Scary thought that we are just one disaster away. Could be Ebola?

Thailand. Thank you, no. Friend of mine, worked for Citi and was Canadian, very cool posting in Bangkok for 6 months... until she was "snitched off" by a jealous local (wanted her job) for suspicion of smuggling and money laundering - all it took was one whisper, and her 3 year nightmare began. Everyone from the local authorities knew it was a BS ploy, but it didn't matter - she was guilty even *when* proven innocent. She *finally* got an emergency furlough out of prison (IIRC she had a serious, life threatening staph infection, and had she, a Canadian Citizen, died it would have been "bad press" for the Thai Gov't.), and was able to somehow make her escape to the local Canadian consulate who got her out of Thailand.

She was in counseling for years over this. Remembering talking to her all those years ago, still, make me shudder today.

Guess it's like a prep course in what's coming here... Aren't you anxious??

I remember visiting Taiwan with my parents when I was about 16. My father was career military and the two of them frankly discussed with me the pros and cons of having a country under perpetual martial law. They said that there was no freedom and that people had to have 'public faces' that they presented to the world and that they kept their actual thoughts to their closest friends and family. On the other hand, they said that Taipei was a city where I could be free to wander about day and night without danger, because the crime rate was non-existent.

I think that we are back in the security/freedom quandary. Many people would choose 'security'.

Jan

Thailand's political situation is more complex and this article makes no attempt to understand it. I have spent quite a bit of time there, and although not an expert, I know more than the writer apparently. I can't comment on the current sitrep since I was last there just before the coup. Short version: both political parties were using violence against the other and innocent bystanders were casulties as a result. This can be researched and proven as fact. Both parties were in the wrong and it was little more than a clash of power mongers without regard for rights of individuals. On one side is the old guard supporting the king (reverved by the people, but a figurehead, and elderly in poor health) in bangkok. On the other side is the corrupt industrialist (who fled Thailand to escape arrest on charges of corruption) and his self-appointed successor (his sister) who supposedly represents the lower classes in rural areas, and who won the most recent election. However the Thai Constitutional Court ordered her to leave office for abuse of power.
Painting the military as evil for stepping in is overly simplistic given the situation, and one should question the source of the criticism before assuming it as valid.
(Yes, there are certainly similarities to politics in the US.)

In the 1980's, I traveled around the world mostly on business and visited several countries with terrorist or rebellion problems such as El Salvador. However, most deeply etched in my memory was a walk in Manila when Marcos was in power. It was about five city blocks around midnight from a theater to my hotel. Every brownstone porch had a private guard with an Uzi across his chest and every intersection had four WWII jeeps with four soldiers each holding an M1 Garand rifle. Though I knew I was in a dictatorship, I felt safe.

It won't take martial law, just UN Agenda 21, of which Obama approves. We already have law enforcement being trained and asked if they are willing to use guns against US citizens to enforce UN Agenda 21. You will have no door to knock down, as you will have NO property rights.

Yes, you to can participate in Martial Law. With a whisper from a neighbor, you also can share the experience of having a SWAT raid on you house. This features a no-knock knockdown of your front door while men with automatic weapons guard your back door. After the flash bang grenade is tossed in, more men with guns enter and terrorize you and your family. You get to participate in having your hands handcuffed and be assaulted while they randomly search your home and personal electronic devices. Coming soon to community near you.