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The state of the economy at the street level

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Using" most Australians", I can tell you that:
Most australians are ready to tax to oblivion the 49% of the "richer bastards"
Most Australians believe it is unfair that the richest 20% only pay 80% of taxes and not all of these.
And
Most Australians support nuclear plant...as long as it is not in their backyards
 

It is just the government spin doctors getting everyone ready for "we're only doing what 'most Australians' want".
 
negative gearing is preferred by those already in the higher tax brackets , so they are already fairly skilled at maths ( except sports and rock stars ) and negative gear while the investments accrue capital gains

game-changer will be a successful introduction of a tax on unrealized capital gains ( so far there are only brief mentions of that )

i am betting some ASF members are making negative gearing work for them ( so far )
 
that is because ' most Australians ' don't realize inflation will push them into 'rich bastard territory ' sooner rather later
 
divs4ever said:
that is because ' most Australians ' don't realize inflation will push them into 'rich bastard territory ' sooner rather later
Click to expand...
or taxation to oblivion of anyone above the 50% richer which is a forever rolling truck smashing wealth year after year
Until you become a fully undeveloped but socialist country with a small elite in power and a mass of poor working souls exposed to crime and miserable living condition: "le modele francais"
 
the super elite , have trusts , foundations and not-for profit 'charities ' , Ms Rinehart being the standout exception

but if they were really going to tax the elites , veteran politicians and senior civil servants would be migrating

this is just more attempts to crush the middle-class ( by creating jealousy from the masses )
 
JohnDe said:
It is just the government spin doctors getting everyone ready for "we're only doing what 'most Australians' want".
Click to expand...
Yep, Albo is cunning, it will be all about the optics.
They pulled off a blinder with the tax cuts, let's wait and see what comes out of the magicians hat.
IMO it will be pretty amazing, don't forget most politicians including Albo have investment properties.

Therefore it will have to be a three card trick, to get the pollies onside, it will somehow have to look like it is doing a lot for the plebs, while increasing the tax take, but not affecting those who are in the club.
 
joeno said:
one wonders why all the amazing innovations in the last few decades haven't really worked it's way into the middle class pocket.
Click to expand...
Man , you have really hit on to something here. I do indeed wonder .
If someone with just a smidgen of computer literacy can enrich themselves through lurking around a share market forum such as this , why is it , that wealth creation does not appear to have taken off to the moon in this country ? After all , here we are , bang in the middle of an Information Revolution .
Surely , the mob can't all be on the dope or on the couch with Netflix .
I'm still intrigued by something inciteful that I read somewhere here , years ago...." it's not what you know , that matters ( with trading / investing ) ..it's knowing : what you do not need to know " .
Turning a buck in this place is .....easy !
You all know that .
Don't lie . That's why you're here.
 
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Yesterday, i found out that two shops will be closed down in our small regional town within the next month.
One, a menswear shop has just closed because the owner could not sell it, and he wanted to retire.
The other, a newsagency, has been sold to the owner of the local Post office.
Its only real assett was the tatsliotto agency.
Most of the other things they competed with each other anyway.
This will leave us with four empty shops.
We don't have a Maccas or KFC, but do now have a subway, which according to my kids is the most expensive subway on the planet.
My wife did a locum at one of the plaza shopping centres in Shepparton yesterday.
Its a bit tacky , and that is reflected by the socio economic groups that are forced to shop there.
It also has had two shops recently closed, but centre management have not indicated in anyone will be replacing them.
One of the closures was one of the two dollar variety shops selling cheap chinese made useless knick knacks.
Had to go to Shepparton to get a new Sports Jacket for an upcoming wedding.
The guy running it said that he become very busy because of the closure of a number of regional Mensland stores, he is one of the last still standing.
The Deb season is in full swing here, so he is flat out getting gawky teenagers into dinner suits, white gloves and bow ties.
The customer after me was a woman who had driven four boys about 140 Km's to get their suit fittings done, cos there were so little facilities around still doing it.
Mick
 
We are apparently, the 10th happiest country in the world. The US plummeted to 23. Maybe that's an omen for the next Presidential election.

