the 2017 earthquake. It was partially reopened the following year and has now been restored to its former glory. The Park is also home to 7 Tibetan villages. But do not attempt to go during or close to one of the country's national holidays when everywhere in the Park is crammed with Chinese!

I have lived in Hong Kong and Bangkok for more than 20 years each. I have absolutely no idea what the Hong Kong people meant! Charoen Krung is a very long road of 8.6 kilometers. The only Rop Krung I have heard of is the canal Khlop Rop Krung. I believ this is the old name now given to Klong Ong Ang and Klong Bang Lamphu. Klong Ong Ang is now known as a cultural tourism hub. There is an area relatively close to both and not far from the Royal Palace. There used to be Thais who were freelancers who would cruise there, but this was very much at your own risk, especially if you are a newcomer, do not know the area and do not speak Thai! And difficult unless you have a car. Not sure if this is still a cruising area but I expect this may be what your Hong Kong friends meant. Personally I would totally avoid that area. Stick to the known gay areas of Silom and Suriwong.

Thank you for a fascinating investigation of the real issues. In the late 1980s I read what was then a new book by the Yale University economist Paul Kennedy. "The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers : Economic Change and Military Conflict from 1500 To 2000" looked in detail at which countries had been "great" powers during that time and the reasons why they ceased being "great". Kennedy's essential premise was that as any country becomes larger and larger, particularly through colonialism and military might, it has invariably found the cost of that military might becomes too great for the country to afford through taxation of its people and those in its overseas colonies. Military overstretch is the term he uses. As other countries have developed their own military strength, so then has it become necessary for the "great" power to continue to invest more and more of its tax revenues in new and more modern military equipment. "Great" is not a given. It is a term relative to what other countries are doing or are capable of doing. Only if the overall tax revenues increase can the country continue at the top of the international tree, as it were. With the USA having reduced its relative tax revenues over the years by not taxing the rich at the levels paid by ordinary folk and yet at the same time devoting more and more funds to increasing the size, capability and international reach of its armed forces, Kennedy concludes that its term as a great power must inevitably wane. The fact is that the USA's national debt has increased massively since 1960. Only during President Clinton's Presidency did it fall significantly, particularly during the last four years of his term in office when the USA's GDP was actually in surplus. In those years the deficit to GDP ratio also fell to under zero. Instead of building on that, one of George Bush II's first actions was to give away - mostly to the already rich - all the savings under Clinton. Trump 1's final year in office showed a more than tripling of the debt and a similar increase in the debt to GDP ratio (although in fairness it has to be pointed out that this was the first year of covid). In the fiscal year 2024 (i.e. the year ending September 30), the US government spent $1.18 trillion more than it received in revenues. The country's national debt then stood at $35.46 trillion, or 125% of GDP. That amounts to $271,577 of debt for every tax payer and that debt has to be serviced through issuing government bonds. (The figures just quoted are from the US Monthly Treasury Statements). In October 2024, Maya MacGuineas, president of the [non-profit group] Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, said that is equal to borrowing about $5 billion a day . . . We’re borrowing nearly double the amount we borrowed annually before the pandemic, and this is projected to grow indefinitely,” she said. “This is no way to run a country. In fact, the way we have been running the country is we don’t pass budgets; we don’t pay for new policies; we don’t address our major entitlement programs, which are facing insolvency; and we tolerate the two major presidential candidates competing over who can promise to give away more.” Kennedy's book has some flaws, but not many. For example, he failed to predict the end of the USSR, as did most economists of the day, but does outline the huge problems it faced. In general, though, his analyses are spot on! If the USA is effectively to reduce its National Debt, its existing military outreach has to be addressed. Were that to happen, it would be a much greater shock to the world than any number of tariffs. In our part of the world alone, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan would just be some of the countries to become massively concerned! It really would be a great service if Kennedy could update his book to cope with modern day realities.

The new, but already desperately late, 777X is as bad. Parts of the exclusive GE engines are made in Italy, the folding wing tips in Germany and France, the doors in Vietnam, parts of the landing gear in Japan, the UAE some of the composite parts, the horizontal stabilizer in China, the company responsible for the interior layouts and seating has 150 sites in 25 countries including the UK meaning many arrive just in time for assembly in the USA. Rudders for Boeing jets have been made in Australia for many decades. A tariff bonanza for someone!!

On another slight sidetrack, I remain ashamed that in the second book I had published the primary proof reader - me! - and a couple from the publisher's totally failed to miss a glaring error and it remains there for all to read. In talking about a leading figure in the Decca Record company, I wrote that she was primarily responsible "for pubic relations"! 😒😧