One thing surprises me about these debates is the masking of the fact that many of these problems came out of the loony Right with obsessions for free markets and trade, foreign ownership and a weighted advantage for business (over citizens) mindset.

The LNP are still pushing for industrial reform if anyone is still listening to Peter Reith. For the LNP industrial reform means flexibility for employers only and policies that widen the gap. It is the mindset of a free market ideology not one in the national interest IMO. Global pressures should not dicate to nations who and what they can trade.

There is no Left in Australia in terms of movements for the overthrow of capitalism. The ALP are still pushing the free trade agenda as CHOGM reveals.

I don't agree with all the GetUp causes but they are in the same camp as Alan Jones on fracking the Liverpool plains and the rights of farmers and agricultural food security. That is a good thing.

I wonder sometimes at those who knock the Left in all this while trying to hide the crimes of the far Right.

Middle of the road is always better but some think that 'middle' means no collective services like health and education. In the US you only have to mention health care to be labelled a Communist. This is loony Right thinking and this sort of deceit is part of the global problem.

So what would have happened if Gough had got the Khemlani loans?

Any ideas?

AU debt is miniscule compared to others. Infrastructure costs money. Those who never invested never prospered. The liberal idea is investment goes to industry for free. The rich get richer without spending a cent. Abbotts mob will flog off medibank, if he ever gets a go. Some here do not know when they are well off. The flip flop cycle will continue, with more hung parliaments.

http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?article=12789#220921

wobbles, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rex_Connor_Labor_Party is this what you were talking about?

comrade whitlam (international socialist) was against http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rex_Connor (national socialist) YES Connor wanted to borrow petrodollars to "buy back the farm", Whitlam did not.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gc5E6pvDv2Y&feature=channel_video_title here is how comrade whitlam brought globalisation into the land of OZ & created poverty by exporting jobs.

http://www.mailstar.net/xTrots.html here is the reasons why comrade whitlam & the other international socialists did not want to "buy back the farm".

YES comrade whitlam had limits on migration because most refugees from communazi oppression did not want to vote for another communazi party.

YES it was Fraser who was fooled into multiculturalism by closet communazis http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8630135369495797236# PC, multiculturalism

Even the Snowy Mountains scheme was not perfect in some ways & the NBN is the most EVIL monopoly the world has ever known.

Both Black fellas & women were better off in the 1950's than they are now. in those days aboriginals at least were literate, had work & women did not have to.

What was so phoney about hard evidence showing that between 1945 & 1972 Australia had the highest living standards in the world as well as the smallest gap between rich & poor?

http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?article=12789#220922

pelican, NO, the loony left, ruling elites worked with the raving right, ruling elites to rape ALL of the rest of us.

http://www.mailstar.net/xTrots.html the left have been helping international capitalists to create poverty.

the far right would never have succeeded without co-operation from the far left.

middle by definition excludes both left & right.

we had FREE health care before 1972 anyway, both medical & dental. now we still do, but get less of it while billions are wasted on administration instead of health care.

http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?article=12789#220927

KAEP, we probably would have the same as now, infrastructure projects weighed down with debt going broke, being sold for half cost.

http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?article=12789#220931

579, FEDERAL debt is low but growing quickly, state, territory, local & qango infrastructure debt is enormous, ditto for both corporate & individual private debt.

the rich have/are getting richer because of eCONomic reforms by comrades whitlam, hawke, keating, krudd & dillhard.

I am marginalized in my community by Politics and my age 67.
My politic was forged through cause and effect deliberations.
I voted ALP once because I found McMahon impossible to support.
I have come to the conclusion that Democracy is floundering in AU and other places , our Leaders are all Stunt Artists .
If you bought Australia would you employ Conroy or Brown or Katter or any of the ALP's to a Managerial Post. Could you find a Position for Julia the Expert who has Electrocuted everything she has driven and has a serious fault that must stop her participating in a real Democracy , Julia by any definition is a qualified Liar , Julia is unable to understand Uberrima Fides hence she will never be able to behave Democratically .
So having been Third Reich'd at the Democratic Ballot Box my suggestion for "Making Australia Positive Again" is "Right the Wrong" make the "Ballot Box work" restore the Electorates Faith in the Democratic System .

Formersnag

You have so much to say at once, its hard to find your balanced view.

Home is where the heart is as far as Iam concerned, and making Australia positive again will take some doing. Iam of the opinion, that our numbers play a large part in our over-all happiness, and the more the merrier is NOT the answer.

I believe the simple things in life are often the best, and running a country this way is a sound philosophy considering the complete mess we have now.

Coming to the end of 19th century, governments all around the world thought growth would peak just in time for their retirements and who takes the wheel after that, is there problem.

Population controls, are the number one most important reasonable duties above all else that humans have as the top predators on this planet, and now all over the world, mankind is seeing the devastation of a uncontrolled species, and the people of the new world is just about to learn what greed can do, when greed is the new disorder.

Australia with its relatively small population, and will miss the bullet that others such as Greece, the US and so on have hit head on.

If the Australian people/government is really smart, they will be learning right now, by the mistakes of others around the world.

Old fools in power, are our biggest threat.

CACTUS