I believe it was a Roman Emperor, who said it best: "Give the people a circus...". Hence, who cares about the collapse in Australia's education system, the loss our of civil liberties or the sorry plight of South African nations, when we can watch Shane Warne bowl somebody out or read about Willam Winsor going to Sandhurst? Packer knew this and played on it.

No doubt Packer was a success by several measures. But this noted motor mouth was also a cold and calculating bully-boy and an associate of toe-cutter Al Dunlap, not just John Howard.

I wonder how many common people, who lost their "rice bowl" (as the Chinese say), feel elated about tax money funding a Packer memorial. None, I suspect.

In the scheme of things, I would much prefer the very real contributions of Jane Goodall and Susan Greenfield, for having a beneficial drive, balls in absentia.

Of Packer:

$7,000,000,000 in life. One grave in death:

" 'My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings:
Look upon my works, ye Mighty, and despair'
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away."

Percy Bysshe Shelley

"capitilism actually works"
My god!how astute, you must put yourself forward for the Nobel economic prize.With all the bluster that comes from the right about the left progressives associating them selves with the communists,one would think there would be one post advocating a communist government .I havn't seen one. What drivel.Ive got a hot flash for you!true communism hasn't been tried anywhere nada, no, non,nien.Castro,Tito,Stalin,Mussolini Mao etc, were all fascist dictators.Even the Nazi Party which had the label National Socialist Party(misnomer) were right wing cracker jack fascists,and he gained power by manipulating the press and scaring the be-jesus out of the people, just like some of your heroes Bush/Howard.Castro who you seem to despise so much is a rat bag to be sure,however he has seen off 5 presidents of the U.S who have all tried to liquidate him and failed.He will expire naturally before they get to him.Remember the Bay of Pigs?sorry you are probably to young.I know you aint gonna like it,but a cuban has more chance of getting surgery,or a uni education than some hillbily from the southern states of the U.S.And before you ask,No I wouldn't live there.

Most lefty's are pragmatic in the affairs of politics unlike you they care that capitilism gives every one a fair share of the pie.With out the so called lefty's you may still be living in a cave.As for Packer if you think dumping 30 mil into a casino,the amount of which could build a hospital is not obscene. I suggest you take a pill and a long lay down.Enjoy your time in the sun as a conservative,all things must change.Thatcher thought she was born to rule,sent to the dustbin of history,with some of the most conservative pundits in Britain reminding us daily of the damage she had done

Hello Trish

Great article. So timely.

Hope you can get it published in The Australian, SMH, etc.

Perhaps you should find out the trick that Kevin Donnelly and David Flint seem to employ - get their articles published in the broadsheet and enjoy replays soon after on this forum. Some sort of syndication?

Cheers

Chek

So much rage PhilB, so few actual arguments. So how much extra tax do you pay - we are talking principle here not scale. Did you give the tax office extra money or did you try to minimise it and then spend it on other things.

$30 million is a lot to gamble but that money doesn't exist in a vaccuum. Crown Casino wouldn't sweep it under the carpet - they would use it to employ people - like my mates who used to deal black jack to help pay for uni.

People like you don't understand that money spent - whether from necessity or indulgence ends up in the pockets of other people.

I would much rather spend my money buying a new television than giving to as tax to go to the welfare of someone not willing to work.

At least the salesperson has earned their commission and willing to get out of bed to help himself.

And finally, doesn't it say something to you that despite the Communist Manifesto being 150 years old and the numerous failed attempts you mention demonstrate that is can't work. Or maybe it is waiting for someone of your superior intellect to get things up and running.

(PS I have never lived in a cave, so I don't know how I would still be living there without you progressive lefties. Unless of course you mean the human race in general. Unfortunately, if you go back through your ancient history, the first civilisations weren't exactly the bastion of progressiveness either. Mesopotamia, Egypt, etc didn't have many people living in caves but they were all dictatorships or despotic monarchies. Perhaps it is you who has been living in a cave?)

"So much rage PhilB" Yes and so little time.Now Im gonna try this one more time, are you paying attention t.u.s.?.Are you awake t.u.s.?Have you taken your valium today t.u.s.?.Now repeat after uncle Phill.Phill has never been a member of the communist party,never been associated with members of the communist party,sh@t he doesn't even like communists.Now that's better.Hey call me crazy that sounds like something out of the Mc Carthy hearings.Hey that's when they persecuted all those mis-guided millionair capitilist lefty's.You know the ones, the ones you would like to be but just can't get there.

Are you still awake t.u.s?.Im throwing pearls of wisdom at you here boy.Now O.L.O. I would have thought in my own deranged lefty mind,is where peoples opinions are all valued the same,because at the end of the day that's just what they are opinions..Unlike a lot of posters here my bursts come straight off the cuff from lifes experiences,I don't trawl through mountains of encyclopedia's or dictionary's to prop up my point of view.I read something,hear something,see something just like you and my head crunches the information,and presto an opinion.

Now back to Packer and the dreaded casino.Please don't insult my intelligence with the fairy story,that all the money spent at the casino goes back into employing people,and other such waffle.It is in the public domain that most of it,after the government takes its cut,ends up in the cayman islands or swiss bank accounts.

Maybe it is you who needs to take a valium Uncle Phil. You brought up Communism, all i did was mention Cuba as a country where media freedom is well and truly non existent.

As for tax havens - i don't know how you look after your money but I try to pay as little tax as is legally possible and when it comes to investing, I go for things which bring the best return on investment at an appropriate risk.

Other than that - except for claiming vehemently that you are a not a red ragger, which I believe, you have not really answered any of my questions.

Do you not invest where you get a good return?

Do you pay extra tax just out of the goodness of your heart?

Do you regularly give to charity?

Have you ever gambled at casino or on the horses?

Do you generally hold yourself to the same principles with which you are holding Kerry Packer?

Like I said before - it is a matter of scale not principles. A five buck bet on the ponies could have fed a poor person for a day. Where's your guilt?

It is easy to criticise someone who is now dead using the anonymity of an internet forum (and yes your opinion is just as valid as little old anonymous t.u.s) but unless you hold yourself to the same standards it is a little hollow.

I would say Kerry Packer, with all his faults, has done a great deal of good for Australia and Australians, a lot more than you or I or any other forum poster has.

And yes, he didn't because he had the balls to do it.

t.u.s.