Americans: A Superlative People

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OrangeDragon
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Re: Americans: A Superlative People

Post by OrangeDragon »

Jobs being filled create jobs. Your opinion isn't stronger than decades of economic research on the subject and expert opinions... sorry.

Buy it's nice to see you're back to placing blame (chinese port) rather than coming up with export industries they don't dominate as realistic solutions. How many Khmer were employed in mining those resources? Transporting them? And didn't you say taxes only go to making the gov't people richer anyway? So who cares if it's tax free... it's creating jobs.

You seemed to miss the last bit of my argument for the mutual funds as well, where it requires zero action by the government to make happen, only some private investors willing to set up a brokerage fund and make it work.

You also have a misguided view of how America works. Some can... but a welfare recipient can't just pull up roots and move to another state either. If they could there wouldn't still be people living in the Detroit slums.
OrangeDragon
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Re: Americans: A Superlative People

Post by OrangeDragon »

nightmare.believer wrote:Blame the motos? That's cute. Blame the critical lack of infrastructure and the anarchy. This country is as close to pure anarchy as you can get. They don't even have a viable land route to their major trading partner (vietnam).
You've clearly not driven to Bavet. Great roads all the way there, probably the easiest and fastest drive in the country. Only issue is the ferry, which will soon be replace by a bridge, and the trucks still make it on there pretty steady.

And if the cars can self regulate and drive with courtesy, so can the motos. Anarch or not.
flying chicken
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Re: Americans: A Superlative People

Post by flying chicken »

OrangeDragon wrote:Jobs being filled create jobs. Your opinion isn't stronger than decades of economic research on the subject and expert opinions... sorry.
I never claim to be an expert on anything. The predecessors advocated their beliefs; but I read, observe and take the good things I ought to heed. After all, I am just a person living in a messed up world.
OrangeDragon wrote:Buy it's nice to see you're back to placing blame (chinese port) rather than coming up with export industries they don't dominate as realistic solutions. How many Khmer were employed in mining those resources? Transporting them? And didn't you say taxes only go to making the gov't people richer anyway? So who cares if it's tax free... it's creating jobs.
What are you suggesting? Going at it alone when the Khmer government is already blinded by bribes and get myself in kill? A few tried and disappeared. Are you a smart arse geek or getting the info thinking that all you have to know about the Cambodia inside-out from the RSS feed? When I wrote in the Newsworthy thread, that if the government continues to suppress its people, an internal war is inevitable; I am not kidding. When that happen, I predict a lot of whining Americans.
OrangeDragon wrote:You seemed to miss the last bit of my argument for the mutual funds as well, where it requires zero action by the government to make happen, only some private investors willing to set up a brokerage fund and make it work.
I didnt miss what you wrote. But you are living with your imaginary thought. Millions trying to make a living is hard enough as it is already. Largely uneducated. How else would you explain the continuous expansion of ACELDA in the cities and rural areas. What about Naga Casino, the only place where Khmers can enter out of all other casinos in the Kingdom.
OrangeDragon wrote:You also have a misguided view of how America works. Some can... but a welfare recipient can't just pull up roots and move to another state either. If they could there wouldn't still be people living in the Detroit slums.
I am merely making jokes. I see people as people.
EVERYONE BOW DOWN AND PAY EXTREME HOMAGE TO HIS MAJESTIES flying chicken©
OrangeDragon
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Re: Americans: A Superlative People

Post by OrangeDragon »

I think you heavily underestimate how big the middle class has become, and the rate at which it's expanding. quite often as a result of people who had nothing taking some initiative and making something.
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StroppyChops
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Re: Americans: A Superlative People

Post by StroppyChops »

OrangeDragon wrote:I think you heavily underestimate how big the middle class has become, and the rate at which it's expanding. quite often as a result of people who had nothing taking some initiative and making something.
Well, taking something, at least.
Bodge: This ain't Kansas, and the neighbours ate Toto!
OrangeDragon
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Re: Americans: A Superlative People

