A good article that will fall mostly on indifferent ears. The one matter I disagree on, if I read the author aright, is the class-differential topic. There is of course an increasing gap between rich and poor, at both private and corporate levels, but the 'poor' these days are sufficiently enslaved to commodity fetishism as to rate well and truly within the bourgeois spectrum. Marx's economic predictions have come incredibly accurately to pass; the only thing he's erred in is that capitalism has survived far longer than he imagined it could. This has been accomplished by extraordinary improvisation in the development of commodities, which have now attained the sophisticated realm of virtual goods, including the hardware that facilitate them--via which humanity continues to be seduced by bagatelles. The true working classes are offshore, out of sight and mind while the bourgeoisie plays and the new aristocrats reap. The master stroke of capitalism was to raise the living standards of the working class sufficient to keep them docile; but it always unsustainable and crunch time is underway economically, environmentally and culturally.
The truly remarkable thing about late capitalism is the phenomenon of ideology or hegemonic-consciousness, as in the case of the mining moguls enjoying the support of Labor voters, who seem to lap up the kind of hackneyed phrases the vested interests employ, which the author cites in the article.
It's been my experience that the bourgeoisie as a class is incapable of assessing the economics or the ethics of their situation objectively--that is, outside the petty purview of their suburban self-interests, which are qualitatively identical to the selfish logic of the mining barons. These people scream socialist! the same way others scream Greenie! or deny evolution, without having the faintest idea what it is that they demonise, only perceiving a threat to the conditions of life to which they've grown accustomed.
I thought Rudd had made a shrewd move with the mining tax, but now it seems he's a dead man walking, and all thanks to the power of ideology, creature comforts and a 'pull the ladder up' mentality.

What! “Labor itself has jettisoned its former commitment to socialist principles.”

Chairman Rudd is hard at it, interfering in business and pushing government into every part of our lives, including censorship of information and lying to us, and over-riding the law with regard to taxpayer funded party advertising like any good totalitarian, communist dictator - and this woman claims that Labor has jettisoned its socialist principles!

She refers to both Hawke and Keating who did realise in some ways that Australia was not Russia or China, but Comrade Rudd has certainly put a stop to that sort of thing.

Perhaps Sarah Burnside (any relation to Julian?) is so busy with the law, history, native title, nationalism and politics (theory only, it seems) that she hasn’t had time to find out who is actually at the head of Labor these days, and the socialistic damage he has done to Australia and Australians in everything he has touched in the past two and a half years.

The Coalition might be busily “recycling” the fears that Labor is incapable of running the country, but why should they bother? Every man and his dog knows that every Coalition government has left a surplus, and every Labor government has gone through that surplus in no time flat then, on their way out, left a hug deficit for the Coalition to deal with.

And, what more than Rudd’s two and a half years in government do we need to know that Labor is economically illiterate? Billions gone into a stimulus package incurring public debt when no stimulus was needed; a mining industry that kept our heads above water (not the stimulus) during the GFC that Rudds wants to tax at almost 70% (what’s next? nationalisation to really stuff it up); an insulation scheme that was rorted and cost lives; a fast broadband scheme that didn’t even havea business plan and which most users don’t need or want. The list goes on. And, Rudd has the front to tell and interviewer that he has kept 90% of his promises!

....

....

Given Chairman Rudd’s butchering of the economy and general managerial incompetence, Burnside’s reference to the ALP being accused of “… as having an irrational hatred of economic success” seems to be a valid criticism of, at least, Rudd-branded ALP.

And Rudd is certainly not “obsessed with ‘teams’”. He is a one-man band, not even liked by his Ministers and back-benchers for his controlling nature.

Rudd has certainly brought back the politics of envy and the hatred of capital even though he likes having money himself. But, remember, that Chinese dictators also do much, much better than the plebs they keep down.

It should also be noted that Burnside, like the government itself, is attacking Abbott and the Coalition rather than talking about reasons to re-elect the Rudd government. That’s because there is not one single reason to re-elect the Rudd government, A Gillard government, or any other Labor government.

