BUT beware of the new thai king

I just returned from Thailand. Lovely people and a peaceful culture, but I would not post this message with the phrase above if i was still in Thailand.

Governments suck.

All institutions are venues of corruption, but national institutions seem to be particularly vulnerable and destructive.

Much of what SB says about China is true. Much of what I say about the U.S. is true. Much of what Taffy says about Middle Eastern countries is true.

But citizens must live their lives in the country where they were born in the lottery of life. Few people in the world have the opportunities that expats do to reside in different countries. I am sympathetic to the complaints that citizens have about THEIR OWN countries. They know their homeland well and, for the most part, they are required to live there.

I do not, however, have much sympathy for the complaints of expats living in foreign countries. Their residence is voluntary and their knowledge of the people, the culture and the government is limited.