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Rudderless

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Australia was a lucky country, but I don't see that anymore. Australians have the highest levels of debt due to ridiculously high cost of housing.
http://digitaljournal.com/article/284509#tab=comments&sc=0&contribute=&local=

The cost of daily living expanses seems to have gone through the roof as well.

When you compare the cost of housing and living expanses in the US, than Americans are much better off than most Australians. Have a look what your money can buy you in the US and you will be impressed.

South America has a massive problem with poverty and general inequality, but they have some positives as well. Namely the sexiest woman on earth , great food and wine, awesome natural beauty.

A lot of people like to repeat the chorus about Australia being the lucky country an all but I don't see that on the faces of the average Australian working 50+ hours a week, just trying to keep their heads above water servicing a massive mortgage.
I see more happy people in Brazil with a fraction of the so called wealth that Australians have.
So please can we stop using the term "Lucky Country", as I believe it no longer applies, and Politicians love to ride on this myth.
 

I'm very happy mate and wouldn't want to live in a pox ridden place like Brazil.

Wake up to yourself. All those buggers in boats coming here, all the tourists, all the poms and South Africans, all want to migrate here.

Happiness has nothing to do with poverty. Poverty is evil. It saps your strength and extinguishes hope.

You are full of it mate.

gg
 
Sorry Kitehigh but you are an example I was talking about. You probably eat every day 3 good healthy meals, live in reasonable quality house/ unit, the sewer/water/power works without fail, you have a car, a job, your kids go to reasonable schools with classes less than 50 or 60 kids, your family and associates can get quality medical care, the police protect you rather than threaten you, the military is there to support us, the politiciands dont take huge bribes, you have holidays and probably even have a reasonable if not newish car and probably a new flat screen TV and computer.

Mate if you are bored, worried, stressed, feeling threatened, scared of the future, suffering from overeating and lack of exercise get a life and go and visit somewhere in the world where most of the population have none of the things you take for granted. Then come back to Aus and tell us we any not one of the luckiest people on earth.

As for Brazil's being happy - yes you are right in general = but if you get to know the ones that cannot get enough food each day, or kids die because of easily prevenative illness, live in cardboard shacks - happiness is somewhat relative experience.

Aussie may have a high level of personal debt but they can afford it even if materialistic stupidity is part of the equasion.

Winge all you like - but the fact is you are a pampered, rich bunch of middleclass cry babies.
 
kitehigh said:
Actually you are the one who is full of it. You live in your own delusional world, but I suppose it keeps you insulated and happy so good for you.
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You are a whinger mate, as has been pointed out above. Turn off the ABC and put your Sydney Morning Herald down and go down to the beach or out in the bush, up in the hills, or downtown and see what life is all about.

You've got the Kerryobriens mate.

Its like pre menstrual tension but it is continuous and lasts from the late teens all your life for some who like to bag their own people.

gg
 
I have enjoyed being part of this thread today but please if you really want something to sink your teeth into swap to Killing of the Bull forum with weatherbill's predictions of the immediate future.

I have just read the terrifying account of the world's end and truly I need a Bex and a good lie down -
 

You have no idea about my life. I actually live in Brazil. I work in a war zone.
I have seen more poverty, death and destruction than 99% of Australians and that probably includes you.

So don't pretend you can lecture me about life in Oz. I have lived in 5 different countries across the world and know first hand about the different qualities of life people are living.

I actually have few possessions as that's how I chose to live my life, I don't need an expansive car or expansive toys to feel complete as some of you do.
 

I can see what you're saying, and with a couple of reservations, I agree.
 
Apologises are needed then Kitehigh and I apologise to you as you are witnessing the injustice of poverty that is the fate of majority of Brazilians.
I was wrong in thinking that you were in Oz and complaining about conditions here.
Surely then you must agree with me that any Aussie that winges about his/her living conditions is a pathetic case of middleclass patheticness.

My wife is also from Brazil (Minas Gerais) from very poor rural background - 11 kids no Dad etc. I am Aussie of Anglo/scotish ancestory.

I would like to correspond with you out of forum if you are happy to.
 
I still reckon he's a tosser.

It didn't sound as if he was arguing from the "I live in poverty amongst the poor" angle initially.

I'd say he works for the ABC or some other organisation which is out to vilify anything good about Australia.

The Brazilians I met in E Timor were up themselves, like the Portugese and didn't seem to give a crap about poverty there.

They are my thoughts anyway.

gg
 


Nah...to me it looks simply as if he's questioning the value systems we live under. Perfectly acceptable and right to do so.
 
GG, there are many sorts of Brazilians. I often employ them in preference to wingeing aussies. Those you met in ET were probably from the educated, middleclass. Talk to the poor ones and poverty is with them every minute of the day and then it is a diiferent story. Most of the Brazilians I have met are wonderful people. However I did not like the one that offered a bullet from his pistol if I did not hand over my camera - but this is extremely rare. Millions travel to Brazil annually with no problem.