Spot on Squeers, it is indeed only the power of hegemonic-consciousness or ideology that has enabled late Capitalism to survive ... thus far. Blinded by self-interest and ignorance the bourgeoisie are indeed incapable of comprehending and evaluating the economics of their situation objectively. Tragically, whilst they may continue to live out their lives in blissful ignorance and debt-laden affluence, their children and grandchildren are unlikely to fare anywhere near as well, ending up, in all probability, as "the poor white trash of Asia", as Millionaire Paul (Keating) notably predicted.

Australia stands virtually alone amongst advanced Western countries in failing to articulate and uphold its key national values. The absence of an enduring frame of reference (a sense of the core principles of our national character) means that national discourse is often dominated by short-term sensational issues, lowest-common-denominator politics and a focus on personal denigration. The initial (unmet) expectation that the current Prime Minister could provide some sort of broader national narrative and articulate a positive and uniting vision for the future is a symptom of this sense of anomie.

There are many unpleasant aspects to a fundamentally insecure, indistinct and immature national identity. These include the expectations we place on our sportspeople in the international arena, and the speed with which we savagely turn against them when they prove to be human. As a nation we hate to be disappointed, even when our need for success and approval is unrealistic and insatiable. An enduring apprehension about “foreigners” and the changing multicultural face of Australia is another indicator of our defensiveness, with overt discrimination finding an “acceptable” outlet in a punitive and inhuman asylum seeker policy. Most remarkable is the expression of bitterness, intolerance and resentment once the personal limitations and fallibility of public figures are (inevitably) revealed.

The SUPER TAX is "Socialist Income Redistribution" plain and simple.

It is a belated attempt at socialising a profitable industry.

Anyone who thinks Labor has put aside it's 'class war/socialist' views has not spoken in depth with any labor flunkies lately.

Dean Mighel has an interesting view of 'class war'...he used it to get something like $150,000 wages for Tradies at the desalination plant.(Melb)
Miners are paid incredible salaries compared to the rest of us.

KRUDDY and his lefty mates have just looked around and said;

1/ Boys.. we NEED something to win back the working class! or we are DEAD meat in the next election.

2/ Look...THERE'S money..in the Mining industry..those Cappo pigs don't deserve all that.. let's take it off them and spread it around to enhance our chances of re-election!

SARAH 'BURNSIDE'... any relation to the other one? ? Your politics seems the same.

CLASS PRIVILEGE and IDEOLOGY ? "Brought to the fore" you can jolly well bet your nickers on that honey!

*The Privilege of the Union bosses
*The Class of transport they fly in
*The Ideology which they 'say' they follow...

We are becoming increasingly aware of those dark and Green forces who are out to control us so much that we will soon have to have a licence to sneeze and have a baby.

We will hurl your EOC star chamber and your 'Income Redistribution'
and your "International Law binds us" into the furthest filthiest sewer we can find, with our VOTES.

Yes.. many of us are eagerly awaiting the next election..and in my case TWO elections.. where some serious changes will be made.

You can take your

-Political Correctness
-MultiCulturalism
-Divide and Rule
-Socialist Income Redistribution

and shove them!
Grrrrr.

ALGOREisRICH

Thank you for epitomising the ignorant stereotype I allude to above.

It is regional team versus city teams really though.

This nation does not want to populate outside the south east.. Just wants to send enough worker bees to go out and plunder some honey, err mean money, from regional Australia and bring it back to queen bee in Canberra.

Well written Squeers re your longer post above.

Al
I am surprised you are not for income redistribution given your Christian beliefs. What was that about a rich man and entry into heaven?

Serioulsy though, you don't think there is a case for reducing income disparity? What are your reasons?

Dear Pelly

you are surprised I'm not for income re-distribution ? :)

I am... I'm all for it.. but not by LAW..by grace.

The day you make laws and start ripping off those who have done well with their brains and ingenuity and tell them "Oh.it's for the good of the proletariat" as Queers would have us believe... that is the day where you destroy all the energy and desire to produce, improve and create wealth.

