It is said that a cat may look at a king, but to have someone like this lefty even mention Jordan Peterson's name, let alone criticise him, is a step way too far.

Peterson believes in an open battlefield of ideas ; on that I tend to agree.

Tristan,

What I find irritating is the regurgitation of facile statistics. The quote from the guardian that the richest 26 people make as much as the lowest 50% is highly bogus for several reasons:

1 - The exchange rates and costs of living in different countries make the comparison ridiculous. For example people in Africa can live reasonably in Africa on $200 p.m. while in any OECD country one can clearly not.

2 - The salaries / benefits received in Aus would put just about everyone in Aus in the top 1% of earners in the world.

etc.

JP also indicated that men earn more than women because of the jobs they choose, not only the free time. Jobs that are outdoors, carry high risks (such as on oil platforms) and long hours earn more. Trying to even jobs out to make bricklayers and garbage collectors 50% women is an obvious non starter.

I tend to disagree with Peterson on most of the issues he argues for. And his particular take on merit and equity

If merit was involved in political appointments/nominations? The political landscape would look completely different. Why, our current backstabbing PM. has a history of corporate and management failures as his CV. Which he never ever addresses.

If we were serious about gender equity in politics/allowed merit to decide outcomes? We'd double the size of every electorate then nominate two people a man and a woman for every seat, Ditto every party contesting.

Corporate failures as Morrison would seem to be? Just wouldn't get a guernsey! Equality of opportunity has to start with a means-tested education system right up to tertiary and beyond.

And just allow the cream to rise to the top regardless of social status or personal wealth. be conducted at a different place than the school or college and verified and exams taken by the student whose name is on the paper.

And results need to be vindicated by further reexamination without prior notice. To stop the practice of wealthy parents buying degrees for lacklustre offspring. Merit must be the final arbiter at school and college.

After that, the only way to further entrench fairness and equity is via cooperative capitalism that guarantees those who create all our wealth with their hands and minds, gets the lions share. As opposed to privileged drones/extreme capitalism, whipping others for their purchased results. Which they then go on and claim credit for!

Like the self-made man born in the log cabin hewn from the wilderness, with his own bare hands.

It just doesn't take any particular skill to buy land on the periphery and just sit on it until rezoning makes it more valuable.

For mine, I apply an inflation-adjusted capital gains tax that wiped out all such profit unless the land was fully developed as a new housing estate replete with all required infrastructure.

A skilled orator and debater, an extremely intelligent Peterson seems reasonable at first glance, but all smoke and mirrors on closer examination?
Alan B.

ttbn,
Nobody should ever be above criticism from anybody!

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Armchair,
Did you notice the text of what you linked to was written just before the collapse of Bretton Woods?

>Socialism was never about lifting up the poor in the first place;
Iknow you're easily hoodwinked, but I'm still quit surprised you've fallen for that kind of propaganda!

And speaking of propaganda...
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Tristan,
Last time you were here you tried to spread the propaganda that Venezuelan economic collapse was the result of foreign intervention "making the economy scream". I explained why that was not true. When you responded with a claim about "very harsh sanctions" I explained why this was incorrect. So it's disappointing that you're at it again!

The "usurper" is himself an elected socialist, and he acted according to the Venezuelan constitution (which had been written by the socialists). Why won't you support his efforts to free his nation from a tyrannical leader whose incompetence has wrecked the country's economy?

FWIW I agree that there shouldn't be military intervention in Venezuela without a UN mandate. But in no way does that justify the status quo.

Dear Tristan,

I wouldn't bother too much with this lot, anyway the notion of Australia being an egalitarian nation along side the Scandinavian countries has gone up in smoke and it won't be until the baby boomers die off that there will be any chance of retrieving it.

In a couple of years time the number of private hospitals will outstrip the public ones in this country. Nearly 40% of our kids go to private schools of which over 80% are religious.

The last election did seem to be an opportunity to stem the tide even a little but that fell over.

Now it is all about personal 'aspiration' not aspiration for the kind of country we want to become. Australia use to do things like lead the drive for the vote for women, the 40 hour week, supporting the UN. Now we get dragged kicking and screaming to SSM well after even the Irish.

Now aspiration is getting one's kids into a private school, being able to afford private medical health insurance, and getting a bunch of negatively geared properties.

The mantra from this bunch of economic rationalists is 'we want to put more money in your pocket because you are the best person to decide how to spend it'.

If there was ever an indication of the continuing demolition of the remaining vestiges of socialist policies in this country that would have to be it.

There is absolutely no way we could institute a scheme like Medicare now. I was proud to be part of a nation which instituted it. That nation has pretty well gone.