How odd! That the US two-dollar bill should become a good luck charm in Cambodia. When I arrived in Cambodia in January of 1995, the bills were everywhere. Every money-changing stall, and many other shops, had them on display — for good luck, not currency. There was a rumor that the United Nations UNTAC workers […]
Category: Cambodia
CAMBODIA’S COMING DEBT CRASH
The rise in energy costs is going to hit Cambodia harder than other countries. This is because the country is already struggling with mountains of debt. My sister used to work for an American bankruptcy court, and she would tell me story after story of families who played by the rules, paid their debts, and […]
FOREIGN PRODUCERS REALLY DO PAY THE TARIFFS
Conventional wisdom is that foreign countries do not pay the tariffs; importers pay them, and then pass them on to consumers. Various estimates claim that 95-99% of Trump’s tariffs are paid by consumers. So now that the tariffs have been declared illegal, import companies are lining up to claim refunds on the tariffs they were […]
ARE CAMBODIANS REALLY BUDDHISTS?
Here’s an interesting hypothesis: the behavior of followers of any religion is diametrically opposed to the main principles of their religion. For example, the main message of Christianity is “Love thy neighbor.” But today’s Evangelicals harbor an intense hatred for blacks, Hispanics, Moslems, LGBTQs, and anyone not exactly not like themselves. Not to mention the […]
WHY WOULD THAILAND WANT TO DESTROY A VISHNU STATUE?
Thai crane topples Cambodian sacred statue on Cambodian ground This destruction was no accident, and was not done by F-16 fighters. It’s a simple crane toppling the statue – clearly on purpose. Thailand claims the statue was removed “solely for the purpose of area management and security”. Suuure! I have been claiming that the Thai […]
THAILAND’S PERFORMATIVE ATTACKS ON CAMBODIA
‘Performative’ has become the word of year. Events around the world are seen more and more as motivated by the desire to present an image, a meme, a narrative, regardless of the truth or the facts. This is precisely what is happening along the Thai-Cambodian border. Thailand is attacking Cambodia, not for any strategic reason, […]
ACADEMIC CONFERENCES AND GIRLY BARS
I recently attended an academic conference on English teaching in Phnom Penh. It was the stereotype of academic conferences: plenary sessions by imported invited experts, parallel session by local presenters, panel discussions, etc. Participants know exactly what to expect. I’m not knocking it – there were some interesting and thought-provoking sessions, and I came away […]
THE THAI-CAMBODIA BORDER – WHAT’S GOING ON?
Thailand announced on Monday (Nov 10) it was suspending the implementation of a peace agreement with neighboring Cambodia after a landmine blast injured two Thai soldiers near the border. The Peace Agreement had been widely praised, not least because of the involvement of U.S. President Donald Trump. (In fact, Trump had nothing to do with the Agreement.) […]
HOW WILL CAMBODIA HANDLE THE CYBERSLAVERY SCANDAL?
Recent events have beamed the spotlight on Cambodia’s massive ‘pig-butchering’ scams. Cambodia is in the international news, especially in Korea (a Korean student was tortured to death) and the United States (the leader of Prince Group had 15 billion dollars in illegal money confiscated). Prince Bank is undergoing a huge bank run, as investors try […]
COULD PIG-BUTCHERING HAPPEN IN AMERICA?
I’ve been watching events unfold in Trump’s America – rampant corruption, cruelty, disregard for the rule of law, etc. However, I live in Cambodia, reputed for years to be one of the most corrupt nations on the planet. In recent weeks, the ‘pig-butchering’ scandal has emerged. (look it up for details, or read my previous […]