Post by OrangeDragon »

StroppyChops wrote:
OrangeDragon wrote:I think you heavily underestimate how big the middle class has become, and the rate at which it's expanding. quite often as a result of people who had nothing taking some initiative and making something.
Well, taking something, at least.
That tends to be more of an upper class action. The middle class is coming about through better educational options as a result of mom, dad, auntie, etc working their asses off in a factory and saving up to send you to a university as well as entrepreneurial activities like opening up successful shops/etc.
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StroppyChops
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Re: Americans: A Superlative People

Post by StroppyChops »

OrangeDragon wrote:
StroppyChops wrote:
OrangeDragon wrote:I think you heavily underestimate how big the middle class has become, and the rate at which it's expanding. quite often as a result of people who had nothing taking some initiative and making something.
Well, taking something, at least.
That tends to be more of an upper class action. The middle class is coming about through better educational options as a result of mom, dad, auntie, etc working their asses off in a factory and saving up to send you to a university as well as entrepreneurial activities like opening up successful shops/etc.
Not in any way looking to be argumentative - as this seems to have been the CEO theme this week - do you not think that many of the Lexus-driving middle- (and upper-) class Khmer have improved their 'station' through the receipt of aid dollars via cronyism and nepotism?
Bodge: This ain't Kansas, and the neighbours ate Toto!
OrangeDragon
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Re: Americans: A Superlative People

Post by OrangeDragon »

StroppyChops wrote:
OrangeDragon wrote:
StroppyChops wrote:
OrangeDragon wrote:I think you heavily underestimate how big the middle class has become, and the rate at which it's expanding. quite often as a result of people who had nothing taking some initiative and making something.
Well, taking something, at least.
That tends to be more of an upper class action. The middle class is coming about through better educational options as a result of mom, dad, auntie, etc working their asses off in a factory and saving up to send you to a university as well as entrepreneurial activities like opening up successful shops/etc.
Not in any way looking to be argumentative - as this seems to have been the CEO theme this week - do you not think that many of the Lexus-driving middle- (and upper-) class Khmer have improved their 'station' through the receipt of aid dollars via cronyism and nepotism?
Oh I'm sure some have... without a doubt. But I think for the middle class this is a minority. You see a fair amount of it from people who have worked out import/export arrangements and are now offering such services, or are using those services and offering special products, starting small construction companies, etc.

These are simply small business owners making it work. Sure, some of that involves "using the system" by bribing at customs/etc... but often it's the system working against them more than for them.
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StroppyChops
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Re: Americans: A Superlative People

Post by StroppyChops »

Fair enough - does the environment still allow poorer Khmer to become self-empowered in the same way, or has that boat sailed?
Bodge: This ain't Kansas, and the neighbours ate Toto!
OrangeDragon
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Re: Americans: A Superlative People

Post by OrangeDragon »

StroppyChops wrote:Fair enough - does the environment still allow poorer Khmer to become self-empowered in the same way, or has that boat sailed?
I think there's still LOADS of market opportunity here for growth. Solid agriculture would be a good start... even my wife's family has moved from simple subsistence farming to a much more lucrative and diversified farm producing a significant surplus which they sell. All in just the last 2 years. They're not middle class yet, but certainly working their way in that direction.

And I think there's a LOT of room in agriculture to make much more efficient use of the land to produce much more valuable crops than what they're doing now.

As other industries go, it's hard to say honestly. Import/export perhaps... but it's pretty full as it is until the needed volumes increase substantially. Opening factories is an option, but would require a significant start up and the ability to make contacts in that world for contracting it out. I think real estate is a pipe dream at this point with a few people grabbing up as much as they can before the bubble pops... but for a while it was nice. The wife managed a small investment about 5 years ago working at the casino (collective purchase with 4 friends) that recently returned a 1500% profit, but the days of getting land that cheap seem pretty done and I can't see values holding steady at this mostly artificial growth rate.
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