The Nordic countries rank highly, the UK barely makes the top 20.

Personally I have my doubts about the measurement process. With housing costs at an all time high I wonder about the questions asked, but I suppose 5% interest rates are better than the 18% I had to pay.

Ranked: The 20 Happiest Countries In The World In 2024, According To A New Report

A report in honor of World Happiness Day reveals the happiest countries in the world—and some surprising trends.
www.forbes.com

World’s 20 Happiest Countries In 2024​



  1. Finland
  2. Denmark
  3. Iceland
  4. Sweden
  5. Israel
  6. Netherlands
  7. Norway
  8. Luxembourg
  9. Switzerland
  10. Australia
  11. New Zealand
  12. Costa Rica
  13. Kuwait
  14. Austria
  15. Canada
  16. Belgium
  17. Ireland
  18. Czechia
  19. Lithuania
  20. United Kingdom

Australia has outranked New Zealand for happiness. But why?

Our neighbours across the ditch have been bumped down to number 11 in the Global Happiness Report, but is Australia really happier?
www.abc.net.au
 
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Not reading the ABC, from another papers we are supposed to be the 6th unhappiest country on earth...
Tell you much about the value of such "studies"
As for scandinavia, a trip to Helsinki is pleasant but I would not swap with Australia
 
Unless they have a handy still by the sauna , how can those Finnies be so happy , paying through the nose for their booze ?
In Norway , it's even worse . I remember thinking " This what Prohibition must have been like " .
Forget the happiness . Stop persecuting functioning alcoholics !
 
I'm sceptical about the Scandinavian countries, particularly Denmark based on conversations I have had with said nationalities.
 
@mullokintyre Similar situation out my way.
Menswear closed down ages ago as did Big W and two grocery stores.

Other closures of late, locally owned and operated fish and chip shop. Owners finally retiring but no buyers.
Chicken and kebab shop, closed until further notice (over 12 months ago).
Another locally owned and operated food shop, Hocko's Chooks, partner's nephew worked there as assistant manager. Good tucker and they were nearly always sold out but, closed up without notice.

Two stationary and newsagents closed within 18 months of each other.

Local music store is closing, no buyers as yet.
City Fashions, has been operating for nearly a 100yrs, local Janome dealer, great for having all types of clothing fabrics and materials repaired. Retiring, up for sale.

So what do people in my hometown do?
Support locals as much as possible.
Shop online fraught with all the perils of buying sight unseen and without the advanced hands-on testing.
Travel interstate usually meaning Mildura or Adelaide.

Another option that is gaining more and more traction, op-shop if you can find your size or what you require.

I must qualify all this because demographics here are shrinking and growing older. Plus, one of the mines is going into Care and Maintenance which, after employing approx. 200 or so, will always sees a flurry of people selling up and leaving.

Another issue that we note, is that some shopping items are unavailable, sold out before the resupply semi's come in or have dramatically increased in price over the last 12 months.
A product (shampoo from memory) my partner buys jumped from $9 to $15 since last Dec!

Of course and no doubt, we have all noticed that our weekly shopping spend increases almost every time one ventures out to the stores.
One more thing, remember how cheap fuel was during Covid?
 
Just thinking about this from the "street level" in 'Straya.

I can't say that in my circle of influence that people are actually happy at all. There has been a rash of separations/divorces and I guess I'm a little bit like a hairdresser/lay psychologist, people tell me the s*** that's on their mind while I'm a captive audience for however long I'm there.

I can only think of one family, that have a particularly successful business. The rest, though they're going through the motions of achieving and purportedly things they enjoy, are basically as miserable as an orphan bandicoot on a burnt ridge.

All things are relative I suppose, but I don't see Australians as being happy people at all.

(ETA To reiterate, I hate autocorrect)
 

As you say, relativity. Maybe we are all unhappy, just less unhappy than those further down the list.

But these surveys are pretty dodgy anyway. The questions are probably designed by well off consultants who don't really know what life is like "on the street".

And we all have our own circles of friends and acquaintances and probably we don't get out into the wider community to make a proper judgement.
 
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