The difference between the early Church in Acts 2 and Squeers socialism..is that Squeers does not care one scrap whether you WANT to share your hard worked for bounty.. he just wants it because of ideological reasons.

"We are a socialist society.. all are equal" yep..equally poor and depressed and disillusioned after having had the future which 'could have been' stolen by some remote callous beaurocrat of a planned economy.

Communism..whether in pure Marxist form or the dumbed down soft socialism we are attacked by daily.. does not.. is not and will never 'work'...because it is an idea based on a false premise... That people by nature 'want' to work for the benefit of some distant 'other'.

The developed version of ancient Israelite social life, in the New Testament is not tied to any geographical location.. it is the Body of Christ..the Church, and as such it does care for those same disadvantaged people. (poor, orphan and widow etc)

But please.. don't force it on us as a secular law. We have a much higher law to which we look.

SQUEERS said:

//I thought Rudd had made a shrewd move with the mining tax, but now it seems he's a dead man walking, and all thanks to the power of ideology, creature comforts and a 'pull the ladder up' mentality.//

(Squeers prefers the 'pull down' approach)

Shrewd move ? it was probably the kiss of DEATH to Labour...not so shrewd to think you can just take...that which others labored for under contractual conditions which the government itself allowed.

Thanks Sowat and Pelican for the endorsement.
I am unashamedly for some kind of democratic-socialist system whereby a lid is put on anyone's personal wealth. There shouldn't be any billionaires, or even multimillionaires, nor should it devolve to their kids. Heredity is as anachronistic as monarchy. Yet it's not enough to just redistribute wealth equitably within national borders when commodities are produced by exploited labour abroad, or the raw materials or produce is extracted from the devastated ecologies and habitats of the species that have as much right to the planet as humans have.
I'm more interested in living sustainably; there's no reason why we couldn't all enjoy a high quality lifestyle that didn't rely on endless economic and concomitant population growth within closed systems.
The trouble is, capitalism is so ideologically entrenched, and irrationally defended, beyond any or all voices of reason, that no one can or dares imagine life under any other system. Yet this system is in a state of terminal decay, economically, environmentally and ethically. This is indisputable, yet the obtuse denialism, of the patronised as well as the exploiters,is breathtaking.
Rudd is forced to toe the conservative line because that is what the benighted electorate demands. Political parties assemble under respective banners from left to right, but the contenders for office are inevitably dragged toward the hegemonic, ideological centre--en mass as foppishly tyrannical as the court of Louis the IVX.
The art of politics is in making the party's ideology and popular-will meet, and of rationalising the discrepancy--all pollies know this but none can say it. If the Nationalists had their way we'd live in a fascist state with no welfare except conscription. If Labor had its way we would be a socialist state--hopefully a benign one. But all major parties gravitate to the popular centre, as would the Greens if they got within cooee of office. Rudd dumped action on climate change because the ideological wind changed, not because he stopped believing in AGW; the backlash is the electorate making Rudd the scapegoat. The electorate, or ideology, is the villain.

Dear Squeers...

I honestly feel sorry for you.

"I am unashamedly for some kind of democratic-socialist system whereby a lid is put on anyone's personal wealth."

..and you might hold that view to your last meaningless breath... and expire into oblivion.. and it won't mean squat for the reality of the world or human nature.

I guess in a world view without God (?)...you need *something* to hold on to..and give you a reason to live... but you have chosen something that is futile.

You want to do by law and political structure..something that can only be done by grace and a transformation of heart.

The failure of socialism in the Soviet Union was not a failure of the system so much as a confirmation of our human condition.

But the system is also flawed because it does not recognize the true nature of man..

-Competitive
-Greedy

No "system" will change that. Only a new heart mind and will.

"You must be born again" said Jesus.

OH...I know...I know.."If only we can EDUCATE the masses..aaah...that will fix us" :) poor poor Squeers.

The Soviets tried to *educate* God out of the minds of people.. it failed.

which leads to one more human characteristic not mentioned above.

-Spiritual.

