Hooray for Geoff!
It is some years now since I have posted this reference which sums up the situation that we are now in - a situation that was not in any way created by "cultural marxists" but by the Milton Friedman and the Chicago boyz inspired "free" market fundamentalists.
http://www.coteda.com/fundamentals/index.html

Plus the books by Sharon Beder which give a detailed explanation of the well organized global forces that have engineered this situation. And of course the books No Logo, and The Shock Doctrine by Naomi Klein

Never mind that global corporations now rule the entire world and thus determine EVERYTHING that we think, do and feel. And of course effectively decide who is going to live and die, or where the next sacrifice zone is going to be.

And anyone who pretends that there is anything remotely like a "free" market should read the two books by John Perkins The Confessions of an Economic Hitman, and New Confessions of an Economic Hitman
.
And two books by George Monbiot, How Did we Get Into This Mess, and in relation to the UK Captive State.

Dear Ateday,

"Extinction" is probably too strong - but certainly a continued deterioration of the quality of life, which peaked in the last century and now is in decline.

---

Dear Daffy,

«global corporations now rule the entire world and thus determine EVERYTHING that we think, do and feel.»

Now you have overstepped the mark:

Perhaps you were speaking for yourself, but while I also do not like the global corporations, I still think for myself, every moment, feel for myself and try to do what I practically can under the circumstances.

Geoff,
Were you an adult during the seventies? NO recession !
I had a legal practice and suffered a halving of income in Whitlam's 3 years.
My brother's building company , in those 3 years went from building two houses per week to closing down, never to reopen. Most of his competitors in Wollongong did the same and his two ex- partners went bankrupt.
The unemployed rate was multiplied by three at least.

It seems your theories are based on false premises.

progressive pat,
It's far from crazy to import stuff we can make here. A lot of it's low value stuff that can be made far more cheaply overseas. It doesn't make sense to deny our consumers and businesses the benefit of cheap stuff just so there's more low value work available for our workers who are perfectly capable of doing high value work if they have the opportunity.

There are many things wrong with neoliberal economics, but free trade isn't one of them.

_________________________________________________________________________________

Old Man,
Less money going to lawyers? My opinion of Whitlam has improved!
Seriously though, how did he manage that?

_________________________________________________________________________________

ttbn,
Your rant seems rather illogical.
How do you imagine the western politicians could've stood up to OPEC?

_________________________________________________________________________________

Alan B.,
There's absolutely nothing incompatible between green ideological imperatives and a fair go for all. Indeed in the long term the former actually help with the latter.

But your preferred solutions are not the answer. Thorium power will eventually be reliable, and will probably be cheap, but right now it's neither. And cutting tax is a very expensive way to grow the economy.

Aidan,

I wouldn't waste time trying to explain anything to you.