Model
Dea and the Beast
Posts: 4796
Saint Petersburg, Florida, US
Torttu Doris wrote:
not all countries in Europe are the same.....................
Scandinavia could not be more different from the Mediterranean from Central Europe from Britain and Ireland......... Lmfao. Net this dude in a bar. We're doing the old Where you from routine and his eyes light up and he tells me he wants to move to Europe, Denmark to be precise.
I ask how it's going.
He said it's tough getting a passport. 
He knew fuck-all about Denmark itself, but its a great place and he will move there, hopefully with exchange program of Mariott hotels.
I wanted to roll my eyes but I couldn't help telling him that if he is already struggling with going to the post office and filling in a form and have his picture taken, he may want to consider just staying put... We didn't even get into politics and language.
Photographer
Jerry Nemeth
Posts: 33355
Dearborn, Michigan, US
Dea and the Beast wrote:
Lmfao. Net this dude in a bar. We're doing the old Where you from routine and his eyes light up and he tells me he wants to move to Europe, Denmark to be precise.
I ask how it's going.
He said it's tough getting a passport.
He knew fuck-all about Denmark itself, but its a great place and he will move there, hopefully with exchange program of Mariott hotels.
I wanted to roll my eyes but I couldn't help telling him that if he is already struggling with going to the post office and filling in a form and have his picture taken, he may want to consider just staying put... We didn't even get into politics and language. I agree.
Photographer
Looknsee Photography
Posts: 26342
Portland, Oregon, US
I've occasionally thought about Belize -- in Central America (south of Mexico).
... Speaks English.
... In a similar time zone as the rest of the USA.
... Easy to get to (and from).
... Affordable-ish.
... Not so much of a culture shock.
... But it does have its own exotic culture.
Photographer
Tony From Syracuse
Posts: 2503
Syracuse, New York, US
Al Lock Photography wrote:
Freedom to live your life as you choose.
Want to let your lawn grow? Nobody will stop you.
Want to drink beer at 7 in the morning? Nobody will tell you that you shouldn't or report you as a bad parent.
Want to work your ass off and run 5 businesses? Nobody will tell you that you have to have 100 licenses and comply with 5000 regulations or that you can't run business A on the same premises as business B.
Want to get rare beef at a restaurant? They won't tell you they can't serve it because the law says they can't.
Home school your children? Send them to a private school? Send them to a religious school? Send them to a public school? Hire a private tutor? Not school them at all? Your choice. All or any.
You are responsible for yourself. You make your own choices. You live with the consequences of those choices.
That is what liberty is.
Liberty isn't defined by government or laws. It's defined by what choices a person can make.
Wye is cherry-picking from events reported, some of which DIDN'T EVEN HAPPEN, and pretending that defines the nation. come on...we can do all that stuff in america.those are silly almost propaganda style notions of what someone on the outside...thinks....america is like.
yes we have liberty in thailand...we dont have to cut our grass! geez......
this is why Imposed the question like I did.with an air of sarcasm.... if you really dig deep...read between the lines...of when a foreigner says their country has more freedoms...they have to get silly for the meat and potato examples like above... cause they know deep down the real example of "more liberty" equals legal prostitution and drug usage. hey if thats your thing, have at it. but thats not liberty in my eyes. to me, thats not a positive....thats giving in....throwing up ones hands and essentially saying..."ah fuck it'. let em all buy womens cootchies and fry their brains on drugs.
Photographer
udor
Posts: 25255
New York, New York, US
Wye wrote:
Man.. I can't believe that I am actually having a discussion of the relative levels of freedom of a place *with* martial law vs a place *without*.
MM.. you never fail to disappoint. You know... despite Thailand having a military junta... the United States, the land of the "free" still puts more of it's citizen in prison than Thailand or any other nation on the planet, Even the most dictatorial and oppressive regime of some banana republic has less people in prison per capita than the United States...
Food for thought, Wye!
Photographer
Tony From Syracuse
Posts: 2503
Syracuse, New York, US
once again....if one defines liberty as the freedom to buy a womans vagina...or the freedom to alter get hard drugs, then I am glad we have laws.and I have no idea what a military junta is in thailand...but it doesnt sound like a boone to freedom.