Then..there's more:

11 I have seen something else under the sun:
The race is not to the swift
or the battle to the strong,
nor does food come to the wise
or wealth to the brilliant
or favor to the learned;
but time and chance happen to them all.
(Ecclesiasties 9:11)

Dear ALGOREisRICH,
thank you for your sympathy, though I think I can make a much better case of pitying you. Withal your impassioned bluster, it's doubtful you ever had an original thought. All your ravings on this thread and elsewhere are nothing but the mouthings of ideology--which prevents you from considering any issue outside the magpie appropriations you've fashioned into a narcissistic world-view.
The shop-soiled cliche above, for instance, whereby socialism would mean an homogenising or <'pull[ing] down' approach> to cultural achievement, as though the highest goal we might aspire to is the gloating accumulation of wealth and property--the coveted trappings of 'success' at the individual and cultural level! More modest expectations from the outset might actually free the human spirit from these ignoble obsessions--such is the central theme of Dickens's 'Great Expectations'. Dickens who, like Marx and Engels saw the obscenity of capitalist exploitation before its patronising makeover at home and departure for foreign shores. That you can rationalise the state of affairs in which you prosper with the manifest reality of its depredations--let alone Christ's original teachings!--is a feat, not of your own intellect, but of social conditioning. You are merely a puppet articulated by ideology.

<The failure of socialism in the Soviet Union was not a failure of the system so much as a confirmation of our human condition.>

But the system is also flawed because it does not recognize the true nature of man..>

The soviet bureuacracy did indeed fall early-on to corruption, but its ultimate failure had much more to do with capitulation before the success of the capitalist juggernaut. There is no doubting the effectiveness of laissez fare capitalism--Marx himself theorised its dynamics in a spirit awe--only its ethics and sustainability. Capitalism harnesses and nurtures what you call 'the true nature of man'; it doesn't merely 'recognise', it 'cultivates' those vicious drives you simplistically conflate with antediluvian notions of good, evil, forgiveness and God's grace--more mindless ideology, which absolves the individual and the culture of taking responsibility for their actions, or of thinking for themselves.

Hey ALGOREisRICH, your comment

"...not so shrewd to think you can just take...that which others labored for under contractual conditions which the government itself allowed."

describes PRECISELY the daily behaviour of Capitalists such as Gore and the rest of his Class, whose ill-gotten wealth - in the form of surplus value or 'profits', is expropriated (stolen) from the REAL "wealth creators" ... those who WORK for their livlihood - as opposed to living, parasitically, on interest (USURY) and rents etc., that are also bled from the WORKING CLASS of the world!

Dear Squeers,
When you find Utopia please let us all know for until that day we will have to live together on this imperfect world. We chose which God we follow. Where there is unity God commands the blessing. A house divided will fall, so united we stand, divided we fall. Narrow is the way that leads to life and few there are that go in by it. Broad is the way to distruction and many enter through it. Every seed reproduces after its own kind. Judge not lest you be judged. The measure you use when sewing governs the harvest. Until we acnowledge the owner we are stealing regardless of intentions. Bad things happen to all people. There is only one race under Christ, the human race. Traditions of man divide us. God doesn't see homosexuals, murderers, catholics, prostestants, jews, muslims and other man made divisions only sons and daughters through the blood of Jesus. So your choice whether you follow the right of left or chose the narrow way and put God first and love one another.

Dear Squeers

I note your extremely tight and deep language, but it doesn't actually mean much except "I believe that with the right 'system' we can attain utopia"

Your claim that "Capitalism" embraces all that is 'natural' in man and nourishes it etc.. so... how do you plan to change that nature of man ?

I disagree with your blinkered view of 'capitalism'... there is nothing like true competition to level a playing field. I'ts only monopolies which cause serious problems.

If a man wants to compete with another company making a widget..he can cut his labour costs.. and exploit his workers.. which will last for about 30 seconds until the realize they can get more at the other blokes plant.

Capitalism has inherent checks and balances which socialists seem to ignore.
You are wayyyy 2 deep into 'Marxist theory' to even see the timber for the leaves....

