Gilbert Holmes

In case you wondered: polarity, social organisation, philosophy, and peace are indeed connected.

An ancient example: the northern Aboriginal polarity of Dhuwa and Yiritja applies to all things and to all people; predates Yin and Yang by about 10,000 years; and was the determinant for the Aboriginal conflict avoidance system, as well as marriage and social organisation.

You are really on the right track. With an interest in music, you may enjoy http://www.oziz4ozrok.com

if you want to know more, I am at tonyryan43@gmail.com

Actually I think that the author is really onto something here. Hang on, I am the author!

"Manufacturing is definitely important, but the new industries of IT, biotech/pharma, electronics etc have largely gone overseas. ......I am thinking that diversification will protect the economy from any collapse in resource or agriculture prices. And this is perhaps where subsidising the set-up of new industries is worth the trouble." Jorge

"So while you may lecture on the nasty evil tarrifs, do you have any ideas on how to increase our manufacturing base, now that there are few tarrifs?" Vanna

When reasonable people have such genuine concerns, how has protectionism been so forgotten?

Squeers, I have marched with your comrades on the streets against the exceses of the IMF's structural adjustment programs, and listened to Vandana Shiva lamenting the plight of the Indian small farmers. "Anyone like to buy my rice? Great rice, cheap price!" "No thankyou, you are my neighbour but the imported stuff is cheaper; and I don't have much money because no-one wants my mangoes anymore." I think you had best do a little more navel gazing before you put your name to championing free trade.

Thanks for those comments Tony, I'll check out those links tomorrow night. Interesting stuff.

*I promise you, it ain’t boring.*

Well clearly it is flawed, because you forgot to mention that
riding on the sheep's back, caused the sheep to collapse. The
invention of nylon etc. did not help either.

*Do you agree with the author's neo-protectionism?*

Comrade Squeers, to be honest, methinks that Gilbert is doing it
the easy way. He dreams up all these philosphies, but does not
really think them through. Its easier to post them on OLO and
then get us mug punters to do the hard work of providing the
critique.

You actually made some valid points earlier. Aussies did indeed
get it on a plate and few appreciate it. A few industries learned
to compete globally, but not too many.

Free trade is indeed the best way to assist those in the third world,
but as we see here, most only focus on their own little patch.

Fact is, due to protectionism, much of Australian industry became
fat, lazy and complacent. Australian consumers paid a heavy price
and so has industry, for many simply lost the ability to be
competitive and focus on the real world out there. We have too
many easy options. Do bit of mining, develop a bit of real estate,
there is no need to worry too much. The money will still roll in.

Despite all this, I don't think that all is lost. I watched the
Junior Masterchef kids tonight do their thing, and if 10-11 year
old kids can be inspired to be so creative and keen, then clearly
there is hope. Finally coming up with a functional training system
to teach our kids real skills, is crucial to our future. It's
going to take intelligent training, not just throwing money at
something without much thought, which is what we normally do.

Dear Tony Ryan,
I shall look at your link with interest, but on the surface of it you appear to be pedalling just the nationalism I was criticising. As I said, it's not about "Australian" prosperity. Australia is an enormous and enormously rich (resources) landmass inhabited by a small population of invaders who killed-off or marginalised the natives and took over. All a normal course of events of course in human history, but nationalism is no longer plausible in the global system capitalism created and Australia has been and is party to. Because of demand, Australia's resource wealth is impervious to protectionism, so we can go on quarrying the place and raking in the doe. But once this God-given wealth is all fetched up we're going to have to compete in the real dog-eat-dog world we've helped to create but been insulated from. No country any longer has the luxury of nationalism; it's open slather and we have to find a way to get along together. The gross global disparity that currently obtains is not the way--though certainly free trade will never fix it.
So go on mooning the good old days if you like, but they're never coming back.

Dear Gilbert Holmes,
I'd have thought that even you'd have tweaked I was playing Devil's advocate:
<The free market would indeed probably be (as an inhuman equation) the fairest means of distribution---if it were not bounded (in a closed system). As it is, free trade is bound to get bound-up, that is binded, as the limits to growth are reached, markets shrink and wealth stagnates in rich polyps>

..Not exactly subtle, duh.
But you continue to surprise...

Squeers,
It is not completely open-slather, because you are overlooking tax.

The Australian public pay tax to the Australian government, who then give the money back (hopefully) as government spending on various projects.

We do not pay tax to a government in another country, which then spends the money on the Australian people.

But we now have an anomaly. There are many government departments and almost the entire education system that spends so much of the money that government gives them on imports from another country.

So the circle is broken and the taxpayer money leaves the country.

What also has developed is the mentality that buying anything from Australian companies is not in the best interests of the country.

We have very little national pride or identity left, but we still have to pay tax to the Australian government.

BTW. As far as your “invasion” is concerned, it is the history of the world, and some races were invaded countless times (eg the Great Wall of China was built to stop being continuously invaded). The aborigines were only invaded once.