runner,
I often wonder if you have ever read anything but religious tracts and right wing economic nonsense such as Ayn Rand.

You need to get your head around Adam Smith for example but do it properly. Read both his "Wealth of Nations" and his excellent, but difficult to read, "The Theory of Moral Sentiments". Some knowledge of up to date economic theory might also provide you with some enlightenment. I've read AYN Rand and Smith and read as much as I can on what might overcome the major problems which threaten the wellbeing of the Australian society.

I suggest the an earlier comment summed up what is happening in our society.

Rupert Murdoch and his minions helped Abbott, Pyne and the others mislead the public into voting them into office with the help of one politician on the other side, who couldn't govern adequately, and couldn't realize that his own interests were much different to the interests of the Australian citizens.

Now the Murdock interests are intent on destroying proper reporting and the right wing government is intent on helping them. It is a "you scratch my back" situation.

Shaggy, I too was a life long ABC listener, & viewer. I used to tune in from even places like Guam.

To day I never turn the radio to the ABC, I just get upset at being lied to. It is impossible for any fair minded person not to see they are being lied to, so it never goes on.

It is only about the last 6 months that the ABC TV news became impossible to watch. It is too painful watching the cogs turning in the head of the silly little girl they have recently inflected upon us. It is so obvious she, & those who direct her do not have a clue about anything but the "arts" that I just can't watch.

Of course, they have to talk crap I suppose, to appeal to twits like the last poster, or have no audience at all

I'v just been in NZ for a three week vacation. No ABC, no SBS and piss-poor TV as a result.
Sometimes she might get up the nose, but let's keep Auntie. She livens up the debate, if nothing else. And ditto for SBS.

The TRUTH is the ABC news and its current affairs shows are in competition with News Limited. So it would be an advantage for News Limited if Tony Abbott cut funding to ABC. So ask yourself which major newspapers backed the Coalition at the last election? And take a guess at what private conversations happened behind closed between Tony Abbott and News Limited. Read between the lines people.

Hands off the ABC rabbott.
This is one thing I, and I doubt I am alone, would be prepared to riot in the streets over.

Right, so the argument is we keep the ABC with all its rotten Green bias because it keeps Murdoch as bay.

Murdoch supported Rudd and has supported many ALP governments. Murdoch has 32% of the news and media print outlets in this country but has 70% of the readership.

And this is why the elite hate Murdoch and want the ABC; the average punter reads Murdoch and doesn't watch or accept the ABC's message.

And we've seen how the elites want to deal with the average guys' choice of media: Finkelstein:

http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=13348

http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=13900

http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=13951

The ABC is a vile form of censorship; it uses public money and excludes what the public want to hear and watch and read. It has a preoccupation with fringe issues and in relation to the big issues takes a steadfast Green view.

The ABC is not healthy for our democracy because it does not support that democracy; even Stan Grant agrees with that:

http://blogs.news.com.au/heraldsun/andrewbolt/index.php/heraldsun/comments/abc_has_lost_stan_grant/

The ABC has sided with the previous ALP government and its Green masters. It made its choice and did everything to ensure Abbott, a genuine, decent family man was maligned and Gillard in particular escaped any scrutiny.

Anyway, it is a failed media outlet and should face commercial realities and not be subsidised along with equally censorious outlets like the execrable The Conversation.

I am still waiting for one of its supporters to say they would pay for it from their own pocket and how much.