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.