Photographer
udor
Posts: 25255
New York, New York, US
Tony From Syracuse wrote:
once again....if one defines liberty as the freedom to buy a womans vagina...or the freedom to alter get hard drugs, then I am glad we have laws.and I have no idea what a military junta is in thailand...but it doesnt sound like a boone to freedom. Hi Tony!
If all you know about Thailand is prostitution and drug use, you might take a look at this Wikipedia entry http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thailand
You will find that it is one country of a very high standard of living, a very prosperous country what commerce concerns and... it's a newly industrialized country.
You will also find information about the current political situation, including the military junta and the political crisis that went on for years until they took over.
Also, martial law was ended on April 1, 2015, as declared by the military junta.
Photographer
Lightcraft Studio
Posts: 13682
Las Vegas, Nevada, US
udor wrote:
You know... despite Thailand having a military junta... the United States, the land of the "free" still puts more of it's citizen in prison than Thailand or any other nation on the planet, Even the most dictatorial and oppressive regime of some banana republic has less people in prison per capita than the United States...
Food for thought, Wye! I'm not sure the publicly issued number of people in prison means a whole lot when you're able to detain or "make disappear" people without telling the world about it.
A few excerpts from a Human Rights report from just a few weeks ago on Thailand:
The NCPO continues to refuse to provide information about people in secret detention. The risk of enforced disappearance, torture, and other ill treatment significantly increases when detainees are held incommunicado in military custody. The use of military courts, which lack independence and fail to comply with international fair trial standards, to try civilians has also increased.
Criticizing the monarchy is a serious criminal offense in Thailand. Persons charged with lese majeste are routinely denied bail and held in prison for many months awaiting trial. In most cases, convictions result in harsh sentences. Prayuth gave a policy statement setting out that a top NCPO priority is to prosecute critics of the monarchy.
Military courts have generally imposed harsher sentences in lese majeste cases than had the civilian courts. Penal Code article 112 provides for imprisonment of 3 to 15 years for lese majeste crimes. Previously, civilian courts often sentenced a guilty person to 5 years per count. But since the coup, military courts have often delivered harsher sentences.
“The Thai junta has done nothing to assure families that those taken into military custody won’t be tortured or mistreated,” said Adams. “Instead the government issues harsh denials and lashes out angrily at journalists and activists who raise questions about torture cases.”
Photographer
Giacomo Cirrincioni
Posts: 22232
Stamford, Connecticut, US
Connor Photography wrote:
Not for everyone, but in a few years, I will retire and living on a sailboat. Sailing all over Europe and the tropics, live off the sea and just live a simple life. When I am tired of the scenery, I will pull the anchor up and move to a different spot or country.
If i am really really homesick, I will fly home for a few months. After I have done that and if I am still good shape, I may join Peace Corp before I check out.
That is my plan.  I'm several years behind you, but that has always been my plan. I've built two boats so far and my third will be my last (but it will probably just be an extended refit of an existing boat). I'm seriously considering steel for some high attitude sailing, though, like you, would spend most of my time either in the Med or the Caribbean.
Photographer
Lightcraft Studio
Posts: 13682
Las Vegas, Nevada, US
Giacomo Cirrincioni wrote:
I'm seriously considering steel for some high attitude sailing, I hear Lake Titicaca is nice... that's at 12,500 feet altitude.
Photographer
Giacomo Cirrincioni
Posts: 22232
Stamford, Connecticut, US
Lightcraft Studio wrote:
I hear Lake Titicaca is nice... that's at 12,500 feet altitude. LOL, I was foiled by autocorrect. I meant high latitude... I'm thinking Iceland and Patagonia. But yes, I'd love to sail a boat there.
Photographer
Wye
Posts: 10811
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Giacomo Cirrincioni wrote:
LOL, I was foiled by autocorrect. I meant high latitude... I'm thinking Iceland and Patagonia. But yes, I'd love to sail a boat there. Northwest Passage!!
Do it!!!!!
(You and I have discussed North to the Night, haven't we?)
Photographer
Lightcraft Studio
Posts: 13682
Las Vegas, Nevada, US
Giacomo Cirrincioni wrote:
LOL, I was foiled by autocorrect. I meant high latitude... I'm thinking Iceland and Patagonia. But yes, I'd love to sail a boat there. Lol...kinda figured that!
I've been through Patagonia (Beagle Channel, around Cape Horn, etc.) and it truly is beautiful scenery in those parts.
|