You also neglect to mention that the standard Marxist methods for implementing the utopia they dream of is to KILL the capitalists they cannot re-educate.

An FBI undercover bloke who infiltrated the American Communist Weather underground, reported that they planned to
a) Takeover
b) Re-educat the capitalists.
c) Those not able to be re-educated were to be simply killed.
d) They estimated they would need to kill around 23,000,000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GrCHctYyWA

see from 1.54 on...

horrific..... disgusting.... true marxism.

"If a man wants to compete with another company making a widget..he can cut his labour costs.. and exploit his workers.. which will last for about 30 seconds until the realize they can get more at the other blokes plant."

Al
The employee cannot leave for better wages in times of high unemployment, in fact the better paying company may decrease wages given the opportunity. Or if governments give over to laissez-faire through policies like Work Choices. A worker should not have to live on the edge 24/7 on the whims of the market. This is Third World thinking.

" That people by nature 'want' to work for the benefit of some distant 'other'."

Many people work now in industries for the benefit of others where wages are not always attractive and when they could go elsewhere.

True, we are all selfish to varying extents, and incentives are important. But that is not all we are. People want to work to earn a wage but their lives can often include working for others via voluntary work. It is not all one thing or the other.

There is a big difference between fostering innovation, hard work, risk, creativity but not to the detriment of other considerations like exploitation of labour.

Al you talk about the nature of man and then offer that redistribution should occur only through grace. ie. the poor waiting for handouts at the rich mans table - a table they helped to build while earning less than a living wage working 40 hour week in a factory.

How rich does one man need to be, how important are his/her rights compared to the rights of others. A profit is one thing, obscene profits and unfettered salaries when gained via the hardship of others is quite a different thing.

Soft socialism is better than hard capitalism. What about a compromise - soft capitalism.

A social democracy has to recognise the importance of incentives but not at the cost of other all other social factors.

Dear Richie 10 and ALGOREisRICH (pigeon pair?),

More cliched thinking. The standard utopianism rebuke has always been a simplistic put-down; no-one ridicules utopianism more than the average Marxist. Nor is Marxism anything doctrinal; Marx encouraged his followers to build on and even depart from the ma(r)xims he theorised. Very few Marxists today believe in historical materialism, or the model of 'progress' he inherited from the age of reason, for instance. Marxism today is pre-eminently a persistent recognition of the evils of capitalism, a despairing think-tank on how to bring it down. Capitalism can only be defended by the kind of religious nonsense you two both indulge in; it is otherwise indefensible, yet it prevails. Actually, it's amusing that you and your ilk find materialist notions of utopia risible, while in the same breath you glory in an 'eternal life' vouchsafed you, for heaven's sake; a reward for paying an ancient creed lip service (certainly you don't live by Christian precepts?) and some silly clause about the grace of God!
I should know better than to argue with the likes of you blokes, but I can only hope that lookers on will see the absurdity of the doggerel you trot out on cue and be gob-smacked at the traction it still manages to attain in the world.

Thanks for the link, btw, Al; so Obama's a murderous Marxist too eh? Who'd have guessed!

Squeers

"The master stroke of capitalism was to raise the living standards of the working class sufficient to keep them docile - the 'poor' these days are sufficiently enslaved to commodity fetishism"

Nasty capitalists making the poor so well off that they don't know that they are being oppressed.

Socialism made everyone equally poor. The old adage "by making the rich poorer, you seldom make the poor richer." is as true today as ever.

The class structure of the early 20th century does not exist, certainly not in Australia. Fortunately neither does the Tall Poppy syndrome to the same extent.

Wealth is created by the entrepreneurs and the professionals. When they are penalised for doing well, they tend to go elsewhere and improve the lives of the people there.

Dear Squeers,
Could you give us the benefit of your superior wisdom on the christian life. Don't be a spoil sport an keep it all to your self as I am always open to learn.