I love to travel there but the poverty makes me sad but the peoples vitality and endurance is wonderful. Even other Sth Americans talk of Brazilians being happy.

There are also great signs of hope with the present government trying to tackle problems of immense magnitude - poverty/corruption/lack of education etc.

I am signing off for today and going fishing tonight on the high tide with my boy - I am a lucky man.

Over the last 5 years I have noticed signs of improvement with the economy with examples of poor peoples houses having a bit of paint on them etc.
In one city there was the peoples resturant where 100,000 could eat ech day for $1 a meal and food co-opts for the poor to buy bulk cheap goods.

Bazil is a rich country with resources on a vast scale (minerals - tourism - agriculture etc). There are hundreds of places that lool like our gold coast. It is just that it has a history of slavery, military dictatorships and universal corruption, appalling inequality and no complusory education untill 1900.

President Lula has been named Man of the Year (or decade?) by Le Monde newspaper and given a Noble Peace Prize for lifting millions out of poverty.

We all need to get out a bit more and see the world.

I am signing off today and going fishing with my boy. I am a lucky man.

Good on Weatherbill he assures me that I am normal and in full control of my faculties.
 
Good to see yet another Labor/Rudd bashing thread completely derailed.
 
I said from day one, they have worked out if they get the welfare vote and the union vote, they are over the line. Anyone else (as far as Labor is concerned) can take a hike. If you are on welfare, you make $200 per year out of the ETS-go figure !
 
Zird said:
I agree Julia many words little action. But the words are sort of soothing to the electorate and do not rock the boat - pathetic really, I heard that there is some progress on building the 'community medical centres' - but slow.
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You're probably right about most people simply accepting the words, and also the assured and authoritative tone in which they are delivered.

Yes Howard did build up a surplus - but it was a decade of economic strength. Some of that surplus should have gone into infrastructure along the way.
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Absolutely right.

You get distressed with the cost of deficit. I would argue that the cost would have much greater if the Australian economy had collapsed to the extent of say England. We would still be in recession, the dole ques huge and business in a bad state.
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OK, that's a fair point. I just find it hugely disapppointing that so much money was squandered when there is so much in the way of infrastructure that is needed.
And I find it all the more irritating because I believe the $900 cheques were more about Rudd's quest for popularity (entirely successful, it seems) than any lastingbenefit for Australia.
 
Fishbulb said:
I still don't understand his popularity. How does a shifty, and manipulative little fella like that get away with it? It actually mystifies me, and I think about it at night....
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Just to get back on topic

I figured this one out quite a while ago, here is my take on it.

I believe that the stupid law we have in this country that everyone must vote is just idiotic, and thats what won him the election, and here is why.

Now in general, the australian population don't have an interest in politics, and wouldnt know the first thing about it. So as a result the masses are swayed by catchy one liners, clever advertising.

What won kevin rudd this election, was this simple line "Its time for a change".

That line influnenced millions of youths. Alot of my friends, who have no idea about politics were telling me how John Howard wasn't doing a good job anymore and that change was a good thing, and a way to solve it.

They had no idea about anyones policies, what exactly kevin rudd would change that needed to be changed anyway? The thing that people Forgot was that if it isn't broken, then don't fix it!

Politics is a joke. It is less about what is best for the country and more about who has the cleverest and catchiest campaign, who can rag out the other person better. The millions of dollars spent on it instead of the country is another joke.

So to fix the problem, make it legal to not vote, then those who have a general interest and are intelligent in the area vote. Then you won't have idiots voting, and putting our countries future on the line for some dumb one liner they saw on TV. **** Kevin Rudd, and **** this stupid political system we have. Its time somebody did something about it. Im sick of these Morons.

The same thing nearly happened years ago when the GST campaign was launched. Kim Beezley made it seem like supporting GST was like supporting satanic rituals. Imagine if he got in.
 
Your theory about the change of government being largely on the basis of "it's time for a change" is probably reasonably correct. Plus the massive negative effect of Howard's 'Workchoices'.

However, it doesn't explain Mr Rudd's continuing popularity.
 
lukeaye said:
Just to get back on topic

I figured this one out quite a while ago, here is my take on it.

I believe that the stupid law we have in this country that everyone must vote is just idiotic, and thats what won him the election, and here is why....
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I used to have that opinion, but....

It is not compulsory to vote in either UK or NZ.

UK has been in the grip of the Fabian socialists for 12 years. NZ had the Labour heathen for 10 years before booting them out.

It comes down to who can bribe the swinging voter successfully. Compulsory or not, I no longer believe is relevant. Very often, the most politically interested are under-employment, government employed etc and inclined to the left.

The actual producers in any economy are usually busy producing the economies wealth and not always politically savvy or active.
 

How are you gauging his continued popularity? From what i read and see his popularity is greatly falling
 
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