Grim “Libertarians use this disparity ….”

Strange.

Libertarians believe we are all free to do whatever we want within the laws, not just ‘libertarians‘ but everyone.

It is the small minded envy burnt socialists and other peddlers of negativity who see “law and regulation” as an opportunity to prevent capable people from benefiting or being rewarded for achieving their potential.

As for “Investors” well it is like this… without “investors” to put faith into the future of their “investments”, the products “consumers” demand and pay for would not get made.

The point is, the world would be a better place if more consumers diverted some of their income from consumption to investment… some people call it having a superannuation plan…. Maybe you should try it – instead of waiting for poverty to beset you in your old age,

RobP – you still don’t get it, do you.

I don’t look down at other people, I just don’t pretend (like you) to need to be involved in their every action or concern myself over their every need, being a libertarian, I believe they are responsible and live or die for the decisions of their lives.

If they make good ones, I do not deserve to share in their credit.
Likewise, if they make bad ones, I do not deserve to share in their poverty.

You on the other hand seem to be obsessed with wishing me ill-will..

What a small, envious little grub you must be…

however, myself, being generous, I trust I will not step on you by mistake, should our paths ever cross.

Squeers “too subtle for the likes of Col and co,”

Grim is as subtle as a brick… and with a similar reasoning ability …

Grim “What is the Labor party doing to make it more affordable for us oldies to make -often necessary- career changes, through retraining?”

Of course, some of us see the benefit of education as a form of personal growth. You, Grim, think I and other tax payers should pay for your “personal growth”..... what a parasite you are.

Agree the adult 'edumacation' Grim.

Hard for Col to grasp, so it seems.

The ALP, like their predecssors, are doing SFA, in any constructive sense.

There are squillions of training providers supplying endless dodgy courses, remember the Indians?- and that seems to be the main objective of governments today.

To provide another private industry opportunity for scammers to get into, while filling the workforce with inadequately trained hopefuls, who employers have to reskill them (again) in the workplace.

It's part of the taxpayer funded subsidy, not to the personal growth of the person seeking training, sadly, but to the scamster running the 'College'.

The ALP isn't even interseted in assisting young people to get through uni or TAFE either, with sub-poverty financial support on offer to a few, and decreasing, number of students, while the children of the wealthier tax dodgers get the same free ride they always have.

Julia has failed even on that front, and has decreased the benefits below that offered to students by Howard.

Poor Col, mistaking training for education, like the goons out there who are designing our 'new' school programmes on similar lines.

Ensuring we get more Col's, barely able to grasp what goes on around them and unable to think beyond their own self importance and personal situations.

Col has an interesting view on what it means to be a 'libertarian', which reminds me somwhat of the self-imposed isolation of Burma, or North Korea perhaps?

And of the Simon and Garfunkel song, 'I am a rock, I am an island, and rock feels no pain' or something very similar.

I wonder what he would think, as the unemployed and un-retrained oldie knocks off his house, pinches his beloved tellie, and flogs it for some grub... would he then be sharing in the failure of the oldie, and the 'libertarian' society that says 'up yours mate' to all and sundry when they seek help from others?

Remember the parable of the Good Samaritan Col, it'll do you good, and it was John Howard's second favourite parable, behind 'the Talents'.

"I don’t look down at other people..."
"What a small, envious little grub you must be… "
"... what a parasite you are."
No one could blame you for not reading your own posts, red.
The thing about investors is, they -strangely- always want to get back more than they put in. In fact, investors are rated by how big a difference there is between inputs and profits. Some of the most profitable companies in the world have 'invested' in African nations, for literally scores, if not hundreds of years, and removed billions of dollars of value.
Strangely, the nations in question don't seem to have benefited greatly from investors largesse.
Perhaps we should hang a sign outside Sydney Heads:

INVESTORS WANTED!
(only really dumb investors need apply).

As to red's last paragraph, once more he demonstrates his peculiar inability to even imagine anyone arguing -or even caring- for anyone other than themselves.

>>RobP – you still don’t get it, do you. ....

What a small, envious little grub you must be…

however, myself, being generous, I trust I will not step on you by mistake, should our paths ever cross.<<

I get it all right, Col. You're a real bucket of contradictions. I'll give you one thing - you are impossible to pin down to a particular point of view. You've got more moves than the karma sutra.

A hint though - pick a point of view and stick at it through thick and thin. Then we'll find out the real truth. Not like your "good" self, who is as tricky as anyone I've ever come across.

I could just as easily argue that you don't get it. For everyone that's doing well in economy-land, there's another that isn't for the simple reason that they put other things higher on their list of life priorities. Now, should people be turned into slaves, robots or carbon units just to stop the well-heeled from enjoying the high lifestyles they've become accustomed to? (Eg, I saw that Jennifer Hawkins was angling for a big contract from Myer for simply being her good-looking self. Now what's Jen achieved exactly that warrants the big pay cheque? How galling for people that have thanklessly done the hard yards for decades seeing that - now this ain't about class envy, as far as I'm concerned, it's about justice, merit and reward for effort. What does a libertarian like you think about that?)

I think it's about time there was another paradigm that eclipsed the endless growth, consumerism and importance of self in society that has the effect of turning ordinary working people into commodities.

>>You on the other hand seem to be obsessed with wishing me ill-will..<<

Just returning serve, Col. I'd say the score is about deuce.

i shouldnt say anything
[why am i hearing ...hear hear...echo]

but somehow im reminded of a simpsons episode
where they are on some talkback yanki show
that exposes the worst of human nature

anyhow an alian slept with marge..and maggie was born..is the gist
and as the alian and the homey simplton shape up ...marge utters some immortal words....somehow i cant push myself into quoting them...but condiser them said

its sad govt can do anything it choses...but yet continues the many past deceptions...bankers have financed all sides of every war...killing over 200 million dirctly...many more indirectly...by funding the machinery of war...not food or other human needs

govts ties to big pharma..and big petrol...our biggest govt cooorperate/welfare recipiants...do not serve the intrests of the people...the only govt service it to the people...

not multinationalist limited liability big busnes...and certainly not murdoch...who's control over media has seewn busines loyalty subsume accountability to the people

its time we heard the truth julia..its time leaders served the people...not their retirment plan...global warming is a lie...carbon tax is a subsidy to big business..and its time govt took back the fed

I meant to say: "... should people be turned into slaves, robots or carbon units just to stop the well-heeled from NOT enjoying the high lifestyles they've become accustomed to?"