> Apparently ending the de minimus exemption is closing the grey market for e.g. sunscreen; places that used to sell Japanese sunscreens on American shelves no longer are.

Stylevana, where I go for my Japanese/Korean sunscreen and skincare, is still shipping to the US as far as I can tell.

Do they use Japan Post?

I didn't vote because I live in a deep blue district in a deep blue state, Harris was a joke of a candidate, and I couldn't be bothered to update my voter registration after a recent move. Given my participation would have had zero impact on the outcome, I decided to spend my time on other things.

From what I hear, many people in blue states made the same calculation.

What US military aid is going to Pakistan at this point? This info is a decade out of date. Pakistan is incredibly tight with China now.

Kindly educate yourself on the latest developments. US President Donald Trump approved ~$450 million for Pakistan to sustain its F-16 fighter jets after Pakistan's Army Chief cozied up. US-Pakistan strategic military ties have also now re-opened and further deals are on the table.

US wants airbase capability in Pakistan to bomb Iran - at-least that is what American military analysts are saying. Another compelling reason is exploitable rare earths and oil in Balochistan.

Do note that China is not sanctimoniously ordering India to stop buying oil from Russia, Iran and Venezuela.

> What does Vietnam do as a part of this alliance?

Buys American arms, lets US naval assets use its ports (including aircraft carriers), probably a lot of intelligence cooperation we're not aware of.

> You also better believe that when tensions flare up between Vietnam and China again, Vietnam will be begging the US for help.

The more likely scenario is that the US comes begging Vietnam for help in some future conflict because China shut down the South China Sea as part of a blockade of Taiwan, and used missiles to render all US airbases in the region unusable.

And many US cities allow bars to serve THC-infused drinks. They won't win any awards for flavor but can be a fun alternative to alcohol.

Raves, (some) nightclubs, and music festivals are the equivalent for MDMA/ket/psychedelics and there are plenty of options in every city.

> Alcohol is still cheaper than pretty much all the substances that are replacing it

A hit of acid costs $10 and lasts for 12 hours. A 5-10mg THC edible costs around $5, maybe a bit less, and lasts for 4-6 hours. A small dose of mushrooms (500mg-1g), about the same as the edible. Little to no hangover from all of the above unless you go really hard.

(Ketamine is an exception here, unless you keep your use infrequent the steep tolerance curve will cause your costs to blow up quickly.)

Meanwhile, a pint in a major US city costs like $10 with tax + tip and lasts for what, an hour? Wine or a decent cocktail cost even more.

Seems like other substances offer the better deal here if you're looking at pure cost per hour of active effects. If you consider health effects, they win out on that score too, assuming no underlying mental health diagnoses.

> Meanwhile, a pint in a major US city costs like $10 with tax + tip and lasts for what, an hour?

That’s a feature, not a bug. When I want a drink or two, I like to know that I’ll be pretty much sober in 1-2 hours and can drive or do whatever.

Setting aside 4-12 hours of time for recreational drug use is a commitment. You’re basically setting aside somewhere between a whole evening to a half day. If you time it wrong, you’re not even sober by morning.

Don't get me wrong, I'm a social drinker and think drinking has its place. But if cost is the main consideration other substances are likely to win out. Just like how a good AAA game is better value for money than a movie, but can never fully replace the moviegoing experience.