Dear Shadow Minister,
you are only parodying your own shallow thinking, not mine. I won't dignify any more of this "channelling of ideology", rather than thought, with responses.
Dear Richie 10,
I have made three substantial contributions to this thread, I'm not now going to research all the doctrinal inconsistencies that a Richie western life implies.
Surely the onus is now on you and Al to post something substantial, "OF YOUR OWN!"
Please spare me further snatches of your holy scripture.

Squeers,

You have provided 3 posts with self contradictory and circular arguments.

Even from your posts it is clear that:
- as an economic engine capitalism kicks socialism's butt.
- Similarly the standard of living of the lower paid workers is far better under capitalism.

I assume your reluctance to post is to prevent further own goals.

The proletariat is less worried about ideological purity, and more about their back pockets.

Dear Squeers,
As you have said you do not understand christianity, I will give you the benefit of something I learned 30 years ago.
A fool is one who says in his heart there is no God. So the wisest thing you can do is not to confirm that word where everybody can see.
Regards Richie 10

the SHADOW MINISTER writes that "The class structure of the early 20th century does not exist, certainly not in Australia. (snip)

Try telling your fairy story to the several million marginalised Australian citizens forced to subsist on sub-standard, poverty-level fortnightly "benefits" doled out to them by 'executive' public servants ... er, sorry, 'Public MANAGERS" in receipt of salary packages that today run to several hundred thousands of $$$S per annum. Or compare their quality of life and life-chances with the billionaires and multi-millionaires (and their families!) listed in the BRW.

"Wealth is created by the entrepreneurs and the professionals. When they are penalised for doing well, they tend to go elsewhere and improve the lives of the people there."

True in relation to the last assertion. They 'let go' or 'downsize' (sack) their laborforce - often leaving them penniless, due to the sudden 'disappearance' of their wages, superannuation and other entitlements - and transfer their 'wealth creating' activities to so-called Special Economic Zones in supposedly 'Poor(Third World) Countries' controlled by extremely wealthy and corrupt families such as the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia and India, or military-political cabals such as Pakistan, South Korea, Taiwan and China.

All of these faux 'democracies' are protected and sustained by ruthless military and para-military forces who are often armed and trained by dominant western 'economies' including the world's leading Christian 'democracies' of the UK and U$A.

As for wealth being created (solely) by "the entrepreneurs and the professionals", just witness the public outcry by the Western media, mining, airline and shipping etc. moguls (and their 'people's representatives' in our parliaments) whenever 'greedy workers' withdraw their labour!

Sowat,

In Aus, there are comparatively few unemployed, (about 500 000) and the benefits they receive are often in excess of those working full time in the recently ex socialist countries. They can get housing, schooling for their children, and while not living a fantastic life style, are long long way from the poverty in 3rd world countries.

The major barriers to success are not class, but intellect and hard work.

Dear Shadow Minister,
my time is too precious to waste it refuting whatever gross distortions you care to make of my posts--whether they be deliberate or merely uncomprehending.
If you want engagement you will have to explain accusations such as that I "have provided 3 posts with self contradictory and circular arguments". Please elaborate? saying a thing does not make it so.

Judging by the rest of your comments, you just don't appear to get what I've been saying, or to be capable of transcending the binary thinking that keeps you and your ilk hammering away with the same ideological software with which you were pre-programmed.
If you have anything thoughtful or original or compelling to say, I'll be only too eager to soak it up.

Dear Richie,
the question of divinity is another matter all together, which I didn't raise and haven't stated a position on.
Following Socrates and Montaigne, I consider myself "nothing but a fool". The first step to wisdom; I don't claim to "know" anything.

Dear Shadow Minister,

In addition to the "comparatively few" 500,000 unemployed, there are some 4.5 million Australians with a disability, the more dependent of whom are cared for by 2.6 million family Carers who provide accommodation and personal care in their home. Some 450,000 receive a Carer's Allowance of $106-00 per fortnight and 105,000 a mean-tested Carer Payment of $701-10 per fortnight ... restricted to those providing around-the-clock care. These citizens save "The Economy" $32BILLION per annum, yet they receive NO annual leave etc. or Superannuation upon retirement - because the majority are unable to 'retire', because "The Economy" cannot afford sufficient supported accommodation facilities where their profoundly disabled adult family members can live out their lives in care. Of the 4.5 million Australians with a disability, 712,200 receive a Disability Support Pension of $710-10 per fortnight. Moreover, there are some 1.9 million Aged Pensioners who receive $701-10 per fortnight (single rate) or $1057-00 per fortnight per couple.

