Hey Tilted!

[SamSpade]

That's funny because it's the exact opposite in the US. The big cities love their communism (in theory) and the rural areas are like, "Oh no you don't, pal."

I suspect it's largely because the more rural you are in China, the more likely you are to be without the more modern amenities.
Your cities are more like they were in the 40's and 50's. The big cities - and it's China, so there's LOTS of those - they're all bright lights and highways and skyscrapers and modern life.

We did see quite a lot of traffic, and I think our guide said that at least in the city we were in - you couldn't drive every day. It was like those days in the U.S. in the 70's where we rationed gas, and you couldn't drive on certain days. No one owns a home - but you CAN lease it for 99 years. There's almost no such thing as a single family home - they're all flats, and they're so enormously expensive that generally whole families save for a new couple when they get married.

And they know they're being censored and the Internet is restricted. The ones we met joke about how - daily - they have to work around the firewalls the government erects - until the government shuts down their work arounds. They just shrug it off. They have what they need. They're fine with that.

One thing that I thought was weird - the ONE day we went to Tienanmen Square, the place was FULL of people - nearly half a million - until government came in with bullhorns and uniformed people saying, sorry, government business this afternoon (rumor was, a diplomat was getting married there and they wanted the place CLEARED.) The people complied. They just shrugged it off. No biggie. Life in Beijing.

 

[SamSpade]

Gasoline in Europe is twice what we pay in this country.

That much, I knew. I used to participate heavily in a forum where there was this huge critic of the United States from the Netherlands. He would mention things like the gas taxes there which come to about 10 bucks a gallon. So they don't drive much. A Swedish girl I dated briefly mentioned that alcohol was so expensive they did - even as adults - what teenagers here do for beer. Pooled their resources, bought and shared a bottle and went to the clubs hammered, because no way could they afford drinks when on the town.

NOWHERE I ever went showed people in homes like many of us are accustomed to. Every city we went to, miles and miles of high rises. The only place I saw anything like single family homes were the dachas in Russia or the tenant farm houses. So they were either rich vacation houses or for the poor to work farms. Even some of the more spacious flats typically housed more people than most of us would be comfortable with.

 

[GURPS]

Prices for just about everything is hugely expensive because of massive taxes. Gasoline in Europe is twice what we pay in this country.

You have to PAY for that FREE Healthcare somehow

 

[PsyOps]

That much, I knew. I used to participate heavily in a forum where there was this huge critic of the United States from the Netherlands. He would mention things like the gas taxes there which come to about 10 bucks a gallon. So they don't drive much. A Swedish girl I dated briefly mentioned that alcohol was so expensive they did - even as adults - what teenagers here do for beer. Pooled their resources, bought and shared a bottle and went to the clubs hammered, because no way could they afford drinks when on the town.

NOWHERE I ever went showed people in homes like many of us are accustomed to. Every city we went to, miles and miles of high rises. The only place I saw anything like single family homes were the dachas in Russia or the tenant farm houses. So they were either rich vacation houses or for the poor to work farms. Even some of the more spacious flats typically housed more people than most of us would be comfortable with.

I was stationed in Korea '89-'90. I was in a pretty remote base called Kwang Ju. The people there lived in rowed houses that were heated with big blocks of coal that burned under the floor. Their sewers were semi-open ditches, we called binjo ditches. Their sewage ran into the open streams. the place always reeked of sewage. The people were really poor. The land has been so over-farmed that the water run-off was so polluted from fertilizer, and they didn't have water treatment plants that could make the water potable.

That was over 30 years ago, so I'm not sure if things have developed any better since then. But for those days, Korea was decades behind other developed countries.

 

[GURPS]

I was stationed in Korea '89-'90.

87 - 88 North of the Injin @ Camp Greaves

damn things have changed

https://www.google.com/maps/@37.888...4!1sKsqEmo8_xmjYpb1WMrr2Gg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

 

[PsyOps]

87 - 88 North of the Injin @ Camp Greaves

damn things have changed

https://www.google.com/maps/@37.888...4!1sKsqEmo8_xmjYpb1WMrr2Gg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

I did a search for Kwang Ju (called Gwangju by Google), but there was no ground view. It's hard to tell from above what might have changed. It's just been too long ago.

 

[vraiblonde]

Morning Joe on MSNBC is the most influential daily program in politics. Among both parties. And Joe and Mika are Trumpies.

Anyone else remember this?

These old threads are illuminating, reminding me of all those things I'd forgotten and that are now just the opposite. Joe beclowns himself (Mika was always a clown) daily raving with Trump-hate, but I do remember when he and Mika were buddies with The Donald....and then they got their marching orders.

 

[Bann]

Honestly, I don't have the time to read your posts, Tilted, LYMI. (but I skimmed them!)

I'll take the side that I think Trump will beat the rest of the GOP candidates on Super Tuesday and, I also think that it's likely he'll win big enough that it could cause Rubio or Cruz to drop out. He's pulling in all kinds of support and the numbers are getting higher every day.

I also think he will go on to win the POTUS against whichever candidate ends up winning on the Dem side.

Why not? I mean, there are enough people here who already think he can't win - I'll take the other side.

 

[rmorse]

I know I’m a little late to the party but I too believe Trump will beat Hillary.

 

[Louise]

Tilted was awesome! Wish he still posted. Hope he is doing well.

Ditto

 

[Kyle]

I know I’m a little late to the party but I too believe Trump will beat Hillary.

I'll bet you a six pack she wins the Popular Vote!

 

[PsyOps]

Ditto

You ditto your own post?

 

[Bann]

You ditto your own post?

When MPDs meet...

....a new reality show.

 

[Hijinx]

High priced gasoline ,Compacted housing,High taxes.
Don't worry folks Biden will do his best to get us to catch up to Korea Europe and China.

 

[PsyOps]

High priced gasoline ,Compacted housing,High taxes.
Don't worry folks Biden will do his best to get us to catch up to Korea Europe and China.

That really does get to the crux of their purpose. Liberals feel it's unfair that this country is so powerful while others are "disadvantage" in the global scheme of things. Just like they intend to level the playing field in this country, they intend to level the playing field globally by taking us down.