The world's 80,000 ships produce manytimes more toxic pollution that the world's 900,000 cars.Wouldn't it make sense to keep production at home thus reducing pollution and saving our limited energy sources?

Geoff of Perth,reflect upon this reality.We no longer have the 4 state banks and the Commonwealth that used to create new money to equal increases in growth.

When we now have an increase in population and productivity we have to borrow the money to equal it from OS central banks who just create it with a computer key stroke as debt.

So now,the more growth and inflation we have,the more debt we incur.Has the penny dropped yet?

http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?article=12521#216952

Yabby, for once you are getting sensible. the solution to union greed is easy, you arrange for changes in superannuation so that 100% of every employees retirement funds are held in their employers shares.

2 benefits employees will think twice about damaging their employer & retirement funds. Secondly with all employees attending general meetings with large blocks of votes the shareholders will be more able to oversee the shenanagans of the board & senior mamgment.

The only problem with that is it would also reduce commissions for fund managers, many of whom are greedy trade union delegates.

http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?article=12521#216950

curmudgeon, in your third paragraph is the REAL answer which all free traders ignore. Japanese car makers were not the only industry in the world competing fiercely with each other behind the tarriff barriers. Many Australian industries were not a monopoly, duopoly or cartel but competed fiercely with each other behind the tarriff barriers.

http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?article=12521#216913

Yabby again, i am well aware that the exchange rate was not the only cause of the collapse in Beef Cattle prices in the 1970's, it was however the coup de gras delivered by vengefull closet communist idealogues.

http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?article=12521#216922

Rhian, i am well aware of the economic theory behind radical, extreme, raving right wing, globalised free trade. What you forget is the the half truth in those arguments was used as an excuse to shut down every industry in the land of OZ other than quarrying.

What do you propose doing when we reach the bottom of the quarry & there are no more rocks to sell?

Australians have been inventing all manner of wonderful things which are used worldwide. Are there heaps of billionaires in Australia living on royalties from their "intelectual property"? Or was it all stolen by industrial spies or given away in some foriegn aid project?

WAKE UP EVERYBODY.

Do you want your children to have NO option other than driving mining equipment, tourism (do you want fries with that?), trading with international banksters in derivatives & other service industries which will fall with a mining bust?

Formersnag, you insist on using 19th century thinking to address
problems of the 21st century. The world has changed, ignore that
at you peril.

Trying to predict the future has been shown to be doomed to failure.
Australia already tried it once, it landed up a disaster.

You also forget how manufacturing has changed. Today the production
of everyday commodity items is highly automated, involving huge
machinery costs, commonly very specialised machinery. A market
of our size, simply does not justify the investment. Try to go
back to making things by hand, nobody will be able to afford them,
your standard of living will crash.

Besides, all you would do is kill off efficient industries, who
would have to buy your overpriced inputs, a lose lose situation.

The internet is changing the world and is opening up all sorts of
new opportunities for those who want to get into niche manufacturing,
which is where the money is. We still employ a million or so in
manufacture today and there are plenty more opportunities for those
who now want to market their goods globally, via the net.

From Carman's Muesli to Matrix Composites, all companies developing
their specialised products, where price is not the driving factor.

But to go back to making Australian toasters, because you used to
do it, is backward thinking.

As a matter of interest, we have no idea how many mineral reserves
that Australia has, for a good part of the country has never seen
a drill.

If you want your kids to do ok, don't just educate them to flip
burgers, but give them some qualifications. Qualified Australians
are doing very well, both here and overseas.

Yabby is yet again being delusional.Qualified slaves would be a better term.We exist in modern day reality of debt serfdom which most people like Yabby cannot wrap their brains around.

Speak for yourself, Arjay. If you are living a life enslaved to
your debts, then perhaps you should spend a bit less time on
conspiracy theories, get off your arse and pay them off.
Personally I have no debts and am enslaved to nobody, unlike
yourself it seems.

The problem arises of course, because of the way that you see
money. Its merely a means of exchange. Like any other commodity.

If you don't trust money to hold its value, so buy goldbars,
wheat, rocks, real estate, anything that floats your boat really.

But of course we know that conspiracy theorists need something
to worry about to keep themselves occupied. Fair enough. Just
leave me out of it.