With the "re-structuring" and "rationalisation" of The Economy and "downsizing" of public housing stock & closure of many publicly-funded Disability and Mental Health institutions, the majority of these Australians have been forced to compete in the ("de-regulated") Marketplace for a roof over their heads, quickly driving hundreds of thousands of them into the clutches of landlords or, for an estimated 106,000, the parks and alleyways of our capital cities and major towns.

You are partly correct in comparing the quality of life and of these 'lucky' Australians on 'welfare' to that of the "cheap labor" now producing much of Australia's "value added" manufactured imports. However in a community in which there are now several BILLIONAIRE families, and thousands of MILLIONAIRE families residing in luxurious mansions, experiencing all the other pleasures and privileges that such obscene wealth commands, the marginalised Australians revealed above - denied quality education, accommodation and other life-chances - are excluded from all but the lowest paid employment (if any) and therefore effective membership of the Australian working class: as such, to several of the 'professionals' employed within the 'charity' industry, they are part of a new Underclass.

So which is the best, the left or the right, and again miss the mark
( sin ) of Gods best ( Gods glory ) for mankind. Man made solutions always miss the mark. Pride comes before the fall. God gives grace to the humble. Man made solutions ( religion, man centered world view's, or belief's ) all come from the rebelious perspective and are from the negative side.
God requires obedience not sacrifice so you do it his way ( Jesus ) or your way John 10-10. In Matthew's chapters 5, 6, & 7 Jesus explains the kingdom of God in depth. It is man's job to tend Gods great garden and without Jesus we are doing a very poor job. His instructions were to put God first, then love one another. God is Love. The fruit of God is found in Galatians 5-22 and is what most seek but can not be found apart from the source.

People have choices

They can focus on the negative or on the positive.

Small minds, at both end sand across the social spectrum fixate on class and privilege, whilst real people get on with the issues of personal growth and personal development, irrespective of the labels society might place upon them.

The author mentions labor having jettisoned it’s commitment to socialist principles,

socialist principles - Now thats an oxymoron if ever there was one

Whereas the liberal party has not adopted or endorsed the silly notion of a classless society, largely because the Liberals treat people as individuals, not as class members

Personally, I have never found the distinction between Liberal and Labor politics a choice between Tweedle-Dum and Tweedle-Dee.

For me, it has always been a choice between
those who respect and defend the diversity and richness inherent in individual autonomy and
those who would reduce everything to a single bland and tasteless morass

If anyone needs someone to tell you which is which, you are probably so thick you voted for the bland and tasteless morass at the last election and

I hope you like the incompetent fools you elected

Sowat,

Of the estimated 4m with disabilities, nearly 50% have some employment, and those that don't get help with disability allowances.

That it would be nice to get more is not in dispute, but in reality, the payment levels for welfare in Aus are one of the highest in the world.

This is made possible by the capitalist economic engine.

As for the class system, no one is denied an education place, job or otherwise due to his background.

Squeers,

I am acquainted with the old Marxist ideology to which you refer, but it is as outdated and relevant to today's world as Sanskrit. Neither the old rampant capitalism nor rampant socialism exist in today's world.

QUOTE
earlier this year, Joe Hockey made a speech to the Grattan Institute in which he defined the Liberals as “the only political party … established to advance the cause of liberty”
END QUOTE
On 19 March 2010 I completed an electronic application to joint the Liberal Party and by its constitution I am a member. Being a CONSTITUTIONALIST I know what is or isn’t applicable, however the Liberal party on 4 June 2010 decided to defeat my application without any explanation as to why. It might have been perhaps that I exposed the Liberal Party’s constitution to contain legal nonsense but then again that is why I am a CONSTITUTIONALIST. So forget about advancing the cause of liberty as they the leaders of the Liberal party were missing in action in that regard, they can’t even run their own party as to their own constitutional requirements. And as to the SUPER TAX can they all just stop dazzling the electors with their nonsense and just accept that while the commonwealth has taxation powers any SUPER TAX is unconstitutional where it would not be a tax to the whole of the commonwealth. Isn’t this very simple? So Joe Hockey might just do better to learn about the constitution and what is or isn’t applicable. And so everyone else for that matter.

What a sad and hermetic little worldview Shadow Minister: your logic and conceptual ability is breathtaking, to say the least.

Get out of the suit & office & talk with a few of those who have struggled to obtain "some employment", and the thousands still being discriminarted against and forced to subsist on the disability allowance. Ask them about their experiences with Centrelink when applying to receive a disability allowance.

" ... the payment levels for welfare in Aus are one of the highest in the world."

'Welfare' - with its negative connotation - is an American term adopted here sometime during the mid-last century. Prior to that such payments were referred to as 'Social Security'... for both the recipients AND the society which they are members of.

"This is made possible by the capitalist economic engine."

Permit me to try to enlighten you a little.

(Socio-ECONOMIC)'Class' describes a relationship between one or more groups in society... between the individuals/families with enormous wealth (FAR more than they would ever need throughout their lifetime), privilege & opportunities (life chances), and the sub-standard, subsistence payments doled out to several million of their fellow Australians. Such "benefits" were initiated - via the corporate State - with the concurrence of the Capitalist Class, after decades of long and bloody struggles by millions of impoverished and marginalised 'workers', widows, war veterans, injured workers, and those made 'redundant' and simply thrown on the scrapheap by their erstwhile employers....which, by the way, STILL happens today.

As the author of 'The Lucky Country' tried to elict, the notion of Australia being an egalitarian society is a myth, as is the notion that we are a 'democratic', Christian nation.... "ignoring hereditary class distinctions and tolerating minority views".

Christ gave unconditional love and hope to the poor, the disabled and the oppressed and drove the Jewish money lenders from the temple - for which he was murdered (under contract?) by the Roman military.

The Capitalist 'ethic' or "economic engine" as you so eloquently put is is - Beggar thy Neighbour!

Dear Shadow Minister,
you plainly do not have a clue.

Dear Squeers,
The general concensus seems to be that the right is up themselves, the left keeps shifting the bench marks to gain the popular view, so I suppose that only leaves the narrow way which flesh and blood will never see. You must be born again to enter the third way. Only then do you receive the understanding that God is good and we all have missed the mark of Gods best for our life, which you will never find in any man made ideas, for every thing starts with God not man. He is the source and Jesus is the way, not Bob Menzies or John Curtin. Only when you get the revelation from the Holy Spirit can you say to Jesus "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." and Jesus will answer and say to you, "Blessed are you Squeers, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.
Regards Richie 10

Sowat, Squeers, etc

Having a practical bent, I have always strived to understand both the physical world and human world.

I have degrees in Engineering, Economics and Business administration, and have worked (albeit for short periods) in Africa eastern Europe, the USA, and India.

My engineering discipline leads me to build my views of the world on facts and proven theorems.

The few remaining adherents to the Marxist (or purist socialist) creeds are like those clinging to creationist theories. They chose their views based on faith, or because it is a warm and fuzzy ideology.

The "Marxist think tanks" spend most of their time trying to justify why their ideology failed and why it was some one else's fault.

The purpose of government is to improve the conditions of its voters. To this end Marxism and socialism have proven again and again to fail miserably.

Having spent time in 3rd world and ex socialist countries, I have seen the misery of large numbers of people on a scale that makes Aus look like a paradise.

Any government cannot do everything for everyone. Without capitalism you cannot do anything for anyone.

So Squeers I do not have a clue as to what goes on between your ears, but I guess that unless you expand beyond your clique of self reinforcing ideologues that it will remain divorced from reality.